<div style="font-family:arial;color:black;font-size:10pt;">
<div><img style="display: block;" name="aolmail_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.331" alt="Pub Ed Newsblast Header" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs160/1102261797723/img/331.jpg" border="0" width="640"></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<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" align="center" height="1" valign="top"><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" align="center" valign="top">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:25px 0px 25px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="middle" width="100%">
<table id="aolmail_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" align="center" valign="top">
<div><a class="aolmail_imgCaptionAnchor" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC23beLfEAf4ta2RZPnbFlkJ1OZ5SG4IXsX3vD2oRxwTM3S1zZSAqTre_Zlpk3ceqSi39siPp6Mm_phxrAJi5eBqMYXpZsztnVLp5xMYexPctYA=="><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" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:25px 0px 25px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<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" align="left" valign="top">
<div>November 19, 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" align="left" valign="top">
<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" 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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">What the waiver about-face tells us</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">The (completely unsurprising) effective-teacher gap</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">Punishment or responsiveness?</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">Underfunding the IDEA</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Turmoil and transformation in Memphis</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">About 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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">School assessment for school improvement</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">The new edPTA</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">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" 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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38203-112/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27549262&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_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" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<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" align="left" valign="top">
<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" align="center" bgcolor="#989898" height="1" valign="top"><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" align="center" height="1" valign="top"><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="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<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;">What the waiver about-face tells us</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;">On the politics K-12
blog in Education Week, Michele McNeil distills the five key take-aways
from the administration's about-face on NCLB waivers. First, she says,
states have the upper hand: U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has
little leverage left, having already given waivers and $100 billion in
economic-stimulus aid to nearly all states; it's not in his interest to
revoke waivers now. Second, the move shows the Department of Education
(ED) is "flying by the seat of its pants": It's already issued a
one-year extension for teacher-evaluation implementation, and is
backtracking on renewal rules issued two months ago. Third, states have
encountered vocal resistance to the Common Core as a federal initiative.
Further federal mandates may only stiffen resistance, and Duncan wants
both the Common Core and waivers to succeed. Fourth, ED's purported
50-state strategy to address teacher distribution will have to be
strong, given anger from civil rights groups over the waiver reversal.
Finally, ED is making it far simpler for states to get waiver
extensions. What started as a 13-page document is now two pages. All
states must do is request an extension in writing, explaining why
flexibility has helped, and resolve in the letter or otherwise any
monitoring problems federal officials have identified. By contrast, the
August guidance from the department had extensive requirements.<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=001uvHb2bNOC22I1w_bw8wQOJ_UN3jDZkIybkAxzJ1m3Mkr5lONYHELbAJqb8nnloIR4TAat9Fmi4qOAGEsCa4Km0QhwYToOP78LqkOZWcwaYwQ81nQk5IXiBqOBzz5vqn5UJLbrC4K0OupYNICz323H22Pc5CYsEBqzcp75BvkPF9Rg46Wxmsw0_8zfpsX9qjWk4CAfb6dX9iVfnF_WtM4U5FJTRVdS1qmIsQzcnry9t0LGOB6vmPrZhVkQkmPWhhOw9P18Xn4uqeVZkA8SXdy5PJhxBQPyCQxU_cFZO12wIygc1juN9LESRl1BN1GtpXs_dA1s2z-YJhCAiEVFL5K4wT3T2I0a7aCn5yhJUu5nwbN0TD7kxTP-8j702qB-N7mhjK0LZUsUhE4M3SDNGR90rwnxFH27Olq" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f04f23; font-size: 14pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The (completely unsurprising) effective-teacher gap</span></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 study by
Mathematica Policy Research explores disparities in access to effective
teaching in 29 diverse districts across the country, revealing that
disadvantaged students receive less effective teaching on average than
