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<div>May 14, 2013 - In This Issue:</div>
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<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK17">More Latinos college-bound</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" align="left" valign="top">
<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK45">Leg up long before application time</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" align="left" valign="top">
<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK43">Evidence in exchange for federal billions</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" align="left" valign="top">
<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK44">A sea change in education philanthropy</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" align="left" valign="top">
<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK42">Take back the charter movement</a></div>
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<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK53">Common Core: Not ready, somewhat able, but at least willing</a></div>
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<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK55">Bullying: a complete resource</a></div>
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<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK54">Diversity and delicate politics</a></div>
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<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
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<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/37715-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27469067&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>More Latinos college-bound</b></span></div>
<span style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new analysis from the Pew Research Hispanic Center of U.S. Census
Bureau data finds a record 69 percent of Hispanic high school graduates
in the class of 2012 enrolled in college last fall, two points higher
than the rate among white counterparts. This increase in Hispanic
college matriculation accelerated with the recession in 2008, while it
declined among whites at the same time. The most recent data also show
that in 2011, only 14 percent of Hispanic 16-to-24-year-olds were high
school dropouts, versus 28 percent in 2000. The dropout rate among
whites also declined during that period, but by less. However, Hispanics
continue to lag in several key higher-education measures: Hispanic
students are less likely than white counterparts to enroll in a
four-year college (56 versus 72 percent), less likely to attend a
selective college, less likely to enroll in college full-time, and less
likely to complete a bachelor's degree. The brief posits the rise in
high school completion and college enrollment by Latino youth may be
driven in part by declining fortunes in the job market. Since 2007,
unemployment among Latinos ages 16 to 24 has risen seven percentage
points. Another factor, however, could be the growing importance that
Latino families place on a college education. </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjHtYpIDmPQj9bK-Iw_QTGFMUAQZRjLa3NTlOOXBpHiABG9kEafvdFM_ewaUX8Ms4k8f4SkFTskC2uVv-TySWbfLVZqucuhnihYSz-yyUB1wQ0HnuxO3_pKWMzQYSxbkJXDT_vGqFOPv6MsPAw1XRXmWpZQoJ8Md2tn739i3qBr8TUwjBZxYPICs5zqAGNDmPxdF3vSUzujBumYJVlqTl-uAdJxV7LKe6f_siP6qKImB6w==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>A leg up long before application time</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">If
the Supreme Court justices, who will soon rule on a case involving the
University of Texas at Austin, curtail or abolish the use of race and
ethnicity in college admissions nationwide, then the experience of
California and other states that have outlawed affirmative action could
point to new ways for public universities to compose racially and
economically diverse student bodies, writes Richard Pérez-Peña in The
New York Times. States such as Florida, Michigan, and Washington have
undertaken a series of approaches, giving applicants extra consideration
for poverty, language barriers, low-performing schools, and troubled
neighborhoods of origin. But whatever the merits of race-blind
admissions, gifted poor and minority students continue to be less likely
to take the right classes for college admission, take the SAT or ACT,
get academic help where needed, fill out complex admission forms
properly, or apply to competitive colleges. It is not enough, university
administrators say, to change the selection of students; we must change
the habits of students themselves, long before application time.
