The Washington Post reports on limited opportunities for students to transfer to better performing schools under No Child Left Behind. Only three of the district’s high schools — all select admission magnet schools — and two middle schools are eligble to accept transfers. A limited number of elementary students — with priority to those struggling the most — will be able to transfer. Sounds like a good case for building the supply of high performing schools
Also in the Post, Jay Mathews highlights Eileen Gail Kugler’s book, Debunking the Middle-Class Myth: Why Diverse Schools Are Good For All Kids, and rebuts 7 myths about diverse schools. Although Kugler’s title seems antagonistic to “middle class” schools, her key contention — that diverse schools benefit middle class white kids as well as disadvantaged and minority students — seems to butress the arguments Rick Kahlenberg makes in his book, All Together Now: Creating Middle Class Schools Through Public School Choice. Just because diversity might be good for kids doesn’t mean it’s easy: the Sacramento Bee reports on Elk Grove, CA, school district’s efforts to build better relations between diverse student groups.
New state test results are released in Colorado.
And more homeschooling controversy is breaking out in Pennsylvania.