Afternoon Announcements: Districts Identify Barriers of Limited Access to #Internet4Schools

Funding remains the largest and most-cited obstacle when it comes to updating schools’ infrastructure and installing high speed broadband internet access, according to a survey from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). eSchoolNews

Higher-education leaders from across the country are pledging to take steps to widen college opportunity and help more students finish degrees, an initiative President Obama will promote at a gathering in Washington on Thursday. The Washington Post

As New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ushers in a huge expansion of after-school programs for middle schoolers, educators and advocates are debating whether the new programs are academic enough, with the question of how students and teachers should spend their time when kids are behind among the most pressing and vexing. The Hechinger Report

Was the Los Angeles Unified School District’s $1.3-billion iPads-for-all program handled properly? This question has been debated for more than a year — and took on new urgency this week after FBI agents removed 20 boxes of records from school district headquarters. The LA Times

In spite of what has been classified as a “criminal investigation” at the Los Angeles Unified School District regarding its discontinued 1-to-1 iPad program, the district is plowing ahead with purchases of iPads to prepare its students for Smarter Balanced online assessments. The Journal

California policymakers say they intend to create a different system for reporting results of the upcoming tests on the Common Core standards than parents and schools have become used to in the era of the No Child Left Behind Act. At this point, they can’t say what it will look like. EdSource

The Alabama Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday about tax credits that help low-income families pay for private school, with opponents declaring the credits an illegal use of public funds and supporters saying they properly offer parents choices for their children’s education. Miami Herald

Montgomery County, MD students took more than 33,660 Advanced Placement exams last spring, a district record, with nearly three-quarters of the tests receiving passing scores, according to newly released district figures. The Washington Post

On Saturday, New Orleans voters will decide whether to invest millions of dollars into maintaining public school facilities through a property tax — but at key moments important players don’t seem to know exactly who’s in charge of the buildings. The Hechinger Report

Lupi Grady and Dinora Hernandez, who were officially sworn into office Monday night, became the first Hispanics to serve on the Prince George’s County, MD Board of Education. The pair represent the fastest-growing population in the county public schools. The Washington Post

In Nashville, TN several public schools are struggling to compete with nearby charters. To recruit more students, teachers are tearing a page from the charter playbook: going door to door. NPR