School Daze....

Cash Freeze for E-Rate Hits Schools
A freeze on $3.28 billion in requests for aid under the federal E-rate program has left hundreds of school districts scrambling to pay for their technology needs--and, in some cases, crippled classroom instruction. http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Erate.h24

Schools Abroad Brace Against Terrorism
The horrifying hostage standoff at a school in southern Russia last month underscored the vulnerability of schools around the world, where the scope of security varies greatly, school leaders and private consultants say.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Terror.h24

Translation Efforts a Growing Priority for Urban Schools
The New York City school system is setting up, for the first time, a centralized office to routinely translate school information into eight different languages.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06translate.h24

Vouchers Linked to Graduation in Milwaukee
Students using state-financed vouchers to attend private schools in Milwaukee graduate from high school at a far higher rate than young people in the city's public schools, according to a study released last week by a group that supportsthe high-profile choice program.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06milwaukee.h24

Project Explores Community Groups' Roles in Reform
While a growing number of community organizations are working to improve urban schools, those grassroots efforts usually receive scant attention from policy wonks.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06urban.h24

Nations at Top of the World Share Schooling Tactics
In all those regions ringing the North Pole, the harsh climate, the effects of hundreds of years of life under colonization, and the encroaching influences of Western culture have combined to pose special educational challenges for the indigenous groups that make their homes there.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Circumpolar.h24

Paige: It's Not Too Early to Call School Law a Success
Secretary of Education Rod Paige is declaring the No Child Left Behind Act a success, arguing that there is ample evidence the law is improving student achievement. But linking test scores directly to federal policy is a risky business, and some say the Bush administration is getting way ahead of itself.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Paige.h24

Rural Schools in Need of Guidance, GAO Says
The Department of Education should do more to assist small, rural school districts as they struggle to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, a federal report released last week says. http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06rural.h24

The Woman Behind the Scenes
Increasingly, school boards nationwide are turning to headhunters to unearth superintendent candidates to solve every problem, from the achievement gap to labor-management woes.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Noeske.h24

Opinion:
Veteran Teachers: The Linchpin of School Reform
Building the capacity of veteran teachers deserves much more attention than it has gotten, says Denise Glyn Borders.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Borders.h24

Opinion:
The Rise of the 'Parentariat'
Parents are emerging as the newest and perhaps most pivitol players in education, writes Irving H. Buchen.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=06Buchen.h24