Arizona

So what kind of teachers could a school get if it paid them US$125,000 a year?

An accomplished violist who infuses her music lessons with the neuroscience of why one needs to practise, and creatively worded instructions such as: "Pass the melody gently, as if it were a bowl of Jell-O." A self-described "explorer" from Arizona who spent three decades honing her craft at public, private, urban and rural schools. Two with Ivy League degrees.

by Damian Paletta and David Enrich

Barney Frank Goes to Bat for Lender, and It Gets an Infusion

Troubled OneUnited Bank in Boston didn't look much like a candidate for aid from the Treasury Department's bank bailout fund last fall.

The Treasury had said it would give money only to healthy banks, to jump-start lending. But OneUnited had seen most of its capital evaporate. Moreover, it was under attack from its regulators for allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses, including owning a Porsche for its executives' use.