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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
In the midst of the contentious debate over the Common Core State Standards, many critics have lost perspective on its purpose. (CNN)
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said Thursday, in her first interview since being hospitalized for a brain tumor that halted her plans to run for mayor, that she’s eager to campaign for mayoral challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia — but isn’t quite ready. (Sun Times)
The first common-core tests designed collaboratively by a group of states are making their debut this month, with 30,000 middle and high school students sitting for exams in mathematics and English/language arts. Millions more students in grades 3-11 will take such tests later in the winter and next spring. (Education Week)
Indiana
The 2012 election was more than two years ago, but ballot results appear to have settled little in Indiana’s ongoing education war between Democrats and public school supporters and conservative education reformers. (Washington Times)
New York
Tuesday was the deadline for eighth graders in New York City to submit applications to secure a spot at one of 426 public high schools. After months of school tours and tests, auditions and interviews, 75,000 students have entrusted their choices to a computer program that will arrange their school assignments for the coming year. The weeks of research and deliberation will be reduced to a fraction of a second of mathematical calculation: In just a couple of hours, all the sorting for the Class of 2019 will be finished. (New York Times)