Rise & Shine: Obama budget funds pre-k, HS

COLORADO

  • The newly-introduced 2013-14 school finance bill has an important piece missing: the actual amount K-12 spending will be increased. EdNews Colorado
  • After eighteen months of planning, two Denver city collaborations aimed at improving children’s outcomes are quantifying goals. EdNews Colorado
  • The outcry over cuts to Fort Collins High School’s music programs are a symptom of wider belt-tightening in schools. Coloradoan
  • Jefferson County’s Outdoor Education Lab made good use of this week’s snow days off from school. 9News
  • Elementary school students tested University of Colorado at Colorado Springs students on their knowledge of the Constitution. Colorado Springs Gazette
  • Boulder County is considering scrapping its background check requirement for volunteers at events like class parties where they won’t be alone with students. Boulder Daily Camera
  • O’Dea Elementary School is celebrating 50 years in Fort Collins. Coloradoan

NATION

  • President Barack Obama’s budget includes more money for pre-kindergarten and new competitive grants for high school reform and higher education. EdWeek
  • Only states that expand their pre-school offerings will receive federal money for the program. Huffington Post
  • Texas, the state that pioneered test-based accountability, is now considering scaling back on testing and graduation requirements. New York Times
  • A group of schools around the United States are testing robot teachers. Wall Street Journal
  • Some typing instructors fear that predictive keyboards on smartphones and tablets are hurting students’ keyboarding skills. AP via Denver Post 

OPINION

  • Commentary: A dispute over budgeting in the Adams 12 school district is not the scandal television news made it out to be. Denver Post
  • Editorial: Schools should heed the lessons of a study showing that more information helps poor students get to college. New York Times

Rise & Shine

Each weekday morning, we search websites of various media, comb through RSS feeds and peruse Google alerts to bring you a roundup of the day’s top education headlines, in Colorado and across the country, by 8 a.m. If you’d like to suggest a story we’ve missed or a source we should add to the list, please email us at ednews@ednewscolorado.org.