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Parents to Weigh in on How School Districts Spend New Funds
A new report by the State’s Legislative Analyst spells out accountability measures school districts must meet under California’s new funding formula, which gives district with lots of low-income or English-learning students more money – and more control over how to spend it. One significant requirement: schools must get input from parents about how to spend the money. KPCC 

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L.A. County Literacy Initiative Reaches Juvenile Offenders
After years of damning reports and a class-action lawsuit alleging educational neglect of juvenile offenders, the county has launched a wide-ranging effort to remedy failing practices and boost the quality of teaching. LA Times 

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Options Growing for Bilingual Education for the Preschool Set
Bilingual learning continues its upward trend in Southern California. Two of the latest offerings: a drop off program at the Zimmer Children’s Museum in LA and a new preschool in Pasadena. It comes as dual language immersion education is gaining in popularity across Southern California. KPCC 

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Parents Add Heft to Bond, Tax-Measure Campaigns
Sitting in a cafeteria at Pimlico Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore last fall, parents were asked to imagine what their children’s school would look like with an influx of money under a proposed $2.4 billion bond project to renovate and upgrade facilities in the district. Edweek 

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In Nation’s First Black Public High School, A Blueprint For Reform
The nation’s first black public high school, Paul Laurence Dunbar High, opened its doors in Washington, D.C., in 1870. But more than 140 years later, Dunbar — like many urban schools — has fallen on hard times. The crumbling, brutalist-style building is often described as a prison, and graduation rates hover around 60 percent. NPR 

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What’s Missing From Common Core Is Education for Democracy
Commentary: Common Core standards are supposed to “provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn” and be “relevant to the real world.” But “real world” expectations are defined as preparing students for “success in college and careers” and “to compete successfully in the global economy.” As best as I can ascertain, in the entire document, there is no real discussion of life in a democratic society and the role of education in promoting democratic processes and democratic values. Huffington Post