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<div>September 24, 2013 - In This Issue:</div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">From birth onward</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">What the anti-homework lobby should consider</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">A comprehensive success over intractable problems</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">A stab at extended days</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Evaluating with (almost) no test scores</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Is teacher evaluation even worth it?</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">Those darned evaluations</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">Fit mind in fit body</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>

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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38065-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27524560&seq=4&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The current debate over 
economic inequality lacks serious discussion around investing in early 
childhood from birth to age five, writes James Heckman in The New York 
Times. This would not be a big-government boondoggle requiring a huge 
redistribution of wealth. It would, however, require rethinking how we 
develop productive people and promote shared prosperity. Current 
education reform proposals are too timid, Heckman feels, and ignore 
powerful research that shows which skills matter for successful lives. 
These reforms ignore the role of families in producing relevant skills, 
and downplay the critical gap in skills between advantaged and 
disadvantaged children that emerges long before school age. The 
cognitive skills prized by the educational establishment and measured by
 achievement tests are only part of what's required for success in life.
 Character skills are equally important determinants of wages, 
education, health, and other aspects of flourishing lives. Self-control,
 openness, the ability to engage with others, to plan, and to persist --
 these attributes get people in the door and on the job. Cognitive and 
character skills are dynamic complements; skills beget skills. Motivated
 children learn more, and those who are informed usually make wiser 
decisions. These established findings should lead to a major 
reorientation of policies. The opportunity for education should begin at
 birth -- and not depend on the accident of birth. <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=001A82uGtRNHpNnyLCT5Bt4-GmuX5YLewKSJo7jQuvKa-W3a4djV89hkZyR3Dy4MhOQVQ7LX79a-QcTPYK9xOTCs1cgt8fc2ytVV8uK1qlyxnxwmNZIQbaNCk2XwSX5zmiymQRroBJddburbJis40k-zF5cr7U0OBtiGFIoKVKWKAh6Pn0zWoolYLSxD5aKVOpOZM4RzNKoP0oU3wjJEpm3ig==">More</a></div>

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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23; font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span>What the anti-homework lobby should consider</span></b></span></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Many parents of kids at 
top schools lament the extensive homework their children are given, and 
for these predominantly affluent students, educational opportunities and
 life chances would probably be undiminished if teachers limited 
homework to 30 or 60 minutes a night, writes Robert Pondiscio in The 
Atlantic Monthly. Gifted-and-talented schools could ban homework 
altogether with little to no ill effect, in his view. His concern, 
however, is what happens to low-income children of color if this drive 
by higher-income parents to curtail homework prevails. In education, 
those who are rich in language and knowledge get richer; those who are 
poor fall further behind. Pondiscio feels this better frames the current
 situation in public education than an "achievement gap," which implies 
that low-income kids merely have some catching up to do. Whereas 
better-off children as a rule have cognitively rich out-of-school 
environments, low-income kids are school-dependent learners: If they 
don't get richness from school, they don't get it at all. Pondiscio 
recommends that rather than quantity, anti-homework types should focus 
on quality: Using homework to cover material for which there was no time
 in class is less helpful, for example, than reinforcing and reviewing 
essential skills and knowledge that teachers want students to perfect or
 retain long term, and independent reading is paramount. <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=001A82uGtRNHpMQne1i6jir8y1cZE5tq_j5u9zSMEdmopleCMm2zvQImij-zKuTY5KGRPDp99ynr3JH9d1R0sfGYvUvO7McLAEdHX9wB8fYJNa3l9Ct2QluNU29ulfNwJ9YwLNMPFMiTEflYlo-WZ2PlqklIUss1WbQeHyjZ_PkwdBIoguUNhRvXrM5IubrZ6lpXbZPqk4kuuchiTy2dJSs8TZthPUBvO4-">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=001A82uGtRNHpPk7chD56G1ZVQS-xz-bz0hMxsbOJPIXUlArYNtyULuRcbyoOUtIIoe6ONvV_dyYfq8bp-ltNlt6OTusPicf0f2FiY2nLkfwgvTCxHGF548GyUdQZQR_WFVlRP_wJbfx2ZYscHuUzwCdhXjLudKJHgspDcNK6VJ3RFPMLH04GwkLPVlpFgz4sRKvR07DkZbm8Hri_sGP_7hmi5WISuuGKBd3rP8mRNcXBw=">Related</a></div>