California's public universities and counterparts around the country
have started to embed themselves deeply in disadvantaged communities,
working with schools, students, and parents to identify promising
teenagers and get more of them into college.</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=001RPptqiN1QjEoWNeoox2cjcTEWBkM_ig-S1Pf5Dv9LlKRK_rQp7r8ImI-H0Fyy2EC734gmA1ZICnTT9aSLsFmLaVQA513BwZPNgzOWs_SHL73l5eF5j-JpOm7_-GA2AqTsuhIhRei8A1U-7hyFP9vcogdG77taSn0X0rMC8uerzQLpGVboCkHK74H4RkfMUxbIoHCMLPVg8PfWsh6sIZg58_3ywtbFUlqBfXyQoLRitDtU9fWKaz9wTtzTg_Hi93SaWKf7WKkmE1q-PU_OMLKB8YdWuqnmDWtxqQOX63ACGDEg09h_h4g-A==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span><b>Evidence in exchange for federal billions</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new brief from the Brookings Institution reviews the four main federal
programs geared toward increasing graduation of disadvantaged students
from college. It finds that the TRIO programs (Upward Bound, Talent
Search, Upward Bound Math-Science, and Student Support Services) at
around $1 billion per year, show no major effects on college enrollment
or completion. As a remedy, the authors propose dramatically changing
the funding of these programs using an evidence-based approach. Programs
should be consolidated, and organizations receiving grants must show,
based on rigorous analysis, that they are helping disadvantaged students
to enroll in and graduate from college. The U.S. Department of
Education (ED) should also broaden eligibility for funding and allow any
two- or four-year college, local education authority, nonprofit, or
for-profit agency with a record of conducting education interventions to
compete for grants. All applications should be considered on a
competitive basis. ED must also make clear that evidence is crucial in
determining awards: Rigorous evidence merits greater funds. ED must also
have flexibility in distributing funds among programs and approaches.
Finally, the department must be able to use 2 percent of its annual
funds ($20 million) to plan coordinated research and demonstrations
featuring large-scale, random-assignment studies that determine whether
well-defined interventions or specific activities (such as mentoring,
tutoring, etc.) actually increase college enrollment and completion. </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjHMtrHLXHWFTUtqcl4LRSYBz9EwcxF784_1A0JU6md6VPIsimrMTg7siuIe9lUeBsM63gO1RGcLn3T1taiZUeGzgGlD--DwfFr4aMyW0n69ZYB5AmmgduLrjrrCMwrYCU_4f3Q9UfuJUyii5EvKMpJdXLjh2rODnz6h89_qxTOF6V5H1wVkwRTcRmevZLI1Ufg5u9edOzqynw==">See the brief</a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>A sea change in education philanthropy</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:10pt;"><span>As
more foundation money floods into K-12 education, it is going to fewer
and fewer groups, reports Sarah Sparks in Education Week. Philanthropy
is moving away from traditional public schools and toward "challengers
to the system" -- primarily charter schools -- with funders in general
becoming more active in shaping how those challengers develop.
Researchers tracked grants from the 15 foundations that gave the most to
K-12 education in 2000, 2005, and 2010. At the start of the decade,
less than a quarter of K-12 giving from top foundations -- about $90
million -- was given to the same few groups. Five years later, 35
percent of giving, or $230 million, went to groups getting support from
other foundations, and by 2010, $540 million, representing 64 percent of
major foundation giving for K-12, was similarly aligned. The groups on
the receiving end have shifted, too. In 2000, the top groups subsidized
were the Rural School and Community Trust; Annenberg Challenge schools;
the Bay Area School Reform Collaborative; and the Public Education
Network. A decade later, the top five were the Charter School Growth
Fund; the NewSchools Venture Fund; KIPP; Teach For America, and the D.C.
Public Education Fund. Researchers found that even within the charter
sector, foundations focused on expanding the biggest players rather than
on single-school charter holders. In the process, both funders and
