2008 brought us new hopes for education with the election of a new president. it also brought is many reminders that we have a long way to go. Enjoy this year in Review and slideshow.

In January, College applications hit an all time high. The surge is probably due to students applying to more and more schools in an effort to have multiple acceptances. Of course, this ties up the rate of acceptance and schools wait for students to make a decision.

In February, school rules meets an all time level of ridiculous when a Kindergartener is suspended for having a Mohawk.

In March, homeschooling came under fire in California. Due to a issue in a family court, a judge ruled that homeschooling without a certificate was illegal. The issue was resolved in favor of homeshoolers in August.

In April it was announced that Lake Forest College in Illinios and Salisbury University in Maryland had decided to drop ACT and SAT requirements for many students. This brought the number of test-optional schools to 734. Wake Forest College followed closely behind.

In May, an astounding number Florida seniors failed the FCAT exam. Students must pass these exams in order to graduate. Only 16% of the 24,000 seniors who retook the reading test passed and 32 percent of seniors who retook the math sections passed. Similar trends were seen across the country.

In June, a groups of girls in a Massachusetts school under 16 years of age, made a pregnancy pact, and kept it. National uproar did nothing to solve the problem.

In July, President Elect Barack Obama and his opponent John McCain began to weigh in on their views of education. They both called for education reform. Obama wants to put more money into early education and increase teacher pay for math and science, and McCain wanted school vouchers.

In August, Online schools from elementary to college attracted a great deal of attention as record numbers of students opted for distance education over the “real thing”. Many states have set up virtual schools to attract those who want to homeschool, and colleges are offering more distance education options.

In September, more and more schools limited public transportation to schools requiring students to walk and find alternate modes of transportation.

In October, debates raged across the country as to whether or not Halloween should be celebrated in schools. Most of the reasons behind the debate were religious.

In November, Big Picture Schools that are based on building portfolios and presentation and have a 92% graduation rate came into focus. The philosophy behind these schools is very similar to homeschooling.

In December, all eyes were on President Elect Obama as he made his choice for the new Secretary of Education. His selection Arne Duncan, seems to have been a controversial choice.