other students. The authors calculate that if free and reduced-price
lunch (FRL) students had equal access to effective teaching, the
achievement gap within these districts would shrink from 28 to 26
percentile points in English/language arts and from 26 to 24 percentile
points in math after one year. Access to effective teaching varied
across study districts, but disadvantaged students did not have greater
access to effective teaching in any district in the sample. Unequal
access to effective teaching was most related to school assignment of
teachers and students, rather than to how teachers were assigned to
students within schools. The average between-school access to effective
teaching was significantly greater than the average within-school
measure in both upper elementary and middle school grades. In other
words, unequal access to effective teaching depended more on FRL
students attending schools with less-effective teaching than on FRL
students being assigned to classrooms (within schools) with
less-effective teaching. <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=001uvHb2bNOC20AY7_5LXU6uIVrJQz2GiGdk43LxB3IDP8o4hOaGLG-CPc3xDtGjgDv8732yVJ8L5s5j80u9RadkXyxNaR7pw7bmyAYzfeiA4VoXps809iwp77T-SlIF9QSwspcrWrnknHZL4k5axwxS6ovqPqwltGbzsG-ILusXD3FcajjTxMEHTTdmIGCgZ6Dccsl1lAJnMU6vJZlN0UUvN7Z7Pl9JSJfyFGS3IRrMQg=">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<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>Punishment or responsiveness?</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;">New understanding that
stressful and potentially traumatic childhood experiences change the
body and brain has far-reaching implications for schools where standard
practice punishes misbehavior that children often cannot control, writes
David Bornstein in an op-ed in The New York Times. Many American
students come to school with emotional and behavioral difficulties that
seriously impede learning. Education reforms falter when schools can't
manage the behavior problems of early graders or preschoolers -- as
evidenced by the crisis in school suspensions and preschool expulsions.
The CLEAR Trauma Center at Washington State University and the Trauma
and Learning Policy Initiative in Massachusetts have been helping
schools make use of emerging research on trauma. This has translated to
ensuring that an entire school community -- teachers, cafeteria workers,
playground monitors, office staff, bus drivers -- understand the
effects of trauma on children. It has also meant moving away from
reflexive discipline toward responses that teach kids how to calm
themselves. Just as we send powerful messages about our values when we
accommodate people with disabilities, schools send messages by how they
treat children whose behavior falls outside normal bounds. Punishment
can reinforce judgments and hierarchies and perpetuate crises -- or
respond by deepening understanding and building supportive communities. <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=001uvHb2bNOC22m00DVbFdeLrwRy46loGoXb6nx1TbQ2FAp6qCPYM2ErpNBumveuuCXVX196IgpEaJYOPyYltIJJ3PLh_1J9yM5KYuHQCMeBNq1yhreWzGor0DkFWj_IDqI3D6SWQ2ZFIh3YTec4M3qogmoL2d7uknPd3pK_vIjFA_k5Plx3ft3TnHBwLHGB5gf_efhyJfhNKcr747-rxIjKzv8gLD01TS5m3RQiBWI_x4C-BcUy_pBQiVg_-6CyUhv">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Underfunding the IDEA</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;">Over half of parents of
children with disabilities surveyed by the National Center for Learning
Disabilities say schools have altered special education services in the
past year due to declining funding, reports Joy Resmovits for The
Huffington Post. Of the 53 percent of parents who said services changed,
29 percent said services decreased, 32 percent said class sizes grew,
27 percent reported dropped service providers, and 13 percent reported
changed student placement. Sequestration gouged $579 million from
special education funding under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act this year, and this figure may rise. The IDEA stipulates
that Congress pay up to 40 percent of a state's average spending on each
student with disabilities. The closest Congress came to meeting this
level was in 2005 at 18.5 percent, and in 2009, when the one-time
economic stimulus boosted payments. Since sequestration, Congress has
paid 14 percent, the lowest in over a decade. The survey asked whether
parents were "worried about the impact that budget cuts have" on kids'
education; 94 percent responded yes. One advocate says children are not
getting the interventions they need, especially in terms of effectively
trained teachers, nor are they being identified early enough. <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=001uvHb2bNOC20KgOE8LJqzRUZgty2Y-gpHskw077I4iYYez2TrH7yDQWV-n8kE99_l9iYz7bZfARyXzvicpri5Ol3ucgCjzDQMKEbEak84pawQkOyxMABHgwKS4ZTl9Zwy7YxtN7hBEZ1RzujoYkY5vvycW5LpEVXvKF22KL7ZbCfMUEQxi5wTlhLEEwwRYoIrmkFq5lnNRbLrMYZcj83tZvOOD05O5PAK5V88pk-CkpvZ4_xy6tLEHB5eK7cYDr77ou9fMUfclQjnxzeu-Jn6ag==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<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;">Turmoil and transformation in Memphis</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;">Memphis, Tennessee's
schools are in the vanguard of changes reshaping urban education,
including decentralized control, charter proliferation, increased use of
data to determine school closure, and a greater reliance on teachers
from alternative preparation programs such as Teach for America or the
Memphis Teacher Residency, Sarah Carr reports in The Atlantic Monthly.
