posted on
Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:
News and Analysis
The school districts in Gwinnett County, Ga., and Orange County, Fla., have won the $1 million Broad Prize, the first time in the contest’s dozen years that more than one district was chosen for the annual award recognizing improvements in urban education. (Education Week)
Linnea Wolters was skeptical of the Common Core at first. A fifth-grade teacher in Washoe County, Nevada, she taught a school filled with disadvantaged students. Most qualified for free or reduced price school lunch. More than half were still learning English. (Vox)
Last spring more than 3 million students in California, the largest number ever to take an online test in the state, took field tests of new assessments aligned to the Common Core state standards without major technical breakdowns or system crashes, according to state officials. (EdSource)
Money for schools has again become a campaign issue. In the Florida governor’s race, Charlie Crist says that the “first thing [Gov. Rick Scott ] does when he comes in . . . is cut education by $1.3 billion.” To which Gov. Scott replies, “The $18 billion in funding for K-12 education funding is the highest in Florida history and includes a record $10.6 billion in state funds.” Pennsylvania’s Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Tom Wolf accuses Republican Gov. Tom Corbett of cutting the state’s school budget by $1 billion, to which Gov. Corbett replies that spending has actually risen. Similar claims and counterclaims have been heard in Illinois, Michigan, Florida, Kansas and elsewhere. (Wall Street Journal)
New Jersey
Democrats accept Christie’s removal of early-retirement incentives; bill heads to Assembly for vote. (NJ Spotlight)