The end of neighborhood schools?: Proposals from the DC committee on student assignments have led some to wonder if school lotteries are the wave of the future. (Post)

Changes could hurt schools that are working: Councilmember Mary Cheh says the student assignment proposals could “wind up ruining” Ward 3 schools, and some parents whose current assigned schools could be changed are frustrated. (Current)

Another call for caution: The editors of the Current weigh in on the boundary change proposals, warning against “inserting more uncertainty into a school system that’s already so often tumultuous.”

Troubled charter to stay open: It looks as though Options Public Charter School, where administrators allegedly diverted millions of dollars meant for students, will stay open at least for another year, although DCPS won’t take over its management. (Post)

More funds for special ed students: Next year’s school budget will increase available funds in amounts ranging from $80 to $550 per student, depending on individual needs. (WAMU)

But what about “at-risk” students?: The budget also includes additional funding for students who are on welfare or have other indications of disadvantage, but some education activists say it’s not clear the funds are going where they’re most needed. (Post)

Common Core and reading: DCPS teachers and administrators say that new techniques are boosting reading comprehension. (WAMU)

High school parents protest merger: Parents at the application-only School Without Walls say DCPS’s decision to merge the school with a neighborhood K-8 campus isn’t working and can only hurt the high school. (WAMU, Current)

Montgomery schools need real progress: Shuffling high schools into “consortia” only masks inequities between different parts of the county. (Post)

Getting low-income students to become high-achievers: A Fairfax County program aims to identify and support promising students in an effort to diversify the school system’s gifted and talented programs. (Post)

Pipeline from two-year to four-year colleges: A Northern Virginia program provides counseling and support for at risk-high school students, leading them through community college to George Mason and other universities. (Post)

Do involved parents help kids do well in school? Most people assume it does, but two sociologists say that’s not always true. (NY Times)