Memphis epitomizes so-called portfolio district management, in which
numerous operators -- the district, the state, charter operators,
community groups -- run a city's schools instead of a single entity.
Under this system, school survival hinges on test-score gains.
Underperformers are transferred, repackaged, or dropped outright.
Supporters argue this saves children from chronically underperforming
schools. Critics maintain it treats educators and students like widgets.
A particularly controversial component is the state-run Achievement
School District, whose fiercest opposition comes from veteran teachers:
When a school is absorbed into the Achievement District, teachers must
reapply. Whether the portfolio approach succeeds in Memphis in the long
term will depend on whether its backers can strike a balance between
respect for localism and desire for results. Backers argue that strong
results -- in the form of improved test scores and college matriculation
rates -- will win over skeptics in the end. But though the district is
in the early stages of reorganization, results have been modest so far. <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=001uvHb2bNOC2267gvxXFH-C7cGnh7c4H0PZOhsU8bLcBAXEDq5Cit49YkCf15B2ZCsNK6HNRgRGqxqpAF2jzbfnn9psZ0gm0TFYnagFRPvqFS_P2CLlhgIJAlEsKZtYgsisOPSNbIV379j4CTmIZNOrNTnffczIeQlGKJ-BNHLq_JxD_22CPX9fvWtacGGanISZ2DzDQ8JRBj38DNdUSlr1a_hYgrllGmP-klbiLVwm4Od1U2BtJJuP4q9TsYyJatP" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<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;">About TIME</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;">More than 9,000 students
in Connecticut, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New York are attending
select, high-poverty schools with expanded school schedules as part of
the TIME Collaborative, or Time for Innovation Matters in Education, the
Associated Press reports. These schools are using extra time for
additional instruction and enrichment. A second group of schools in
those same four states and Tennessee will soon join them, serving about
13,000 students. These schools are redesigning their schedules for
2014-15 and will use the extra 300 hours per year for enhanced
programming: personalized learning technologies, studying world
cultures, foreign languages, fitness and healthy living, even
scrapbooking. To help ease the transition for educators, districts are
cutting down on meetings and increasing flexibility. The average school
day in the U.S. is 6.7 hours, according to a recent survey by the U.S.
