<div style="font-family:arial;color:black;font-size:10pt;">
<div><img style="display: block;" name="ACCOUNT.IMAGE.335" alt="Pub Ed Header w LAEP" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs160/1102261797723/img/335.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=001Bnt4QxFuHtsDWBE4o7J5D3CrtV_Y3z4sVe_yjeyNTcq68o01_eWvr5VHuY2zL-egVhrW3d1BBETTmE8lSjS1X8XpTKUCOgGbF07ojfXxCrY="><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 30, 2013 - In This Issue:</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK17">Still at risk, 30 years later</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK45">One gap leads to another</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK44">Dual enrollment delivers</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK43">Making the feedback cycle 'virtuous'</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK42">A kinder, gentler, more relevant math</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK53">A new take on second languages</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK55">That report on mayoral control, reconsidered</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK54">Public education, private profits</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/37688-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27463634&seq=1&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>Still at risk, 30 years later</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span>A
new report by the Leadership Conference looks at bolstering both
quality and fairness in our nation's public education system. When the
U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1973 that state funding formulas for
public schools based on local property taxes were not unconstitutional,
students and officials in under-resourced districts resorted to state
courts, where state constitutions either guaranteed a thorough education
or had strong equal protection provisions. Yet despite court victories
and countless hours of advocacy, organizing, and litigation, the remedy
for unfair allocation of resources to schools is still incomplete. The
report recommends that national policymakers hold Congressional hearings
on the impact of fiscal inequity on underserved populations; dedicate a
funding stream to high-poverty high schools; increase funds for the
ESEA and Perkins Act programs; continue to enforce compliance with
federal civil rights laws barring discrimination and inequality;
aggressively enforce provisions in the ESEA that, if honored, would
mitigate the worst disparities; hold states to promises made in ESEA
waiver applications; and amend the U.S. Constitution to comport with
international human rights law, guaranteeing an education that prepares
every child for postsecondary education, a career in a field that pays a
living wage, and civic participation. The report also issues
recommendations for NGOs, philanthropies, and business.</span><span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHttuQ7ysB5IYpOtklxn8OTZzeEfwClCLp4xvNXcZpjPgjbXMgd53zJFlITPExbf0SlBHESKlSRMJ9-YlQMtNGOnZLCDEbSukdbZDu-CMK6zgPEz2FAlslRNJzKyAjrjobiL2BT1dLXP_jFuNsONlbmPUVgjTugKrh85x6WYqyMdSkHbIxu97mouEobC_z7F3hqI05toBOmbqkHBuNXLUGWoFSkCLBtRh9Xs=">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><span>One gap leads to another</span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A
new book from the Oxford University Press offers research-based essays
by education experts that highlight the discrepancies in America's
public schools, focusing on how policy decisions and life circumstances
create an "opportunity gap" that leads to stark achievement gaps. The
nation's high level of childhood poverty, coupled with the low level of
social supports for low-income children's health and welfare, creates
daunting obstacles for learning. At the student level, effective
policies would address key health issues; correctly identify the needs
of language minority students; and expand access to high-quality early
childhood education. Policymakers should also reform state funding laws
to promote equitable and adequate school funding, with federal
assistance to states to develop those policies, and provide adequate
resources for safe and well-maintained school environments. Furthermore,
policymakers should broaden the school curriculum; provide more and
better learning time during the school year and summer; end disparities
created by tracking and ability grouping; reform testing; and reassess
student discipline policy. At the community level, effective
policymaking can advance stable and diverse communities by promoting
affordable and better integrated housing, creating integrated magnet
schools, enforcing existing civil rights laws, and prioritizing
diversity in school-choice policies<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=001Bnt4QxFuHttXlMLpsto750ezU9eejEv7-J8JDIaj6DXbxVJwpNuTmRz4UobeieiSsBdeDCBsJE88EJnGjLr1zU0X-PGc-i4bQ9ZApDI4Mo6r2EYiKKh0g6OddSkTO8i1Cwaay9HkoTwc7-W7CcGUGFme9WmqIqFv">More</a></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><span>Dual enrollment delivers</span></b></span></div>
<span>A
new, three-year study from the James Irvine foundation tracking
outcomes for 3,000 students across California found that career-focused
dual-enrollment programs yield important benefits for those who are
underachieving and underrepresented in higher education. The Concurrent
Courses initiative is comprised of eight programs involving 10 colleges
and 21 high schools. Sixty percent of the students in the study were
students of color, and 40 percent came from non-English-speaking homes.
