Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
The New Mexico Senate voted Monday to confirm Jeb Bush protégé Hanna Skandera as the state’s secretary of public education, handing a defeat to Democrats and teacher unions in what had become a four-year political fight. (Washington Post)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker dismissed critics who contend his lack of a college degree could be a potential liability in the White House. (CNN)
Diane M. Douglas, a Republican, was elected state schools superintendent in Arizona after vowing to repeal the Common Core, a set of reading and math standards intended to guide teachers from kindergarten through high school graduation. (NY Times)
A push by four California school districts to increase state funding for standardized assessments could complicate the state’s rollout of the common core and aligned tests, as well as provide an early challenge for a revamped school finance system that is not yet two years old. (Education Week)
The actual cost of a Washington Supreme Court’s ruling on how the state pays for education could reach as much as $6 billion – double most estimates floating around the Legislature, lawmakers and state officials say. (KOMO News)
New Jersey
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is no longer the only GOP presidential hopeful to undergo an election season conversion from Common Core booster to critic. (Washington Post)