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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><b>A comprehensive success over intractable problems</b></span></div>

<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">

<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Ossining High -- once a 
site of race riots -- has pioneered strategies for reducing racial 
tensions, closing achievement gaps, and increasing graduation rates, 
writes Jackie Mader for The Hechinger Report. Ossining (home to John 
Cheever, Don Draper, and Sing Sing prison) is an anomaly within affluent
 Westchester County, New York. Its median income is lower, and while 70 
percent of Westchester residents are white, only half of Ossining's are,
 and 40 percent of them Hispanic. Since the mid-2000s, the school has 
doubled its minority graduation rate and significantly narrowed its 
achievement gap through a long-term plan to comprehensively address the 
education of black males. Professional development has encompassed 
teaching diverse students and racial issues, and included conversations 
around why black students, males in particular, feel stigmatized and can
 perform poorly. A school support group for black males gives workshops 
and trips to historically black universities, with a similar program at 
the middle-school level. Between 1992 and 2007, Hispanic and black 
teachers doubled to 25 percent. And in conjunction with the State 
University of New York Albany, the school started college-level courses 
such as "Racism, Classism, and Sexism," "The Black Experience," and 
"Crossing Borders." Students of all races flocked to the classes, and as
 black and Hispanic enrollment grew, AP enrollment for both groups 
increased as well. The school's latest challenge has come with a 
demographic shift in the district to nearly half Hispanic, many new to 
the country and with interrupted school histories. Principal Josh Mandel
 says the school's next goal is to increase the number of graduates who 
are the first in their family to go to college. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpNb7DSWNhlZC8A_NBZRW3rUfwMZ_1JhEmotefEJvtt8wXyO_6c-63MaWUp9fIc6g7A2k0JrqlmdfFbOYWENxzWqbi9Ejx4fxZYIgAdQjdyooHNe0zJ6EwDs6Kt7FSD8juoftZTdL6pUjlJ6ERpcaoS5SJUGwdTHCjiM76pa6RirxXrixsKTWQqpWIivhMHmu9YqbObd9LqmxGlkQKLUvFBToYQH45HX5co=" shape="rect">More</a></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A stab at extended days</div>

</b></div>

<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">

<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Twenty New York City 
middle schools will pilot an extended day this year as part of the NYC 
Department of Education's Middle School Quality Initiative, writes Anika
 Anand on GothamSchools.org. Some schools started with near-perfect 
program attendance, but others have found that getting all eligible 
students to attend can be complicated. At J.H.S. 123, about 120 of 147 
sixth graders have signed up, while others have opted out. Families 
cited needing older children to supervise younger siblings, past 
negative experiences with after-school, and a preference for kids going 
straight home. Program coordinators hope that once literacy tutoring 
begins, schools can make a more convincing case for 
participation. Students will split time between literacy tutoring from 
tutors trained by Harvard University's EdLabs and participating in 
activities like drama and debate run by community-based organizations. 
In the coming weeks, schools will screen literacy skills to determine 
which students get an intensive tutoring geared toward middle performers
 who struggle with reading comprehension rather than fluency. The city 
will provide late busing for students with disabilities, but other 
students are on their own for travel from school, which will happen 
after dark during winter months. Students at only two of the 20 schools 
typically are bused, and they will receive subway/bus Metrocards for 
extended day travel. <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=001A82uGtRNHpO-C-2MTJIxVAUV0HiRRV51jUPr5n9rgLH8rF8nfWpAYsuzy-Z0sVNh8WyDssPDQaYB5jxdmBTd93NVhTE_yfuPWoQYdSyYL4vsfUOhSVQfjn0BGCpeuoBxCuTBsrkAnDvgHpZ2BzSUI4HzqMAB2rvVXVmJJvEGERloAZJT_MH0wZ3N4UsvKGIAocJzTeSd2WF7M8KKpCREWe3tKmW3d_YNN2OE3H726ao=">More</a></div>

