Teachers' Morale Reaches 20-Year Low - SchoolBook The outpouring of reaction to the release of the teacher data reports, as well as the stream of recent articles in blogs and other publications, has provided a pretty good sense of how many teachers in New York are feeling these days: disappointed, angry, depressed, put-upon and fed up. Now comes a new survey that shows those feelings are not just held by teachers in New York - nor by an outspoken few. The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, an annual check on the feelings of teachers, parents and students, found that morale among teachers nationwide is the lowest in 20 years, Fernanda Santos reports in Thursday's New York Times. The Times articles identifies a good source of the dissatisfaction: Many of the teachers also report that their schools have been hit with budget cuts, often resulting in layoffs, the loss of important enrichment courses and lags in technological capability in classrooms. The dissatisfaction was across the board, though worse in urban schools and those with large minority populations, the survey found. In other news on Thursday, The New York Times looks at the status of the so-called Dream Act legislation in Albany and finds a curious silence. Much was made of the state Board of Regents" approval of a measure to provide financial aid to illegal immigrants at the state's colleges and universities. But, as John Eligon reports, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has been keeping his distance: ... thus far the advocates have been unable to win public support from Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat who has generally been supportive of immigrants but who faces the possibility that his position could reverberate if he runs for president in 2016. With more than one out of five New Yorkers foreign-born, supporters of the proposed legislation - including Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg - are arguing that providing financial assistance to young people offers a gateway to the American dream. The state Education Department had put the annual cost of the measure at $627,428. Also on Thursday, the Daily News is reporting some coming relief - though not a full cure - for the overcrowding situation in Queens" schools, particularly in District 30. Four new schools and a building addition are slated to open in the borough in September. When the schools reach capacity, they will offer an additional 3,000 seats, city officials said. The Department of Education also plans to open an additional four schools and two building extensions in 2013. "Over the next two years we plan to add an additional 6,000 seats in Queens, recognizing the growing needs of students and families in the borough," said Education Department spokesman Matt Mittenthal. And on Wednesday The News reported the arrest of a teacher at Public School 22 Thomas Jefferson in Queens for the assault of a 6-year-old student. Police sources said Grace Peterson-Hagendorf, a retired teacher working as a substitute at Public School 22 in Flushing, pushed a girl into her seat, twisting her neck with enough force to cause pain and bruising. Peterson-Hagendorf, 59, who is paid $154 a day, was arrested at 12:28 p.m. at the school, about three hours after the incident, officials said. She was charged with assault and acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 years old. Gotham Schools" Rise & Shine morning post has a more complete roundup of what's in the news on Thursday. And here is some of what's happening in education on Thursday in the city: At 4 p.m., a group called the New Settlement Parent Action Committee (PAC) will gather at the Bronx borough president's office "to ask why students in the Bronx are being sent to the precinct instead of the principal's office, and to urge the NYC Department of Education to implement positive school discipline policies as an alternative to suspensions, expulsions and arrests," a news release says. Minds Matter, a local non-profit that provides mentors and scholarships for high-achieving city high school students, is marking its 20th anniversary on Thursday night with a "soiree" at 7:30 p.m. at Pacha NYC, 618 West 46th Street. A news release says, "100% of our mentors are volunteers that give up their weekends from hedge funds, investment banks, technology firms and other professions to give something back to the community." Tickets start at $75. Have an event coming up at your school or with your community group? E-mail us at SchoolBook@nytimes.com.