When California’s new statewide tests are in place by the spring of 2015, an 11th grade student might be asked the following: “Pretend you are preparing a report for a congresswoman on the pros and cons of using nuclear power to generate electricity. Gather some evidence, then write an essay arguing for either using nuclear...

As a tool for better understanding California’s public education shift, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said today the Common Core State Standards are now available in print for the first time. CDE Press, the publishing arm of the California Department of Education, is offering print versions of the California Common Core State Standards: English...

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan took to the Op-Ed page of the Washington Post on Sunday to argue for a replacing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, better known as No Child Left Behind, which he describes as “outmoded and broken.” He argues: “Washington’s role is to protect children at risk and promote...

Nearly 1,400 LA Unified educators flooded the California State University Dominguez Hills campus in Carson on Saturday for a free conference on the Common Core State Standards.  “Launch LA Common Core” was organized by Teach Plus, a nonprofit that focuses on professional development for teachers. The event was held as states are scrambling to train...

Via The Los Angeles Times | By Tracy Wilkinson MEXICO CITY — Thousands of striking teachers have invaded this capital, shut down both houses of Congress, forced changes in the route of an international marathon and generally created mayhem at levels not seen in a long time in what is always a chaotic city. The teachers,...

LA Unified is urging the Public Employment Relations Board to dismiss the teacher’s union’s unfair labor practice charge, filed in June. The nine-page district response, dated August 15 and posted today by the LA Daily News, outlines a series of reasons that the district says shows that the charges are without merit. The issue at hand is over...

On the first day of school last week, students at Crenshaw High School showed up in uniform. It’s the first time the school has ever instituted a dress code, and Principal Remon Corley was relieved when about 90 percent of students walked through the campus’s blue gates dressed in gold, black, blue, and white polo...

Via The Hill, By Justin Sink President Obama phoned a Georgia elementary school bookkeeper who talked a 20-year-old armed with an AK-47 assault rifle into surrendering, according to the White House. Antoinette Tuff, who has worked for the DeKalb County school district in Georgia for eight years, became an overnight celebrity for her actions. Suspect...