Students at a Denver high school (that already has seen a lot of change) are using their AP Human Geography class to examine the gentrification that is taking hold in their own neighborhood. Westword
Hillary Clinton likely will depart significantly from the Obama administration on education policy, but it’s still difficult to predict what concrete policy solutions she might propose. New Republic
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan remembers Ron Thorpe, the president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, who died this week of lung cancer. USDOE
After 44 years, Sonia Manzano — better known as Maria on the TV show “Sesame Street” — is retiring. NYMag
The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a challenge to a 40-year old precedent that allows unions to charge service fees to non-members, a case that could have big implications for teachers unions. Education Week
How one Michigan elementary school not only brought its English language learners to read on grade level, but is now competing with its district’s more affluent schools. Bridge
An interview with Morgan Polikoff, the education policy researcher who is becoming a prolific commenter on both policy and how journalists cover policy. The Grade
A radio reporting project to cover education in the Southeast is starting again after a rocky first round. Current
An argument against “D” grades, which signify almost-failure but don’t require students to try harder. The Atlantic
Children’s books that celebrate the Confederacy are out there. Here’s what they’re like. Slate
An aspiring teacher considers the ways that educators can speed up or slow down time in the classroom through the theory of Flow. Magnifying Minds
Imprisoned gangster Whitey Bulger confesses his life of crime to high school students who wrote to him for a class project. The Boston Globe
Although both have measurably positive effects, careful study shows often-cut music programs have far greater long-term impact for students than rarely cut football programs. Education Week
A former clerk for Ruth Bader Ginsberg tells what the U.S. Supreme Court justice taught him about the relationship between gender equity and being a stay-at-home dad. The Atlantic