Governor, Legislature Lift Enrollment Cap on Voucher Program (Edweek.org subscription required) - An end-of-year recap on school choice legislation in Wisconsin.

TEA survey shows Rhea Co. teachers underpaid - The Tennessee Education Association recently released a ranking of teacher salaries across the state.

Report: Let Teachers Own and Run Schools - A new report on restructuring the national education system recommends that school boards contract with third parties to run schools.

Bitch Slapped - A look at how Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s attempt to take over LAUSD lost in court.

Hispanic Pastors Gather to Support School Choice - Press release: Christian leaders and presidents of pastors associations, representing more than 200 Hispanic Christian Churches and an estimated 20,000 members in the Valley of Texas gathered in McAllen to address the demand for solutions to the crisis that exists in Latino educational outcomes in the state.

No child left behind: the football version - Letter to the editor: a spoof of NCLB.

Let the Money Follow the Student - Opinion: Washington D.C. Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty has promised to provide "qualified teachers for all children." If he is serious about that, he should put parents, not bureaucrats beholden to the American Federation of Teachers, in charge of choosing schools for them.

Blunt pulls state education nominee - Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt on Wednesday pulled his nomination of a former private school administrator to the state Board of Education, hours after state Sen.-elect Jeff Smith objected to the choice.

Reading and writing only get better with practice in every grade - Editorial: Schools have and need reading specialists. But practice in real-life situations using varied material is the way to stretch students, and show why reading and writing really matters.

Don’t forget the arts - Opinion: Massachusetts Governor-elect Deval Patrick should reinvigorate the role of the arts in public education.

Check back later for more education news. 

UPDATE: 

Moran sees hope for education reform - When voters returned control of both houses of Congress to Democrats, they may have improved the chances of a piece of legislation written by a Republican from one of the reddest of the red states.

Local schools foot the bill for cyber students, but lack oversight - A look at increasing friction over cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. 

The teachers are all right - Are Maine teachers overpaid or not? 

Reading, writing & wrangling - A look back at the bigger education stories of 2006.

UPDATE:

Challenge goes on against NCLB law - Editorial: Undaunted, efforts to correct the errors of the No Child Left Behind law continue, being carried on in three states and by the National Education Association.  We hope the matter goes to the U.S. Supreme Court. Once again: the one-size-fits-all approach does not fit.

Small Rural Schools Closing Their Doors - Many rural schools are ending up as empty buildings.