Middle-Class Schools Miss the Mark (Wall Street Journal - September 12)

A report from Democratic think tank Third Way says that while middle-class schools educate the majority of American students, teacher salaries are lower, per student spending is lower, and class sizes are larger than at low-income and wealthy schools.

New Groups Giving Teachers Alternative Voice (Education Week - September 12)

While teachers' unions remain the most powerful and visible advocate for teachers, groups working outside of unions are springing up to give teachers another voice in education policy.

New Federal School-Meals Rules Could Lead to Rising Lunch Prices (Education Week - September 12)

As the USDA implements new rules about school meal pricing and nutritional standards in cafeterias improve, the cost of school meals is increasing.

On Campus, It’s One Big Commercial (New York Times - September 10)

Companies are recruiting college students this fall to be "brand ambassadors" or "campus evangelists" in an attempt to get a piece of the billions of dollars college students spend each year. From American Eagle Outfitters to Red Bull to Hewlett-Packard PCs, approximately 10,000 college students plan to work on campuses nationwide this fall.

20 Unhealthiest Kids’ Snacks (Huffington Post - September 9)

From Little Debbie Zebra Cakes to Hostess Suzy Q's, the amount of calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates, and sugar in kids' snacks teach parents and children a healthy lesson. Recent research suggests that a healthy diet may lead to a higher IQ in kids, in addition to keeping waistlines fit.

IOWA: AP Interview: Iowa Education Head Favors Waiver (Houston Chronicle/AP - September 11)

Iowa Education Department Director Jason Glass said he would support the state requesting a waiver from No Child Left Behind. He told the Associated Press that this would let Iowa set its own agenda to raise teaching standards and change the way teachers are hired and paid. (Read more about NCLB waivers in this guest blog from former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.)

VERMONT: Just Try Topping This ‘When I Was Your Age’ Tale (New York Times - September 11)

It could be weeks before hurricane-damaged roads in Vermont are fixed, but school must go on. So, families stranded in Chittenden discovered a half-mile-long path through the woods that gets their kids to school buses. Now, more than 1,000 people a day walk it to go to work, school or the grocery store.

WISCONSIN: Madison Students Get Down and Dirty for the Sake of Education — and Eating (Wisconsin State Journal - September 12)

School gardens are the perfect opportunity for teachers to take learning outside because students can practice math, read, draw and learn about the environment around them with a hands-on approach. In Madison, the number of school gardens has risen to more than thirty, 

All statements and opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual contributors, and not of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation or NBC News.