AM News: Romney Declines To Differentiate On Loans

Romney, Obama on Same Page When It Comes to Loan Rates Politics K12: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumed GOP presidential nominee, is on board with temporarily freezing interest rates on federally subsidized student loans—a position that could put him at odds with some congressional Republicans, who are concerned about the impact of the proposal on the deficit. ALSO Romney Backs Obama's Proposal HuffPost

In Push For More College Grads, 'Very Profitable Nonprofit' Cashes In Hechinger Report via HuffPost: The national push to increase the number of Americans with college degrees is enriching at least one key beneficiary: the College Board, the nonprofit organization best known for administering the SAT.

Big push to restore arts to Calif. schools USAT: Politicians, business leaders, educators, artists and parents are making a big push to restore the arts to California public schools.

Lawmakers Want Rural Focus in District Race to Top Politics K12: A bipartisan group of senators wants to make sure the Obama administration doesn't leave rural schools out in the cold when it crafts the next generation of the Race to the Top competition, which is aimed at districts and could befunded at as much as $417 million.

Actors, artists aim to turn around failing schools AP via Boston.com: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kerry Washington and Forest Whitaker are adopting some of the nation's worst-performing schools and pledged Monday to help the Obama administration turn them around by integrating arts education.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

Budget woes may close 40 Phila. schools Philadelphia Inquirer: The Philly school district faces a $218 million shortfall next year, more than previously stated, and it could rise.

How Testing Is Hurting Teaching NYT: A staff developer writes: 'The tests have gained an outsized influence on what happens in classrooms. They are not measuring student learning, as any good test should, but rather determining it. And in so doing they have shut down the most important quality of a good teacher -- the ability to learn.'

More Reserve Teachers Finding Permanent Jobs NYT: The number of New York City teachers without a permanent assignment is at its lowest point in several years, solidifying the faith of city and union officials in an agreement on the teacher reserve pool implemented at the beginning of the school year.

NEWS: Federal teacher evaluation mandate’s impact felt across country Hechinger Report via GothamSchools: Elliott Elementary in Lincoln, Neb., struck off on its own last year when it became the only school in the city to win money through the federal School Improvement Grant program. Winning wasn’t something to be proud of, though: It meant the school qualified as one of the worst in the nation. About a third of fifth-graders at Elliott were proficient on state reading tests when the reforms began, compared to 80 percent in Lincoln as a whole.

Federal and Boston officials agree on path for city students learning English Boston Globe: Changes planned to Boston system The Boston public schools and the federal government have reached an agreement to ensure that students who are learning English receive the help they need to overcome language barriers, the schools and government agencies said today.

 

Comments

[Sarah]

Testing isn’t doing the world of education much good. It is hurting teaching, crippling a teacher’s ability to challenge students, to inspire students. I always felt, growing up, that teachers were constrained by standardized testing, not assisted by it.

[Sarah]

Sorry for the double post, but I also wanted to comment on the story about actors and musicians stepping up to promote arts education. It’s good to see an emphasis on arts education again in the bigger states. Sometimes I feel we, as a nation, push the textbook side of things without encouraging creativity... I suppose that’s a product of No Child Left Behind’s mentality of standardization.