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Michelle Rhee is a controversial figure, to be sure. During her brief tenure as chancellor of Washington D.C. schools, Rhee managed to ruffle more than a few feathers. She also developed a loyal fan base that has followed her to her latest project, StudentsFirst, a non-profit committed to education reform. Since her exit from Washington schools, some questions remain about whether Rhee's approach to education reform really does put students first. Case in point: there are recent questions in an in-depth report by USA Today about a high number of changed answers on standardized tests in some Washington schools.

This video reports on Michelle Rhee's tenure as Chancellor of the D.C. public schools.

Details of the Report

An investigation by USA Today exercised D.C.'s Freedom of Information Act to obtain data that documented test scores for one of Washington's schools for the past three years. Crosby S. Noyes Education Campus was considered a "shining star" by Washington's public school officials after the school was able to raise standardized test scores by record-breaking numbers. In 2006, only 10 percent of Noyes students scored "proficient" or "advanced" in math. Just two years later, as many as 58 percent scored that high, and reading scores shot up as well.

Michelle Rhee was particularly interested in Noyes, and she used the school as an example of how she implemented changes that could transform struggling schools

Tuberculosis is often thought of as a disease that primarily strikes poverty-laden areas and third-world countries. However, recent cases of tuberculosis in public schools in the United States have raised new concerns about the illness right here at home. While the risk of getting tuberculosis in this country is still relatively rare, it is not completely out of the question. This article will explore the new cases of tuberculosis that have been reported at schools around the country, as well as a brief overview of the illness and some of the symptoms to watch.

What is Tuberculosis?

According to the , tuberculosis, also known as TB, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria tubercle bacillus. These bacteria can survive in the body for years in a dormant state, which explains why some people can test positive for the infection, but not present with any symptoms of the disease. While tuberculosis ran rampant during the past two centuries, incidences of the disease are much lower today in most industrialized nations. However, in other parts of the world, tuberculosis is still a big problem, and health experts estimate that around one-third of the world's population is infected.

How is Tuberculosis Spread?

Tuberculosis is spread through the air, when a person who has an active form of the illness coughs, sneezes or talks, but it takes significant exposure over a period of time to actually "catch" the disease. The Health Protection Agency cites studies that

Many agree that one of the most effective ways to reduce the disparities between the rich and the poor is to provide high-quality public education to all. However, a recent report on the state of schools in California suggests that some school districts might be going in the wrong direction. Instead of broadening the educational opportunities for less fortunate students, the lines seem to be widening between the "have's" and "have not's." We will take a closer look at this report to determine what it means for public schools across the state of California.

UCLA IDEA

For a number of years, has produced annual reports on the learning environments and outcomes of California schools. IDEA, short for UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access, was founded in 2000 by Jeannie Oakes and John Rogers. According to the organization's website, the original goal of IDEA was to utilize the research capacity of UCLA to identify and confront some of the most pressing issues facing the world of education today. The faculty of IDEA consists of scholars, staff and graduate students of UCLA, who partner with parents, teachers, and others in the community to conduct research on current educational trends in the hope of inspiring and promoting positive change.

This year's report, titled, "Free Fall," shows that the "Great Recession" of this decade has not improved the situation in California schools yet. The report draws on information from 277 high school principals around the state

Budgets are tight in school districts across America, and when money becomes scarce, tough decisions have to be made. For some schools, the cuts may come in the athletics departments, with a number of districts threatening to significantly decrease the athletic programs available to students or do away with sports altogether. While this is not a choice most schools want to make, what other options do they have when the money simply isn't there? We'll take a look at a number of states across the nation that are facing these questions, and how they are handling the challenge of keeping sports and other extracurricular activities in schools, despite their inability to pay for them.

This video reports on cuts to New York City sports budgets.

Cost-Cutting Measures to Begin in Pennsylvania

The governor of this state, Tom Corbett, recently announced a slash to public education in Pennsylvania that will total no less than $1 billion. The cuts were proposed in response to necessary cost-cutting measures that must be taken due to less money coming into the state. According to a report at the Observer-Reporter, $550 million of the cuts are slated for public schools, with a focus on special grants that support a variety of educational programs. The other $625 million would be cut from the budgets of state universities.

As school boards grapple with major cuts to their budgets, one of the