First Bell 2-11-13

yes Pamela Tatz / February 11, 2013

A first look at today's most important education news:

Since 2007, school districts and community colleges have spent $7 billion in “capital-appreciation” bonds to finance various construction projects…a type of bond that puts future taxpayers on the hook for huge interest payments, “sometimes more than ten times the amount borrowed over as much as forty years.” (New York Times)

During a hearing on NCLB waivers, lawmakers clash over the federal role in holding states accountable for students’ academic progress; this is one of the five questions Politics K–12 was left mulling over after the debate. (New York Times and Politics K–12)

The Wall Street Journal analyzes the power of various actors in the world of New York City’s education politics.

A new study calls for a special-education program that focuses on “finding and leveraging students’ strengths,” rather than just focusing on symptoms and disease. (Inside School Research)

A professor of education profiles the quiet education reforms of Union City, New Jersey. (New York City)

Category: First Bell