Afternoon announcements: Arne Duncan gives a statement to teachers, principals and school administrators after Sandy Hook

The 16 winners of the first Race to the Top-District competition have a little over three months to outline how they will achieve the goals of their plans. The Department of Education will work with each winner to set up a timeline, deliverables and a budget. Politics K-12

The students of Sandy Hook Elementary School will return to class after winter break in the neighboring town of Chalk Hill. The location hasn’t been used as a school since 2011. Huffington Post

Read Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s statement to teachers, principals and school administrators in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Education Department

The Obama Administration has excited many new graduates with their income-based repayment plan for federal student loans, but is it the smartest economic decision? The American

There are two views of public education in America: utilizing private sector mechanisms and ideas, such as in charter schools, and traditional public schools. Which decision we make carries high stakes. Huffington Post