<div style="font-family:arial;color:black;font-size:10pt;">
<div><img style="display: block;" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.331" alt="Pub Ed Newsblast Header" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs160/1102261797723/img/331.jpg" border="0" width="640"></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" width="100%" align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding-bottom:6px;color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" height="1" valign="top" align="center"><img style="display: block;" alt="" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="5"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="background:transparent;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:25px 0px 25px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="middle" width="100%" align="center">
<table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK31" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:25px 25px 25px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="center">
<div><a class="imgCaptionAnchor" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3JgdCEGvci7bzV-_ylSSKi05IYJzvk_Je9V4uGc1vnuz9A9uR2Vv1PnwWyM88yhE_9yxqKxm2YzqFhOjB3I9Ec17L9KjJJICQ="><img style="display: block;" src="https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/ui/stock1/wire-bound-pad.jpg" border="0" height="112" width="169"></a></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table style="width:270px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="1">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="height:1px;line-height:1px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center"><img style="display: block;" alt="" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="5"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
<td style="background:transparent;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" width="100%" align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:25px 0px 25px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" width="100%" align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="color:#76b5be;font-style:italic;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;padding:7px 25px 18px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div>April 23, 2013 - In This Issue:</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;padding:0px 25px 0px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK17">Flawed measures, but the best we've got</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK45">Anti-cheating efforts lag</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK44">Testing: Tune in and opt out</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK43">Whose finger on the trigger?</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK42">Sweden's debatable voucher 'success'</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK53">Chicago's violent reality</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK55">A place to heal, not punish</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK54">Expanding engagement</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37655-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27460948&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" width="100%" align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;height:1px;line-height:1px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="background-color:#989898;padding-bottom:3px;height:1px;line-height:1px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" bgcolor="#989898" height="1" valign="top" align="center"><img style="display: block;" alt="" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="5"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding-bottom:6px;color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" height="1" valign="top" align="center"><img style="display: block;" alt="" src="http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101116784221/S.gif" border="0" height="1" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="5"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<a name="LETTER.BLOCK17"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK17" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Flawed measures, but the best we've got</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new paper from the Carnegie Knowledge Networks weighs the trade-offs of
using teacher value-added scores in personnel and compensation
decisions. The authors conclude that grouping teachers in performance
categories inevitably leads to mistakes, regardless of when in her
career a teacher is evaluated, whether for high or low stakes, or how
the evaluation is conducted. True performance is not fully observable
and measures are always imperfect. Measures based on student test scores
have a high number of classification errors, but fewer than those based
on licensure status or years of experience. In effectiveness ratings,
"false positives" classify a teacher as belonging in a group where he
does not belong (e.g., effective teachers), and "false negatives" place
him into a group where he does (ineffective). Since current evaluation
systems rarely classify teachers as ineffective or needing improvement,
the "false negative" rate for these classifications is likely high. The
authors conclude that better measurement can reduce misclassification,
and better balancing of errors, and careful consideration of the
consequences of these errors, can reduce the harm of misclassification.
To achieve more accurate classification, the authors recommend continued
research on measurement, on tradeoffs between false positives and false
negatives, and on structuring the consequences associated with
classification. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie25oRyEsTHiguqNbixIbUt-jTuXVdmoHSRH6tEZz-LWmXkQIGkw3Hz91sc7sr0c7mRJnU8E_Q2b0UG4FlTqscLDM-B9FpFvP6hgqC4sqMhXUx-0wHWyQr5mnoCs7EVzS6_jR0MCr-M6I0XOc3uoQn7mc70HQW_baAjQIgSzC5Vd2pY76Mt2vM2-5_L7cDjyti64SwZaueyqzJerL3fylDYnDLOHMI2hBBhiOD2aPvxRh-WRTBVhKt2tvXdQVVxJNuMsshBQZAzqFfYtf3UZ1_fB5s0KLclRwRXRioaQ9HlJeb-is6QO0mjagqUQW-shPYlHoR1DkxQ84MwPN-Wk-UbB7SO--T5wTmTAdbl2QV5O1w==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<a name="LETTER.BLOCK45"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK45" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Anti-cheating efforts lag</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In
the wake of testing scandals, district efforts to stop cheating by
school staff have been constrained by bureaucratic inertia, budget
constraints, and staff and community resistance, The Wall Street Journal
reports. Though relatively inexpensive, anti-cheating action has been
slow in part because those charged with policing test results are most
vested in their outcome. Over two dozen states have passed laws linking
test results to teacher evaluations, pay, and tenure. Neal Kingston of
the Center for Educational Testing and Evaluation said that many in
education haven't been aggressive due to "fear of the unknown in terms
of impact on budgets, on schedules." Staci Hupp of the Iowa Department
of Education said her agency doesn't monitor for testing irregularities
because it lacks staff, will, and funds: "If the legislature feels it is
important for the schools in Iowa to have tighter security, we will
implement that." The Pennsylvania Department of Education contracted an
erasure analysis in 2009, but did nothing with the results until an
outside website obtained and publicized the data in 2011. The state
eventually launched an investigation into high erasure marks at 90
schools, including 53 in Philadelphia. Thirty schools have been cleared.
