Schools

If hypocrisy had a face, a look, a certain familiar strut, it would be that of old favorite Curt Schilling as he pushed his way through a swirling collection of reporters and photographers in Providence this week with absolutely nothing of consequence to say. Curt Schilling, mute, the one time he actually owed an explanation. Perfect. But that's a minor point, really. There's a larger hypocrisy in his failing video game venture, the one that Rhode Island state officials giddily backed to the tune of $75 million in loan guarantees, which seems to be a fancy financial term for...

Senior pitcher Kiara Amos ripped an RBI double to center field in the ninth inning to lift the No. 4 Malden girls' softball team past No. 8 Burlington, 1-0, Thursday at Burlington. Amos, who has committed to Providence College, allowed only two hits and struck out nine. "Kiara was the complete winner here," said coach John Furlong. "She got the game-winning hit, and in a couple of situations when they had runners in scoring positions, she struck out batters, and got key batters out when she needed to. " A strong pitching performance by Burlington's Kelly McCarthy (seven...

NEWTON - Dan Kennedy will graduate from Boston College on Monday, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and the recipient of the school's most prestigious prize, the Edward H. Finnegan Award. Winners of the Finnegan, given to the student who best exemplifies the BC motto, "ever to excel," tend to go big - top grad schools, Wall Street, overseas fellowships. Kennedy is planning to give away his computer, recycle his Blackberry, and move to a modest communal house in St. Paul, Minn.

The Boston School Committee gave Superintendent Carol R. Johnson low marks in many areas on her most recent evaluation, revealing rare discontent among some members over her leadership less than a year after her contract was renewed with much fanfare. The evaluation, conducted Jan. 31 at a School Committee retreat and obtained by the Globe this week under a public records request, highlighted Johnson's difficulties in addressing several highly charged issues. Chief among the concerns: her slowness in fixing chronically late buses, causing a frustrated Mayor Thomas M....

Relatives and friends of the grandmother and stepmother charged with running a 9-year-old girl to death as a punishment have been defending and attacking the women on Facebook and in at least one case nearly divulging what could be considered evidence. A judge has warned prosecutors and defense lawyers not to discuss the murder case, and so far they have obeyed. But experts say the hundreds of messages posted online since Savannah Hardin died in February show the legal system has yet to catch up with the social media explosion.

US Senator Scott Brown has turned questions over Democrat Elizabeth Warren's claims of Native American ancestry into a key strategy in his bid to retain his Senate seat. Almost every day for more than two weeks, the Brown campaign or a Republican surrogate has highlighted the latest bit of news to emerge on the subject, often citing articles on conservative websites in a bid to coax more coverage from the mainstream news media. Warren's failure to offer a full and concise answer on what role her ancestry has played in her professional career has left an opening that has...

Rebekah LaFontant will graduate Sunday from Brandeis University. "It's kind of bittersweet," the New York City native said earlier this week. "Brandeis is a bubble - it shields you from the real world. Once I leave, I'll be a real adult. " But LaFontant, who had a double major in health policy and psychology, seems better-prepared than many other graduates. She plans to serve in Boston's City Year program before moving on to graduate school. Long-term, she wants to be a primary care physician and conduct clinical public health research.

Not long ago, Advanced Placement exams were mostly for top students looking to challenge themselves and get a head start on college credit. Not anymore. In the next two weeks, 2 million students will take 3.7 million end-of-year AP exams — figures well over double those from a decade ago. With no national curriculum, AP has become the de facto gold standard for high school rigor. States and high schools are pushing AP classes and exams as a way to raise standards across the board, in some cases tying AP to bonuses.

The Rockland Education Foundation, which funds educational grants for the town schools, is planning the 17th annual Ralph "Gus" Lordi Memorial Golf Tournament. The event, the foundation's main fund-raiser, is being held June 25 at Ridder Country Club. Entries cost $125. Registration is at 7 a.m. with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. Sponsoring a hole costs $100; a sign with the sponsor's name marks the hole. Last year the foundation donated $27,000 in grants for projects submitted by teachers and administrators.