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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>

<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Evaluating with (almost) no test scores</div>

</b></span></div>

<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">

<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Tennessee this year is 
piloting an alternative component to its teacher-evaluation system to 
assess teachers when standardized-test scores are not available, writes 
Erik Robelen in Education Week. Teachers submit portfolios 
electronically to the state, and these are scored by trained peer 
reviewers. The alternative component focuses on four domains: perform, 
create, respond, and connect. Teachers must submit five batches of 
student work, with a self-rating for each, and must explain context for 
submissions. At least two of the five must show differentiated 
instruction for students at varying levels of skill and ability, and 
represent growth. The portfolio accounts for 35 percent of an 
evaluation. Fifty percent is based on classroom observation by the 
school principal, and the other 15 percent rests on data from state 
tests or other assessments. If a portfolio score is stronger than this 
last measure, it can count for half a teacher's evaluation. For the 435 
arts teachers evaluated this year, individual growth scores covered the 
spectrum, with 16 percent at Level 1 (significantly below expectations),
 30 percent at Level 3 (at expectations), and 12 percent at Level 5 
(significantly above expectations). The Tennessee Fine Arts Growth 
Measures System is voluntary, but if a district signs on, all arts 
educators must participate. The state is rolling out a similar 
initiative for world-language teachers. <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=001A82uGtRNHpO8UAo1f9cGu07pEzyl7iwwfC8-fX53EotKw88ZqRljnPArGJBRJq_gSLs3BAcaCY164ID_6mhh9T_sWVlXEhePmwcuk16F3Oo21FQFPlYVIV9K_X03EQ__0dOcc-21pdUH7jnlEgoSbhXmwwrL99eqc5mIXIMcjMIDSN5sjp34ohUOWy59u_wmln8UxmS2u59AHrTnHRGom_w3qRtm_bX2zW8JjXW7r4Ov5kYpfCeIfUT2-mrz0oWQptAccU2UQ3nhuxi5I52RCw==">More</a> </div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Is teacher evaluation even worth it?</div>

</b></span></div>

<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">

<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new article in the 
journal Education Researcher looks at whether teacher evaluations lead 
to enhanced student learning. To date, the authors say evidence from 
standards-based teacher/VAM evaluation systems has not met the standard 
for making accurate and equitable high-stakes personnel decisions for 
individual teachers. They point to concerns about the stability of VAM 
teacher estimates across subjects, grade levels, and time; the capacity 
of administrators to produce valid evaluations when employing these new 
tools without extensive training; and the efficacy of evaluation to 
yield improvements in teaching practice. Over the last decade, the 
authors have seen little discussion about what teacher evaluation 
actually is: an instrument of industrial-era management, of managers 
directing the work of the laboring class toward greater efficiency. This
 model privileges bureaucracy, hierarchy, and institutionalism under a 
veneer of professionalism. A new world is taking shape in education, the
 authors write, and pillars of industrial management do not fit 
particularly well in it. And even if the teacher-evaluation machinery 
was functional and managers had the skills to operate it, it is "nearly 
impossible" to believe they have time to undertake the work. Moreover, a
 robust body of empirical research indicates that if school improvement 
is the goal, school leaders should spend time and energy in areas other 
than teacher evaluation. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpP1SQU_DeFMAXe-6W4A9G5qbaY0CDvwvKsutim97MBGuQbYMurlwC1b3CZJPBUJLAhQIc_mEJuTQO3cSEjBYGIb2QUDYml8F5p999MJfPlUzv4tuwDg7ENvBkmRxP3_RwiHw49azxD_xAPNpm28ClJbJ-wpEjKZpCWGVN3c6dWv5oqRqQquTP0Fe6v_0qgOOHjfc-h_snvApkXxZjV0UCpQLos4TWgJS26qHb6_G1pZnA==" shape="rect">More</a></div>