charter operators reported less focus on being integrated into and
responsive to a particular community, and more on "building a brand" for
schools that could be scaled up quickly. </span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjHGN8s0ZiYThXVN17qDW8nZNsz8uV1uHtk-DD5rhaLVT9-tILLuyFgoQdzXEsXesK9OJ1DSacPpE3qze8EXCZDvbzzN3s5LdDd5MDj-Q-V79OVnP3WvdK9ZuL9DlbO_VHGEWWvrf89SqEZEyukOxzzelt3QWKJcQqR9HW-hnzSLaBCS5xD1jIEZCE9f0Wvasy8W79R8JiyVchW58MWEEhGIdainuXRKC-3vBk0Z29ewGK9ej_xYK784_eLEKg7djBriQjHrgdaoig==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Take back the charter movement</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">As
a longtime supporter of charter schools, Edward Fiske in The
News-Observer writes he is distressed to watch Republican legislators
"attempting to hijack this once-promising notion for school improvement,
and transform it into a force for undermining public education in North
Carolina." Fiske feels the promise of charters was originally
many-faceted: freedom to innovate and explore new curricula and teaching
methods that, if successful, could make their way into traditional
public schools. Parents and students had a wider range of educational
options, and teachers had space to work in collegial fashion around
innovative educational visions. There is now a movement afoot in North
Carolina to make charters the norm, and this would require a cumbersome
bureaucracy that would eventually stifle the educational creativity for
which charters were established. Republican leaders in the North
Carolina legislature are pushing a charter school "reform" program that
would undermine the fundamental principles that have driven the charter
movement in North Carolina and elsewhere. All North Carolinians who
believe in the importance of quality public education should resist the
Republican proposals, Fiske says. Students whose experience in a charter
does not work out will need access to traditional public schools. The
movement needs advocates who still believe in the promise of charters
and the possibilities they hold. </span><a style="font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjFwfyrBi_SuwXLz0DHJTv9kP4gIChbTvBdw8yqeNMyuaWLR0rfNfUYx_XHO6GQ1mFZQbBqk6nceW22hlHzOG1LuPnMVisAtqGlTT6yvkvpZFHgJve-CSPawEXX1QlvZ2970uB7YdiXcArnVaiBw8bQIsCGblYlh6EmPROVynr0nkasOm2ETs-Zu7-V6mc8FqsrkVAwJIh5LJNd4WMjgida00SuUT97sZ6Q=">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Common Core: Not ready, somewhat able, but at least willing</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A
new poll of 800 teachers conducted by the American Federation of
Teachers (AFT) finds that most public school teachers feel unprepared to
teach math and reading to the Common Core standards, which are rolling
out in 45 states and the District of Columbia, The Washington Post
reports. While a clear majority -- 75 percent -- of teachers surveyed
said they support the Common Core, less than a third said their
districts have given them adequate training and resources to teach them.
All participating states are expected to have the standards in place by
2014, when students will take new standardized tests based on them. Two
states -- Kentucky and New York -- have already tested students on the
new standards. In New York, teachers, parents, and students complained
the tests were poorly designed, covered material that had not been
taught, and frustrated children to the point of tears. Like many other
states, New York intends to use the test results in decisions about
student grade promotion, teacher job evaluations, and school closings.
AFT President Randi Weingarten has called for a moratorium on Common
Core-related consequences for at least one year until teachers and
students across the country are sufficiently prepared. Among the
