State agrees to go “fee free” at public schools [Los Angeles Times / Thoughts on Public Education [TOPEd], 12/10/10]: California will crack down on myriad illegal school fees charged to students taking part in such programs as art, athletics, band, cheer and gym if a landmark lawsuit settlement announced Thursday is approved. Read the ACLU press release.


Breast Cancer Bracelet Fight Is Latest School Free Speech Battle [The Legal Intelligencer, 12/10/10]: The latest student speech issue is whether schools can prohibit wearing pink bracelets to promote breast cancer awareness that are emblazoned with the phrase "I [heart] Boobies."

Judge tentatively OKs plan to spread the pain of L.A. Unified layoffs [Los Angeles Times, 12/9/10]: Ruling comes in a suit filed by the ACLU and others charging that some schools suffered unfairly because their teachers didn't have seniority.


Ramanathan: CTA and Quality Education Investment Act: selling the same old snake oil [TOPEd, 12/9/10]: Drug companies often hire researchers to evaluate the prescription medicines they’ve designed. Without fail, the studies reveal – surprise! – that the drugs work.


Fensterwald: Schools likely on Schwarzenegger’s hit list [Educated Guess, 12/6/10]: Democrats aren’t likely to pay much attention to the midyear budget cuts and ideas for closing a $25 billion deficit that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to offer today.


Anastasoff: Highly skilled interns should be considered ‘highly qualified’ teachers [Thoughts on Public Ed, 12/5/10]: The word “intern” conjures up visions of a high school student making copies as a volunteer, a college student struggling through their first unpaid office job, or – depending on where you sit – free help.