- The Obama administration is awarding $290 million in grants to reward top teachers and boost opportunities for teachers who work in the almost 1,000 impoverished schools in 18 states and D.C.
- The U.S. Department of Education is sending more than $24 million to 22 states to help recruit, train, and retain highly-qualified special education teachers and provide support for their students with the new Common Core Standards.
- 26 states and D.C. have established different benchmarks for different groups. For instance, by 2018 in Florida, 74% of black students must be proficient in math and reading, along with 88% of whites, 81% of Hispanics, and 90% of Asians.
- 44 states have now applied for NCLB waivers, with 33 granted so far. Pennsylvania may well be the next to apply.
- School districts are concerned about being technologically ready to give the Common Core Standards assessments online in two years. Some are panicked; some don’t know enough to panic yet.
