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Not taking no for an answer: The plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging school closures say they’ll appeal a ruling that DCPS closed the schools for reasons having nothing to do with discrimination. (Post)

What if?: A DCPS teacher reflects on his lunch with President Obama and imagines a world where low-income kids learn to write they way they’ll be expected to in college, and teachers get time to collaborate. (Hechinger Report)

Using the summer to catch up: Prince George’s County is providing a free 6-week program to 500 rising second-graders who are below grade level in reading and math. (Post)

Rocketship slows trajectory: The California-based Rocketship charter network, which will open a school in DC next year and could ultimately serve over 5,000 students here, has recently suffered a slip in test scores and scaled back expansion plans. Its critics are celebrating, but some say the network is still doing far better than its competitors in the traditional public school sector. (Hechinger Report)

And … : American kids are getting healthier and better educated, but progress has been glacial. (Ed Week) … A Slate article blaming private schools for Sweden’s drop in test scores was full of mistakes. (Education Next) … Answers on standardized tests are based on specific textbooks, and many low-income students lack access to them. (The Atlantic) … What good are “college-and-career-ready” K-12 standards if colleges don’t buy into them? (New America Foundation)