Last week, two Philadelphia principals surrendered their administrative
licenses</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3DtYVIuKq-7JmYMyidGdzYMXVvqNfQ3yxowzEfkLq1qwlIRgnzNt_J_fblZmhmFMwcrfjbIjvYkb-VdeNR8RbZ0ijho0U8DIDSGDrPcP_HjIJj7exE-C2xDxiQI1LqIDtDDOCT7NpgP2FchccwsTo4qRxK5VPUY3th-9gjcf1VB02JshLzbTE1" shape="rect">More</a> <strong style="font-size: 10pt;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0-umtBKK1a6xetav3dVu140VwZphDHv5W8CXEZHTeet3H9rwE79YqJGEgOCWdYsuBwrV4UWlk9eV1XVDtqqr-tlBoZ_0OqDjVoqkB0SYnY9FCror3qLK4NJmcZCjQbrTdpuwW6Ferh3g6GhfZyhE9YUFf8kxptHtR0acoNYrgKvassM6ZXF6CuNErdO7w-ZlcrvzFiLFZDSYH6Xo0gSAZC" shape="rect">Related</a></strong></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK44"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK44" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Testing: Tune in and opt out</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
decade into the school accountability movement, resistance to
standardized testing is surfacing around the country, with parents and
students opting out of high-stakes tests used to evaluate schools and
teachers, reports The Washington Post. From Seattle, where 600 high
school students refused to take a standardized test in January, to
Texas, where 86 percent of school districts say the tests are
"strangling our public schools," the opt-out movement is growing,
propelled by parents, students, and educators using social media to swap
tips on ways to reject the tests. Because regulations differ from state
to state, parents are resorting to various methods. In Pennsylvania,
for example, parents are citing a state rule that allows opting out of
testing based on religious objections. In Florida, parents are relying
on regulations that allow for alternative assessments, such as a
portfolio of schoolwork or SAT scores. Some districts and state
education departments have tried to discourage test boycotts, leading
parents to swap information via Facebook pages and blogs. Students
opting out do not face individual ramifications, but if students opt out
in large groups, the boycotts can affect a specific school's standing
under federal law, which requires 95 percent of each school's student
population to take the tests. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3QFtN69tT67Dr87A3uWGw9_cqn5r_hgHMvPUcBHf1F-gs8JvZCeQtzIqGlvfoxfHr-JqfYyyCekWKx6qqlHVqI4tBgPoCoopFlmtV35VLUq5GLPnnrLEz6JJuImpv-A3LP09EEpuxnh8ax4xaFmkasvmOAsC31iuwWXucI0Nl3dcwF8K9dO6irOsO13YHxDFgmVikRtaBZ1ceMZr7ItMzhY-4POCo4O268rxObVupYqO_JPYZyPxaYAefIxXcOPFUzmQ5Jqta6byr57yBjNjyNR_kPJ0LE1OEnrxTJ878_5TqqhkN2Mlvf67tp6SLMupp8wam1SFQyuA==">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK43"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK43" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span><b>Whose finger on the trigger?</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">At
first glance, it's one of the nation's hottest education-reform
movements, a populist crusade to empower poor parents and fix failing
public schools, writes Gary Cohn on the Truthout website. But closer
examination shows the "parent-trigger" movement is heavily financed by