Department of Education. The five participating states are using a mix
of federal, state, and district funding to cover the additional 300
hours of instruction and enrichment. The Ford Foundation is also
providing grant funding, and the National Center on Time and Learning is
offering technical and planning help to schools. <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=001uvHb2bNOC21Q8MKrlKxcXf0UGkgssnuyzE2VIVCDZVK9TfUtn6hRLutSkTpMQwSoIgvBCPjpVHK52srMRi68v9FRsI56hS0xFrgDUIiBqEDd0rZ4RN52juoM3oI9gOmIMEep14FnrzmFtrUbYFNbJPerel3Iv-3o4z6Kg7HHGGW032UlwjYygQ==">More</a>. <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=001uvHb2bNOC21etBf4fLbKDe5utQy1eoZ07Y6mhrJcjZ4WyTOqowURWfHUa6pMmZ6C-IIkV5BW5noH5xoUeg9udNPa-LZ8dI45APUCuX3mI5isF8_z4gR71XkfqVuC-lkDgMRjirsLAJb6YIyM0yUT5x2rJI6tB2gX02iITTWfHXcTdo2OlGObqRyHnHK7xXYs9Z1weBLtCVtA4PNmBnVeUKPEQsIWvtU1ORpTzOtmKmex1Uu-jFDnJA==">Related</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<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;">School assessment for school improvement</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 report from the
National Education Policy Center (NEPC) describes a system of school
self-evaluation in use in parts of Western Europe, and its potential for
and putative obstacles to its implementation in this country. Current
U.S. test-based accountability models hold schools and teachers
accountable for student outcomes with scant attention to
school-improvement processes. Broadly described, the European two-part
system begins with a school self-evaluation and is followed by an
outside inspection (SSE/I). Such programs exist in England, Wales,
Northern Ireland, and the Netherlands. The researchers suggest that
SSE/I's underlying purposes and principles, in particular its focus on
quality improvement, can inform redesign and improvement of the U.S.
approach. The authors recommend the U.S. employ external reviews of
schools with a focus on providing guidance and support rather than
punitive sanctions; set rigorous standards for external reviewers to
ensure they are qualified; define school quality beyond standardized
test scores, including comprehensive criteria by which to define
teaching quality; in designing review and assessment systems, include
the perspectives of multiple stakeholders -- administrators, teachers,
students, parents, community leaders, and researchers; and redirect
state financial resources to adequately support external review
systems. <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=001uvHb2bNOC20_96NBfOqALZVkGC2uo71m9u9nb84q1G1_INq0mXdGrQLlZLRSi90b9MvvDaf1aeA3Hrrl2RtfDk8hbrXPUUnqYxQnmBGN91anLSOLhKc0cIOMACkpasQCVUEGOZ909HCeFpno6D8H32cKGaNneuotcRwmRjVE4f_KTsL9w7PuKw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54"></a><table id="aolmail_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" align="left" valign="top">
<div><br>
<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;">The new edPTA</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 report from the
Stanford Center on Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) summarizes
the design, development process, and validation results for a new
performance assessment for beginning teachers, the edTPA. The edTPA is
educator-designed, and can inform program completion, licensure, and
accreditation decisions at the same time as supporting candidate
learning and preparation-program improvement. The test is
subject-specific and performance-based, and aligned with the Interstate
Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium standards, the Council for
Accreditation of Educator Preparation standards, and the Common Core
State Standards. It is modeled after the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards' assessments, and is scored by teachers and teacher
educators. Based on the 2013 field test data, at a cut score of 42, 58
percent of candidates would have "passed" edTPA on their first attempt.
Under actual testing circumstances, pass rates would be expected to
increase. In the operational phase, all scores on or near the cut score
will be read and scored by two independent certified scorers.
