Every day I’m posting a sample of what I’m reading in the news. Food for thought: California schools and parents are suing the state for not prioritizing education funding, student reading scores are rising in D.C. just in time for proposed teacher salary increases, and some districts have more applicants than openings for teachers.

• California schools and the state parent teacher association are suing the state over what they say is shamefully low funding for the education system, according to a story today in the San Jose Mercury News.

• D.C. schools made the most significant reading gains among urban systems recently, the Washington Post reported today.

• There are lots of candidates for not-enough teaching jobs in some districts, The New York Times reported. And as reported yesterday, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan predicts 300,000 more teachers will be in the market for new jobs next year unless Congress bails them out.

• The University of California system plans to centralize some of its administrative services in an effort to save $500 million over the next five years, The LA Times reported.

• Jay Matthews in his Washington Post “Class Struggle” blog warns charter schools not to force the D.C. school district’s hand in offering charter school teachers the same contract it proposed this week for public school teachers.

• A for-profit college, Bridgepoint Education, has plans to produce its own course materials, The Wall Street Journal reported — and make them online-based.

Join the conversation about these and other education issues in our ongoing discussion.