Recess round-up: July 29, 2010

A daily dose of education news around the nation – just in time for a little mid-day break!

ARRA: The U.S. Department of Education urges states and school districts to spend money to alleviate the impact of layoffs. (Thompson Publishing Group)

Charter schools: As New York “moved to raise the bar for achieving a ‘proficient’ rating on exams, charter schools fell as sharply as public schools on the math exams — by 28 percentage points” and more dramatically on reading — by 34 percentage points. (New York Daily News)

College completion: According to an A.P.-Univision poll, despite strong belief in the value of a college degree, Hispanics more often than not fall short of earning one. (Associated Press via Forbes)

Teacher pay: The well-known study on class size in Tennessee was revisited yesterday in a front-page story, “The Case for $320,000 Kindergarten Teachers.” (New York Times)

Holding teachers accountable: In response to complaints about his administration’s education agenda, President Barack Obama addressed the National Urban League, broaching the topic of performance standards for teachers. (The Atlantic) 

School Improvement Grants: Educators are favoring the “transformation” model for turning around persistently underperforming schools. (Education Week)

What a teacher wants: Stephen Lazar wants his students to develop the ability to make moral and healthy choices throughout their lives. (GothamSchools)

Susan Sawyers