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In Focus: Mourning in Newtown

Today is Monday, the first school day since the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that claimed so many young lives last week. Like millions of other American parents, I sent my kids off to school today knowing that the difficult family discussions we had over the weekend will continue in the classroom, as educators and students address yet another tragic outburst of violence in our schools. Today, the first of many funerals will take place in Newtown, after a weekend of vigils and mourning. President Obama visited Newtown on Sunday, speaking before an auditorium of grieving parents. “We can’t accept events like this as routine,” he said, “These tragedies must end, and to end them, we must change.”

See more. [Images: Reuters, Getty, AP]

American students are still falling behind Europe and Asia in math and science, according to international test results released yesterday.  Fourth-graders tested closer to the top students in reading and made some advancement on math since 2007, but other scores were statistically the same. In math and fourth-grade science, South Korea and Singapore were top-ranked. Eighth-grade science was led by Singapore and Taiwan. American fourth-graders were 11th in math and seventh in science; eighth-graders were ninth in math and 10th in science.

American students are still falling behind Europe and Asia in math and science, according to international test results released yesterday. 

Fourth-graders tested closer to the top students in reading and made some advancement on math since 2007, but other scores were statistically the same.

In math and fourth-grade science, South Korea and Singapore were top-ranked. Eighth-grade science was led by Singapore and Taiwan.

American fourth-graders were 11th in math and seventh in science; eighth-graders were ninth in math and 10th in science.

Pass out the dictionaries — American students are drastically, terrifyingly behind the curve in reading. Fewer than half of fourth-graders, for example, knew the meaning of the word “eerie.” Overall, students who were tested only knew about half the words they were expected to recognize.

Pass out the dictionaries — American students are drastically, terrifyingly behind the curve in reading.

Fewer than half of fourth-graders, for example, knew the meaning of the word “eerie.” Overall, students who were tested only knew about half the words they were expected to recognize.

Would you spend $55,000 a year to go to college? A whopping 74 colleges now charge more than $55,000 a year (compared to just 19 last year).  The Daily crunched numbers earlier this year and found that if college prices keep rising at the same average rate, the Class of 2034 could face sticker prices of $81,000 for a four-year education at a public school and $232,000 for four years at a private university.

Would you spend $55,000 a year to go to college? A whopping 74 colleges now charge more than $55,000 a year (compared to just 19 last year). 

The Daily crunched numbers earlier this year and found that if college prices keep rising at the same average rate, the Class of 2034 could face sticker prices of $81,000 for a four-year education at a public school and $232,000 for four years at a private university.

It’s revenge of the geeks! This list of top 10 schools based on starting and mid-career salaries includes mostly engineering, polytechnic institutes and mining schools. And students majoring in engineering, mathematics, computer science and physics bring in the top pay.

It’s revenge of the geeks! This list of top 10 schools based on starting and mid-career salaries includes mostly engineering, polytechnic institutes and mining schools. And students majoring in engineering, mathematics, computer science and physics bring in the top pay.

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, but … this is wild. More than 21,000 people showed up to celebrate as a Texas high school unveiled a $59.6 million super stadium.  In the exurbs far north of Dallas, the Eagles of Allen High School christened their $59.6 million stadium — replete with 18,000 seats, 40 food service lines and a 79-foot-wide electronic scoreboard — by shutting out the Dragons of Southlake Carroll 24-0 before an overflow crowd of more than 21,000. “It’s pretty much the center of the high school football world this weekend,” said Chris Tripucka, the father of the Eagles’ starting punter, Shane. “Everybody’s excited about it.”

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, but … this is wild. More than 21,000 people showed up to celebrate as a Texas high school unveiled a $59.6 million super stadium. 

In the exurbs far north of Dallas, the Eagles of Allen High School christened their $59.6 million stadium — replete with 18,000 seats, 40 food service lines and a 79-foot-wide electronic scoreboard — by shutting out the Dragons of Southlake Carroll 24-0 before an overflow crowd of more than 21,000.

“It’s pretty much the center of the high school football world this weekend,” said Chris Tripucka, the father of the Eagles’ starting punter, Shane. “Everybody’s excited about it.”

Even if you don’t have a degree, a new study shows it pays to live near people who do.  Jonathan Rothwell, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, analyzed online job listings in 100 major metropolitan areas and compared the education levels required for the posted jobs with both employment statistics and the local population’s education level. The study found that unemployment rates are about 2 percentage points higher in metropolitan areas with relatively large shortages of educated workers. In other words, less educated workers tend to benefit from living in a city with a relatively high share of people with advanced degrees. In the 10 metro areas with the smallest education gap — places with a highly educated labor force — the average unemployment rate for people with a high school diploma or less was 11.4 percent, compared to 15.8 percent in the 10 metro areas with the largest education gaps. “It’s a pretty important effect,” Roswell said. “Higher educated workers earn more money and spend a large portion of it on services that are provided disproportionately by less educated workers.”

Even if you don’t have a degree, a new study shows it pays to live near people who do. 

Jonathan Rothwell, a researcher at the Brookings Institution, analyzed online job listings in 100 major metropolitan areas and compared the education levels required for the posted jobs with both employment statistics and the local population’s education level. The study found that unemployment rates are about 2 percentage points higher in metropolitan areas with relatively large shortages of educated workers.

In other words, less educated workers tend to benefit from living in a city with a relatively high share of people with advanced degrees. In the 10 metro areas with the smallest education gap — places with a highly educated labor force — the average unemployment rate for people with a high school diploma or less was 11.4 percent, compared to 15.8 percent in the 10 metro areas with the largest education gaps.

“It’s a pretty important effect,” Roswell said. “Higher educated workers earn more money and spend a large portion of it on services that are provided disproportionately by less educated workers.”

A scary new ACT study found just one in four U.S. high school graduates is ready for college (and another quarter is totally unprepared).

A scary new ACT study found just one in four U.S. high school graduates is ready for college (and another quarter is totally unprepared).

Our pupils are dilated! A shocking new study found a whopping 86 percent of high school students say their classmates are drinking alcohol, smoking or doing drugs during the school day.

It’s getting hot in here! July was officially the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S., breaking a record set during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

It’s getting hot in here! July was officially the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S., breaking a record set during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.