I’m short on puns — and power for my laptop — today. So without further ado, on to the newsblitz!
- Families in Encinitas are debating whether their school system should sell off a choice piece of property to raise money or save it for a future school, the Union-Tribune reports.
- KPBS reports on why some parents say California should pass a law to make it more likely to get money for Race to the Top, a competition for more school stimulus money. Look for guest bloggers on this topic here later this morning!
The Christian Science Monitor reports that many states are doing so, magnifying the impact of the money even before it goes to states and bringing much more of them on board with federal education policies than before.
- Also in the UT: The California State schools aren’t a sure thing for high school graduates anymore, thanks to booming applications and shrinking spots at the schools.
- More news from Encinitas: One local school is expanding its garden with grant money, the North County Times writes.
- A state audit finds that the California State system wrongly reimbursed a top official more than $150,000 for expensive hotels, travel and meals, the Sacramento Bee reports. The Los Angeles Times blog sheds some more details, including his name.
- Oakland schools are weighing whether it is better tooutsource more services to save money or to bring them in house, the Oakland Tribune blogs.
- The Associated Press explains President Obama’s plan for school turnarounds. This is one feature of the bill that California legislators are considering on Race to the Top.
- Scandal for education wonks! A new report questions how well charter management organizations can scale up their successes. But Education Week and bloggers Alexander Russo and Linda Perlstein are also questioning whether the think tank softened the wording in the report to make it less controversial with charter groups.
- One mom blogs at DoubleX.com that she is sick and tired of being asked to volunteer at her kids’ wealthy school. A provocative read, especially as schools demand more and more of families.
- More from the blogosphere: A school finance guru writes that “value-added assessment” for teachers, which is part of the buzz around merit pay, can’t even be used for most teachers.
- And in D.C., charter schools are increasingly being rejected when they bid for space in the school district, the Washington Post reports.