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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14e23;"><b>Those darned evaluations</b></span></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new report from the 
federal General Accounting Office finds that by 2012-13, six of 12 Race 
to the Top (RttT) states -- Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida,
 North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Tennessee -- had fully implemented 
teacher evaluation systems, though successful implementation by target 
dates varied. Three hit their target date, while three did not for 
reasons such as needing more time to develop student-growth measures. 
The six states that did not fully implement -- Hawaii, Maryland, New 
York, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Georgia -- either piloted or partially 
implemented, with scope of pilots varying. Maryland piloted to 14 
percent of teachers and principals, while Hawaii piloted to 30 percent. 
Officials in most states cited challenges related to developing and 
using evaluation measures, addressing teacher concerns, and building 
capacity and sustainability. They also faced difficulty in designing and
 implementing rigorous student-learning objectives, and in ensuring 
principals conducted evaluations consistently. Officials in 11 states 
said teacher concern about the scale of change challenged state efforts.
 States and districts also had capacity challenges -- too few staff, or 
limited staff expertise in prioritizing evaluation reform amid multiple 
educational initiatives. Officials in 10 states had concerns about 
sustaining evaluation systems. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpOYZPa8c06eniDuwh4JnNB66p2HTAtu57fDSCs_XbZQaaQGg5wJWWEqnXJo6SsDSkvsEy6cfYAyy3cE3eNsSesBtr6Nyzz_mgQbD1X9ATnYwgc1MW7JPz94VEDWcuHTLfhdqMAoR0MW5Q==" shape="rect">More</a></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Fit mind in fit body</div>

</b></span></div>

<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Several
 recent studies find that physically fit children absorb and retain 
information more effectively than out-of-shape children, raising timely 
questions about slashing physical education programs at schools, reports
 Gretchen Reynolds in The New York Times. Parents and scientists have 
long known that physical activity helps kids settle and pay attention in
 school or at home. A representative study in May found fourth- and 
fifth-graders who ran around and exercised vigorously for at least 10 
minutes before a test scored higher than children who sat quietly 
beforehand. And in a study of almost 12,000 Nebraska schoolchildren 
published in August, researchers compiled each child's physical fitness 
as measured by a timed run and body mass index, and academic achievement
 in English and math based on state standardized test scores. Better 
fitness was linked to significantly higher test achievement, though body
 size had little role: Students who were overweight but relatively fit 
had higher scores than lighter, less-fit children. When recall involved 
difficult learning -- memorizing without intermittent testing -- 
children in better aerobic condition significantly outperformed the 
less-fit, remembering 40 percent of region names on a map compared with 
25 percent for out-of-shape kids. This suggests higher levels of fitness
 have greatest impact in challenging intellectual situations. The more 
difficult something is to learn, the more fitness may aid children in 
learning it. </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=001A82uGtRNHpNi3TBx8_uYzwHKbUthrAZsGyPdZfbnKUor9iYw6aQA1JrqevQIyrHvQu0k3QdYIx7sZ6YB-rla0rNkv7PdbwfMwuH2aZ51cBxlXbT6zI35j_oPDpvHj8BXp2zyNJ4JuFU_aQZ0ARFc1pns3-6OMGYBgZo3B3TKKugsV1d-CC2VXE1Vt8z4b459gWyHollFc3pjZUyuNs4BHjVeKF8cvQx4">More</a></div>
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<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</b></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Just kidding</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">U.S. Education Secretary
 Arne Duncan toned down his recent criticism of California in an 
interview with The L.A. Times, calling his threat to withhold federal 
funding from the state over a new plan to test students a "last 
resort." <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=001A82uGtRNHpOrAPoBnVTovVC9H5YDpqmLZ02TZDWyTjoJibG2lEimu9vvKt0_ktywMGwVVzIjZ2V-F4n1ZWCSCxEo8UGha-brf9vRbU-iSUu-LdzbpcHhQR9ffrVZ0L5-wr7avahXvMm2CCKxBhkn3ZSxiS7Fi0rhEtX6jm_D19bFEtiO9yD_0NnC3c428kxdghhThkTtxO0=">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Training the ranks</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Los Angeles Unified 
School District's board has approved a $113 million plan to jump-start 
the switch to new Common Core learning standards -- a big chunk of which
 will go to hiring an army of teacher coaches. <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=001A82uGtRNHpO-3Jb-Ovo4qiHg2xcZQZY8aH-wVmqvdLq4SNsAcXRpCSWkXrRJyzUWvyz2COqF-kopfhKim33qinEHLsmEecDzr_su5bBS_ohkwgY_QFT3yunY1xwPCneklsg_5OBQw6uOP3TME2IUlyCqFPwkRWfQSz4boCSDFME4pOO4yEwKQ7Mirf19z6QD0-HOge6Tc7fWFRE3ADyH07wiCLQQKDeFyXr3ugIrTg6ACcQVeKxO3Q==">More</a></div>

