Afternoon Announcements: Officials Call for Increase in Number of Guidance Counselors Available for High School Students

While many small private schools can often afford to provide their students with tremendous hand-holding, large public high schools across the country struggle with staggering ratios of students to guidance counselors. Nationally, that ratio is nearly 500 to 1, a proportion experts say has remained virtually unchanged for more than 10 years. The New York Times

New York’s top education officials want to lengthen the probationary period for new teachers, overhaul the way teachers are terminated, and give the state more power over teacher evaluations. Chalkbeat NY

A record education budget is expected for Idaho public schools that could completely restore funding lost through the recession and a trimmed budget. Idaho Statesman

Across the country, skepticism about Common Core has grown, but until now, no states had officially changed their minds about following the standards. So how did Indiana become the first? Chalkbeat IN

And what does happen to schools, school districts, and state education systems when standards are repealed? Who’s affected? NPR

A state court panel in Kansas ruled last week that public schools were being unconstitutionally underfunded, though it stopped short of ordering a specific increase in education dollars. The New York Times

A group that opposes the Common Core State Standards is telling parents it is their right to boycott standardized tests aligned with Common Core — but officials in at least one Arkansas school district say refusing to take the tests could have severe consequences. Arkansas News

Students at seven schools in California and Texas will have access to a blended math program thanks to a grant from an engineering and construction company. The Journal