NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

AFT conference, or NAEP scores? You be the judge about which is newsier:

Student success still a mixed bag USA Today
Since the early 1990s, schools have helped minority elementary schoolers close the achievement gap...But by the time they get to middle school, it seems, their progress all but vanishes.

U.S. Education Secretary Urges Teachers' Union to Join Reform Effort Washington Post
To them, and about 2,000 others gathered at a Washington hotel yesterday for the American Federation of Teachers conference, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan offered variations on the same answer: Trust us; we'll work with you.

Union challenges Obama work with teachers AP
A teachers' union challenged the Obama administration Monday to live up to its promise of working with teachers and not against them.

Congress Investigates Radio Programming on School Buses US News
Do radio shows on school buses turn students into captive audiences?

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Mid-July but there's still lots going on:

Key Republican Ready to Roll Back Testing Mandates Washington Post
"I'm not looking to tweak No Child Left Behind," Kline said. "As far as I'm concerned, we ought to go in and look at the whole thing."

Chicago schools report contradicts Obama and Duncan USA Today
New research from a Chicago civic group takes direct aim at the city's "abysmal" public high school performance and puts a new spin on the academic gains made during the seven years that Arne Duncan led the Chicago schools before he was named U.S. Education secretary.

Providence schools implement new approach to hiringProvidence Journal
Under orders from the state education commissioner, the district this fall will begin filling vacancies in six schools based not on seniority, but on whether that teacher is a good match for the job -- and the school.

Fiscal Deadline, Thorny Deficits Bedevil States EdWeek
Education funding is imperiled as lawmakers, governors push to agreement on overdue budgets.

Makeup Work Allows Students to Slide by, Critics Say New York Times
In some New York City schools, worksheets and cram sessions have been enough for failing students to earn the credits they need to graduate. [not just NYC!]

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

TGIF!

Chino school district loses its gamble LA Times
School board forged ahead with a summer makeup session for inadvertent short days during the regular year, hoping the state would approve the scheme. It didn't.

School bullying grows from silent battle to crime USA Today
Proactive parents aren't afraid to confront school officials or take the matter to court, and schools are training students and teachers alike to spot and report bullying.

Obama Administration Pushes Merit Pay NPR
The union's leadership says it's willing to talk, but most of its rank and file want no part of it. As more and more Democrats in Congress line up behind the idea, they may have no choice.

Scientist shortage? Maybe not USA Today
It's the coming shortage of US scientists and engineers, foretold for decades by corporate, government and ...

The Wait for the National Research Council Rankings Continues US News
Why has it taken so long, and will the information still be relevant when the rankings arrive?

At 84, man gets high school diploma MSNBC
There's at least one guy with a new high school diploma who's not worrying about getting into college or finding a job.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Strange strategies and lots of job-changing in today's edition:

Duncan urges greater use of cell phones in classrooms SmartBrief
US schools should do more to incorporate cell phones into classroom learning, says Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

Administration Focuses on Swine Flu Preparedness Washington Post
The all-day gathering in Bethesda will also be led by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Homeland Security ...

Chief Accountability Officer for City Schools ResignsNYT
James S. Liebman focused on student testing, achievement measures and report cards for schools.

Portland Public Schools hires new chief academic officer OregonLive
Superintendent Carole Smith today announced that Xavier Botana of Chicago Public Schools has been hired as chief academic ...

MPS to hire more private buses after transit system refuses greater discountsMJS
Milwaukee Public Schools will hire more private buses because the Milwaukee County Transit System has rejected an MPS request for bigger discounts on student bus passes, a school spokeswoman said.

Struggling Schools Turn to Top Grads for Teaching Boost NewsHour
In the latest installment in a series about education reform, John Merrow reports on how public school systems struggling to close the achievement gap are increasingly turning to the Teach for America program for help.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Think of it as a momentary palate cleanser before you get sucked back into the Michael Jackson coverage.

Bright spots seen in individual school CRCT results Atlanta Journal Constitution
Some schools in metro Atlanta are outperforming their district and the state on the high-stakes CRCT, according to new data released Tuesday.

Newark Starts a Summer School Aimed at Advanced Placement NYT
Even struggling districts are helping more students prepare for the rigorous courses that have become vital for admission to many elite colleges.

NEA, Obama Administration May Not Be in Sync EdWeek
The union’s annual meeting was marked by its first major stab at getting a handle on the administration’s push into sensitive policy areas.

New 'potential' index looks at what admissions tests can't USA Today
A new type of index may soon be able to help colleges determine whether an applicant has personal attributes like resilience and creativity, that can't be measured by standardized admission tests.

A Tough Road to School Reform PBS
John Merrow has been chronicling efforts to improve troubled school systems in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. On Tuesday's NewsHour, he checks in how novice teachers have fared in New Orleans. Watch more of the series here.

Schools Laying Off Many Latino Parent Liaisons Washington Post
For two years, Benjamin Santamaria helped Spanish-speaking parents and students at University Park Elementary in Hyattsville navigate the public school system. This school year, those parents and students will be without him.

Teacher sorry for mock wedding to 4th grader MSNBC
A fourth-grade teacher has apologized for playing the groom in a mock wedding to a student.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

News? What news? There's no news.

Poll Finds School Leaders Cool to Performance Pay EdWeek
A survey by the American Association of School Administrators finds fewer than half interested in such compensation plans.

State schools chief wants more from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
In his inaugural address as state superintendent of public instruction, Tony Evers said Monday that he wanted to make something clear: "More of the same is not enough."

New GI benefits vary widely by state AP

Educational benefits for veterans under the new GI Bill that kicks in Aug. 1 vary widely depending on what state you're in, an Associated Press analysis shows.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Helping to get your day and week started:

We Rent Movies, So Why Not Textbooks? NYT Chegg.com, which rents textbooks to college students, says it had 2008 revenue of more than $10 million.

Summer school got cut? Kids can still learn. CSM
Online courses, new day camps, and tapping stimulus funds are ways to minimize 'learning loss.'

Teachers are key for students who like learning and remain curious USA Today
Why is school such a chore for so many kids? University of Virginia cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham set out to learn why in his new book.

