And Mr. Evans is hardly alone in contending that the process of creating good, consistent education policy is undermined by ill-defined responsibilities and partisanship that put governors, state schools chiefs, and state boards of education at odds. Over the past nine years, the Foundation for Excellent Schools has been quietly providing support to more than 100 public districts and schools, helping to reduce dropout rates, increase attendance and test scores, and forge partnerships between K-12 schools, businesses, and universities from coast to coast. So it was with reluctance that the rookie teacher gave the news to her principal that she and her husband were expecting a baby. She is about to be fired from her job because she became a mother. Despite union opposition, Los Angeles school leaders are moving ahead with an accountability plan that promises cash rewards to successful schools and tough consequences for those that consistently aren't up to par.
Experts say that is the first major grant from a private philanthropy ever given to the cause.
States Gave More Aid for Higher Education Last Year, Report Says State governments collectively raised financial aid for college students by nearly 10 percent last school year, according to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs. Before the school shootings in Colorado last month, a student arriving at school wearing a black trench coat wouldn't have gotten a second glance. Now, he might be suspended. Itself in Debt Students who used to attend Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colo., are beginning to feel less like victims and more like students. Last week, they began to settle into a routine of classes, homework, and final exams at a neighboring high school.