Differences in scores will prompt a third reader to independently
adjudicate discrepancies. Candidates who do not pass on their initial
attempt may retake one edTPA task or the entire edTPA assessment, with
the counsel of faculty from their 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=001uvHb2bNOC21wqmQmUyp_YngLJIizYKGi_jL-6C5_JRrPiWVIhPA1_7BaSoWKe8pWT_k-gVGJDiu0-cEv_UK69S1L4tfgLJz-_dH8N-8y7r8uZJ59UDlinYXgYg1oaq1VLv5grEPUEcqNAyQJyi4HZg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_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>Good money after bad?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Los Angeles Unified is
moving forward with the second phase of its iPad plan, but has added a
pilot test of laptops -- signaling that the district's ambitious
technology project may extend beyond tablet computers. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC22QmxffkJZWaR9yvFqWM0DUBdHoe_40wrQHqS3tcqe8UOo5AafDIyi5EygZpQabNgxJVJZfcg3GPn0LcitOvaQSqzgvSqZNjtxE-U9OKJ6vAU-4b-FrKpiO_fpqS6Xb3bNZJCVzlCBd2gf5YoK7qYPMq6_VeSHxYiYI_i9ijuJukKFJCV69DaOh3m_u-VVVGYjpqjVwADqNTQ==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><b>Better late</b></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has sold his Apple stock, eliminating his conflict of interest in the district's iPad program. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC23D_3NJ66_O_MnY3vB2gQhpvi39gCLKW32v_7sPAvf2YlewYSKa79_kUWY8NKIN4eDB06FzHJlh7LPlklhu4ZzcJi1AC5twaOGIgBh7y3vTIXOKghrgnC_vMYosiygu9viWRRrh74iqo3XzIFE2pm1YVAtSmeARPQIuN1PNlJu0pld4v-4X8yZJmlcB93s6bWuP7Y0r2rKGzQNCIG4UQIT-4DxOybqXbERXpuk4089IDkjYeotK_nR2KXdAERPcbQLtxKkaB_5XWB2ej1NSAvWNdwkgx0decXwGMvd_Q5bWIH9PHFZESKu0Zo4QEPaenKEmUcr9f75Sa7j9COVQa79tw9sMvg-Q4MypDOT0QCPdmJOZqjBoJcHw287sutJ12tJQ6H0Ib5iEVckTC_fZb-MaxvqnbgWDlv9A9_3NO7Ufvg==" 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>Progress, at least</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">While scoring low overall, California students posted the biggest gains on the NAEP last year. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC23pcyju280r9D9hVmcKWNyX-NHxK0U8jhaRPWT9hOVynajEJQwPAzSTmJ_osXSBxwJXsu9Lr7Ps7nGRfRSdjqSVPCfhlVEbmOkzcoSWt5q6QC5s_4pA3tJpmstS2HZjA5ZRd0Y5H1ZTydpe8f5HSMPQSuqD2kGvCsh4JVFbSRzeWdNA3YyLQb6VHxM8eiJ0KXbk0YJhWnnEk_HO9zKgBxVP" 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>Hard to argue with</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">LA Unified
Superintendent John Deasy used the resolution of the Mark Berndt
molestation case to campaign for a new law that would make it easier to
get rid of abusive teachers. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC20VCXLY3f-NooodezXv7LPS8N_3r1chWM8c1eAYv8wZKsi6uyhmb2xrQGbq5V0D0N1Lj90P7siZ9PiG5pUanvkmxWLJUJu-syIj34XdS1S0uXsMRd8LYuTAQLXh1QngQywp_cF-IlKFAwxOL86SG81zdkdy04KPWqTQ56Qu0T2pbtoYil0YBDtv_ZEG_kDR4-0OS66mTnAP3loss5rGcIkjAH588tKKw3AS1adqwkshzqWGO0wzs9n6wovh-m53b6-dKo8vGOyAH6-7-WDo1CBE-_fy_fwFISUrCjVjojLTQGDB2h-KsN8AVl4EQax1hjLsVuNTqeUB-PZ-AYzvlsI80m9GTSnTv_FCDvaIC05qGvyXOO8uUsipdGIXGhNyjkowxIyhjEBGGgdIpOh4srQfQ08X4OXgJdT7REtdtub1GaAEuIMs3Nrmd8XYzX74nWZBctJXJ0kwKg==" 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>Leaner times in store</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">More than two dozen
