Rauner signs part of budget: the part for schools
Gov Rauner (IL) signed approved funding for an increase in the general state aid to schools and a new proration rate of 92%.
School News
Virginia set to pilot full-time online high school
We take a close look at online, or virtual, high schools, as 1 in Mich. graduates its 2nd class and one in Va. is set to open in the fall.
Chicago teacher can now accept Common Core
The "new math" under Common Core may look a little strange. It may look like overkill. It may just look confusing. But there's a method to the madness.
Texas decriminalizes unexcused absences
Starting in Sept, truancy will no longer leave students with a criminal record in Texas, but fines will still have to be paid as a civil matter.
27 kids fail a Md. test who shouldn't have
A computer glitch caused the bubble sheets of some students to be scored incorrectly, which brought failing scores to about 2 dozen Md. H.S. students.
Maine drops out of Smarter Balanced
It seems Maine will drop out of SBAC, following a few other states. The problem was the collection of personal information about students.
Three faces of the PARCC tests in 2014-15
Teachers have to give students the PARCC tests, students are protesting about the PARCC tests, and even teachers have a few issues.
Blended learning can be exposed as hype
An educator from Alberta writes that blended learning, where online courses are combined with face-to-face instruction, is all hype.
Hungry students want to change food truck law
A variety of food choices at lunch is what kids say they want; the USDA stands behind nutrition standards in the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.
Suicide at the socioeconomic extremes
2014-15 saw an increase in media reports of teen suicide, both among those with missing parents & those with helicopter parents.