Morning Announcements: May 11, 2012

Happy Friday and Happy (early) Mother’s Day to all the moms out there who work tirelessly each and every day to raise this nation’s next generation of leaders…(and keep educators employed). Here are your top education news stories to hold you over for the weekend.

From the New York Times: Depending on how you spin it, the newest government reports on science and eight-grade learners can either be a sign of hope or a disappointment. While eighth graders made modest gains in national science testing, with Hispanics and blacks narrowing the gap between their white and Asian peers, they still lag behind their international counterparts. 7 out of 10 eight graders are still not considered “proficient”.

Education Week reports that education advocates have been sweating for months over a series of planned cuts that are slated to hit every K-12 program in January – unless a thus-far-ineffective Congress can figure out a way to stop it.

According to the Associated Press , educators in Tennessee, exasperated by the need for greater parent involvement, have persuaded state lawmakers to sign off on a novel bit of arm-twisting: Asking parents to grade themselves on report cards.

From the Chicago Tribune: The Chicago Teachers Union polled its 25,000 members on Thursday with  questions involving the school board as part of what one official called a “dry run” for a potential strike vote.