E.D. Hirsch, Core Knowledgefounder and longtime education advocate, asks good questions today in the Times about testing, even as he endorses 'teaching to the test,' provided the test is a good one.

Meanwhile, families are still waiting for results of an urban test without any bubble-in, multi-choice format: Parents of kindergarteners have written in to say they're still waiting for results from lotteries, local elementary schools, charters -- and gifted & talented programs and schools, whose calendar doesn't square up with other kindergarten registration dates.

And a point of information for parents worried that the school vacation in April means they won't be able to register their child for kindergarten: You're right to be concerned. Even though the DOE website says April 13this the last day to register, the last day of school before vacation is April 8th. (The discrepancy was pointed out to DOE this afternoon; a response is forthcoming -- watch the blog.)