the Walton Family Foundation. Since 2009, the foundation has poured more
than $6 million into Parent Revolution, a Los Angeles advocacy group at
the forefront of the parent-trigger campaign. The Walton Family
Foundation has also funded conservative research groups (including the
Cato Institute and Heritage Foundation) whose analysts have then
defended Walmart and its anti-union policies on newspaper opinion pages
and in testimony to government committees. In education, the foundation
is a strong proponent of charter schools, school voucher programs, and
other efforts to privatize public education. The foundation
wholeheartedly embraces all state parent-trigger laws, whose language
stems from model legislation crafted by the American Leadership Exchange
Council (ALEC) -- a corporate-controlled generator of far-right
legislation, including Florida's Stand Your Ground gun law and the
recent statute that made Michigan a right-to-work state. Parent
Revolution has lately shifted focus to the city of Los Angeles, where
the city's board of education approved the first use of the
parent-trigger law at the West Adams District's 24th Street Elementary
School. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3AKpDkcvkjwiLIHg8Fz9CDWTskt7rZOTq5fwh7UlnqE6B3rEjBicqCIHL2ikheIcFBXtFz7PU63jfFg8xhe7awHj2gzdynLcIPQcU-wp0SWS1NLCP60R1cnip9cwGkP6-D3yKJ9aM5WbwiXTlrVtZ0-10mjyt-TcXZCPNEhd-B7I6BmtQ3lb05jnpHRn6ud0Q=" shape="rect">More</a> <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie2JWP9w5AwQLxPQ5fVgLwc2wekJFRRKz3Y95y_5KjsKE6CF8RTmto9z3s0hmft4pANrL37vmpxFVSNLQUyiy4QZIOTuPymOeyq0srFC_vUH9qENhY6TskW3rmVuUFkJ102roypJniZm9osl3CXGQW1Fo9KDPLrQwms1F-7yiTi-WpecP8dZdPov8X80OOsf4Cg=" shape="rect">Related</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK42"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK42" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Sweden's debatable voucher 'success'</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span>In
a post on Diane Ravitch's blog, Henry Levin of the National Center for
the Study of Privatization in Education discusses Sweden's voucher-type
plan, adopted in 1992, in which municipalities give the same per-pupil
funding to either public or independent (private) schools. In the
initiative's early years, only 2 percent of students chose independent
schools, but by 2011-12, a quarter of all Swedish elementary and
secondary students attended them. Half of all students in upper
secondary schools in Stockholm attend private schools at public expense.
In March 2013, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) convened a
two-day conference to examine what vouchers had accomplished in the
preceding decades. Private school enrollment had dramatically increased,
and Swedish performance on international tests had precipitously
declined. Levin analyzed research on the topic for the KVA, and found
that Swedish parents and students have many more choices among both
public schools and independent schools than prior to the voucher system.
The studies show virtually no difference in achievement between public
and independent schools for comparable students, as measured nationally.
