Afternoon Announcements: Common Core Standards Create a Level Playing Field

Education Secretary Arne Duncan sent a letter to Department of Education Staff with good news: there will be no furloughs due to sequestration cuts. He fears that furloughs would put delays on getting grants to school districts, states, and universities. Politics K-12

Student loan debt hurts more than the borrowers – it hurts the national economy. Students burdened with debt are spending less and delaying big purchases like homes and cars, slowing down growth, according to economists. New York Times

Claremont Middle School in Oakland, California has seen a significant reduction in suspensions – from 25 percent of students suspended to just 7 percent – in the last year. The success has been attributed to twin brothers who took over as co-principals last year. CBS News

Some Republicans have vocally opposed the Common Core State Standards as an intrusion on states rights. One scholar argues against this claim, saying the Standards create  a level playing field: “It is more important than ever that we create a level playing field to give students from all states equal opportunity to thrive in our technology-driven world in which formulas and equations play a crucial role.” Wall Street Journal