AM News: Debate Heats Up In Connecticut

Parents Take Gamble for Top School Slots WSJ: As competition has intensified for slots at the city's elite public and private schools, a growing number of parents are pursuing both options, anxious to secure a top education for their children.

Malloy pitches education plan to urban districts AP via Boston.com: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is reaching out to state lawmakers who represent some of the lowest performing schools in Connecticut, urging them to back his ideas for overhauling the state's public schools.

Former Ohio State Chief Confirmed as K-12 Assistant Secretary Politics K12: It's official! Deborah Delisle, who served as Ohio's state school chief, has been confirmed as the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education.

CPS must spend $16M on tutoring — or it loses the funds Chicago Tribune: Cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools is racing to spend about $16 million in federal tutoring grants by the end of the summer to avoid losing the money in a program plagued by dwindling participation and financial missteps.

States move slowly toward digital textbooks Stateline: Despite enthusiasm for digital textbooks at the national level, states have been slow to get on board. But the movement is gaining strength.

MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE

CPS principals facing longer day to get $130M boost Chicago Tribune: Since Mayor Rahm Emanuel first proposed the idea of a longer school day next fall, critics have wondered how much the initiative would cost and whether a cash-strapped district could afford it.

On Education: On Report Cards for N.Y.C. Schools, Invisible Line Divides ‘A’ and ‘F’ NYT: P.S. 30 and P.S. 179 are similar in nearly every aspect, yet one got New York City’s top grade and the other failed.

Adults struggling to learn face new challenge LAT: In choosing whether to cut education for children or grown-ups, L.A. Unified needs focus on the young, but sacrificing adults is tragically short-sighted.

Strong principals seen as key to turning around struggling schools; opinions mixed on replacing teachers Boston Globe: Underperforming schools in Massachusetts that have achieved the largest gains on standardized tests share many characteristics, most critically a results-oriented principals who can galvanize teachers to pursue change and can foster a respectful school climate, according to an independent report commissioned by the state. 

Comments

[Sarah]

I think I remember reading an article on here that claimed states are heading in an opposite direction, in terms of making education available through digital textbooks. It’s interesting that such an issue has data that supports either side’s claim...

[Sarah]

And it’s a little disturbing that two identical schools should receive such drastically different performance grades... I wonder if the state will (hopefully) look into that...