However, the overall performance of the Swedish education system on
externally administered and evaluated tests used for international
comparisons show substantial declines since 1995. Socioeconomic
stratification has also increased, as well as ethnic and immigrant
segregation. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0YCgdpcW6A1UneoHy1z64cXIf4kdtQRvkfdkh8f_1JvMicMA1BMXiITG_3GI2heA_dzXTCbycStMyCo8AktEid2CbE0dVtTFFHY8yqfekxGouHxMFZg66MrFTIfzAwURZtR-qcGld1IKYFve5TPmtZwfhsI9njz1ldbqjVPHqoDuwbvk4Bw_mN">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<a name="LETTER.BLOCK53"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK53" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Chicago's violent reality</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">As
Chicago prepares to close 54 schools, a significant challenge will be
safely moving thousands of students to and from class through the
patchwork of rival gang territories in the city, The Huffington Post
reports. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett
acknowledge the danger of mixing youth from different neighborhoods, and
will not close high schools. The district consulted maps of gang lines
when choosing where to send elementary students, and has dedicated $16
million to expand Safe Passage, a program that ensures children arrive
to school safely. Adults stand watch along key routes, alerting police
of problems. In the past two years, criminal activity has dropped 20
percent in the immediate area of the 35 high schools and four elementary
schools that currently implement Safe Passage. The program will expand
next year to all 55 "welcoming" schools, and its success will rely
heavily on people like the Rev. Robin Hood, who grew up in Chicago's
North Lawndale neighborhood. Hood works with organizations like Mothers
Opposed to Violence Everywhere and Cease Fire, and his seven-day-a-week
job involves having former gang members -- experts in gang behavior he
calls his "street epidemiologists" -- gather intelligence about where
problems are brewing and trying to negotiate resolutions. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0e6X4y_EavnvbRPrtmrAv8JY9PSYnlOKIAXyXeXeuE451QHYpcz0F5hbfslEsdOM6pfoEU2ILCyStnKPyaAxcc988m9X9ecbWcnPMe0nLa4XxhI7crixfZaDAeo20SrkSPnO-rfRwOkiBSuudzGY9k9_4t0t5uZgAisInRtbszcGDp46P5_JvE1TY3ifVEvAQ2xnbrDaeHLrcB9nKJz5vG" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK55"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK55" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>A place to heal, not punish</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">More
than 23,000 schools out of 132,000 nationwide have discarded or are
discarding highly punitive approaches to discipline, writes Jane Ellen
Stevens in The Huffington Post. Schools that undertake supportive,
compassionate, and solution-oriented discipline methods can see a 20 to
40 percent drop in suspensions in their first year, research finds.
Instead of waiting for kids to behave badly and then punishing them,
schools are creating environments where kids can succeed. Equipped with
their own conflict-resolution skills, teachers can defuse most
situations in their classrooms instead of sending disruptive kids to the
principal's office. That said, research shows that programs such as
PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports), Safe & Civil
Schools, CBITS (Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in
Schools), restorative justice, trauma-sensitive schools, and HEARTS
(Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools) may not be
enough. A Washington State University study examined records of 2,101
randomly selected elementary schoolchildren, and found that 45 percent
of students had experienced one or more of ten severe and chronic types
of adversity; 12 percent had three or more. Schools can be major
contributors to childhood trauma, especially if fighting, bullying, and
suspensions are common. The entire educational system needs to change,
Stevens writes, so that it stops traumatizing already traumatized
children; reaches out not only to traumatized students who express their
trauma by acting out, but also to those who withdraw; and creates safe
environments where all traumatized children can begin healing.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1zUHROf2th3g17K2kVQK5rX-8bTZ8pquTY_EnmBR2jU328B83NFFNylZz6JU9xgOARX1qHwvvX7yhwDqUVhD2_TxlbQucA33cPDuTsIYexflJHffkNHplyfs0y2b5K0KB3khPZCfp4rwqS3kinBRxMLRPKmlB1w_vyLRZYmiq9LPdCki5e8WVQCHfMDFjBqZmcwaHexm3i4h6xVQOlr-pWoZnO2n8an7Y=" shape="rect">More</a> <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0LrTSVjEw3Z5Xs9eAof7S4lcTtE-QyC3ftvLGRW4r8ZnhaDGvg2FGKo0CGYD48HguEPTtwv-kUc1dfWGUtWLyey6XJQSpQVxstBvboXqhwzuj6bDNzqGOlAbRKa00S4Fk6ng2zb7R_-RWmbr95o3sfloR8aoV8zTELef_Uw_EqLaU8C6Qq80ZJW6W7iWvXU6rw1bZ4brMB0R2FRsTz8FQkr_wK89D1ogOH_TK6xsl8M8JcOMEdpMiAFHAhLQWrojg=" shape="rect">Related</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK54"></a><table id="content_LETTER.BLOCK54" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 9px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b><span>Expanding engagement</span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new brief from The After-School Corporation (TASC) examines its
ExpandED Schools initiative, which it launched in 2011 in 11 elementary
and middle schools in New York City, Baltimore, and New Orleans, each
school partnering with a strong youth-serving community organization to
add three hours to the conventional six-and-a-half hour school day.
ExpandED Schools incorporate four core elements into their redesign:
more time for a balanced curriculum; school-and-community partnerships;
engaging, personalized instruction; and a sustainable cost model.
