By David Griffith and Victoria McDougald | New York Daily News

“Unfortunately, as we document in a new analysis, in most places, dismissing an ineffective teacher remains far too hard. And in New York City and state, it’s particularly challenging.

Because data on teacher dismissals are nearly impossible to come by, our report focuses on the dismissal process as it exists on paper — that is, as articulated in state and district policy. Specifically, we evaluated districts based on whether their tenure policies protect veteran teachers from performance-based dismissal, how long it takes to do so, and the vulnerability of a dismissal decision to challenge.”

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By Daniella Martinez | Medium

“Three years ago, my mom and I walked into a Los Angeles courtroom for the first day of the Vergara v. California trial. After years of moving around, trying to find a better school that would give me and my younger sister a shot at success, we had found one. But we wanted to make sure that in the future, families like ours didn’t have to give up everything just to get the quality public education we’re promised by the California Constitution.”

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By Christopher Magan | Pioneer Press

“Four parents who claim Minnesota’s teachers union rules protect bad educators asked an appellate court to review their lawsuit against the state after it was dismissed last year.

Attorneys for Tiffini Forslund, the lead plaintiff in the case against Gov. Mark Dayton, Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, St. Paul Public Schools and three other districts, filed a notice Monday they’ll appeal a decision by Ramsey County District Court Judge Margaret Marrinan in October to dismiss their suit.”

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By Beatrice Dupuy | StarTribune

“Four plaintiffs challenging Minnesota’s teacher tenure laws filed a notice of appeal Monday after a Ramsey County District Court judge dismissed their lawsuit in October.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of four parents argued that state laws protect ineffective teachers and keep low-income and minority students from attaining a quality education. The lawsuit originally filed in April suggested that state laws are safeguarding ineffective veteran teachers.”

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By Emily Deruy | The Atlantic

“As they prepare to leave office, members of President Barack Obama’s cabinet are beginning to file their exit memos. Partially a chance to take credit for progress made and partially a final opportunity to call for changes in policy they’ve yet to push through, the memos offer insight into what the administration’s top officials think they have—and haven’t—accomplished over the last eight years.

On Thursday, Education Secretary John King delivers his memo. Entitled “Giving Every Student a Fair Shot: Progress Under the Obama Administration’s Education Agenda,” the 14-page document is divided into two sections: One outlines notable progress and the other lays a framework for sustaining that progress.”

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By Melissa Harris-Perry | Elle Magazine

“New Year’s Day, I carefully followed my traditions: cooked collards and black eyed peas to ensure a year filled with money and luck, baked cornbread to show off my skill, and ate it all while watching It’s a Wonderful Life. I always start the year with the Frank Capra film as a reminder that self-sacrifice, friendship, love, and community make life wonderful even without great riches and public recognition. Much as I adore the movie, I rarely encounter other black folks my age who are fans of the 1946 classic.

So I took special note when outgoing Secretary of Education John King used It’s a Wonderful Life as a way to illustrate one of the rarely discussed challenges new teachers often face. George Bailey (James Stewart) has come home to find his youngest daughter is sick because she walked home from school with her coat unbuttoned so as not to crush a flower she received as a class prize. Poor George has had the worst day of his life. His loveable but absent-minded business partner, Uncle Billy, has misplaced thousands. His rival, Mr. Potter, is threatening him with jail time. Then the phone rings. It is Zuzu’s teacher, and George unloads on her for allowing his daughter to walk home without her coat done up.”

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By Carolyn Phenicie | The 74

“Condoleezza Rice is best known for serving as national security advisor and then secretary of state for President George W. Bush, but she was an academic — a Stanford political scientist and provost of the university — before her years of public service, and she later returned to Stanford.

She has long focused on how to improve learning, and she advocates for strong standards, school choice and building a culture of high expectations for both students and teachers — all of them essential, she believes, to ensuring that Americans can rise from impoverished beginnings through hard work and a good education.”

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