By Jody Lawrence-Turner, The Spokesmen Review, August 18, 2010

A Gonzaga University study focused on dropout prevention starting in middle school suggests an early warning system for identifying potential dropouts, a bigger variety of academic opportunities and more rigor and additional funding for community-based social support programs.

By Alex Kajitani and David B. Cohen, published in the Union Tribune, August 12, 2010

With California’s struggling school system entering another year, certain politicians, media outlets and reform advocates have collectively constructed a magical fix: “get rid of bad teachers.”

This approach has an intuitive appeal and sounds logical. However, people who work in education know there is a more significant problem which, if solved, would address the quality of all teachers. Teacher evaluation systems in most California public schools are outdated, ineffective and should be replaced.

By David Leonhardt, New York Times, July 27, 2010

How much do your kindergarten teacher and classmates affect the rest of your life?

Economists have generally thought that the answer was not much. Great teachers and early childhood programs can have a big short-term effect. But the impact tends to fade. By junior high and high school, children who had excellent early schooling do little better on tests than similar children who did not — which raises the demoralizing question of how much of a difference schools and teachers can make.

By Sharon Noguchi, EdWeek, July 26, 2010

Think of what you've read in recent days, and the list might include a Facebook post about a friend's Grand Tetons vacation, an online review of the Droid X phone and an explanation of why your insurance isn't covering your latest doctor's visit.

Yet children in school read mostly fiction, from The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Macbeth.