teachers polled, 83 percent supported the moratorium. </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=001RPptqiN1QjGXBemnyty4eG4H-KMQHmkip3MVJclQZWLBqwO0I8yr9AxjuihpRXn-44Cun3ylgTjqHi8VNB7c5IuZPsdxYTaN_xRytsNT7lfbwMjuKXVQTvDa6ZBEqI9Je4WMRxorJlVXm-NqSwuAFnnUYxGOXQkQP1cLIvQ6G8qXa9l9mPapQmtOVso1X9wc2Pav9F6botm3BdCOHSvSM7CzcTtPbnck3w8hucGlvyOnXyMn25Z_gCMGWcgNbxjPoX5vf9rPlcTFIdcVQCWCkprQF4XoAfmDHqj5LJK0jW-I0ecRuPxbtH_n9xIfh4ar8IONf7I6dEVg4AE4IgF3vA==">More</a> <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=001RPptqiN1QjFch3-WuEaQmms4bIM0VY8f9p9nMYGRUe498qtUsubD4JcGLYeb_QZPnV5NB5HcSrWNu2uNIiGsEnYfDbg8lTlzOzGbYiR9tpZFjZ2y6t3hd2J3v97uzWg5TBwwiACWbvt_Kwczq3rPa3snN99FAWp0bKX561xwmoI=">See the survey</a><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=001RPptqiN1QjE7rBvEzcEB9ef-DfVCsqAPbk74va8hu_OiBEUEPFMW_LWK31xMAmdXQ9So-jzEeku4QdcukBaUq4argbvVRr9zz3OsJnHU1gI95IDVBZT-Z6_EBYp9ju3sSllNN-FwuOmiSCzJtVsqV0lr3a0cmDxYyeAOpXR1QAF0WpB0SX5cq7w02arrufXVYDbxiYF46-8jiKDjyv5Fr7mIJgbJ_y8a7h8Hnag1XElyd-J9bGgPw1ADmAXGMc5MQMx8jeg1H3Qebrvn4WMpavC_KleQl9PxpRI2tEUaPpPspp1Je32pVShn4z1FJj2qr9AhNiSFXdgP65FN_VzrUu9-pZ2rD4F74kU__D-YAupYHA50sSwfYWcMjqDNCl7foD95SHF7Wz4YXfhRGGi38Z87GPwjh5ZhkZ-VWtInemIBU-8byQQk8KCwnISEXIcyA_kuCShHFfMCQPIFISpwvw==">Related</a></div>
</div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Bullying: a complete resource</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">An
extensive and comprehensive report from the American Educational
Research Association presented in a series of 11 briefs identifies the
causes and consequences of bullying, highlights training and technical
assistance opportunities to help faculty and staff at all types of
institutions to address bullying, evaluates the effectiveness of current
anti-bullying policies and prevention programs, and assesses the
current bullying research, interventions, and legislation. The
educational settings in which bullying occurs, and where prevention and
intervention are possible, must be understood as contexts for positive
change. Yet many administrators, teachers, and related personnel lack
training to address bullying, and do not know how to intervene to reduce
it. Bullying can include physical aggression such as hitting and
shoving, and verbal aggression, such as name-calling. It can also
include social or relational forms of bullying in which a victim is
excluded by peers or subjected to humiliation, and can occur
face-to-face or through digital media. Since bullying is part of the
larger phenomenon of violence in schools and communities, and it is not
fully clear to what extent victimization and bullying overlap, the
examination of victimization and bullying should involve interactions
among all community members, including youth, teachers, school staff,
and parents.</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><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=001RPptqiN1QjGeFVv2X7dk3YgLBapSfzu41-DK9ckilOqvSzNNSuOrttR5twQkMLG3mWm5LR0BGzisGYJDh40IzSUn7n5EeLQAjLitykhhdnnQRDpX5o-UIpuQ2FGarAYMI_yqSCKds5oB0y4T4qQfp0wTW16AjG27XeLMNomPgu7vFC8xI33pZoRU2t82RJmlQuS8jDAXxqycTJhk2_Po--HLN2FLdyEBvuMvsPC50ilYIOIrplBrfW4o-HlcbqEbx8baHuF2qBUL78tquZ4O0n7nIjP2tfJHw38geU860PgA8KGKmJgjzzHWeFw0xlL8m38ThHaapZlO2Ir5mOh4_ektsRFsBmv0">See the report</a> </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=001RPptqiN1QjEvUb7LTp_9XlE3tomOeJ1AKzcFCf_xBycaPKq42hVjaj-qc7JXs7VOqOqD6dPpZHrsiprJaFfoHunI7EyHoDMJO3LbTIcqA4bRLt1ATK9HITRD25_CynxBDfw0T8PRaPBWL33Dycb24q4mEJrhOCfJ">Related</a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
</div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Diversity and delicate politics</b></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">As
a number of states consider policies that would select academically
stronger individuals for teaching programs, fears are surfacing about
how this will affect teacher diversity, reports Stephen Sawchuck in
Education Week. On nearly all measures that states are considering, from
GPAs to licensure-test scores, minority candidates tend to have weaker
scores than white counterparts. The teaching profession is already far
less diverse than the students it serves. For state officials, the
quandary poses a politically sensitive set of choices. "When you're
working with instruments like SAT, ACT, GPA, which all have significant
limitations, you have a responsibility to think about what the
unintended consequences are," said Mary Brabeck of New York University.
