Even as they struggle to climb out of deep financial holes, states are facing lawsuits that contend they do not meet their constitutions' requirements to provide sufficient funding to districts and fail to provide resources for disadvantaged schools and student populations. This article reports on legal battles in Texas, Colorado, and elsewhere…

Whether they're organizing events, buttonholing legislators, or simply trading ideas and information, a growing number of "parent unions" are attempting to stake out a place in policy debates over education in states and districts, amid a crowded field of actors and advocates. As the term implies, some of these organizations see…

Ten years after terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the profound impact on the United States is not hard to see, from heightened domestic-security measures to the U.S. role in conflicts deemed part of a war on terror. What's less obvious is how the attacks have filtered into American classrooms. Some observers…

Margaret Spellings, 47, was named in November by President Bush to replace Education Secretary Rod Paige, who tendered his resignation shortly after the 2004 election. Spellings has won strong votes of confidence from both sides of the political aisle, as well as from national education groups. And yet, at least some educators outside the…