CNN's New Ed Blog, Rick Perry's Brain Freeze and the Penn State Scandal

There's a new blog in town -- CNN has launched "Schools of Thought", and it intends to share perspectives on education from a wide range of voices.

Donna Krache, the blog's editor, is a parent and a former teacher. In her welcome post she writes that "a student’s educational experience often includes those life lessons that aren’t components of the curriculum ... they also learn about life from challenges that they might face daily, such as relationships, family problems, bullying and financial concerns. There are teachable moments and opportunities for learning there as well."

Krache is interested in hearing from you. Send your thoughts and story ideas to SchoolsOfThought@cnn.com.

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The Associated Press' Kimberly Hefling has a story this week about Republican presidential candidates who say they would limit (or even eliminate) the federal role in public education. You might wonder if some of them are rethinking those plans, after Texas Gov. Rick Perry's "oops" moment during last week's debate. As my colleague Alexander Russo pointed out on his blog, Perry's brain freeze (just seconds after threatening to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education) suggests a sort of karmic retribution.

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While we're on the topic of the Ed Feds, the department will investigate whether officials at Penn State failed to properly report a suspected case of "sex offenses" on campus, according to a press release on its web site.

It was gratifying to see the Penn State community gather for a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of sexual abuse. I just wish it could have come ahead of (and possibly forestalled) the student riots.

Have a question, comment or concern for the Educated Reporter? Email me at erichmond@ewa.org. I'm also on Twitter @EWAEmily.