Catalyst was referring to my report that only 42% of Illinois districts have signed on to the second round Race to the Top application.In Illinois, Fred Klonsky argues that efforts to drum up support are wallowing.
The University of California was set to unveil plans for a sweeping financial and administrative overhaul that could reduce annual operating expenses by more than $500 million, as the much-scrutinized public university system moves to deal with a widening budget shortfall.
Under the efficiency plan, which will be presented at a UC Board of Regents meeting Wednesday, the system intends to streamline, consolidate and standardize operations across its 10 campuses. Among other things, UC plans to roll out common supply-procurement and human-resources systems to replace individual campus systems.
Other measures include accelerating energy-efficiency projects, consolidating information-technology operations and loaning
The latest NYT Magazine preview is out, and its feature story is about unions and reform and alla that (The Teachers’ Unions’ Last Stand). But that's not all. When you're done there, EdWeek.org has some exclusive content from the article's author, Steven Brill. (Nice job, EdWeek.org!) Brill is everywhere these days, but not so long on the education beat. Last we saw him, Steve Brill was penning the umpteenth "rubber room" story (albeit for the New Yorker). I can't help but feel like Brill is slanted to the right on all of this stuff rather than coming at it from the middle, and also that he's slumming a bit writing about schools and teachers and stuff. But he's
"That’s where Obama doesn’t get it. It can’t even just be the Congress. It’s got to be school boards, city council, state legislature, county commission, governorships.” -- Gingrich calls for education overhaul (Politico) 
Union boss Randi Weingarten forces Education czar Arne Duncan to add third stop on visit to NYC NY Post: His choreographed visit comes as the battle over charter schools heats up ahead of the June 1 deadline for New York to apply for "Race for the Top" money... R.I. teachers subdued after agreement AP: The president of the teachers union said collective bargaining had worked. The school superintendent lauded a new era of collaboration for a failing high school singled out by President Obama. But the bottom line of a labor agreement approved yesterday showed another, hard-edged result... Tensions grow as Boston prepares for teacher contract talks Boston Globe: Boston parents, students, community activists, and civic groups have launched lobbying campaigns to press for changes to the teachers union contract, in what observers say could be the most acrimonious bargaining climate in a decade... Education" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/education/18brfs-STUDENTACCUS_BRF.html" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(34, 68, 187); ">Student Accused of Faking His Way Into Harvard AP: A Delaware man has been charged with faking his way into Harvard and duping the university out of $45,000 in financial aid, grants and scholarships... School Buses Now Take Wireless Internet For A Ride NPR: The Vail School District in southern Arizona last year installed a wireless router above the front windshield in buses for students who have long commutes. After hearing about the program, about 25 U.S. school districts have also signed up for the service. But one concern for administrators is making sure every student has a laptop.