School bullying, once a silent battle, now a crime AP
In a Tampa middle school locker room, prosecutors say four flag football players held down a younger teammate and committed a horrifying assault: Raping him with a hockey stick and a broom handle....

4 on trial over Texas school fight club MSNBC
Grainy cell phone videos showing developmentally disabled students forced to fight each other will likely be shown to jurors this week as four former employees at a Texas school go on trial.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

I know, it's a holiday.  But I don't know what else to do with myself.

Mayor says Detroit should be outraged over school shooting DetroitNews.com
Mayor Dave Bing on Thursday enlisted federal authorities and everyday citizens in a community fight against youth violence like Tuesday's bus stop rampage that wounded seven near Cody Ninth Grade Academy.

More Minnesota schools fall behind in math, reading Minneapolis Star Tribune
State test scores for math and reading are up, but not enough for No Child Left Behind law.

L.A. school board lets Birmingham High go charter LA Times
A newly constituted Los Angeles school board took its first action Wednesday by giving up control of its largest campus, allowing Birmingham High to convert itself into a charter.

Duncan Stresses Merit Pay to Teachers Union
Seven-year-old Leilani Granados reads her thank-you card to Education Secretary Arne Duncan during the unveiling of NEA's "teacher thank-you ...

School requests pour in for stimulus building aid Milwaukee Sentinel Journal
A new program that allows school districts to borrow money interest-free has attracted requests for nearly six times the amount allocated to Wisconsin.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Facing Deficits, Some States Cut Summer School NYT
Thousands of school districts across the country have trimmed or eliminated summer classes, ignoring pleas from the Education Department to use stimulus money to retain them.

California Leads States Facing Deepening Budget Crises PBS
Several states are struggling to find solutions for deep budget gaps as a new fiscal year begins.

L.A. Group in Talks to Run D.C. High School Washington Post
This summer, Friends of Bedford will take over operation of Coolidge and Dunbar high schools. Friendship schools will assume control of Anacostia High School this summer.

N.J. has school districts without schools -- but not for much longer USA Today
The school districts in such New Jersey hamlets as Hi-Nella (population 1,029), Teterboro (population 18) and Victory Gardens (population 1,546) will be history by the time schools open in fall 2010 under a bill signed by the governor Tuesday.

Expert Panels Named in Common-Standards Push EdWeek
One group will draft standards for the initiative being led by governors and state schools chiefs, and the other will critique their work.

Graduation for autistic kids CNN
Graduation day at a New York City school for autistic children is a coming-of-age moment years in the making.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

States, Districts in Delicate Dance on Stimulus EdWeek
Striking the right balance on use of federal education aid requires accommodation on both sides—and produces some friction.

Not going to college? How about a 'career diploma' from high school? CSM
The provision in Louisiana puts the state in the center of a national debate about where to set the bar for high school graduation.

In high-dropout Camden, Big Picture kids prep for college USA Today
In a city where dropout rates are consistently among New Jersey's highest and test scores are among the lowest, there were no dropouts at MetEast -- not a charter school, but one run by the city's school district, established with the help of nonprofit Big Picture Learning.

Birmingham High's charter-conversion struggles show difficulty of reform LA Times
Few chapters in recent Los Angeles public school history have been uglier than the one that is expected to culminate today with a Board of Education vote on whether to allow Birmingham High School to effectively secede and become a charter school.

Atlantic City schools shed 'need improvement' designation Press of Atlantic City
The district has worn that unwelcome designation since the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Chief Justice Roberts: High court not setting school rules USA Today
At a judicial conference, Roberts was asked how school administrators should interpret seemingly conflicting messages from the court in two recent decisions, including one Thursday that said Arizona officials conducted an unconstitutional strip-search of a teenage girl.

In Hartford, Stimulus Funds for Schools Leveraged for State Budget Crunch PBS
John Tulenko of Learning Matters reports on how one school district in Connecticut is weathering the recession, and how the state is using stimulus funds to close budget deficits rather than increase education spending.

Sacramento vice mayor kicks county school board leader out of meeting Sacramento Bee

A meeting to discuss locating a school for at-risk youth at the corner of Florin Road and 24th Street took an uncomfortable turn Thursday afternoon when Sacramento Vice Mayor Lauren Hammond refused...

One College Sidesteps the Crisis WSJ
Harvard University put the brakes on a major campus expansion. Wellesley College froze salaries and laid off employees. Middlebury College cut financial aid for international students. But one private college is quietly skirting the ...

States weigh setting one bar for students CSM
A 'common' standard for K-12 education is in the works.

Montgomery, Md., Schools Made Teen Wait and Wait to Go to School WP
Jeff Sukkasem is a U.S. citizen and legal resident of Montgomery County, with a passport, a library card and a volunteer job at a local Thai Buddhist temple. For the past two years, however, he essentially has been barred from public school.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Gerstner Says Obama Picked Wrong Advisers to Lead Auto Overhaul Bloomberg
Gerstner, a longtime proponent of education overhaul, praised White House efforts in that area and said he's “excited” about Education Secretary Arne Duncan...

Peer Review Programs Offer Mentorship to Struggling Teachers WP
Jean Bernstein rang a cowbell, her cue to quiet the sixth-graders at Roberto Clemente Middle School for a lesson on multiplying decimals. "You need to settle down," she said.

Urban high school's rare feat: No dropouts MSNBC
Angelo Drummond wears a pressed white shirt and a red power tie for his two-hour presentation to his harshest critics — a panel of fellow students at Camden's MetEast High School.

Mom charged with changing daughter's grades MSNBC
A high school secretary illegally changed grades in a school computer system to improve her daughter's class standing, according to criminal charges filed Thursday.

How Should We Teach English-Language Learners? NPR
The Supreme Court last week ruled that Arizona has not violated federal laws that require schools to help students who do not speak, read or write English. The decision raises a bigger question about why these students have been so poorly served to begin with.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Duncan: State-charter schools need work UPI
... States need to work with charter school operators to turn around struggling schools and offer students choices, US Education Secretary Arne Duncan said. ...