External analysis shows that participating students increased their math
proficiency, surpassing citywide gains in each city. Student attendance
improved in ExpandED schools, and students, teachers, and parents
ranked ExpandED schools higher than citywide averages on safety,
communication, student engagement, and academic expectations. Schools
varied in how successfully they communicated school change to families,
in the proportion of teachers who worked expanded hours, and in teacher
desire to work expanded hours. The brief concludes that a school's
culture, schedule, and approach to learning don't change in one year.
Real-time feedback loops must be established among partners, and schools
must define and provide support for family engagement. Decisions about
teachers working extended hours should be made at the school level, and
not prescribed externally, and success is best achieved through
whole-school implementation. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0Ko3KxyF3oXY49Bz_Ug50oHPeqtAANfhFDKt_tvbA28EGe6c4p7v_XXgRrrDY1jG12CzzuOM5bA3T9kyl949uLyEfXA5QJeZkA2NtwISzUQWx850XvqnOMKOs6ita_WDsOYBpY41tA3-F-folShoE1aoOGAvvmamUWW5Y36PLnDSaIqAFsmFoLtCohROCZB03yn6W8u-tB8WPEMSHNwnbP">More</a></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK46"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="content_LETTER.BLOCK46" bgcolor="#ebf5f6" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:25px 25px 0px 25px;font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(240, 79, 35);" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left">
<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</b></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;padding:8px 25px 18px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" valign="top" align="left"><br>
<div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Speedbump</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Gov. Jerry Brown's plan
to make California's community college system more efficient and to
increase access for students has hit a road block last week as lawmakers
rejected his proposal to set a lifetime limit on the number of units
students can take at reduced in-state rates. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3id5m5yjEYL1CYSx2SmySZTMq7rBadstobgUhtS_nLuPVU4uOVjl9kzRHsniJ8jbuMl97HV7sWygaxMxlGLaMeYBkv9tiwo0ZJGqs_j-eeTuO-BpS2pYx_GicU_J_t_A5jMCaxNtL_o7ogfiZu7hjArrxLC7HdGz20gC9Hlj5dI3-I1FdzMcso3FM7KIfvfWrXpP6AFuotVD8MazghM2lq">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Not so fast</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The reforms that LAUSD
Superintendent John Deasy enacted -- and just how aggressively he's
pursued them -- have put the fast-talking New Englander at the center of
a heated debate over the future of the nation's second-largest school
district. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1EoIHardAsmei7xYO03xQGcC5esxs7kWTRZqUIwwE_A1jpG8CwpbfubXiX8M5t78nxiOw5CvrH5G7eNgARRYmb0XmKv9rTU-byIxS2CWIcRnu2fj2G6TSD69x-_cIq0ivtIAz1O2Csh-iiTrY_Jx3CsTE6_nQDnB2Mz8jwdou9UqusZUS8uF0Z8VvyzWpj900=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Nevermind that they're essentially the same</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A majority of
Californians support Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to provide additional
funding to districts with more low-income and English learner students;
however, when asked about each group separately, only 40 percent of
likely voters favor extra money for English learners, while 52 percent
