Morning Announcements: Bill Gates Speaks Up for the Common Core

“The Common Core State Standards—which have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia—are a set of benchmarks for each grade. They close the gap between what you need to know to graduate from high school and what you need to know for college or work. They’re rationally designed, so students learn concepts in a logical order. And they emphasize learning fewer subjects more deeply,” writes Bill Gates in a new blog post. The Gates Notes

US Secretary of Education is firm on the fact that the Common Core State Standards are a state-led effort, and as such, states are “completely free to discard” them. The Blaze (quote from article, not Duncan)

Santa Fe Public Schools is teaming up with Atlantic Education Partners, a private firm, to use public money to help bring high school dropouts back to school. Education Week

Students who have “grit,” or the ability to work hard at their passions, even through disappointment, may succeed at higher rates than students who do not. NPR