Congressional Support of Obama/Duncan Education Agenda: What's Up? EdWeek
... of the education "status quo" to stop appearing with Education Secretary Arne Duncan and stop lending support to President Obama's education agenda. ...

Supreme Court Says Child’s Rights Violated by Strip Search NYT
The justices ruled, 8 to 1, that Arizona school officials had insufficient reason to search for prescription drugs in the 13-year-old girl’s undergarments.

Supreme Court Sides With Arizona in Language Case NYT
The Supreme Court said the federal government should not be supervising the state’s spending for teaching non-English-speaking students.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

School safety advocates praise DOE pick Bay Area ReporterAdvocates for LGBT student safety received a hopeful boost recently when US Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the...

Weingarten resigns from NYC teachers union AP
The president of the nation's largest teachers union announced Wednesday that she is resigning from her other job as head of New York's United Federation of Teachers.

Accreditor for Teaching Programs Puts New Emphasis on Research and Real Life Chronicle
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education announced new requirements that will put a greater focus on research into effective teaching methods.

Upper Marlboro School May Be Named After Obama Washington Post
Barack Obama Elementary would be the name of a new Prince George's County school in Upper Marlboro under a proposal set for a vote tomorrow night.

Students Without Borders Washington Post
A team of very smart teenagers has set out to discover ways that maggots might make the world a better place. Two are from Loudoun County. Two live more than 9,000 miles away in Singapore.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

AmeriCorps Board Member: We Initiated IG Firing Talking Points Memo
Walpin has claimed that he was fired because the White House objected to his pursuit of an Obama ally, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, in an investigation into the misuse of federal funds.

Subtle signs of a turnaround on a troubled L.A. campus LA Times
Locke High School English teacher Katy Bridger tried to give her fifth-period seniors a test while Byron Gordon sharpened pencils noisily, Deon Crockett wandered the room complaining at full volume and a girl cursed just as loudly at Deon for being rude.

New plans will free up the 'Free Application' for student aid USA Today
Education Secretary Arne Duncan is announcing plans today to simplify the application...

Texas schools unsure whether federal officials will OK use of stimulus money Star Telegram
This time, they’re uncertain whether Education Department officials will approve state legislators’ use of $1.9 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to fuel a funding increase.

Bullying a Top Concern for School Safety Post Pick EdWeek
Kevin Jennings, now head of the Education Department’s office of safe and drug-free schools, was harassed as a gay youth—and later worked to fight such abuse.

German court: Rating teachers online OK MSNBC
A German court rules that schoolchildren may rate their teachers online, rejecting the case of a woman who argued her rights had been infringed by pupils who gave her bad grades on a Web site.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Obama's Education Budget Sees Some Pushback on Capitol Hill US News
Federal plans to reform failing schools and provide opportunities to students face questions.

Court Says Parents of Special-Education Students Can Seek Reimbursement NYT
The Supreme Court ruled that parents of special-education students may seek government reimbursement for private school tuition, even if they have never received services in public school.

Justices Rule For Parents Of Special Ed Student NPR
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that an Oregon family can seek reimbursement from the public school district for their son's private school tuition, even though the family did not try the public school's special ed program first.

Two students, two schools -- 20 miles and a world apart LA Times
Their backgrounds may be worlds apart, but their dreams are similar.

Education Dept. Dumps Symbolic Schoolhouse of No Child Left Behind Washington Post
Seven years ago, a rally at the Department of Education promoted one of then-President George W. Bush's most significant domestic achievements -- the No Child Left Behind law.

Police: Ga. principal arrested in cheating probe AP
The resulting higher scores helped four schools meet standards and avoid sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Schools that don't meet standards under the law must offer extra tutoring and allow parents to transfer their children to ...

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Texas not sold on education standards Express-News
The state is one of four that is sitting out an effort to create voluntary national standards for what students are expected to learn in school.

School cutbacks force parents to scramble for summer replacements LA Times
Boys & Girls Clubs, libraries and other nonprofits anticipate a surge as budget problems force cancellation of usual programs.

When friends make you poorer Boston Globe
Peer pressure can make people, especially young people, do stupid things. New research finds that this includes one’s choice of career.

Education Chief to Warn Advocates That Inferior Charter Schools Harm the Effort Sam Dillon
Education Secretary Arne Duncan plans to invite invite charter school leaders to help out in the administration’s broad effort to remake several thousand of the nation’s worst public schools.

An Interview With Randi Weingarten EdWeek

The Obama administration has focused on closing troubled schools, a strategy Education Secretary Arne Duncan employed while in Chicago. Although Weingarten was careful to point out that she doesn't oppose such closings per se, she said it makes sense...

Ideas & Trends: Get a Life, Holden Caulfield NYT
Young readers now see the protagonist of J. D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” as a whining preppy, not as a virtuous outcast.

Britain is tossing out 'i before e' rule MSNBC Generations of schoolchildren have learned "i before e, except after c." Now the British government advises teachers not to teach the rule because it has too many exceptions.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Education secretary to speak in Chicago AP
US Education Secretary Arne Duncan will challenge Illinois to "think differently" about education as he leads a discussion about ...

Duncan Faces Political Battle Over Education Reform ABC News
This fall, Duncan, former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rev. Al Sharpton will embark on a five-city tour to raise awareness of the achievement gap between white and minority students.

Democrats Push to Suspend California High School Exit Exam EdWeek
Supporters of nixing the test, currently required for graduation, argue it's not fair to expect schools

Education secretary receives arts petitions AP
Florence Henderson presented Education Secretary Arne Duncan with petitions bearing more than 120000 signatures during a rally outside the Education Department. ...

Cuts cost L.A. Unified its Teach for America instructors for next year LA Times
The district, facing a steep budget shortfall, says it won't be able to afford new teachers from the program, which places college graduates in low-income schools. hammered by budget cuts to meet every past threshold.

For Md. Teacher, First Year Has Been a Learning Experience Washington Post
On the last day of Paul Murdock's first year as a teacher, he stood before his two dozen fifth-graders at Langley Park-McCormick Elementary School and opened the June box.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Pa. cyber school unionizes; union says it's a 1st AP
Teachers at a western Pennsylvania-based cyber charter school have voted to unionize, becoming the first such school to do so in the United States, according to a labor leader.