"But I really reject the idea that quality and diversity are somehow in
conflict. We want a diverse, highly qualified teaching force, and these
factors are interrelated." About half of U.S. states have agreed to
raise admissions standards for teacher preparation, though some changes
appear more symbolic than substantive. Sandi Jacobs of the National
Council on Teacher Quality, which has criticized low entry standards
across the states, endorses flexibility. "You do want to have room to
say about a candidate, 'There's something about her that makes me think
she'll be a great teacher,' as long as that percent is not huge," she
said. </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=001RPptqiN1QjGjul3rAbEIXqxPggJdkvI1dEqvfMwa8m7ndi9bklSfaBRzCnmqmuTfgGRLNFluVBRJMnz3yeDaG5DzBTk-u-RT5V46qJPQH3m5RGXr3Ke1Jgk2cGGRnNW-OVaWzZ1OfsvlRzG7P6_FVE4xCp7sK6sv9cCBEGiie-nARpzyIegYEIurwW3SJiKU9USPjaybZWbYIZ7O8FNhGzx09YxrOp3UDLDc9P1tjXul981hGuhtQT7p5mKLLb1SjBTLRV18AkA3GL_hKUHhrd5zES-SUITGWQhXrRGAhfvSmsvnJ70MksSqSuwr6em3Q-cfGM-8oMJeXZDsRI4IqURp5Wu0z9CdtOkA0ks3bD1rsFHSmdaBuVPbR0O4u_jAdI5-eRXeol7EgScckRXQpGRXhkUMFsDhAFUsxjz04aMgbUlmiB7MJA==">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" align="left" valign="top">
<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" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Missing in action</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">More than 1.8 million
California students -- almost a third of the state's entire student body
-- were classified as "truant" in 2010-11, according to new figures
released by Attorney General Kamala Harris. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjEzyxlx3-Malehz8lTL2-eTub39rmobFHiuwB7mxajV9W0ShLDzitu_1cZLVhMSTMAMz4_Lab8qJ8cSaqRGCjoq3AGF1WxG02hNDnCKmGPrWFTGZimahaMp1dCtZX_-AcOWw0IMGoMg9PIfZoL3A4m_uMJGMNSWHxhLtWI9gCbvY0bZ4CEmqZpM">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;">Not pandering to teachers, at any rate</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Los Angeles' two mayoral
candidates support making teacher evaluations public, going well beyond
a level of disclosure that is supported by top school district
officials. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjHdjUEWviJcwdgbkv-jf9xwR54ucdMvO_i9vwccZ_s-KrluKB0A3QCENNpUyYS4tg5DxRe_C0p3AAtBTbyLmj4EydvFfykd8N7LnwGHLoF3exZ4ME4DmJ5t9z8gD72bzwReBNY9gc0HuB2jd5kVkrOsNGxoqHrXWA3xsBDbHXMgT4wk8G_nWI1rG_GQBZx9jFg=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Clawback</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Orange County may owe
the state as much as $150 million after a judge tentatively ruled this
week that it must pay back funds originally meant for local schools and
community colleges. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjGFQllHUKRjT4rdTIK_9vVx6hv7YIwNQ6qRVQn-o98ncrUGYTwY6hSTYqfpBAmiFh3PVPWcYYUXzEFSujgr8Jt72jCSk8DWbxFkIwqafbyONXUqTnySpcyOjX9mV4REU8yVGIciGFPjkedVFIiul2af1weXLeWof84XiqiARZsjebgmWQhZKLT2IGhs0FfenKFAbfVRPYc6hlsjSQ18gKrmvrF8mic6x0FTKChhan6WA8Jdz4yIW54bYAcliKtpasG0r5fw4d-Mye9KliOdu26FMhFiK5drZdsfqO3doThJZTofkha_M2wCB-mWjjWB5KE4lV9M0cnCRt29MH8WBTwxW31JVxLxfbm1906lA-5X3L8YCu9nW3Km1oKWeaSWWhWbytjQw5QlUMWExgvHrNFq">More</a></div>
<div><br>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED</strong></span></div>
<div><strong style="font-size: 10pt; color: #f04f23;"><br>
</strong></div>
<div><strong style="font-size: 10pt; color: #f04f23;">Bummer for Jindal</strong></div>
<div style="color: #000000; font-size: 10pt;"><span>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Louisiana Supreme
Court has ruled that the current method of funding the statewide school
voucher program is unconstitutional. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjEZ1jvRPS71MMnaaPhB1kBjQYKOPUMzMhXcLwFN5rTZJs_NZ_lQ2Xld3YICHUo0vbYQTSFca74D2dTJFJc83rtv_41iQQDCO2EyhYHbDXWz-aGTj2XBK4VPlqmLsnQ1Odww1GDzKbYG2mjQLBq0MyqFyaJhzfRrW6U5H7dmB8CPB3dx3-GgX7kJ_SNTYf1nZopFGbuDzf2y4g==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Raze the horror</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A task force of local
