What We’re Reading: July 21, 2014

Welcome to What We’re Reading, a weekly rundown of the articles that caught our eye related to investing in our community or the things that make Athens great.  Here’s what we’re reading on this election eve:

Primary Runoff elections are tomorrow!  Mark your calendars and don’t forget to vote if you didn’t participate in early voting.  Flagpole is stuffed with articles on the candidates on the ballot, including the District 3 commission race, the State School Superintendent race, the Republican U.S. Senate race, and the Republican Congressional race.  You can find out more about your polling place here and see the full list of candidates running across the state here.  ABH also has five things you should know about the runoff.

Vote!
Andrew Rich Vetta

This article from the New Yorker describes the unrelenting pressures of meeting test score goals on the teachers at Parks Middle School in the Atlanta Public Schools system, and how the pressure facilitated the CRCT cheating scandal that made national news.

Local columnist Myra Blackmon published her thoughts in ABH on the decision of Clarke County Schools to become a charter district.  She notes, “I do believe, though, that if we assume good intentions from all parties, make a respectful effort to understand others’ views and become more willing to take carefully analyzed risks, we can do this. We can work together to make our schools even better. We can build broader engagement with our schools, teachers and students. We can improve our students’ learning.”

In Sunday’s ABH, Andre Gallant writes that Athens is set to be the home of a growing number of refugees fleeing conflict in their home countries.  The International Rescue Committee plans to open a sub-office in Athens before the end of 2014, and new families are scheduled to find a home in Athens starting in October.  Most refugees will come from Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. This is separate from the surge in unaccompanied minors crossing into the U.S. from Central America.  You can learn more about that issue from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Got anything else we should be reading?  Let us know!

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