Utah lawmakers fear national education standardsEdWeek
Developing national standards is one of the goals of US Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

NCLB Found to Raise Scores Across Spectrum EdWeek
Scores for "advanced" and "basic" students rose in nearly three-fourths of tests studied, almost as much as those labeled "proficient."

Charter Schools Might Not Be Better US News
Research suggests that most charter students would do just as well in a traditional public school.

Student who blew kiss to mom denied diploma MSNBC
A Maine high school senior says he was denied his diploma because he bowed during graduation and blew a kiss to his mother.

Survey: Many teens use phones in class to text or cheat USA Today
One-fourth of teens' cellphone text messages are sent during class, a new survey finds, despite widespread classroom bans on cellphones at school.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Cleveland Using Stimulus Aid for Teachers Close to Retiring EdWeek
The Cleveland school district plans to use federal economic-stimulus money to pay the salaries of 200 veteran teachers until they retire in two years.

Stimulus Aid's Pace Still Slow EdWeek
In the four months since Congress passed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his team have ...

U.S. Charter School Movement Gains Traction NPR
Some wonder if the increasingly popular model is just an isolated example of innovation and experimentation, or if charter schools have the power to fundamentally change the nation's education system.  PLUS:Obama Team's Advocacy Boosts Charter Momentum

9/11 stress cited in ex-cop's NY school melee case AP
The former New York City policeman who stormed into a suburban middle school with a gun had to sort through body parts after 9/11 and suffers from post-traumatic stress, his attorney said Tuesday....

L.A.'s Urban Schools Hardest Hit By Teacher Layoffs NPR
Urban, low-income schools are taking the most losses because they have the greatest number of beginning teachers.

Fla. school likely named for Mourning over Reno AP
Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno appears to have lost in a matchup with former NBA star Alonzo Mourning....

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Subject-Matter Groups Want Voice in Standards EdWeek
The math and reading associations that thousands of teachers belong to worry they are being ignored in the setting of national standards.

No Longer Letting Scores Separate Pupils NYT
By the fall, most sixth graders in Stamford, Conn., will learn together in mixed-ability classes because, district officials say, the long-held system of academic tracking is unfair.

Chino district's error delays summer break by 34 school days for some students LA Times
School's out for summer -- except for hundreds of children in western San Bernardino County who, because of an administrative snafu, must make up 34 days of school this summer.

Cheating on CRCT signals test's high stakes Atlanta Journal Constitution
More surprising than the cheating, perhaps, is the brazenness with which it was carried out, interviews and state records suggest.

How Facebook Is Affecting School Reunions TIME
The social networking site has made it easier to contact old high school friends. Is that hurting attendance at the big reunion?

Tweeting Your Way to Better Grades US News
Twitter actually can be a helpful study tool, some students and educators say. 

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Education chief hopes stimulus pushes bar MSNBC
Education Secretary Arne Duncan  said  he hopes up to $350 million in federal funds would help the efforts of 46 states to develop common, internationally measured standards for student achievement.  [See also Charlie Barone's report on the speech.]

Layoffs mean LA schools lose new breed of teachers AP
Some inner-city middle and high schools could lose up to 40 percent of their teachers, according to an analysis by the Institute for Democracy, Education and Access at the University of California, Los Angeles.

More students on free lunch programs USA Today
Nearly 20 million children now receive free or reduced-price lunches in the nation's schools, an all-time high, federal data show, and many school districts are struggling to cover their share of the meals' rising costs.

A Tale Of Technology In Two School Districts NPR
Miray Guneric, 7, is so young, she can't spell the password she needs for World Book online. She stares at her screen and asks a visitor for help: "I don't know how to spell 'student,' " which is the password she needs.

A Team’s Struggle Shows Disparity in Girls’ Sports NYT
The revolution in girls’ sports has bypassed the nation’s cities, where cash-strapped public schools often view sports as a luxury.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day [Friday!]

Federal funding gives 27 teachers a reprievean Diego Union Tribune
It's only a one-year reprieve, but 27 teachers are tearing up pink slips and looking forward to a new school year in the Oceanside Unified School District.

Fiscal Outlook for States Expected to Stay Grim EdWeek
State spending is predicted to fall again in fiscal 2010 despite the federal economic-stimulus package, likely meaning more cuts for K-12.

A Tale Of Technology In Two School Districts NPR
Two school districts — one in New Jersey and one in Virginia — are trying to trim their tech budgets without hurting learning. The solution? Smaller laptops for one district and word processors for another.

Schwarzenegger's push for digital textbooks CSM
The California governor wants to save money by dumping printed schoolbooks for online, open-source texts. But is it feasible?

Kanye West performs for students AP
Hip-hop artist Kanye West returned to his hometown to give a private concert for Chicago public school students who improved their grades and attendance.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Kids reap benefits of long school year Christian Science Monitor
Roughly 1,000 schools — 80% charter schools, 20% traditional public schools — have expanded their schedules by more than one to two hours a day or 300 hours a year, according to the National Center on Time and Learning in Boston.

School systems juggle cost of free lunches USA Today
School systems nationwide are trimming lunch menus, buying more food in bulk and delaying purchases of kitchen equipment to offset the costs of serving free or reduced-price lunches to millions of newly eligible students from cash-strapped families.

Why GED classes are full, now CSM
Poor job market motivates many to earn their high school equivalency certificate.

California Worries About Fate of Loan-Repayment Aid for Teachers LA Times
Cash-flow problems have already delayed the arrival of this year’s checks to help repay student loans, and the future looks dire.

Slanderous Web Site Catering to Teens Is Shut Down Washington Post
A Web site that catered to anonymous slander and insults by and about teenagers -- and was especially popular in Montgomery County high schools -- was closed down yesterday by its Web hosting company.

School: Swine flu policy upset gunman MSNBC
The former policeman who authorities say took a gun into a suburban middle school and threatened a superintendent was apparently upset over the district's swine flu policy, a spokeswoman says.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

NY school official wrestles gun from armed man AP
Police in suburban New York say an armed man who was wrestled to the ground by a superintendent at a middle school is a former police officer and parent of a student....

