This Week In Education AM News: Court Nominee Kagan's High School Years

This Week In Education

AM News: Court Nominee Kagan's High School Years

by Alexander Russo

Smart girls were the rule at Kagan's high school AP: There were a lot of smart girls at Hunter College High School, but only one of them posed for the yearbook in a judge's robes, quoted a Supreme Court justice and is remembered for playing a tough attorney in an eighth-grade trial... U.S. adviser gets an earful on test scores Daily Herald: Educators expressed resounding frustration with an increased focus on test scores as one of the only sure ways to net additional funding... State drops out of school grant race Argus Leader: The state finished last among the 41 applicants in the first round of Race to the Top... L.A. schools on sharper lookout for gifted students — and they find them LA Times: After some schools begin focusing on the issue, the number of blacks deemed gifted rises 9%...Goodbye -- and good riddance -- WASL; hello MSP Seattle PI: State Superintendent Randy Dorn's campaign promise of scrapping the 12-year-old WASL is nearing fruition as students across the state in grades three through eight gear up for the Measurements of Student Progress assessment later this month... Community Colleges An American Export NPR: Students come from all over the world to take advantage of the United States' higher education system. One aspect of that system is catching on overseas: the community college... Calif. woman pleads guilty in Sandra Cantu murder AP: A local Sunday school teacher's guilty plea in the killing of an 8-year-old girl has brought relief to residents of this small California city, even as disturbing questions remained -- including how, where and why the girl was murdered.

Quotes: Duncan's "Zero" Opposition View Of Reform

by Alexander Russo

"There’s just an outpouring of support for the common-sense changes and the unprecedented investments we’re making.” - Arne Duncan comment highlighted in Valerie Strauss blog entry "Say what, Secretary Duncan?"

Media: Hechinger Report Launches (Sans Kantrowitz)

by Alexander Russo

Last week I wondered aloud whether The Hechinger Report had launched and if it was shaping up to be all that it was touted to be (Has The Hechinger Report Launched?). Today, the folks at Hechinger sent out an email to education journalists (but not me) confirming that the report (THR, they like to call it) was indeed officially launched. Still no news on the whereabouts of former Newsweek writer Barbara Kantrowitz, who was touted as a big hire for Hechinger but hasn't been seen since. So it's not exactly clear who's going to be doing all the great journalism that foundations are paying Hechinger to do. Hechinger's Richard Colvin has so far refused to answer questions about her role or share the organization's annual report or 990. No response