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Boundaries and school quality: At the first of 3 meetings on the new student assignment proposals, parents from east of the Anacostia River voiced concerns about being relegated to the District’s lower-performing schools. (Post)

New middle schools?: The proposals call for 4 new middle schools and major changes in assignment patterns at that grade level, but it’s not clear how much of that will become a reality. (WAMU)

Pros and cons of neighborhood schools: Would the choice sets in the previous boundary proposals have broken down socioeconomic segregation? Or do neighborhood schools provide a way for families to bridge the divides of class and culture and build communities? (YEP DC Recess Blog)

Bowser on “Deal for All”: Continuing her focus on middle schools, the Democratic mayoral candidate defends her campaign slogan and says she decided to keep Chancellor Kaya Henderson on because of her vision for that grade range. She also applauds the elimination of choice sets from the new round of boundary proposals. (WAMU)

No deal: One commentator says “Deal for All” is an empty slogan, arguing that what DC’s under-performing students need is a massive tutoring program. (The Hill)

Henderson on progress and the future: The DCPS Chancellor says schools here have indeed been making progress, but the process is necessarily slow. And she continues to hedge about what effect the election would have on her intention to stay in the job through 2017. (Real Clear Education)

Charter school oversight: Recent fraud allegations have prompted the DC Public Charter School Board to seek greater authority to examine the records of some charter management organizations. But one charter advocate fears that such authority would allow the Board to dictate how charters should be run. (Post, Examiner)

Good news at Banneker: The selective high school has produced two winners of the prestigious Gates Millennium scholarship this year, and both credit not only the school but also their families for their success. (Post)

Federal tuition assistance: Some predicted that a college aid plan proposed by DC Councilmember David Catania would jeopardize federal funding for a similar program, DC TAG. Now that the DC Council has failed to fund Catania’s DC Promise program, House Republicans are recommending $20 million for DC TAG instead of the current $30 million. (Post)

Archery, anyone?: Schools in the DC area and elsewhere are looking for new ways to get students moving. (Post)

Redesign high school: One expert says it’s more important than ever to ensure that all students graduate and suggests that we find ways to incorporate real world experiences in learning. (Post)

Autism overcome: A Prince George’s County student who once had trouble communicating graduated at the top of his class and is headed to Towson University. (Post)

Work for Starbucks, get a BA: The coffee chain is offering free tuition to thousands of its employees to complete an online degree, no strings attached. (Post)

Community college pipeline: St. Mary’s College of Maryland will guarantee transfer admission to students at a nearby two-year college who graduate with at least a 2.75 GPA. (Post)

More criticism of teacher prep programs: Having bashed traditional teacher training programs last year, the National Council on Teacher Quality now pronounces many alternative teacher certification programs abysmal. (Teacher Beat/Ed Week)

Teacher tenure debate, continued: The president of the Montgomery County teachers’ union and others discussed the implications of the recent California ruling striking down the state’s tenure laws on civil rights grounds. (WAMU)

The Good Behavior Game: Dividing a class into two teams and rewarding the one that has the best behavior seems awfully simple, but a recent study found it actually works. (Inside School Research/Ed Week)

Schools as community hubs: New York City plans to convert 40 schools into centers offering medical services, fitness programs, tutoring, job training, and other community support. (Chalkbeat NY)