leaders have unanimously recommended tearing down Sandy Hook Elementary
School and building a new one on the site. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjFjARTjHdAj_o3dviTCfoC7Rlnu8_cR2yWBbjbR94D0_Ayk5ReD3FUOrSkKRRpILaNyFGWbZ4_vzFADzw50IUuCG8rzIhvdTfMVReXQbppPBun2-EBPshLufuQaIuDOZcyRrY35Ouytsg-PUm7xt6jTAqMqUBLr20lhHZNXKxzVR2X3VgoEb-0y6kbcYzpcblWlSYAZHYPAKzmzg4LtM4u52q__YJFJ8eQW8-fzqFgSF2i_l-pByc4M5cplfkGWZwi3_o3qgCf8EQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Welcome news</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Education was one of the Florida legislative session's biggest winners, budget-wise. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjHdb8NgcbCE_9rDeu-31K2qnbDx2EVxZHL00RZqXz8dBRv-Uu8OfH7jvyQ_ea3UvSDWnac2ElNASZlQR4iiI-D16AMnzqlbktuA8XqXbYoinJrPoGFYlODwLYfRZASukdgA2DqSK0V5l9qnpnCDTYwnDVif4GMX3J9KCayizXnvmahbFSAfm2Vp0XuwKwJMJ4GRGThU9bHPeFx2XH_8jZVU5FEOayOq6t4=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Separation between church and state takes another hit</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Surrounded by dozens of
cheering students from eight religious schools, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence
signed into law a measure that will let more children in the state use
tax dollars to enroll in such schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjEgfQQO1MeDFXbxvW_yrYuJjLMjT1t5KUOnE38eo45EKT9j968ggo-EZnw7m5HdfXlxRM2Wxhxk24imN_qtmFwPh_ioeyBvTq02dzx5JfHV8fG3pjF_8S95AYo0fVFEL2d1bK7Y6TBCRRfAYWYknCC1dgB1hGhG20ypHzPJ6hLlYSc-7XiPm5ZOhfTokUwIXFgGHW6WoCd8pbWdRkiqwpGkIUC1fzyXV83qa_RirrrzFptg1bHcQf6Kf7g1CONUEsLnN1PCdeTU4685Uzg31eb5">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>They have seen the future</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Starting as early as
spring 2015, the ACT college admissions exam will go digital, reflecting
students' tech savvy and the demand for quicker results. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjH8ByVbzFnOUb14hQukNxL1XOyv6LVF473do3y3ZS_KY7mli0mQTDuyA9D6IfB-71UjcvXqQbVGGStDMO_o9OMvzDnC7eyvKQsfwbRUdpDGo48iG7WUhD2T3mki_8-nE7j7em_jl4huqAM2W69c8z9e526s-Yat8y6jizSrSbNXSHuoZIeMom0N0SVrnVPdlPziJfG_2OpWiw8-DwW9kd-H2sLzlrcyjUM=">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Starting to seem inevitable</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Gov. Nathan Deal has
signed a bill to standardize annual evaluations for Georgia teachers and
principals based, in part, on student performance. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjHpf5e44t2FwhU5xKQxk-Ip2pqMDVKrX5_f5sA63iAFAlLGUB9zuk0ilN3MjG8_ILNPAA9l1DORt7Dyv4SEKFGMqK879btN4TcxQcy109j3Os9DGoroLPGnG3uxmV9QCE-w-WP_Ep5ackMmM4U60w9C3Ry7RIVwHcHC44WUTSh-iN_3wTcenpxfhoH9QLK4ni5r9--xMoYR2g==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>The smart money</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Top teachers in Metro
Nashville's five lowest-scoring schools might earn a bonus next year
thanks to a state plan that will reward them for staying in troubled
schools or give them a pay boost for moving to one. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjFgnHvMe5Uz-wTLX6SusAi_YoPCeLRvfXSUdHsU6q0iTs-Vf_z5OG8VLuUgu4nV-_9vbmuX8aYSCOTWdmE3CXM44xEP-stz5sUvK238UnspHAYzQjGHZlX8vSlLtHYcXxi_ZPv8YC0Q02hTJ2nbk8iX2YN4Xzod8RXsihW1fgfL0TTKahQpOe7ySxu0ceOYWxgpkpDMsBmFyg==">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<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;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjGdgdOqHrQLS5B_0DcKQ9-AhgPpaOHjYw2gHRhIvcfckkm9BOrwYsebCMe3nV5EpLRHyBpBPDr1tUVXicnwDjRJ8ZRhLVm_NKoLJqJ8bq7v4u-dEDqUDtMja4PQDLW38cM=">American Academy of Pediatrics: CATCH Resident Funds Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">2013
CATCH Resident Funds grants will be awarded on a competitive basis for
pediatric residents to plan community-based child health initiatives.
