By Katy Murphy EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a sampling of the Education Report, Katy Murphy's blog on Oakland schools. The below comments were chosen from more than 50 posted on the subject. Read more and post comments at www.ibabuzz.com/education.

By Dave Ellison In several op-ed pieces appearing in The Argus recently, Sacramento Bee pundit Dan Walters chronicled a series of "disturbing signs" in California's public schools.

By ELIZABETH WHITE Educators try single-grade classes to protect, encourage students.

By Contra Costa Times By Katy Murphy STAFF WRITER OAKLAND -- In order for California's new eighth-grade Algebra I requirement to work, the state superintendent of public instruction says, the state needs to spend about $3 billion each year for smaller math classes, additional class time, more school counseling services, teacher recruitment and training, and expanded after school and summer programs.

By Edie Grossfield, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn. Sep. 3--Teachers, administrators, support staff and maintenance crews have been back in Rochester public schools for about a week now, preparing the buildings and classrooms for Tuesday, the first day of the 2007-08 school year.