Compared with other students in their districts, program participants
were more likely to graduate from high school; more likely to transition
to a four-year college rather than a two-year college; less likely to
take basic-skills courses in college; more likely to persist in
postsecondary education; and accumulated more college credits. The study
recommends that policymakers remove funding penalties, so neither
participating institution loses its per-pupil funding for dually
enrolled students; make dual-credit earning consistent and portable; and
standardize broad student eligibility. It also recommends that
institutions continue to make dual enrollment available on both high
school and college campuses; explore ways to ensure authenticity of the
high school</span><span>-</span><span>based program format; provide
professional development to dual-enrollment instructors; identify
dedicated college staff to smooth logistical challenges; and obtain
student consent to share college records.</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=001Bnt4QxFuHtsT1J159BJXo6LHSpTK07nm3Yo-DHEQDZGAqcgSc6k40qaRNvDpEKjGHo56VTY-IXmT4ZjDz5T_SJEjryyEmBTnTNTV6SeeIeEQLDCbbUq3L0SSO3PE99fmVF5b0URfvyvGwYebBZa2bg==">More</a><br>
</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>Making the feedback cycle 'virtuous'</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span>The
reform movement will have failed if more rigorous teacher evaluations
do not translate into system-wide improvements in teacher effectiveness
within the next five years, according to a new paper from the Aspen
Institute. To convert evaluation information into more effective
teaching practice, teachers, principals, and system leaders must embrace
a culture of ongoing, two-way feedback and commit to continuous
improvement. The report explores how targeted, well-designed, and
well-executed surveys can improve system reforms now underway. Districts
can get the most out of surveys by identifying several practices
critical to surveying employees effectively, and then use the
information to improve individual and organizational practice. These
practices are to: engage key stakeholders upfront; decide what needs to
be known and what can be acted on to create visible change; leverage
existing survey mechanisms within a district; share results and
resulting actions with key stakeholders; report results at the school
level, taking action to address issues identified by stakeholders;
evaluate the effectiveness of solutions over time; and preserve survey
anonymity to guarantee honesty. Through case studies, the report
indicates how different organizations have successfully implemented the
described "virtuous feedback cycle."</span><span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtuO7hps58gl-y3r3EHy-1BPzYQV51MeW1KS01LXOBjqXxFoGqjtNwAZJL_N_N6A6OPFkEGUVCdDdhc_0KAoSiV9VdCIB25mgC5tx6uEfYWUTuZGkUMeJ7Lhq15gJLZcSTDZ2UR6vZZ7PDArlMrSnW4_ScelxU-KH_pw_2xLApSv-1sTrbYO4f64DQpvtvvR5L9988oesq2IUD6wmfrSDV0ZnYmNaDhB51M=" shape="rect">More</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><span>A kinder, gentler, more relevant math</span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Math
education experts say we're in crisis, and traditional approaches that
treat math like "a cold-blooded subject amid the warm and engaging world
of K-12 schooling" are a big part of the problem, writes Laura Pappano
in The Harvard Education Letter. Narrow cultural beliefs about what math
success looks like, who can be good at it, and what it's used for make
students approach the subject with timidity -- or not at all. Unlike in
other subjects, math students aren't encouraged to be puzzlers and
questioners, according to Rochelle Gutiérrez, a professor of math
education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The
solution, Gutiérrez and others say, is to change students' relationship
to the subject and help them build "math identities," make curricula
more relevant, and recast our image of math success. "Mucking around"
and puzzling, trying ideas, making mistakes, and then trying different
ideas are paths to developing skills in deductive reasoning and in
making and supporting an argument. For this reason, math education
experts love problems that come directly from schools and communities.
