Education Nation Weekly Newsletter Education Nation // Febraury 5, 2015 // 7:00 PM EST Did you know that reading is not a natural process for the human brain? While we are all born with the ability to communicate verbally, recognizing the printed word is something that needs to be learned over time. In the latest Parent Toolkit blog post, neurologist Judy Willis discusses how playing brain games can actually help kids develop stronger literacy skills. This week in education news: A Mississippi community sends kids to racially segregated schools; a new survey indicates college freshman are increasingly depressed; and teachers adjust to the Common Core with the help of classroom coaches. As always, you can join the conversation on Facebookand Twitter. A School District That Was Never Desegregated (The Atlantic, 2/5) Survey Finds College Freshmen Party Less, Worry about Money More (Los Angeles Times, 2/5) Classroom Coaches Critical as Teachers Shift to Common Core (Ed Source, 2/4) Is Your First Grader College Ready? (New York Times, 2/4) Teacher-Evaluation Mandate Unlikely in ESEA Rewrites (Education Week, 2/3) Study: Finishing College a Growing Divide between Rich, Poor (AP, 2/3) What Would It Mean to ‘Fix’ No Child Left Behind? (New York Times, 2/3) Study Finds Preschool Programs Lower Special Education Referrals (Ed Source, 2/3) Do U.S. Teachers Really Teach More Hours? (Education Week, 2/2) Virtual Preschool: Yes, That's Now a Real Option (Education Week, 2/2) True or False? Free And Reduced-Price Lunch = Poor (NPR, 1/30) Girls Get Good Grades But Still Need Help. As For Boys ... SOS! (NPR, 1/29)

'Humans of New York' Raises $1 Million for Brooklyn School A chance encounter between a student and a photographer changed everything for a school in New York City. More

Effort to Boost Literacy Grows Nationwide Brian Gallagher, CEO of United Way, joins José Díaz-Balart to discuss a new effort to boost literacy in elementary schools nationwide. More

Will This Really Help Kids Improve Their Grades? An Atlanta barber is giving free haircuts that make kids look like balding old men. He gave one to his own son for getting bad grades. More