schools face reduced funding next year as LAUSD funnels more federal
money to campuses with a higher percentage of low-income students. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC21RNkZgPOwVKwyDuxrxJzaFuo5hNVcY_AjgeYersVvP7gfRHqS-bfKikw5HfeP65veW6goXW8Uypb7R9iCZKORMP3uP_K8w0XBHrEXU6_s46bwucFY9es6f5TPlifs_b36CI6KOuXLUjqxEEqYzw0us2Z_TYoF8h4IRBs0FV_bCxSQlRuv0z1YqcNKFYqSiLsYa9yz94IM02Lq6UKWo4qKd" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK56" 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 </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>Fingers crossed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The latest proposal to
expand prekindergarten to a wide swath of low- and moderate-income
4-year-olds has slender bipartisan backing in both chambers, but would
cost more than $30 billion over its first five years and faces major
hurdles in a Congress consumed with trimming spending. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC20zBwNT7thG1PtwynoaUZjIA-Sf89VEZbz3f6Aexp0EeJhhT417z6hsoNEfqP9AAW-cJnVw0flhKCtoieeEpNKCSStjlFhZm5ZJebb55lQC6BEhI27aA1z2YBLw76SCmDbqMQCs7FyAKNnRhBvF1llDxiPJFyFtTqOukICVTpU8ZPzwP8tScjSBJxaj9z-MO_uBP-PCO3hW_TqYhwwD7WvigS-rddwe_6BTmXHgMRoUA9_RzdteHCSLmy40slQfnzsl1t-S5Yo1uPvhp3AAzV-PeJ_OGZ476wesAILHuSYvmFEc42QLJtg99RP3E6ltBr2JLeAS5pfuFsZYhqFfHYVgZQC6qdYNcfGXRiez79lN0foP7VfJkvOzOzDCbvpFerOWpYt0HaFkdqBB3ZcuTvz4" 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>Fitness notwithstanding</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Michelle Obama has
kicked off a new White House push to increase the number of low-income
students who apply to and graduate from college. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC21Jn40YahYSicSz7JzPvq_TnZqSPipu85ZkRinMqFvsX7pPHCzoi9X3bL5Wi3UMW3LVX2TZKSbuZDMcFxjy6RdjEjZduavUQbQT09-D4Y3rqfsNZFftWdtbsx1yEs5o5ZDWdBnfGWuCxDyDxkK9ghqOZeWipYTSKQkgcT5MRs81Y9nKNspTLt1dl-m9pIozcHPWKhHuHJJgwQX5cGEFHQYNsHl3085i59Zk4sFGMjh4up0NtxjCxBVKETMn7XVIV5n74S1LAhI6Nafa3KxJEugv" 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>Slice of the pie</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Twenty-five districts
and their nonprofit partners are slated to share $135 million in the
latest round of the federal Investing in Innovation competition. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC23wyP8A6NTeHDR2syhBOjEmn15EjD84xTj54a9nMkqVJZQAmeOWesBC6yd7qDLsXKFQ0pM2gCj8sJ_m9waSLaCXvcbkJ6M_fNzb2_p0e2IbmZPHCI4cIkdusLPIWykRmXt1a9GFb1rUej-n9O7HJOrjqhPZNLXLZF3H_2tngDXl5AGuiR2OcbK3Zg5LkbiFM2sktGKO3DDiUg==" 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>Thanks for the memories</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Bloomberg
administration has released its final batch of letter grades for more
than 1,600 public schools in New York City; Mayor-elect Bill DeBlasio
