High School vs. Preschool vs. Teacher Quality (New and Notable)

Concerns about the small schools craze continue to bubble up, as here in the Christian Science Monitor: Is a smaller school always a better school? Meanwhile, the Gates folks are at it again: Schools Receive Big Reward From Gates Foundation (NBC4.TV).

Meanwhile, it's not at all clear clear whether everyone agrees that it's time to use small schools to revamp high school (many elementary schools are already pretty small), or whether it's time to go for universal preschool. There's no Gates Foundation for preschool education, but there's lots of interest nationally and in the states: Universal Preschool (Blueprint Magazine ), Pre-K plan sails to governor (Daytona Beach News-Journal). Like small schools, however, universal preschool plans are not without challenges: State Oversight Sought for Preschool Program (Sacramento Bee). Preschool bill to hit roadblock(Washington Times), and 10 Things Your Preschool Won't Tell You (Smartmoney.com).

On the teaching front, there's also lots going on. States are supposed to submit their highly qualified teacher reports to the feds today, though as EdWeek and others have pointed out the standards for highly qualified have been set pretty low, and little effort has flowed towards easing the skewed distribution of qualified teachers in most districts. Some timid, other teachers not bothered by new requirements (Demopolis Times), Officials vow to buck feds on teacher qualifications (In-Forum).

But there's lots of other good reading and listening: Teacher facts the state didn't want to know are admitted at last (Sarasota Herald), Study Urges More Diverse Teachers (NPR), Math teacher pay doesn't add up (Christian Science Monitor), Tests for Ala. Teachers to Resume in 2006 (Newsday), and
Searching the Attic: How States are Responding to the Nation's Goal of Placing a Highly Qualified Teacher in Every Classroom (NCTQ)

Best of the rest:
Schools to reduce honors courses San Diego Union Tribune
Segregation by Sex Reverses Progress in the Classroom Kansas City Star
'Acting White' Myth, The New York Times Magazine
The Last Time You Used Algebra Was...New York Times
You do the math Baltimore Sun
High School AP Course Enrollment Surges Washington Post
Can For-Profit Schools Pass an Ethics Test? New York Times
Educators are warming to comics as reading aid Baltimore Sun
More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About The Incredible Never Ending Charter Flap (Eduwonk)