High Stakes in Union-Fee Case Before Supreme Court EdWeek: Abood held that state interests in maintaining labor peace and eliminating “free riders” justified requiring nonmembers to pay such fees, which are also known as service fees or “fair share” fees. The Friedrichs case holds high stakes for the future of public-sector unions, not least the teachers’ unions that are parties to the case.

5-hour meeting ends without a decision on an LA schools chief LA Times: “This is very, very hard work, as it should be,” school board President Steve Zimmer said after the meeting.

2 Brooklyn Schools in Gentrifying Area Will Get New Zones NYT: The Department of Education proposed the rezoning to alleviate crowding at a mostly white school, Public School 8. But the debate over the move has raised thorny issues of race and class. See also WNYC, ChalkbeatNY.

Washington Charter Schools Get Creative To Keep State Funding Seattle Public Radio: While school was out for winter vacation, charter operators and their supporters were hard at work to keep the doors open and state funds flowing to the schools. See also AP.

Some Families Lie To Get Their Kids Into Top CPS Schools WBEZ Chicago: The report cites more than a dozen cases of families using false city addresses to gain access to selective schools this year. Some were found to live in suburbs — including a Des Plaines family with a student at Walter Payton College Prep and an Elmwood Park family with a student at Whitney Young Magnet. This violates requirements that all CPS students — with rare exceptions — live in the city.

He’s acting, but the nation’s new education secretary is for real Washington Post: King, who turned 41 Tuesday, will retain the “acting” modifier for the rest of President Obama’s time in office. He has not been nominated by the president, and he will not undergo the confirmation process required of Cabinet-level officers under the Constitution.

Hillary Clinton Unveils Proposals to Support Children With Autism PK12: The front-runner for the Democratic nomination wants to restrict the use of seclusion and restraints for children with autism and other students in special education.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexander Russo

Alexander Russo

Alexander Russo is founder and editor of The Grade, an award-winning effort to help improve media coverage of education issues. He’s also a Spencer Education Journalism Fellowship winner and a book author. You can reach him at @alexanderrusso.

Visit their website at: https://the-grade.org/