support additional funding for poor students. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie2gGHTcdXHyQl5-pEJiMsBKVbxZbFuavLgUWKBIRKkIiJ1vCLFarpv7ACHxUwzyS36iO3eS_42iEasidLZgC4wZ52ZXmoYN99AyJ9M1jQaJen5VYZUWjltlkgEIb_gluzPzjPXeMKK18fU2dxKcFGgITaT6S6SHtSHCdOt57pdE_Ddu3DhVAdyaWUzJ1pGuYOBAIDawzgCy9T4sIPn8WDDjv37lVAnqWiJAfOsCgHEU3zwLeAgJk9P5">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Whatever that means</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">With new data showing
more than half of all suspensions and a quarter of expulsions in
California schools are for "willful defiance" of school authorities, the
Assembly Education Committee has voted 6-0 to move forward a bill that
would restrict the use of the vague category by school administrators. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0uWb4VE2DCaVH7FRQ0lxovbrvqNQ_4dcPbp1hW0RHbYkyDxeiqm5pbrs780ODsSWs1MpDBtQZQF3vkaqNivJc_yuAZamz6ZTNK8XesFzNzlFtWuNwPB7RQIXspS2mEO_tdd-8iAU43ptEuyiSUa8heUINPw34bWAFBVfc4B7jXV_qhjGvAb8vzemXOEGrzVDAFMuTSlHDDgQ5EMVQPUZFx0cjmnI8BfFEpGCWcnh1308teuivjWkBm">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Setting limits</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Teach For America faces a
showdown in California, as the state's Commission on Teacher
Credentialing considers new restrictions that could limit the placement
of TFA's corps members in places with English learners. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie2_qAY7-WHnUs-2fL5d3cR051mAId_xgpa7MEhVax3_0MX-k1KSdgBPIxNUlSFQk8mlvbPRUQmEIWHePK6rdhMJ44UNiC_32eeYI4dTuluN9c02aftCNS19eB0zvK66tCB_6S0AvP1OD1tvUTmsuUTWktH3Hv-IG8mjbqfXkyARH1SucYm9BQCQhsM8ebVFE09KdQVl6C1hyvy-4PWnR8QV">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED</strong></span><br>
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>As if they didn't have enough to do</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Allentown School
Board in Pennsylvania may adopt its worst-case budget scenario, which
includes principal-sharing at the district's four smallest elementary
schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie2icBatKkElgfxU0MIaCLuXpSg0AuanQ3cHlS4xXsbjLbugPPqhpD5gszzFPv3b5Wh4ohR8j8zy8m5QrO1cab4wWuzy7jKkg13jomkD3EwS0O7NA1pBEMsSlcWSTB2bAQdDTnB3e3xu_Buk524FTDYR4RVQNLIzcqwYCN6GlbOdYvu9730kdiGJ3Si_kC26zQc4NoQ_ALLhcGjg9Uixf3Xt7BZrSBfBzOM=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Stirrings of dissent</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The National Education
Association, on behalf of three affiliates of its Florida chapter and
seven teachers, is suing the state education department, contending that
the formula used to assess some teachers in the state violates their
constitutional rights. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1gIbaL8Ru5IYVkV_teAg5Qy7tWIXNF4BwGY2cNadMuzoBD8xSsVgQkvF_d67N5LylE8XgMeYE616kD33KKT9fHrhikaFqQZys0gB6RwI87SkwgQuBgHDIGIOOWATf0TqabS5anrv5wpNG7_tC4ZjTZn9gvi8hW0eyQ6AYyK4sskMMRiBaO9cnFMjzwWZiTYS4plYn23s6u6hlLnKQxevaCZWvh4biGTlw28CYIsD0yTQbSjzEDyKHowUCxZkZ0Y0Cky6_i36FrPg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Crucial disconnect</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New survey results from
the ACT find that 89 percent of high school teachers said students who
finished their classes were well or very well prepared for college work
in those subjects, but only 26 percent of college instructors say
incoming students are well or very well prepared for first-year courses.