Education chief warns state against charter caps Indianapolis Business Journal
A plan by Indiana House Democrats to cap funding for charter schools was criticized yesterday by US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. ...

Unions Set Sights on High-Profile Charter-Network Schools EdWeek
Teachers have formed collective bargaining units in schools run by some of the best-known charter school management organizations.

Reg flags over "pregnant rides" Wisconsin Radio Network
There's opposition to a plan to help pregnant Wisconsin girls get to school.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

SC gov signs stimulus request, criticizes program AP
The request to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, sent by e-mail, caps months of Sanford's criticism of the $787 billion federal economic recovery law that ...

Ed secretary: judge teachers on how students do AP Education Writer
Teachers should be judged on student performance, though not solely on test scores, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Monday.

Q&A: How to raise 'global students' USA Today
They broke the traditional mold of how to educate a child, helping each daughter get a global education while accruing no debt.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day (Monday!)

School cancels graduation for cheaters AP
An Ohio school district says it uncovered a cheating scheme so pervasive that it had to cancel graduation ceremonies for its 60 seniors — but will still mail their diplomas.

Va. Expands Costly 'Portfolio' Tests Washington Post
For eight days this spring, the Dulles Expo Center was transformed into an industrial grading complex. Boxes of tests were trucked in from schools, unloaded onto pallets into a warehouse and distributed to folding tables, where more than 1,500 Fairfax County teachers and staff worked with sharpened...

Value of $125000-a-Year Teachers NYT
Rhena Jasey, a Harvard graduate, is on a teaching dream team.Does high pay translate into more success?

Do Good Teachers Leave When Black Students Enroll? US News
A new study takes a look at teacher-movement patterns in a North Carolina district.

GOP still pushes bill expanding access to charter schools The Tennessean
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is scheduled to talk to reporters today about President Barack Obama's administration's emphasis on the importance of ...

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day [Friday!]

Value of $125,000-a-Year Teachers NYT
If you pay educators extremely well, will that translate into success for students? A school set to open in New York in September may answer that question.

Recession Threatens Student Loan Forgiveness Programs NPR
The recession has put some of these state programs in jeopardy and placed some college graduatess in limbo about how they will repay mounds of student debt. Via EWA.

Palin Opts Out of Effort to Standardize K-12 Education US News
Alaska and three other states are not participating in the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

Hundreds protest outside school board meeting Seattle PI
The day Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson was to receive her performance review from the school board, more than 200 people -- teachers, students and supporters -- protested staff reductions at district headquarters.

Parents of O.C. teen who killed himself file claim against school district LA Times
The parents of a 16-year-old high school student who committed suicide last month have filed a $3-million claim against his school district alleging that administrators and staff failed for years to intervene while their son was "relentlessly bullied."

Court: No Bible show-and-tell in school MSNBC
A kindergartner's mother cannot read Scripture during show and tell, even if the Bible is the boy's favorite book, a U.S. appeals court ruled.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day. Big.

Short on funds, districts declare fiscal emergency AP
These days, Superintendent Bill Brumfield finds himself frequently turning to passages in the brown leather Bible resting on his desk.

Senators Grill Duncan on Obama's Budget Proposal EdWeek
A key US senator told Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this morning that he's not a fan of the Obama administration's proposal to shift $1 billion out of ...

Military-backed public schools on the rise in US AP
The U.S. Marine Corps is wooing public school districts across the country, expanding a network of military academies that has grown steadily despite criticism that it's a recruiting ploy....

4-year colleges graduate 53% of students in 6 years USA Today
Nationally, four-year colleges graduated an average of just 53% of entering students within six years, and "rates below 50%, 40% and even 30% are distressingly easy to find," says the report by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.

Leading the Charge for Real-Time Data EdWeek
Long before it was on the national agenda, data was the name of the game in Western Heights, Okla.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Al Sharpton emerges as Obama ally Politico
Now the Department of Education is making plans for Sharpton to join Secretary Arne Duncan on a five-city tour this fall — an idea that Duncan’s aides say came directly from the White House after the Oval Office meeting.

Charter schools: Illinois lawmakers pave way for number to double  Tribune
Pat Quinn's signature, would make Illinois the first state to answer President Barack Obama's and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's calls to raise caps on charter schools.

Who Pays for Special Education: Parents or Districts? US News
A Supreme Court decision on when public schools must reimburse parents of special-ed students for private school tuition

Cashing-In On Grades: Good Or Bad For Students? NPR
Noelle Edwards, a sixth grader, and Natnael Kassaw, a seventh grader, debate the pros and cons of the program. They are joined by regular parenting contributor Jolene Ivey, and Lynsey Jeffries, of the Higher Achievement Program.

Court considers girl's lewd MySpace parody

A federal appeals court must decide whether a Pennsylvania middle school can suspend a student who, at home on her own time, created a lewd MySpace page about her principal.

Video: College Commencement, Spring 2009 US News
Check out our YouTube compilation of graduation addresses from around the nation.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

4 states yet to agree to standards for academic rigor USA Today
The four yet to sign up: Alaska, Missouri, South Carolina andTexas

Study Finds Teacher Evaluations Usually Rosy EdWeek
A survey of more than 15,000 teachers found that more than nine in 10 tenured teachers were deemed to have met local standards.

Tough Challenges Ahead in Effort to Reshape Schools NYT Education Secretary Arne Duncan wants to take school turnaround efforts nationwide, but the process is expensive and fraught with problems.

Girls worse at math? No way, new analysis shows Boston Globe
Girls can do just as well at math as boys -- even at the genius level -- if they are given the same opportunities and encouragement, researchers reported on Monday.

Indian Immigrants Win Big At National Spelling Bees NPR
Since Natarajan's win 24 years ago, eight other Indian-American kids have won that same title, including the most recent 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Kavya Shivshankar.

