although credit recovery may allow kids to “recover” credits needed to graduate, it often delivers little in terms of actual learning. If a high school diploma is to be more than a “certificate of attendance,” state and local officials must take responsibility for how schools award credit. Until then, Nevada's record-setting graduation rate deserves the scrutiny it has thus far received.

In July, Toni Jones will start heading up Connecticut's Greenwich district, replacing Interim Superintendent Ralph Mayo. In other news, districts in Pennsylvania and Idaho have selected new superintendents.

The Denver Classroom Teachers Association will resume its strike vote this week. But teachers aren't the only ones who may decide to strike. School nurses are also covered by the teachers contract. If teachers vote to strike, the nurses may strike as well.

A bill introduced would require public schools to filter drinking water at the source on campuses built before 1986. The filters would have to remove lead. The bill extends beyond water fountains to sinks used in the kitchen for food preparation or cooking.

What if the state of Utah—instead of Utah families—picked up the cost of curricular fees charged to parents of public school students in grades 7-12? One state legislator is working on a bill that would cover the costs of textbooks, lockers, registration and general fees through the weighted pupil unit, or WPU, a basic funding unit for public education in Utah.

Chad Williams, the superintendent of the Ririe School District, has been picked by Shelley school board trustees as their new superintendent. He replaces Superintendent Bryan Jolley, who is retiring after leading the Idaho district since 2004.

As part of a major State House effort to overhaul the South Carolina's K12 education system, legislators once again are debating whether to force school districts with shrinking student enrollment to either consolidate or merge more of their services with other districts.

EarthEcho International announced its newest, complementary suite of classroom tools with materials to help identify and tackle the plastics pollution plaguing our oceans. Sponsored by the Northrup Grumman Foundation, the tools are now available and kicking off with a virtual field trip.