Eduwonk has the NY Times article and here is a link from the Salt Lake Tribune about Utah "dropping out" of the NCLB. Utah's legislature passed the bill even under threat of lost Fed $$$$ ($76 mil).

I like this move because I want to see more local/state(eventually less state)control over education. I don't view the NCLB has the panacea the Bush admin says it is OR the evil policy the union says it is.

I know that is fence straddling but what the NCLB has done to curriculum (and choice) at least in the district I work in is not good. The standards push has taken away a lot of electives that students loved, i.e. drama, journalism, film studies.

However, I do like the teacher standards that the NCLB proposes.

Locally:

Seattle study of kids links bullying to TV

Preschoolers who watch lots of television are more likely to become bullies later on, Seattle researchers say. And the risk increases by the hour.

The finding adds to the list of social ills child-development experts have already linked to the tube, including obesity, attention-deficit problems, violence, smoking and sleeping difficulties.

From London: British plan improvements to school food

This new plan will also require British teachers to stop yelling, "How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?"