In a package full of life’s little necessities, every Finnish newborn receives a precious gift –– a set of three books, courtesy of the government. more

First of two parts. School officials in the Merrick, North Merrick and Bellmore-Merrick Central High School districts say they do not yet fully know how certain parents’ refusal to allow their children to take new standardized tests will affect the students or their schools. more

Last year, just before the November election, Hofstra University was fortunate enough to host a presidential debate. Prior to the debate, a variety of well-known political figures were invited to speak on the campus. more

A handful of parents in Merrick and North Merrick told school administrators that they would refuse to allow their children to sit for new standardized state exams, which began in elementary schools around the state this week. The parents, who believe that the standardized exams lack pedagogical merit and are harmful to students, say they would like to see a grass-roots civil-disobedience movement involving other parents taking the same action that would force the state to cancel the exams. In all, 50 students did not take the exams on Tuesday, the first day they were administered, according to officials in both districts. more

New York state school districts are entering the second budget season under the state’s tax cap, which limits how much schools can increase property taxes each year. more

For years, the political atmosphere surrounding our State Senate could only be described as puzzling. New Yorkers have seen coups, broken promises and plenty of corruption. more

I jumped on eBay to bid on one of the last packs of Twinkies and found that the price is already up to $200,000. more

Next week, when students return to classes, they will be greeted by new teachers, meet some new classmates and may even notice the shiny floors and clean desks. more

In the four Bellmore-Merrick elementary districts, every grade from third to sixth surpassed the average county and state scores on the English Language Arts and math state exams, the results of which were released by the New York State Department of Education last week. School superintendents expressed satisfaction with the results, but also cautioned that their districts will need to continue to work hard to prepare students for future statewide exams, which since 2010 have included longer, more difficult problems. more

I love that Apple Chairman Steve Jobs said that one of the most important classes he took at Reed College in Oregon, from which he dropped out in 1972, was calligraphy. more