Morning Announcements: April 20, 2012

Happy Friday!

Here are some quick stories to smoothly transition you from a busy work week to a stress-free weekend. Enjoy!

From National Public Radio– Alabama is near the bottom of the country’s academic rankings. The state has problems with test scores, school improvement ratings and dropouts. But the district in Birmingham has a different kind of issue. The state recently took over the school board because of infighting on the board. The move has triggered cries of racism.

From the Wall Street Journal– This week, students and parents protested the practice of multiple standardize tests in New York City by not participating in the mandatory tests. Now,t he toughest mandatory exam for New York’s high-school students could soon be optional.

From the Washington Post– Calls for education reform are picking up steam around the country. In Texas, New York, Illinois and other states, protests by parents and educators are getting louder against school reform.