New York City panel votes to close 19 schools

FromThe New York Daily News: Over the objections of thousands of protesters, the New York City Education Department's Panel for Educational Policy has voted early to close 19 failing city schools. Earlier...from The New York Times: In one of the most contentious meetings in its eight-year history, the Panel for Educational Policy faced hundreds of protesters who repeatedly drowned out the proceedings with cheers, shouts and boos. ALSO: From The New York Times: Hearings on proposed school closings in New York City have exposed anger over how large high schools have fared in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration. The city's push to close underperforming schools has targeted many large schools, and officials say smaller schools tend to perform better. But defenders of those large schools say they have served some students well, even as they continued to receive an increasing share of struggling students.