Education 2012: A Look Back At The Year

This piece comes to us courtesy of The Hechinger Report.

In 2012, new teacher-evaluation systems and merit pay spread across the country. Technology continued to transform classrooms, and presidential candidates made education an unexpected focus on the campaign trail. Yet widespread problems in America's education system persisted, and the nation remained behind much of the international competition.

At The Hechinger Report, we traveled from coast to coast to examine new approaches to improving U.S. schools and to answer important questions about what's working and what isn't.

On the eve of 2013, we've selected 13--a baker's dozen--of our top stories from the past year to highlight what we found in 2012. These stories provide insight into some of the most staggering problems facing U.S. public education today, and look at promising strategies for solving them.