Welcome to a new work week, hopefully you’ve made it back to the office safely and happily after an abundance of April Fools embarrassments. If you’re the culprit of the pranks and still trying to hideout from angry coworkers, find a corner and catch up on the latest education headlines below.
In Chicago, the first round of negotiations between the Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union went squarely to the district, which will get its way in weighing student performance more heavily in teacher evaluations. But according to the Chicago Tribune, the schools and union still sharply differ on salary negotiations.
The Alliance has previously reported on the difficulties low-income and minority students face in choosing to enroll in Advanced Placement courses and take the tests. The Los Angeles Times sheds additional light into the issue with a report on fee waivers for low-income students. In December, Congress slashed funding for AP fee waivers leaving many of these students scrambling to find the cash or forgoing the exams.
The city of Boston is using nearly $26 million in federal grants to extend the school day, boost teacher pay, and establish partnerships with nonprofit organizations, in hopes of turning around 12 persistently low-achieving public schools. However, as the Boston Globe points out, lawmakers and schools officials worry about what will happen when the money runs out.
Older generations of Americans remember this school-day staple: the bookmobile. During recess or just when it was available, students could seek refuge and escape reality by delving into the action of a good book provided by this library on wheels. But as National Public Radio reports, due to advances in technology, those rolling reading rooms are becoming scarce. The bookmobile in one New England town just broke down, and residents are wondering if it's time to shelve it in the history section. NPR explores whether this may be the final chapter for the elementary pastime.