Which laundromat has the best deal for a family with five loads of
clothes? Is the school overcrowded? Are Latino students
disproportionately the subjects of school suspensions?</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=001Bnt4QxFuHtuLNNUnPv5k1s-eGUqF0aYmgKbc-96sdrOOJ8Sek4YLi9ANFiQSJCL3bxFnDXHdQeEh7TrjIQltDoAPYJ9qEOXJmJtPKuhzb5tDzgTS9baEATdHMXxo818GoUylv46AJUM=">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>A new take on second languages</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span>With
hopes of preparing students for a competitive world economy, Utah is
building one of the largest and most ambitious school-language programs
in the nation, writes Jack Healy in The New York Times. Dual-language
classes have existed for years, but they are growing fast in many states
as educators look for ways to prepare American students for a polyglot
global job market. Few have embraced the idea with the zeal of Utah, a
state that passed an English-only law in 2000 and routinely ranks last
in the nation on education spending. Republicans in Salt Lake City, the
state capital, have pledged millions for the program. Four years after
it began, nearly half of Utah's 41 districts offer programs in which
elementary school students spend half the day learning in English and
half in a foreign language. Fourteen thousand students are currently
enrolled, and 20,000 signed up for next year. The dual-language programs
start in first grade, and will eventually extend through middle school,
with students taking advanced placement tests in ninth grade and then
studying at a college level through the rest of high school. Right now,
French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin are offered. German is likely
next, and educators have discussed Arabic.</span> <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(69, 69, 69); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtvt1QnGUMWEACafdkVDfM45lwQwRgwfTdgNbFmecCUIrC_hoDTyCpsIERP65tcMmooRBodhrPflA9L65x3Y85TbJ9PcTpX2pAKSEPFqmmgufoRN9RY2q0f7Zocke7mTDngQXbiDyh70sdQ5phTOYIZf110A4TemphbzxFonU2QDt7nFKcpUfrh2P8xE4XL3uAhjli9FtNc-2A==" 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>That report on mayoral control, reconsidered</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new review by the National Education Policy Center of a recent study on
mayoral control by the Center for American Progress finds that the
study's fiscal analyses suffer from inappropriate comparisons, and that
it lacks valid evidence for its claim that mayoral control influences
amount or distribution of school resources. The portion of the report
that examines student achievement highlights positive findings in a few
districts, but says little about alternative scenarios: mayor-led
districts that did not see gains, and districts where achievement
improved without mayoral control. Without examining these two other
groups, it is hard to determine whether "mayoral control" is
appropriately credited with the improvements identified. The report also
fails to explain its statistical methods, and many of the findings
presented don't actually show strong or relevant correlations between
districts under mayoral control and the desired outcomes. However, the
reviewer does feel the report offers useful information about the
context for shifts to mayoral control in different cities, and what
challenges may arise under such governance changes. The report's
limitations, however, "preclude relying on either the report's findings
or its recommendations in making policy decisions," in the reviewer's
opinion. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtu3sRxlyLM3NKJxcv_iUNkMzsffF_T2_luGI2SCWdOpn83keXnheL2S32EneNNqEdsGmLW7uuoZ8UGqNKrfKNRkkKtt_0noZ23l1HSLVLqCEhb5n_6NmL7z1kdxxzn9csfudGH4o9Q4Fy7enDYYFxsvVrLxkQKcWDg=" shape="rect">More</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>Public education, private profits</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In
Education Week, Michelle Davis examines the influence that education
companies are trying to exert on education policymaking and legislation.
She writes that some education observers are alarmed at increasingly
aggressive moves by companies to make money from the K-12 system. "The
corporations just woke up a few years ago to the billions and billions
of dollars that exist in public education, and they just decided to go
for it," says Gene Glass of the National Education Policy Center. "The
incredible thing is how easy it is." Policymakers are particularly
receptive to initiatives involving education technology, online
schooling, and digital offerings, since such efforts are part of an
emerging area for education. But precisely because the initiatives are
cutting-edge, lawmakers may not have deep knowledge on these topics.