Parents, students get creative to thank teachers  Baltimore Sun
On a recent day, Linthicum Elementary School's science lab got a complete makeover, being transformed into a spa with soft lighting, relaxing music and two massage therapists to soothe the necks and backs of those who challenge young minds.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day [updated..corrected]

46 States, DC Plan to Draft Common Standards Washington Post
The nearly complete support of governors for the effort -- leaders in Texas, Alaska, Missouri and South Carolina are the only ones that have not signed on -- is key. Many Republicans oppose nationally mandated standards, saying schools should not be controlled by Washington. But there is broad support for a voluntary effort that bubbles up from the states. 

OR:   46 States Commit to Common Standards Push EdWeek.

**UPDATE:  Now up to 49 states, according to press release below**  CORRECTION:  Still 46 states, plus 3 territories.

High-stakes testing cut in half for Alabama elementary, middle schoolsBirmingham News
"Under No Child Left Behind, the only two pieces of the SAT-10 that were needed were reading and math, to augment the Alabama Reading and Math Test," he said. "We don't need the other subjects, and it was taking two weeks away from instructional time ...

Spitting in the eye of mainstream education LA Times
Not many schools in California recruit teachers with language like this: "We are looking for hard working people who believe in free market capitalism. . . . Multicultural specialists, ultra liberal zealots and college-tainted oppression liberators need not apply."

Arne Duncan returns for basketball tournamentWLS Radio
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is back in the Chicago area Saturday, but it is basketball, not politics, on his agenda.

WEEKEND READING: May 30-31 [updated]

The Real Cost of High-School Dropouts Daily Beast
Graduation season, typically a celebratory time, has taken on a more somber feel.

Battling Over Employee Free Choice In These Times
When Congress votes on the Employee Free Choice Act, it will decide not only whether workers will be able to organize unions more easily and whether America will build a stronger economy based on shared prosperity. It will also decide how democratic America will be.

7 Best Moments from the Scripps National Spelling Bee The Daily Beast Video
A star is born, another goes down courtesy of a synonym for bovine rabies, and the judges try but fail to steal the show.

Secretary Duncan Speaks About Education Reform CQ
MODERATOR: Isn’t it sort of backward, though, offering $5 billion divided among 50 states as a reward for spending $95 billion wisely?

School Segregation and Teacher Quality Ezra Klein
As low-income African-American students streamed into the schools nearer to their homes, high-quality teachers streamed out.

More below!

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

The Selling of School Reform The Nation
It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: Al Sharpton, Newt Gingrich and Mike Bloomberg--all failed presidential hopefuls--arrive at the White House for a joint meeting with President Barack Obama.

Profound shift in kind of families who are home schooling USA Today
Parents who home-school children increasingly are white, wealthy and well-educated — and their numbers have nearly doubled in a decade, a new federal government report says.

Court Backs New Jersey Aid Revision: Less Focus on Poorest Schools NYT
The New Jersey Supreme Court upheld a year-old school financing formula that distributes aid more widely, instead of concentrating on 31, mostly urban, districts.

A Red-Letter Day at National Spelling Bee: Kan. Student Is First, Va. Boy 2nd Wash Post
One by one, seats opened up on the blue-and-red stage as the words that students traced on their palms turned out to be incorrect.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Teachers start hunger strike to protest layoffs LA Times
At least nine teachers and two activists take part in the strike, demanding that the district put forth a new budget that doesn't include layoffs or class-size increases.

New Push Seeks to End Need for Pre-College Remedial Classes NYT
States receiving stimulus money must improve high schools so college students do not need remedial classes.

Turning Around Troubled Schools USNews
Signs of how Education Secretary Arne Duncan plans to fix failing schools, via his work in Chicago.

Carver Middle School wins national honor Richmond Times
Carver Middle has been transformed from a failing school, one that couldn't meet state accreditation or federal No Child Left Behind standards, to an exemplary one.

Virginia Considers Dropping Third-Grade History Exam Washington Post
Virginia could soon join a movement to roll back testing programs, as it considers abandoning an exam that spans such matters as bartering, the...

National spelling bee winnowed to 41 MSNBC
Of the record 293 participants at the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee, only 41 moved on Wednesday to the nationally televised semifinals that start Thursday morning.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Sotomayor’s Record on Education Scrutinized EdWeek
President Obama’s pick for the U.S. Supreme Court has heard cases involving students with disabilities, school strip-searches, and racial discrimination in hiring.

Judge prohibits L.A. teachers strike LA Times
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Tuesday prohibited the city's teachers union from staging a one-day strike this week to protest layoffs and other budget-cutting proposals.

Job Training Gives Boost To High School Grads NPR
Teens can dramatically improve their shot at a job by getting training in high school.

Recession Imperils Loan Forgiveness Programs NYT
Cutbacks in loan forgiveness programs could result in fewer students going into fields like teaching and nursing.

 

Here, here! 13 years of perfect attendance MSNBC
Stefanie Zaner, Iron Kid of Darnestown, is closing in on her 2,340th straight day of public school. Not once in 13 years was she marked absent: not for a cold, a vacation, or a senior skip day.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Aspiring Teachers Flunk Math Test US News
Nearly 75 percent of Massachusetts teaching candidates fail new licensing test.

Principals Younger and Freer, but Raise Doubts in the Schools NYT

By some measures, the New York City principals who have come through the city’s celebrated Leadership Academy lag behind veterans who did not.

U.S. education secretary says California students in peril LA Times
Speaking to mayors, trustees and superintendents in San Francisco, Arne Duncan challenges state lawmakers to embrace difficult reforms. 'Honestly, California has lost its way,' he says.

PLUS:  Hundreds of high school students protest teacher cuts

The New Math: Teachers Share Recession’s Pain NYT
As school districts face budget gaps, some teachers are offering to forgo raises, take pay cuts or dig into their own pockets.

Interview With New York Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein Washington Post
Before D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) took over the city's public schools two years ago, he paid a visit here to learn about a school system at the center of urban education reform.

Letourneau hosts 'Hot for Teacher' night MSNBC
Mary Kay Letourneau and her former sixth-grade student — the father of her two youngest children — are hosting a "Hot for Teacher" night at a Seattle nightclub.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Economic Slump Slows Down Summer Schools NPR
The economic downturn has prompted many school districts to reduce funds for summer school. That's bad news for students who need remedial work and for those who are taking summer classes to advance a grade.

