Poll: Americans Trust Teachers, Split on Teachers’ Unions (Education Week – August 17)

The public is caught in the middle, grappling with choosing a side between governors and teachers’ unions, according to this year’s annual poll by Phi Delta Kappa International and Gallup.

Study: 1 in 5 American Children Lives in Poverty (MSNBC/AP – August 17)

Between 2000 and 2009, child poverty increased in 38 states, according to a report by the Annie E. Casey foundation, to be released today. Find out more about the full report, findings and state profiles on the webpage on KIDS COUNT Data Center.

2011 ACT Scores Show Problems with College Readiness (Washington Post - August 17)

Only 1 in 4 graduates of the 2011 class who took the ACT exam met four key benchmarks that are supposed to show readiness for a college education.

Secretary Duncan to Hold #AskArne Twitter Town Hall (ED.gov Blog – August 16)

The Department of Education announced that Secretary Duncan will participate in the first #AskArne Twitter Town Hall on August 24, 2011, moderated by education journalist John Merrow.

MISSOURI: Defying a Tornado, Joplin Heads Back to School (The Learning Curve blog - August 16)

The Learning Curve's Dana Chivvis covered the Joplin, Mo. school district's return to school, nearly three months after the May 22nd tornado wiped out one-third of the town. Take a look at the coverage on EducationNation.com:

Defying a Tornado, Joplin Heads Back to School

Joplin High: An Old School Gets a New Look at the Mall

At Irving Elementary, New Shoes, a New School Year, and a New Nickname

VIRGINIA: Va. Schools Labeled as Failure, but NCLB Real Failure (NBC Washington – August 17)

State Superintendent Patricia Wright says Virginia failed because the test was unfair – 62 percent of Virginia schools ended up on the No Child Left Behind blacklist for failing to meet the law’s targets.

COLORADO: Schools Restore Fresh Cooking to the Cafeteria (New York Times – August 16)

The district in Greeley, Colorado has a new recipe for better and healthier school lunches – all meals will be made from scratch.

NEW YORK: Tighter Qualifications for School Bus Drivers (New York Times – August 16)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that expands the types of criminal convictions that prohibit people permanently – rather than temporarily – from driving school buses.

NEW YORK: New York Laundromat Doubles as English Classroom (NPR - August 16)

New York City immigrants are multi-tasking at Magic Touch Laundromat in Manhattan - getting clean clothes and learning English. 

ARKANSAS: Ark. Starts Technology Education Initiative (Forbes/AP – August 16)

Gov. Mike Beebe and other state officials on Tuesday announced a $2.68 million program, STEM Works, aimed at increasing the number of students in the state's high schools studying for high-tech fields.

ALABAMA: Alabama's Hispanic Students Back To School Despite Immigration Crackdown (Huffington Post/AP – August 16)

Educators say that they have seen no decrease in the number of Hispanic students in the first couple days of the school year despite Alabama’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigrants sending their children to school.

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.