Quick Hits (1.23.12)

You can’t always get what you want. Oakland school district leaders want to place teachers in schools, based on their experiences and skills, rather than seniority. Union officials say no. (San Francisco Chronicle)

… But maybe with a little incentive. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam wants to pay teachers more to take on bigger class sizes. Teacher feedback is mixed. (The Tennessean)

So long penpals. Students now use video-conferencing and social media to connect with peers in other countries. But, in the spirit of National Handwriting Day, let’s not forget the importance of actually drafting up a letter. (Education Week)

‘New form of academic currency’. Free, online courses are catching on, and other universities should watch out, experts say. But critics say the courses won’t go far without credits attached. Education Sector’s Kevin Carey disagrees. In a column in the Chronicle of Higher Education, he talks specifically about MIT’s online program, called MITx. (Hechinger Report)