Others view the expanding role of for-profit ventures to be a natural
evolution of the interplay between private and public sectors in efforts
to improve schools. The market is certainly growing: A report last year
by the National Education Policy Center about for-profit education
management companies that run brick-and-mortar charter schools, cyber
charter schools, or both found that since 1995-96, their ranks increased
from five to 99, and the number of schools that such companies operate
increased from six to 758. </span> <a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtu7W-I8JbmdNB_3Xvc8YHH7lQ0871Q0ux6cnHp42HV9uJ2cO98-JCtqx3nSbFK868xMVddHfWYTr617bg8Z3Z45tK81FT7sa_QMjJwzCpu9s-2HS1aWVR997IYzi4ToeFHv5HUzE11RgaGQks-0RcLfzGc4VF4rwIG7gbVJS-MmXaFvhg6JQoJBcjS2lQoSaomPyD8306hm6cqzjeiViuRAndivHlRW5kA7PxpkiNxB8lhG64j9kvYMOS7UOKAtw14cysqSGPvGDaZVX5Miz_I77vdZkTDXJlU=" shape="rect">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">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Fightin' words</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Facing resistance at the
Capitol and in suburban districts toward his effort to shift education
money to California's poor and English-learning students, Gov. Jerry
Brown called his measure a civil rights issue and promised opponents
"the battle of their lives." <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtsXs5LKeLqLbSPZbnkr5j0MmRO0k30sNdO_1Gx7jJJ1rqL_doO2P1yXtxSn1X0xkvFNnx21_gz0_6bVlrceoveUVj_g1bwhFFOG67LyczH8MYauaHD5YQBJUodGtyAuKtbA2-IMibvoteihht1kTFehYEllLUT5FryqdbBz_M7LXB1PjvXJLeIFLi2SCjvtxKa51_vbq_y25UQBwVsp87kz" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Strings attached</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Gov. Jerry Brown would
tie some state funding for California's public universities to a host of
new requirements, including 10 percent increases in the number of
transfer students from community colleges and percentage of freshmen
graduating within four years. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHts_8ut9v8AqMv5M2xtVf-oBktJPGAprr4S_VKOHxvgGasP87T23efPuz_Nc1lTO6zQoYt7AEA5IF3FsEBj3vH9NHyoSGlCbbZmLFqlpqvaNK7X6NLngoh3v1Lx-5bCSpEmNKKqgWcVCaiwwo91Ym6lY4_702xsyQPu1SnJYkZi_qXz3XxqSElNEK5JV4bn7i_pjNvio0PCn8POltj22hZ2CVncg323qbvo=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED</strong></span><br>
</div>
<div style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;"><span>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>No surprise</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Fewer than half of high
school seniors are proficient in economics, according to the results of
the 2012 National Assessment of Educational Progress. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtvayRWof3yo0daO4cNhR-5d-HgFuC1uLgja1otRiHP8V3f48DygpEndCuJZHAPJ0M4hGhNmbPUTiZ4VVww7nF1r6Djyao8BsJ-fZ3Y7y3jCs8-u1gkNRBaB6s3OnK9GJYBDv4dNe09dMa2e4IzwQUJkTMusB6FZBXRuOQeDPvPFx9XJabDbQRidI6rbuMsX9r7Us7k1XcWjVzBUVMfiQwaeXK8U57eB3b3F-0_iC9M9ziSXK3HAXu31JQlrPFkflSi1g594-JIMNA==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Another legislature gets it</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Minnesota House has
decided to pay for free all-day kindergarten statewide, to make
early-childhood education programs more affordable, and to pump more
money into K-12. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtt9d6_0ZlDGMVMenQNFi2oLhDHT0OaCD8z4N2KwgGDHBSgK6L_mkYnxZNW_PlBecarS-3gQfu0qwXD31UhRpGm7VYX7xdsa3ZdbnU6U38268e25HDiQeg7Aeo1YweTlIv0qRUftssIG_Va2mJq0BJzl2S21JmIa4xeb-0byAmtx2bZXf8CRV6bA" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>So much for that 'new era'</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Texas Education
Commissioner Michael Williams has unveiled plans for a new
accountability system that still rates public schools largely on student
performance on standardized exams. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtuLXlEneHg2m1dZd5YkqnFhdOdRvdSzERj260JkKeMuZA5m5wvkerBvhOZIrlODg7VDfd1C3SsiezsUQCe1jFKuvGBcTSLXvHSIGMmQe02CQ989lT4fd1f2VgAQwffjsT7cVSIoXKIXnvl7nL84npkrq1-oLg4pdXc5nxEJB6xv7zbieBVlcfx9R7xeUG_HLg45wQowJVhYEhw4kIiqSgWrpNRjx3RdJ8_xAcSOOCy8nnCrCGLjmmmm" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>In fact, they're merely mediocre</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new poll from the Pew
