Afternoon announcements: 60 percent of parents know “nothing” about Common Core

With the Common Core State Standards adopted in 46 states and in the District of Columbia and set to take full effect in 2014, parents should know what they are what they mean for their children. Only 7 percent of adults say they know “a lot” about the standards and 60 percent report knowing nothing at all about them, according to a July report by Achieve. US News

To rectify the skills gap – job openings without the skilled workers to fill them – Florida Gov. Rick Scott, and republican lawmakers, are encouraging the state universities to encourage students to pick certain majors by giving tuition breaks for them. New York Times

Long gone are the days of teachers calling individual students’ names to a chorus of, “Here!” and “Present!” In todays’ 21st, technology driven century, there are other means of taking roll, including, believe it or not, microchips. One student in Texas says the chips – a type of surveillance system – go against her religious beliefs. Wall Street Journal

Have reporters misrepresented a new report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showing students in 4th and 8th grade are behind on the vocabulary they’re expected to know? Mother Jones

Georgetown University is set to join the ranks of other elite schools involved in edX, a program that allows students around the world to participate in classes online. Washington Post