CATCH Resident Funds projects must include planning activities, but also
may include some implementation activities. Maximum award: $3,000.
Eligibility: pediatric residents working with their communities.
Deadline: July 31, 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(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjGMRitO9NKyc8kUZonQ4wW4aPbn75RKwUiW-3SiTdIV_Gs936lnd2Sk0XUuH2jS_L9KsrvHBneEMgu9Tz2xEGDIvvJmoQ2tycGwmxQkl1mrLcu8puLg9kkl84XgxBQCfOhCCUSju9F8KGRaG-ejtkLxpnQvJXdgCL0=">NSTA: Making a Difference Award</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
Drug, Chemical & Associated Technologies Association "Making a
Difference" Award recognizes excellence in a science program developed
and implemented by middle-level science teachers, grades 6-8. Entries
must show innovative and effective teaching strategies combined with a
science program that has influenced students to explore and investigate
science and its application to global problems. <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Maximum
award: $2,500 to be used to enhance or expand the winning science
program; the winning school's lead science teacher and principal will be
awarded coach airfare and two nights' hotel accommodation to attend
NSTA's National Conference. Eligibility: innovative middle-level science
programs. Deadline: November 30, 2013.</span></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(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjGp_PHtjy--UL6bmFy41X9VqEiZivnQ_ZWsleDTYQPaaB35278C6etIk7WcIwCyXymf0MeUb95Lx66RweNUDNBnqavXY6uy-DeUapQAL3iijR-QwAbKCyS7l9pFK75QAj7IyrbpF3ApC7oGbsi1Y37K7fWqx6CT-RU=">NSTA: Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
Wendell G. Mohling Outstanding Aerospace Educator Award recognizes
excellence in the field of aerospace education. The recipient will be
honored during the Awards Banquet and the Aerospace Educators Luncheon
at the annual NSTA Conference. Maximum award: $3,000; plus $2,000 in
expenses to attend NSTA's National Conference. Eligibility: K-12
teachers of science in formal education settings (elementary, middle,
high school). Individuals must be nominated and have a minimum of three
years teaching experience. Self-nominations will be accepted. Deadline:
November 30, 2013.</div>
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</div>
<div style="color: #f04f23;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"A lot of our schools
were built 50 years ago. They were built as part of the community, we
want them to be part of the community, but the design was that the
community could be there at any point at any time." --<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RPptqiN1QjG2r46xyWrF4hwPAIJorkPsUAAWAgXZ04MNJECdavybAUow_Laz7QUnbqhSDmPBvUp8O2zdE26dBRUWFt_RdF8HAmBgs21jj8T7PZqK1W-MwRdFghXtxZrYGnKEh3VVg3Qpj_pDcjG-5Q2NAuis1JpGkWyiWnlw6vROj_k27qdMaOzJ9E99ipE6QvuaP6reRCX105sx1csZYGrbVvbx-IQzAu2YOQvGUKI="> James Dorer</a>,
chief security officer for the Scottsdale, Arizona district, regarding
new school security renovations in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut
shootings.</div>
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