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<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED </b></div>

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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Carrot</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In new guidance issued 
by the U.S. Department of Education, states may suspend standardized 
tests this spring, as long as they administer field tests designed by 
the two common-assessment consortia in math and English/language arts. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpPnfxLOdDrhOlhk4IfZ8t8uGcvxO-gt_XDUxKCrlb17IjzEkhEMIQrX1PKGHtQrGm4X-O9OQFc6ag3Zy2EGhuyAcsPrkANZMSdpWKnEVVcP-aJqSgYXOYNqEpQo0SBxLX77ov0uR5DbP9jaJbMX5afgaBY0ZTZgR5liU5A0xL6roYsCrj7EhpDy5mFqqFPDhTCePd5kMY-aEQ==" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>So the rest are on their own?</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The New York State Board
 of Regents is expected to approve a proposal that limits how many 
students will receive added help, since so many students failed the new 
set of standardized tests taken earlier this year. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpORYGH1wKCh5aYKW4emekucNi4liCsqGKFWguW7S8EoBgxUYDKOafo4Y3JE3GIFe7q4Eu53jLyHFKfsHse0McC9clmJ-TukuivbLHX3BUcnvMLiTDCVs3bnxRT1QZ6p6YRzyAiH08HyMaB5WbdICpd1hn-x3iljxM2U7apxhsyLamuZYTLvxQZZfqTBoO16vWbv0gMTazegEfSBqS1oYBXnkKSG7hP-3avQmkFVncrvQ4p6cuRafpnZ" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>What's the hold up, guys?</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A collection of big-name
 state and local government groups have written to U.S. Senate Leaders, 
urging them to reauthorize the ESEA. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpMwVHg-endWuhCFO2yJeXqaK-YS3aR6K9-Z9PT8xcwcvsHczBK66IX7l3uF4Is2egH9rB25OIPi4hQz0TOlPiICpMMOHd7oZXP2syYfkie6zPgyeEEHDjC_w5p-5HBVJREg9uaE9DDUR7mX2ULHFCKKzmhOxGZjI8R8hORXTAPUPWwos8IKb6FRwU3grvxTtOdhLzj4n26jEw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Because recess wastes time</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The FitDesk is a 
combination stationary bicycle and desk that allows the user to pedal 
while reading, using a computer, or even writing. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpPKapDg42WSS5UX_vCdLuiTtk4OMDt7pk4K2LMo9FMcSmVXxevLfmBM3i4xoacopXZqgisi5_24uF_aT9S_u20UJnnxR70VNUZ8h_mlirUyZEWlkLuGWJZmt4mAzzCbBTNPAYR3d4JeOCdmnKuQEY3-rTRUXdynZun_5iPZtFopRw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>A little help from his friends</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Louisiana Gov. Bobby 
Jindall is getting national support for his voucher program: Former 
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott spoke in 
protest of the Justice Department's suit against Louisiana at the 
National Press Club, echoing Jindal's criticism of efforts to block the 
program. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpM-aLmO9I-O2l0nPR0cGW5N--ELTGHssp5cw9zgM_wSZgfLsxkg3pgNDsMbYse9mep6aYuSaXrSqOgcnrRA4KX_T4ZV-55l0070wdAr6jUWRwPKbIZZ8WuDn7lqAwCI7l4SpInNLGiksW8kVrT8Ee0adzDCIEjgLU8tR-evxtzJVWNrQ1ct1pn8N1_nVPKtrvQ=" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Oh, good. More tests.</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A seven-state consortium
 led by Maryland will receive $4.9 million and a nine-state group led by
 North Carolina will get $6.1 million from the federal government to 
create assessments aimed at students entering kindergarten. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpPjfcZMm2XBypfpRZWZ4zXglxi3C6G9Me4G0rGLeKYPOb8oBcQg1zhqtprtXZcQ5WrOwhr6Q7akmnd9IgZ9b8FH8_z8Wfwb9V7Vk5crp4Jf0--migUZKfuLRR1P7i04l-mLZMII7b0JhWgDkI_rkqk91QeDQYUHRFoy9EgOTSX24IH79qZY15PeHWnEGvZ-4Uq88QtXlKrPvXNYBTTJ2MAMnBePrinbngKQC5S0vgOtbz1nQmAk5GLC" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>They've got some splaining to do</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Arizona may be the next 
state in trouble over its NCLB waiver after it submitted a final draft 
of its accountability system that does not meet federal demands on high 
school graduation rates or teacher evaluations. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpOYUJ4qkwVvH4zKxka9T6gMYX0oQLc4QPJ5lPPah6EosG1aIh5-1N4bbGJW1a7byJUt7IMfhih9w5h7LWA7HaiTp7MrvgpmNp1kb5udklDeBd5gIomUA0hlVEUEGIu7ULcpqOPAur94Har2fmq_qi8R3ny4z_56Tip5mbStf9kMdwxB2EoIUtkbRSzTfEOJeCL7GJ4MqpvWDgN-MQUaAmeuvr5oNgAfN3ilpCnIeup2Cc0p3YHysS4ZlzuwgxjHbdxvPXGyiV4O4Q==" shape="rect">More</a></div>


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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Further expansion</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The University of 
Minnesota and Teach for America-Twin Cites have announced an agreement 
to develop the state's first alternative teacher-preparation program. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpNCdDSxB017kAmOwb9JttFxRmSudHpY0slLlM2CzsK2VjiS8szprP8ReRTpyzQUwSCKsieMY4GrTxsq5tQi5UgUKouwm-Eil1OwC47w2DY5lPLr1pc8zAj-JFlGYSFG4S8BSUX3oHvUahxBU3jszKqH84Yb7SZ2Qpa06Ctn4t5JVHmt8eqvAyO6Qih0_3NMFpSQaVvX4Br_bP8kaoUt12Ze" shape="rect">More</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>It could work</strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Maryland Gov. Martin 
O'Malley has announced $5.5 million in grants to local boards of 
education to increase the use of digital technology in education and to 
help students earn college credits and career certification while in 
high school. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpM13-61d4svdhlWzp--voSpEkMa4OvR2gM6WZS6hxuMGrGn40A-76Los3xPaTPrIEZxAqbwB4XnhRlle5E5y2p8eKxVL7pm1iJQtO831zPEgT1ck6irgjIhGFYu8sdZRyJpIAEZloFuHVNkj1ykv2kmfMcHEKCP-kOLoIf3bgvOHFIV55pInOo8R-jnGFGA3k9Qap81cGrDfMyE6mEXwXvbR5sy6Odl1Q4=" shape="rect">More</a></div>

