Mom Congress Education News Roundup

Last chance -- the deadline to apply for one of 51 spots at our first Mom Congress conference is Monday, 3/15!

Lag time in tracing tainted food puts kids at risk (USA Today, 3/10/10) 

Federal officials met in Washington Wednesday to discuss ways to trace more quickly the path of contaminated food. Food often is repackaged and resold before reaching consumers, and the USDA wants to find ways to ensure that recalled products are pulled from circulation before they're sold or served, whether in stores or at schools.

Firing teachers: First step to reform or useless effort? (USA Today, 3/10/10)

Examples of successful school turnarounds abound, but critics say the evidence is anecdotal. They point to instances in which getting rid of teachers and principals had barely any effect at all.

Appeals Court says 'Under God' not a prayer (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/12/10)

The federal court that touched off a furor in 2002 by declaring the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance to be an unconstitutional endorsement of religion took another look at the issue Thursday and said the phrase invokes patriotism, not religious faith.

Texas Approves Curriculum Revised by Conservatives
(New York Times, 3/12/10)

After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday voted to approve a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Father’s commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.