<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3bDytkWy5EEdRJllENYTdq_0WT_P6tdBK_ZRCTZEKIWHfAiPeLFzq9AlYNhNFbbVbxvfDhkwUomYb0Ghl42uiuU3ibBQWbWbxE9dbxsbv7yXcq8w6XT4AKMDnFQKfBln5H_9EGutzP-F0zjDjmes8f2PuTedvr0zrYbWW6M1zWllLwqgtYOk9fJ1V3z4XdXKGw2F_8yiBGO-0vO6xyzX4Oi3tjoz4SY-KERbFS1gx-ArZt09o4gjPLxlEtnDlWMzUhhb7M2y8LzeJvzsGRkyWbeqjTdFzCrGc=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Another reason to be mad</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Fans of
bipartisan-backed school safety and mental health bills will have to
find another legislative vehicle for their programs, now that Sen. Harry
Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, has pulled a gun violence measure
from consideration, after a key vote on bolstering background checks for
would-be gun buyers failed to gain sufficient support. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3sYLoPGtQzNYUoSgu2hjFChEkhP0uFL9yQGts3MZLUAtCZ0nCTRUIG8dODIGOVznVIIqCKACTQLXr_orWm34WNouScnIyybCWyypBUCWsdMs9l6CGISD416-h7Fu81ELE_v7UpyXjfSKhnA4MWctlmgdoYfoAzdZecKTELniD0aJYZijWDp7fmiA83_22cAMRWXuD3qGD6w7xiBKnCUZfCjlalRozjxhMgr5VdjZRUig4vR6RnGcy9sjdNwzXIhClnNGGtCdiMiSY2iwFqQfr22WGJ0pGhNQDfzwl2O0gSvc_bXJS1Oaf5ijimYjmfV5UY5980q-opM_uop4ki9hHwPOZt_7RI1TEn4tsF-O3JincvkSpShyWMe8-m4lO-lpXAFX5cZMmz5w==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Off to a strong start, indeed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Strong Start for
Children Campaign will bring together at least 13 organizations
interested in funding Obama's early-childhood education initiative. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0WUM3mo--tHX5pbF25sh9AuMxQgWWN4PttOfSUBgp2luhxiUI3we7srrF5n3WGaa1YuLgj21nu2iipGhkrMwzDSgLtUT_k-iuE5TWe-DAJ3qg_daE-O0VwXojVkMjwjLbFG4AYusmjI6ShwkDpvFa-1EUUBW1ZdDKuRIkqcd7V6rfCN9QjaEAn6GxG7iaEm7G4BJMacUQ7yNDrevRvX2nhLCz2ky1tgaD6O8GgPsrk2A==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Dirty Harry need not apply</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Indiana schools could
get grants to hire officers to serve as protection and resources for
students under legislation passed by the Indiana House, but the bill no
longer requires that all schools have someone carrying a weapon on site
every day. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie2657rsr5FDYDjMWUQctrAdTFqtu_L67x7K2FNHEsY8MwbJIoYHeehr-kZDQkg2OtiCDoLZyFnGT3XYjY9EDgn-ygSrYiKbq_TrGHIcHygTFabme1RTfZUG1MNdvgS4cHbkh2b5skXFUTUpkmKbt7gypb8eqsx7q9HTxzt_UJN9JzwuJBHTUssCk2fXPOdWWYZEQBJVGeucWJNo2HY21ORL">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>So they'll get simulated bonuses?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer
has signed a bill into law setting up a pilot project that simulates
tying funding to performance for a handful of school districts and
charter schools, but she said in a letter to the Legislature that she
wants more than a simulation. <span style="color: #f14e23;"><strong><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1iE_1VMbBTr_FrEvUpEAInMEsC9ohaGGFqxJqhpPLIRm_VTEunFveB4LdyqN176GqOtgcbQ-lsqoiynEmPyBW6RuAwfVW4GkLoHrN9MYmz4YUL9Eic1IBsI67wDvnTbYn8kScCch5EabK3ONOKe7zDe0yDE3S9xEtPQ92tjYBzOEYU-qdplJ6aeKfPMrP8PjPWwhE7dk4KfdGP38nYxWLVbpbtUQP_eJk7Da7Wqelhct-3Wblu12FVP0b3AF6fBNQ_C9YuRnDFIw==">More</a></strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><strong>Now that's energy well spent</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Alabama Republicans have
succeeded in pushing a bill to repeal Alabama's common core curriculum
standards out of the state senate committee. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1XQc19C2jWY7gKZINtKmJ9g6O7-KdchH858IxbtsjTMCUXVJ7ltAPMx48lKWTZv_LYCREyUn-e2mrAgxbS0kM0tYeNJgjlWN9Dx20dq4Egz5reV4Tmaz9Ca-KWUHOFd8fJEi7RYp4V5AbQ2MUyLrJdcYJDmjrXOvkaZDD6uRCt5w==">More</a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="LETTER.BLOCK19"></a>
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</b></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1L86nSgdrqB4UC-VdyL8TMdvHmNCgshObadr5kin3tNOeVTbSx-3OTFTazpGhk7MyMSVwNaugyzG9nV9ZtfylFOZllvjObw2ruNnBDawBXnDFPTQ8ivHXyqbcuTi9A2mcnGBHs8m3diQ==">NASPE/ING: Run For Something Better</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">ING