Research Center for the People and the Press shows that more Americans
than not think U.S. 15-year-olds rank near the bottom on international
science tests. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHttzynazsktaMm2Om3Gs8LzsWC6kSIMab-71Ax56T6H75M93xucHpxNYdCmfGuvFOlLl3tLQZ6L-GiJ1bLTOjmXzumNfegcC22AFqYA5ktPIxm5yT9VOsBvBwLc4Z4C_OcRGdfMSU1-FmHAVanlk42mZRiqqgeyIsb0xoN1dcT_6dnsbf52Kw_jxAe0rpm7iHwM=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Vote of no confidence</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The version of the
budget passed by the Michigan House prohibits the Michigan Department of
Education from allocating funding for the implementation of the Common
Core standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtu0DSlR77ggVacw23TCnVYHY0eHlIYdBJVjGPhgzpTpecewQ2upmnMc14iAcTbc553KrN9iArDNOpbicAnE-HqByL0RQDxNS-hc8nHXPzarQm97lKL6Fy4SJjMC2rVC1h0l5aWe-W8roxB--28RXSj_sPWsDqpX7LcqXJCJRCHH2paF_N8cWiJ-gpJ077TiZS0=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Meanwhile, in Alaska</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Alaska Department of
Education and Early Development has announced that Alaska is joining a
state-led consortium developing tests aligned with the Common Core
standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHttVBP7VqUaPnb3kiM7KB2tMR_VZbCtOHjurdN4OyrwQDCqe-5zRU7RlpZJ5hp5SvfI9Qy8vAwUbcw-MR2d71JY_1CvGYg4LeGjAxzmLA8EWEz1GlZGwX5UUH2CFaOQS-Luqasj5yTXpQKyH0LZi-Chpi-qN9gUevrARl-NICEE7I9JTeqQrvMmZZHjbEnxVlijNZEV9oN2Ny1wGiHyYmQNi" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><strong style="color: #f04f23; font-size: 10pt;">Now they're asking</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Republicans on the House
Education and the Workforce Committee -- who haven't yet held a waiver
hearing -- have sent U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, as well as
state chiefs who were approved for the flexibility, letters asking a
list of questions. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtuk4GRTKMOEkrR-Mp70neIN7q8JxJXuQEYJD0s-noFNfkFjgiuMMyg3xRRoWAC2KomCIWfQlIr96nU0P45cdPS1E8hTVIFaWNpqH7UQyUe9j4rAdGBxS3GbD8gDfi6_4SbDgbbSbAO-aQuo7xOPO0fmSueAEmXt37SijUxmfaXi7p2OyIUXQe2vDG09ubDNImKm8UlSDa7NSTYlCAKi4-SoXss6wHGQ_k6OyHxA4X8aNIIRIGMRpxJjMEKMqAZb4BhsEkR5FN9QWw2HeVOIAOdQbGTBCkFdChntuk4OnAxxnIHz9qTJgZESCuvooY-MC7dfJ_jBjXta1CGDEd3Cp_xp76JUlllCE3Sv1gnfxaB0KEXrlUQ7KwJrUb4d1QwNsH6vaRaCRDjMkg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>A wider net, perhaps</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Indiana district
superintendents would no longer have to hold an Indiana superintendent
or teacher's license under a proposal that has won final legislative
approval. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHttzmUCh4VONX0aSDYHk7BB94D99msfZalkyePgfyW7tv80WKNHbFe13XWwK4n25-NOCzvL4eNDTydBSwS_VzW0hx1pbAolOfUieo4AzVfjeWflZj-AvCcpz3-YuBVaIPZmQ22I7hsgjGa-YttD_PMLJnbMeMQzVbq8QZrJkMxy5qWBTW0wyGY2WM2wLIQDo6EQWcTWqN690t5xbuZ0yanOJNDAadOvF6TA=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Guys, seriously?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New York state students
who recently took Pearson-designed exams were treated to plugs for LEGO,
Mug Root Beer, and products from at least half a dozen companies in
their test questions. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtudi9tVkOSSY1S2CMTP7kHQJBJCTcheMdpvk6QdvhvPIVKQUrCZlmdosMNkb5r1A94FW2lq56j15SXvudeBx69zA0y0sfRYABrdZPQPQyD6aEX7rQFQlQoxo6WeHo5tGnufFFflCpKYqLOLCbXj1nbrsIcjqrztTxc8_yY6LKBSQlCZ5IL6VbQEhxzX5KB4cTmtPMt_MDKvixTl-o3tg1yC1Sn4BOCohcCVXins_k8lTIrCrMgJRX8kTiLFWSkfkEviCJhZz3Po4q1wn4r09JmhPqk_WxdqFkVF9UOCFkvz3uJAOuVrbfgALq_qgvCFtp8=" shape="rect">More </a></div>
</span></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="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><br>
</div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtv22UaZuXiJikWUxcP0Bo2j0dOlQfRurbuWAKj1IbeVGlcMpuyTJctaSWzDq2oZNjnw93sRTbnIf31sSB8WiZ2PSADZTk3o_5kF-F0K8syHAWU9Lj_sMhRX">Popular Science/Delta Faucet: Science Fair</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Popular
Science has teamed up with Delta Faucet to host a nationwide contest
for the best original science projects in the category of
