School Begins in Seattle NYT: Thousands of Seattle students started the school year Thursday after it was delayed by a weeklong teachers strike. See also Seattle Times, Seattle Public Radio.
Illinois test results plummet under new Common Core exams WBEZ Chicago: In elementary school, where students are tested in grades 3 through 8, between 33 percent and 38 percent of students met or exceeded standards in English. The percentage meeting standards in math was generally lower—between 26 percent and 36 percent.
KIPP DC schools, other charters, to close during parts of papal visit Washington Post: All 16 KIPP charter schools in the District will be closed on Sept. 23 for the second day of the Pope’s visit to Washington, and other charter schools also plan to close due to expected traffic congestion.
Boston Proposes Combining Charter, District Enrollment Applications Boston Learning Lab: The proposed plan could also effectively change charter schools that opt into the enrollment process from citywide schools to neighborhood schools. Currently charter schools may accept students from throughout the city. Under the proposed process, Weinstein said, students would be given a choice of charter schools based on where they live, just as they are for district schools.
Yeshivas Probe Faces Political Heft of Hasidic Community WNYC: The ultra-orthodox communities in the city and state are powerful political entities, and elected officials seek favor with them to secure their votes at election time.
Expert panels weighs in on reversing school segregation in New York City WNYC: The panel comes at a time when school segregation has garnered attention in New York, following a UCLA study that detailed how the the state’s schools are deeply divided along racial lines. Panelists disagreed about whether the issue is best understood as divisions along socioeconomic or racial lines.
Learning To Code In Preschool NPR: A group of educators, researchers and entrepreneurs like Hosford is taking that analogy very seriously. They’re arguing that the basic skills of coding, such as sequencing, pattern recognition and if/then conditional logic, should be introduced alongside or even before traditional reading, writing, and math.
On the Bus With Arne Duncan: Wheelchair Basketball and Tough Questions PK12: Duncan’s been dogged by questions about his controversial moves on K-12, including championing new Common Core State Standards tests, expanding charter schools, and evaluations.
High School Football Inc. NYT: The latest experiment in prep football is taking root, and coaches and officials around the country are watching with curiosity and wariness.
House Republicans want to give teachers a break Washington Post: Teachers who spend their own money on classroom supplies — most of the nation’s nearly 4 million K-12 teachers — would be eligible for a permanent tax credit of up to $250 annually for unreimbursed expenses, under a bill
