It's that time of year again—when Santa has his back against the wall trying to decide who deserves a lump of coal and who gets a pony. In the spirit of the season, we did our own inventory:

Number of students in poverty skyrockets. D.C. schools top the list for the largest black-white achievement gap. Low admissions requirements in the teaching profession. Collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin curbed. Cheating scandal in Atlanta.

Landmark legislation passed in Colorado that overhauls teacher evaluation policies. Charlotte-Mecklenburg district wins Broad Prize for Urban Education. The Education Testing Service launches a new and improved elementary generalist licensing test. Don't Hold Us Back coalition in Los Angeles challenges district and union to negotiate a new teacher contract that puts student interests front and center. NCTQ's National Review of Teacher Preparation Programs earns endorsement from 11 state superintendents, over 100 district superintendents, 22 advocacy groups, and counting.