A daily dose of education news around the nation – just in time for a little mid-day break!
Teacher layoffs: Chicago Public Schools will fire 400 teachers and 200 “educational support personnel” by the end of the week, the first of two rounds of layoffs. (Chicago Sun Times)
School standards: “Do high standards really help kids?” A new report from the Education and the Public Interest Center says no. (Washington Post)
School leadership: But good leadership helps students, says another new report. It found that “student achievement is higher in schools where principals share leadership with teachers and the community.” (Sify.com)
College completion: USA Today has a Q & A with Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, and William “Brit” Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland and chair of a commission that studied access, admissions and success in higher education, about how their work can influence Obama’s drive to increase college completion rates.
Distance education: Virginia’s New River Community College has announced that it “will offer over 100 distance education classes” in the fall. (Twin County News)
Early education: Michael MaGavock asks, “What makes a functional and engaging early learning center?” (Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce)