The Rockland Education Foundation has awarded $23,501 in grants to teachers and administrators in the public schools. Successful proposals include continuing the high school Shakespeare Festival, held every four years and set for March 29-30; providing iPads for high school math classes; continuing the Esten School "Poet in Residence" and the "Destination Imagination" problem-solving challenge at Memorial Park School; field trips; and purchasing books...

(Isabel Leon / City of Boston) Third grade student Shomaury Joseph of the South End helps principal Mary Driscoll, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Myrna Johnson of the Schoolyard Initiative cut the ribbon to open up a new outdoor classroom at the Thomas Edison K-8 School. For more on the project, click here . -- For the latest Allston-Brighton updates: Follow @YourAllstonBri on Twitter, here . And connect via Facebook by clicking the "Like" button on the top right hand corner of the Allston-Brighton homepage, here .

By Matt Byrne, Town Correspondent More than four years after a winter fire ravaged the East Somerville Community School and scattered the educational path of hundreds of students across the district, dozens of officials, parents, and students Friday hailed the installation of the structure's final steel beam. "We chased our hopes and dreams to make sure this building is fully built," said Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, who lauded the community's strength and perseverance during the years of planning for reconstruction.

Town officials were hoping to begin emergency repairs to the road and a partially collapsed culvert on School Street on Friday and work through the weekend, according to Town Administrator Wayne Melville. Because it's an emergency, the Board of Selectmen is authorized by state law to spend the funds needed for the repair, but the town has called a June 11 Special Rown Meeting to vote on whether the money can be allocated from the free cash account. Without Town Meeting approval, the funds will need to be taken from another source.

STICKING POINTS High 5 Jill Barnes , Lowell: The senior attack poured in seven goals as the Red Raiders held off Merrimack Valley Conference foe Tewksbury, 21-15. Keifer Heckman , Peabody: Six goals from the junior attack powered the Tanners past Triton Regional, 11-9. Marissa Irwin , Shawsheen Regional Tech: In a 22-11 victory over Methuen, the senior attack netted seven goals. Mitch McCarthy , Tyngsborough: The senior attack collected six goals and one assist as the Tigers clinched the Midland Wachusett League's B Division title with a 12-10 victory...

Schools report on head injuries In a survey of boys' and girls' ice hockey teams and boys' and girls' basketball teams that qualified for the state tournament this winter, the Globe asked high school athletic directors for the total number of head injuries and suspected concussions sustained during the season by players on all levels: varsity, junior varsity, and freshman, where applicable. Below are the figures from schools that responded to the request. Boys' hockey Number of concussions Central Catholic (Lawrence)

MALDEN — Harris Zhao used to be "that kid. " He didn't want another kid to go through the same thing. Zhao, 17, was born in the United States but his family returned to China shortly after, coming back to the United States when he was about 4. As a result, Zhao didn't have a good command of English or the American culture, which he felt set him apart from his classmates. "When I was in middle school, I was that kid who just sat in the corner," said Zhao, now a senior at Malden High.

The city's elementary schools will hold open houses this week for prospective kindergarten students. Lincoln and Roosevelt schools will hold them tomorrow, Hoover and Winthrop Wednesday, and Horace Mann Thursday. The open houses will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., with tours starting from the all-purpose room at each school. On Friday, pre-registration will start online at 9 a.m, and will run through 11 p.m. Feb. 5. Visit www.melroseschools.com.

Schools provide figures on head injuries Conducting a survey of boys' and girls' ice hockey teams and boys' and girls' basketball teams that qualified for the state tournament this winter, the Globe asked high school athletic directors for the total number of head injuries and suspected concussions sustained during the season by players on all levels, varsity, junior varsity, and freshman, where applicable. Below are the results from schools responding to the request. Boys' hockey Number of concussions Central Catholic (Lawrence)

Mitt Romney unveiled a series of changes primarily intended to give low-income families more choices in education and improve schools. The proposal would: ▸ Substantially change how the federal government allocates money to those K-12 schools with a high percentage of low-income children and for the education of disabled children. Currently, that money generally goes to the school districts. Under Romney's plan, such children at low-performing schools would be able to use that money to attend another public school, charter school, or, if states allow it, private school.