First Bell 4-3-13

yes Pamela Tatz / April 3, 2013

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

Test-prep-focused “cram schools,” once the turf of Asian- and Russian-American students, are gaining popularity with other cultural groups. (New York Times)

Some Texas lawmakers are aiming to scale back the state’s high school graduation requirements. (Education Week)

AFT president Randi Weingarten attributed the standardized-test cheating scandal in Atlanta to “test-crazed” education policies. The drama continues. (Huffington Post and New York Times)

Studies find that students who have the most trouble in mathematics have the worst odds of obtaining a qualified math teacher. (Education Week)

According to Thomas Friedman, the most recent PISA report comparing U.S. middle-class students to global peers shows that the best schools have “cultures that believe anything is possible with any student” (New York Times)

U.S. Representative Eric Cantor argues that federal education aid should follow children, especially those of “vulnerable populations” and kids with special needs. (Politics K–12)

Malala Yousafzai, the fifteen-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban earlier this year for encouraging education for girls, will release a book this fall. (Wall Street Journal)

Category: First Bell