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.