</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_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>
<br>
</div>


<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=001A82uGtRNHpMQfsY-VB2AlNhS5ax1Tz83WcW4aq3q8hRCDPuosxVBwWHT2Tj2FE_WlQnLnO1s2UHntMwh2-RyeyzgXalNxLFTocPkz5FBt2h-x84K1HplUFekHSqIGfzzwxEGuGgD0tfOhenGoQ1Z3A==">StudentCam</a>
 is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that 
encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our 
communities and our nation. StudentCam's theme for 2014 is: "A Message 
to the U.S. Congress:<br>
 What's the most important issue the U.S. 
Congress should consider in 2014?" Maximum award:  $5,000, plus $750 to 
spend on digital video equipment for his/her school. Eligibility: 
students grades 6-12, individually or in teams. Deadline: January 20, 
2014.</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=001A82uGtRNHpMntdeUbz_skXMYmk0bsogixrep0w_ZGhHtKaZf1F6zonX815soWtGQR3pKuDjh0j7Lel5jcMht_3qsTQZyqcwlbJ0xUOvNlG8Yc5-Mx4BqqxKFgAmxBfu5OrA5yEEcs6QctLq_njMH39amkkGnjVe7tTxCXyw-Vf8WJVEjuwJIWmvcUqmP24MJ">Starbucks Foundation: Youth Leadership Grants</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Starbucks Foundation
 is interested in supporting organizations that equip young people in 
three areas: business savvy --having the ability to leverage 
opportunities with integrity and innovation and to make good decisions 
and achieve results; social conscience -- valuing the impact an 
individual and enterprise can have on the community; collaborative 
communication -- engaging others in an inclusive manner across teams, 
functions and cultures and the ability to leverage new and creative ways
 of communication. Maximum award: $30,000. Eligibility: youth ages 15 to
 25 years old. Deadline: December 15, 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(241, 78, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A82uGtRNHpNfADV0it4yXiEQeMlKDCIFZB0NcEbiqR9oGsF775Z-FFSALgI2AZgP_ZfOg9BrLyc6FdlGuwbkXR34hS4W8zd2W12d2UufnuVRfNMgk-tXbhuqjeIxBq431lnGpLZ1a1JCva3uP9UxCQ2jCb_asw6Xr1fxCQSYJ3I=">NSTA: Shell Science Teaching Award</a></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Shell Science 
Teaching Award recognizes one outstanding classroom science teacher 
(K-12) who has had a positive impact on his or her students, school, and
 community through exemplary classroom science teaching. Maximum award: 
$10,000. Eligibility: K-12 classroom science teachers. Deadline: 
November 8, 2013.</div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</span></strong></div>


<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"One of the things that 
has made me step back a couple times is I've had students come and say, 
'We know you're our counselor, but you're so busy that I don't come by. 
And I always tell them if there's something they need to talk about, I'm
 available to talk. But they see how overwhelmed I can be in terms of 
work, and it makes me feel bad that a student would say that." -- <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=001A82uGtRNHpP-ByF5jTdBYXT38O6ibuJwl6j23-FHa60okIMH7sM5TWvZyQ_yfTQGQ2B8bj3fIj-p0uWN4MJA5MDCLzEYQP8BeBfH5iAbR-WMLvj46paBwNtRDFt07QVuiGniaR4osiez6AkK1lxEcGaW75PFA0p8dXMIxz-9oF4L4XeyfhjZS5oy7HasXMvNclDoc9FOanx9GwwGmT-sy-dq5PxJL_yb68mUpZ_2RUg9uT39rIIeOjsDEkf72rry">Eric Blanco</a>,
 guidance counselor at Ernest Righetti High School in central 
California, on how reduced budgets and added clerical duties have cut 
deeply into the time he can spend with students.</div>

</div>
</div>

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</div>