Here's one of the most important recent developments you've never heard of: it's a better chance for kids to show how well they can do.

We've reported here about the California High School Exit Exam, and about the California Alternate Performance Test. Read more

Major American universities were amazed when the Emir of Qatar asked them to participate in a risky venture called Education City in Doha, its capital. Their skepticism stayed until they were offered financing so abundant it pretty much cut the risk. Although no numbers are available for the entire project, we do know that 750 million convinced Cornell to train medical doctors there. Read more

Yes it's one of those miracles. They're rare. When they happen they do warm our hearts. I happened on the story in an article of the Smithsonian Magazine but not till about six months after it happened.

It seems a maverick named Ramon Gonzalez created, back in 2003, a new thing out of an old wreck of a public middle school in the South Bronx. Read more

California Fees Go Up Again

The San Francisco Examiner recently reported the increase in fees affecting the California State University system and the University of California system. CSU fees will now be $2,300. UC system fees may vary slightly from campus to campus. At UC Berkeley they are $4465.74. Read more