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Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
The WorldPost has gotten the first look at the math scores of students at every socioeconomic decile from the 65 countries that participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment. What they reveal about the correlation between wealth and a student’s academic performance is surprising. (Huffington Post)
The funny thing about eras is that it’s hard to know which one you are in until it is coming to an end. As the fighting among conservatives heats up over the Common Core, it brings into sharper relief the era of standards-driven reform that has defined conservative education policy for the past three decades. (National Review)
In education, it sometimes takes courage to do what ought to be common sense. That’s a key lesson from several recent national and international assessments of U.S. education. These include the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), known as the nation’s report card; a new version of the NAEP focused on large, urban districts; and the international rankings in the tri-annual PISA test. (Washington Post)
The trinity of teachers’ rights in California – tenure, seniority and due process in dismissals – will be under attack next week in a trial in Los Angeles with statewide impact and national interest. (Ed Source)
New York
A day after Mayor Bill de Blasio rebuffed his proposal to set aside $1.5 billion to pay for prekindergarten classes, Gov.Andrew M. Cuomo came back on Wednesday with a new offer: a blank check. (New York Times)
North Carolina
2014 has gotten off to quite a start, with crucial decisions by state leaders that have potential to nearly double the number of charter schools already operating across the state. As vice-chair of an excellent public charter school, one might expect I would be thrilled about this level of interest in the charter model. Instead, I’m concerned. (The Herald-Sun)