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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis:
L.A. school board election: Zimmer maintains slim lead
As results in the Los Angeles school board election continued to be tabulated early Wednesday, two-term incumbent Monica Garcia held a strong lead in District 2, one-term incumbent Steve Zimmer maintained his slim lead in District 4 and Antonio Sanchez captured the most votes in the race for District 6 — but he could be headed for a runoff. (Los Angeles Times)
Best and Worst Teachers Can Be Flagged Early, Says Study
New teachers become much more effective with a few years of classroom experience, but a working paper by a team of researchers suggests the most—and least—effective elementary teachers show their colors at the very start of their careers. (Education Week)
Districts Tying Principal Reviews to Test Scores
A growing number of school districts—including large ones like those in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Hawaii—have become recent converts to new principal-evaluation systems that tie school leaders’ appraisals to student test scores. (Education Week)
Georgia: Judge Upholds Gutting of Local School Board
A federal judge refused to block the governor’s removal of two-thirds of the members of a school board in suburban Atlanta. (New York Times)
Governors Take Varied Paths in Boosting K-12 Aid
As states consider increases to K-12 spending amid better economic conditions, governors on opposite sides of the partisan divide are proposing significantly different plans and arguments for the best ways to use new education aid. (Education Week)
NAEP Scores Dragged Down By Students Who Missed Past School, Data Show
Background data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress add to the growing pile of evidence that student absenteeism can hamstring a district’s performance on the test dubbed the “Nation’s Report Card.” (Education Week – Inside School Research)
Minnesota:
MinnCAN unveils report cards for 1,967 Minnesota public schools
MinnCAN: The Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now today released School & District Report Cards for every Minnesota public school as well as Top 10 lists for Minnesota’s top elementary, middle and high schools. (MinnCAN)