Schools prepare for devastating losses of funding LA Times
After voters rejected ballot measures that would have restored state funding for schools, educators across California on Wednesday braced for $5.3 billion in cuts over the next 13 months.

Arne, Gavin and Hydra Beyond Chron
Many eyes will be on Secretary of Education Arne Duncan when he speaks today at the San Francisco School Alliance Luncheon at the historic Palace ...

US schools chief pushes change Indy Star
Arne Duncan, the nation's energetic new schools chief, seems as puzzled as many Hoosiers by misguided efforts to cap the growth of charter schools in ...

Honors for a President, but Not Without Debate NYT
Is it too soon to start naming public buildings after Barack Obama?

Texas teen maps out a win in U.S. geography bee USA Today
Eric Yang, 13, of The Colony, Texas, won first place in the 21st annual National Geographic Bee along with $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and an all-expenses-paid trip to the Galapagos Islands to experience geography first-hand.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Duncan Pressed to Set High Bar on 'Race to Top' EdWeek
The education secretary told Congress he’ll hold states to a high standard in doling out $5 billion in discretionary stimulus funds.

Education Secretary Duncan Calls for State Standards on Restraints in Schools Washington Post
Citing "disturbing" reports of schoolchildren harmed when teachers physically restrained them, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called on state school chiefs yesterday to develop plans this summer to ensure that restraints are used safely and sparingly.

Little Detail on High School Improvement EdWeek
Education Secretary Arne Duncan spent the morning briefing the U.S. House's education committee on his boss' school agenda. But his testimony wasn't overrun with details on their high school improvement strategy.

DPS will ax 900 jobs to cut deficit Detroit News
Detroit Public Schools' emergency financial manager said Tuesday he plans to cut more than 900 of the district's employees and take other drastic cost-cutting measures to eliminate the system's multimillion-dollar deficit.

Roosevelt High teachers give the Education Mayor a failing grade LA Times
 'We basically switched one bureaucracy for another one,' one teacher says.

Entire Groveland, Calif., school board recalled LA Times
Furor over firing of a teacher spurred effort to remove all five members of small district near Yosemite.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

End Is Near in a Fight on Teaching of English NYT
After 17 years of litigation, the United States Supreme Court will decide whether Arizona is complying with federal laws requiring public schools to teach children to speak English.

Bloomberg's WayEdWeek
The state law that changed the governance of the system is sunsetting next month, setting off intense scrutiny of the system over the past seven years.

Seattle Public Schools to cut 172 teachers, staff EdWeek
The Seattle Public School District said Friday it will lay off 172 teachers and other certificated staff to meet a huge funding gap in the coming school year.

Mere 30-point bump on SAT can pay off big USA Today
A 30-point boost in math and critical-reading scores on the SAT reasoning test is statistically meaningless yet could make or break a student's chances of admission at "a substantial minority" of colleges, a research paper says.

In Baltimore, expulsions are forever Baltimore Sun
Parents agonize as kids face harsh penalty for school arson, violent behavior

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Schools restrain, confine disabled children  USA Today‎
Children with disabilities are being secluded from classmates and restrained against their will to control their behavior, ...

Detroit school reform faces labor obstacles Detroit News
US Education Secretary Arne Duncan's vow to help turn around Detroit's public schools may be a historic opportunity, but that isn't translating into ...

Teen fires at teacher, then shoots self MSNBC
A Louisiana middle-school student stormed into a classroom Monday and fired a gunshot over a teacher's head, then shot himself in a bathroom.

N.C. School District to Replace Laid-Off Teachers With Novices EdWeek
Some experienced teachers being laid off in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., district will be replaced with 100 new Teach For America recruits.

'Innovation' Push Raising Questions EdWeek
Experts are urging that effectiveness, not just newness, should be reformers’ goal. PLUS:  Costly Plan Failed to Improve Miami Schools EdWeek

In India, School Principal Works to Changes Lives of the Poor NPR
Sister Cyril Mooney, principal of the Loreto Day School in Kolkata, India, is working to provide poor children a place to learn by day and a safe haven at night. Fred de Sam Lazaro reports.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Assistant principal is 1st NYC swine flu death Associated Press
A school assistant principal who was sick for several days with swine flu on Sunday became the city's first death linked to the virus.

Stimulus funds begins a slow trickle to local schools The Virginian-Pilot
"If we have even a thread of justice in our hearts, we should change these conditions immediately," Arne Duncan said about outmoded schools at a meeting..

Something Gingrich, Sharpton Can Agree
Washington Post
Some held signs for vouchers; others were anti-voucher. Some were pro-charter school. Or pro-teacher merit pay. Others vehemently opposed both.

No evidence of abuse in Fla. reform school deaths AP
The questions had lingered for decades - who was buried under 31 white crosses at a Florida reform school, and how did they die?...

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

8th Graders’ Exam Is Delayed NYT
The College Board said schools’ finances led it to put off the unveiling of a new standardized test intended to help eighth graders prepare for rigorous high school courses and college.

DPS asks for federal disaster funding Detroit News
... by the administration's redirection of additional resources into school improvement," Bobb said in a letter to US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Det. schools chief requests emergency declaration Chicago Tribune
Robert Bobb has asked US Education Secretary Arne Duncan to help get the troubled public school system "placed under a special presidential emergency ...

House Approves 'Green Schools' Bill AP
The House on Thursday passed a multiyear school construction bill with the ambitious goals of producing hundreds of thousands of jobs, reducing energy consumption and creating healthier, cleaner environments for the nation's schoolchildren.

Report Points to Risks of Merit Pay for Teachers EdWeek
Such compensation plans are rarely used in the private sector and can sometimes bring about unintended negative consequences, the analysis argues.

Chess making comeback in U.S. schools USA Today
Over the past few years scholastic chess, or chess for educational purposes, has taken U.S. schools by storm.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Detroit schools 'ground zero' AP
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday that Detroit's troubled public schools are "ground zero" for education in the U.S. and promised federal help if leaders are willing to make necessary changes....