Run For Something Better, in partnership with the National Association
for Sport and Physical Education, has developed a school-based running
program for each school that desires to establish such a program or
expand an existing one. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: programs
that target Kindergarten through 8th grade in elementary or middle
schools. Deadline: May 15, 2013.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie1vH4IFpBgynrGXrdXhFL4LD-LZ98yYQYmnZzNgj8c3Ve4HvimaKcyBiKbCLkzeUtSzL0JjIWvmLrZMZH-YuDX4NBFdJA7SaSY2Ui2T8pEfmWN4cvxx0pZR-4dOpQdLR4ocoLEBoh5-UuhGMOQCUOsxj4_1jXj0HMw=">Dollar General Literacy Foundation: Youth Literacy Grants</a>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Dollar
General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to
schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations to help students
who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant
funding is provided to assist in implementing new or expanding existing
literacy programs; purchasing new technology or equipment to support
literacy initiatives; and/or purchasing books, materials, or software
for literacy programs. Maximum award: $4,000. Eligibility: schools,
public libraries, and nonprofit organizations. Deadline: May 23, 2013.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie25e3NhBQRFn2is0v8mGQiMeGathLqMhgMSv9MqZDU3phOFPa9pkmoU9wAKjWNn4_qxA3mRfCHfjh44YH6WPcXFQPs9MRNekfYwJfNy4FDU1CEiyOQQTdtZu23iI_Fa9SWU9qWeVDhmV8KWS-Hg271fYky1N3azdAY=">EPA: Sense of Wonder Contest</a>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">To
honor the late preservationist and ecologist Rachel Carson, the EPA,
Generations United, and the Rachel Carson Council, Inc., are holding a
photo, essay, and poetry contest "that best expresses the Sense of
Wonder that you feel for the sea, the night sky, forests, birds,
wildlife, and all that is beautiful to your eyes." In her book The Sense
of Wonder (written in the 1950s and published in a magazine in 1956),
Carson used lyrical passages about the beauty of nature and the joy of
helping children develop a sense of wonder and love of nature. Maximum
award: publication on the websites of <a shape="rect"><span>EPA Aging Initiative</span></a>, <a shape="rect"><span>Generations United</span></a>, and <a shape="rect"><span>Rachel Carson Council, Inc.</span></a>
Eligibility: entries must be joint projects involving a person under
age 18 and a person age 50 or older. Deadline: June 10, 2013.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie3sZHAAXLkB2He3R672cDXvS21PMYYm1qIzU1zOgqSr-30181LpF1ctZdqoCNFUPGk4hb1rbj-MV5Nh7a3AQNFlVOMR5oSea3ymrJ7sEyX9eUJqoCFLrJ0NSSPuofYuTw5rYqpZ7dBwZToNoyQmkpSl">AAPT: Frederick and Florence Bauder Endowment for the Support of Physics Teaching</a>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
American Association of Physics Teachers Frederick and Florence Bauder
Endowment for the Support of Physics Teaching was established to support
special activities in the area of physics teaching. Activities can
include but are not limited to the development and distribution of
innovative apparatuses for physics teaching; traveling exhibits of
apparatuses; and local workshops. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: AAPT
members. Deadline: July 1, 2013<span style="font-size: 10pt;">. </span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14e23;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">"Testing
companies are in the business of making a profit, but let's not confuse
their mission. Their mission is to create as many tests as they can and
then grade them at as little cost as possible." -- chairman of the
Texas Senate Education Committee, <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001DcOErFOaie0LHV-iI5jLqa_PuK_bKHrcqJ7OLHBWSIM3if0NXs1pkLjFndF-ODtKJlVEPx-08qnPneWgrSAd6w9dmv2vzYKQ_YQXvh1guD7tzusWDNmZRzelgoJoecHYdWI5MLGsTmMnj3tfC1e_RrAID2jmHtohurI6NotJFykfCrR4pU5nEpARBgX2LaYDNqLBpstsSp2iaqvUoYsld8nf4MFQPh9LtGk7lPa9Sqg=">Dan Patrick,</a>
Republican of Houston, at a hearing on a comprehensive education bill
that would reduce the number of high-stakes tests students must pass to
graduate in the state.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>