sustainability. Maximum award: $1,000. Eligibility: elementary, middle
school, high school, and college students. Deadline: May 30, 2013.</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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHttMmtZJLO1m6zycJI6a5WGd38gvjenoB64kUQyYDcdHh63PtZqQ_MajSGR4jd6869VO95Fs5-jVl-xGEJm2TQddncq9MUq0buP57jW9rQjvCPXN09mWMUpMBn7VI6e_9Ku4PEZRkzKr-g==">National Weather Association: Sol Hirsch Teacher Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">National
Weather Association Sol Hirsch Teacher Grants to improve students'
education in meteorology. Teachers selected will be able to use the
funds to take an accredited course in atmospheric sciences, attend a
relevant workshop or conference, or purchase scientific materials or
equipment for the classroom. Maximum award: $750. Eligibility: K-12
teachers. Deadline: June 3, 2013.</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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtvdtrNkubDu-JoDlQlmAqwvj02rMWJK-_UFjUmAheGoys0mNlBEfVT_iWAvtCgtnXN2NggMXmqcSRj3L-jT0biAROnHAzuvAao68lc6q5ZaVL2BYrxRX673Mt-1h-Lxltw9jermyokCTA==">PTO Today: Parent Group of the Year</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">PTO
Today's Parent Group of the Year Contest is an excellent opportunity to
showcase your hard work while giving your school the chance to win cash
and prizes. Maximum Award: $3,000, and 100,000 labels for education
points. Eligibility: all parent groups -- PTO, PTA, HSA, PTC, etc.;
public and private schools; rural, suburban, and urban schools.
Deadline: June 3, 2013.</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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHtu-feBX3X1GFR_RYa6zR2RfxHqMqxPUzPiJDk699klIS9J3KlL6T0FLl0zD2TI-nB_QVt6BwP_o_wrIjABiIFYKt_1FzLUWbIekl48PMu-v-WMY4miu8rge4I9-_oHMrmSFO_kAZ-6G4TY_omt_fnCYnXqG44bADsS1gbIWXkvZ6RSaGcKz6zQRYN7KOEfmRfFgHGhYxuNWn0Bs7maamEXNGr9-qxUftkcPvn-GwKDffAczmCbJnr8MH4_yaYZioMR24FHR5998zeDWip1F5H7X">Keep America Beautiful/Waste Management: Think Green Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Waste
Management is joining forces with Keep America Beautiful (KAB) to
encourage local solutions that showcase environmental stewardship and
community improvement efforts. Grants will be awarded for programs that
will improve communities, increase local recycling, or expand public
education related to recycling. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility:
KAB-certified affiliates in good standing. Deadline: June 12, 2013.</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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001Bnt4QxFuHts2OZ3rqHJgjzMoo0fiutDQIqswciLCcdEDpB7QiA-BhZ69DJYlFPPxxf7LBcfC0jfQuDRPA7UUCTbQ4Nsmw42bA2AXPF549vGdVjuc3jVFt5SYR7x6SU7TfqYscNTTtMUYarBYHno4Xp4EgYEJAmr5E1LfLnEKJq_c_tc2hMKlfE5mj3-Je1LJYYLg6-6RlPo=">Microsoft: DigiGirlz High Tech Camp</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Microsoft
DigiGirlz High Tech Camp for girls works to dispel stereotypes of the
high-tech industry. During the camp session, the girls listen to
executive speakers, participate in technology tours and demonstrations,
network, and learn through hands-on experience in workshops. This year
camps will take place at various dates throughout the summer in San
Diego, CA; Charlotte, NC; Fargo, ND; Redmond, WA; Las Colinas, TX; and
St. Louis, MO. Maximum award: free attendance to camp. Eligibility:
girls grades 9-11 in the 2012-2013 school year and at least age 13 at
time of application. Deadline: varies by location.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">"This
whole issue has been blown out of proportion. Nobody had a problem with
having two proms until it got all this publicity." -- <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=001Bnt4QxFuHttmb6LvEQ5qr9arm-T9U3nB3gI8QH1a7Rqd0-QDIts7Fe3xzhIQ5xLQUpNMQHiUcxkHDqirC67qpN6CU7ocaINf0IAuMKwpmw95QalzvFo4waB0aotcwLvhxyesbDft-X1lHdnfnZ2vswjaonJU2o83Kt49pgkiYy0-aq_Rf2QuqQx6_Eg5E9i8lWP3QKmVRY4AJChbpQY2hvrC8o3h6WMJyRTi6qkTwV8=">Wayne McGuinty</a>,
furniture store owner and City Council member, regarding the tradition
of Wilcox County High School in Georgia for having an all-white and an
all-black prom annually.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>