US education chief touts mayoral control Detroit News
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today advocated for Detroit's new mayor to take over the city school system, saying strong change happens ...

Crist expresses gratitude for stimulus waiver Miami Herald
Crist thanked US Education Secretary Arne Duncan for the waiver in a statement to the media Wednesday. The decision Monday to grant the waiver means Florida ...

School board members acknowledge swifter firings are needed LA Times
A majority of Los Angeles school board members said Tuesday that they believe state laws governing teacher discipline need to be revised to allow more swift and effective removal of substandard teachers and other employees, although they acknowledged that changes appear unlikely this year.

Students sue over missed inauguration MSNBC
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of more than 15,000 students who paid thousands to attend President Barack Obama's inauguration but reportedly were left out in the cold.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

More black lawmakers open to school vouchers USA Today
The group includes Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and former Washington, D.C., mayor Anthony Williams.

10 growing jobs in education CNN.com
If you're looking for a career in education, here are 10 jobs to consider, along with their projected employment growth and mean annual wages, according to the BLS.

Testing Faces Ups and Downs Amid Recession EdWeek
Amid the recession, many assessments are getting cut back, though districts are trying to spare those that diagnose problems.

 Bing to discuss education with Granholm, feds Detroit News
Detroit -- New Mayor Dave Bing will meet with the US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, Wednesday in a meeting at Cody High School.

PLUS:  29 Detroit schools to be closed in the fall AP

Obama at ASU: low on controversy MSNBC
President Barack Obama's invitation to speak at Arizona State University's commencement next week isn't drawing as much attention and controversy as his invite to Notre Dame.

A Hit in School, Maggots and All NYT
Think kids dislike science? Forensics proves otherwise.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Obama wants to turn around 5,000 failing schools KC Star
Obama doesn't have authority to close and reopen schools himself. That power rests with local school districts and states. But he has an incentive in the economic stimulus law, which requires states to help failing schools improve.

Waiver means millions for local schools Daytona Beach Post
Education Secretary Arne Duncan had to approve Florida's application to waive a "Maintenance of Effort" requirement that education spending be at 2006 ...

Mexican children return to school LA Times
With a quick health check and a dollop of hand sanitizer, millions of Mexican schoolchildren returned to fresh-scrubbed classrooms Monday after more than two weeks of closures caused by the swine flu outbreak.

The 'Class Of Katrina' Moves Past Emotional Chapter NPR
Four years later, Holloman, a newly-minted college graduate reflects on the powerful storm as she moves on with hopes of starting yet a new chapter in life

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

H.S. Reformers Seize on NAEP Scores to Help Make Case EdWeek
Reform advocates seize on results to bolster their goal of toughening NCLB accountability at the high school level.

Grading Ideas for Fixing the Schools Washington Post Jay Mathews
If you had $100 billion to fix our schools, what would you do? A surprisingly smart list of suggestions for the education portion of the federal stimulus money is circulating in the education policy world.

School Violence Declining, but Bullying, Theft and Gang Presence Persist Washignton Post
Even though spasms of intense violence erupt on campuses occasionally and linger in the social consciousness, violence at schools across the country has been decreasing for a number of years.

Econ Exams: Are The Correct Answers Still Right? NPR
This Thursday, high school students across the country will be filling in tiny bubbles on the macroeconomics Advanced Placement test. But how do you grade a test on economics when the answers in real life are changing every day?

Minority youngsters dying weekly on Chicago's streets CNN
In 2007, after the city recorded 31 murdered children during the school year, Arne Duncan, then-CEO of public schools, expressed similar disappointment. Watch why the violence seems worse now.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

The golden boy and the blob IT IS hard to find anybody with a bad word to say about Arne Duncan, Barack Obama's young education secretary.

Gingrich, Bloomberg and Sharpton Pay Obama a VisitWashington Post
Education Secretary Arne Duncan will also be attending today's meeting. As a result of the stimulus plan that Congress approved in February, ...

Child Spelling Prodigy Takes To World Stage NPR
A native Spanish speaker, Valdez moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States less than four years ago and has since mastered the English language.

Why do millions of Americans struggle with reading and writing? CSM
A new government study looks at factors like income and identifies specific skills that could be challenging.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Obama seeks to keep vouchers, for now USA Today - USA
Obama and US Education Secretary Arne Duncan will detail the plan in their new budget, to be unveiled today. The DC voucher program gives scholarships to ...

Duncan hears special-education concerns on tour's first stop SmartBrief
US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan met with parents, teachers and students Tuesday in West Virginia, where he launched his nationwide "listening and ...

Obama's Budget Scalpel Slices Even Start Politics K12
Apparently, the White House agrees with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that video-conferencing to Paris will work just as well.

New Orleans Charter Schools Produce Mixed Results PBS
While charters are outperforming other schools in New Orleans, there's evidence they may be abusing their freedom.

Media Attention Hinders Rhee's Efforts to Reach Out to D.C. Teachers PBS
In just under two years, School Chancellor Michelle Rhee's "take-no-prisoners" approach to school reform attracted much attention from the national press. John Merrow reports on whether her growing media prominence is hindering her pursuit of a revolutionary new teachers' contract.

Colorado to Suspend Grade-Replacement Program USNews
Students can no longer take a class again and replace their first grade with the second.

NEWS: Big Stories Of The Day

Schools Shut by Flu Can Reopen Washington Post
U.S. health officials yesterday retracted a recommendation that schools close for as long as two weeks if a student catches swine flu, a move that reflects growing confidence that the outbreak may be milder than initially feared, despite the death of the first American from the illness.

Seattle Overhauls Flu School Closure Policy NPR
Schools in the King County, Wash., home to Seattle, has announced that schools will only be closed if a diagnosis of swine flu is confirmed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is pointing to this policy as something other schools should follow.

Chicago's school model goes federal Newsweek
It has been 13 years since Mayor Richard M. Daley seized control of Chicago's school system, creating a new template for urban education. Now the Chicago model has gone federal.

Reading Programs Found Ineffective EdWeek
A federal study has found three reading-comprehension programs had no positive impact while a fourth had a negative effect on student achievement.