has pledged to do away with the grading system. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC23VWfL8fhMVYaUP2WIcevRrEWxKJ6IV9rAhTHqb40qkRy1R7zr7cy1Lnk7dImJ4tWizFiOnyc1zrjGhPQYrzsekY4NSZZVSgZbd_qtwcd0DkJqdQxqcF7jsuunNB7W3shOaf6r0EFh_5xo6S-Jj57Zw2dphz2Mm-7U0JJprIisCO6Kxt_V-Z6E8O_rhrfRDPakxbqwvZHQaFXmQ1boD8N5IyCi8OknNtlhooGGQKv7aYBcM5HaaMUk52NPO2lJr3imYvGDjT2hWKO5tBod_b6q0" 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>Fighting the good fight</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">At least seven of the 45 states that adopted the Common Core are fighting to restore the cursive instruction. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC235L6mfO0znohhQpeEocq3MFADsyIemtlQ3M6fz72sF43spF3uWTbpUttTH76z4_s-RPAmaLtNMO6RYjJWXPqWrk39vHOn6_jVqv6R_8wH373vkDb8fUAX9zasSqXO3Unn9jno2BPuLhq0YkOD6tspHsq5SJsm2c_oPbGIMSrYxb8b6VO4BT4LMSO2GUaTtcLHTu31mxtvua1WJONokFKxoAZLH0eWJ36RZ2liflYeXXI-83nXHnJgZ9YF02puS-lbG3GuE0VAhdw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><b>Worthy endeavor</b></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A group representing
some of the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School victims is hoping
to persuade a half-million people to sign on to a campaign aimed at
uniting parents across the USA "despite all our differences, in our
shared love for our children." <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC20nPrHjE803ty-2c--W5mNYWBB4DPB4UdaMSnqjlwhh-vNE-iHl7crGvwMVqPlgbsGF4lbkv7zKmRYRBJ3W0Qhk8T4D2ZYM85iG9ET0mVXBUWWbVN1PqLzMPAbOoK9MG55FE3C0ogtkfTcJ6qrK3L4t" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><b>Hewing to the middle</b></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">More than half of D.C.'s charter schools -- 54 percent -- are in mid-performing Tier 2, according to a recent ranking. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC20xV389I1GBO_FAnbCP06LYF1e5rDDyUZ93Rl9vvI0GTAfwmUOe2Tg4VO2L-CbPJrGjWLZPkeplU_p4sw5K9yE5Q4ph7sIlwP5eOS4VL5wT4QMmbrzld8gS7tR1XIDNa4HvaqHdjDasTflFoJG3ZJn2qP5sA11nZYfvSStLHt3ARbhtWWkhThFtwEqrVRQ8yJY9lLala0NAc2zgqbWWLU7JZ8Yisg_noyJCDYMTuAt3l26ZYAcmb2vW3weDWYSOBgVW2vIbsBhGZ3vglAzpEg5REdHLNhSUi4aIwBsByehkW-oAb81iguWQ8gMj7TnHTEl7J_3UlL24D8tvusge3Kk3" 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>Not incarceration?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Dozens of
pre-kindergartners were suspended last school year in Maryland, with the
most suspensions in Baltimore, highlighting a little-known practice
that some education experts say is too extreme for toddlers who are just
being introduced to educational settings. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC22X1vQR18PSGp8B3VZxm3nvUgQ49YmUcA2VXVn6rreQg3BEEIUN5PAtcRf2JkQTJgrdcO02gr8fZgEW7zkqhTEkXiF7HY3vpwiHC-mz-iOEUl_5bAos1ZrdPafajZYAeYYtG0qnN_wpNXAeUY0g-KN457E0BZT9O1gpSiee-Z9Xpz_MUm24UqTK_asDSXO6GmpgjsY1vwNPOjYjumI3mdMbSNNax_LdpMT6PKXjmAK0uARHjnjfiGXogMGGlgjSHmY=" shape="rect">More</a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f04f23;"><strong>Of predators and iPads</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A Texas parent notified
school authorities that a sexual predator had sent hardcore pornography
videos and sexually explicit messages to her third-grader via the
student's school-issued iPad. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC23tlFge9Ad1ezzRLLvEN9pYeizpY6bMi-cd-9ZWYfD3X1y5dLnOAFtnGRubwD6GPEbm4w7RSMgOjZYUSmeS5oFfCdRv9-0avvZPO2m8cJdpMdcUL2542lem_64eBBfejxBMCYMP3IL2Z02gMUnqd1i91Ys1gsZKSrjIxfEAUW_7ptcYLe5_tj85R_6jhtTVzsQ=" 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(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC20pLKSBRMK9Vub6ILr9rdJ17CYS09Cz165GGQiVSRuKGhfVzZRPFW7tL8WbXcB2vHtZlNTTpK7OYyMkS1Bkac1mH_zlFZkF1hc_8LCE4TCSfPK_C1fLaB9ke3EuT2KTN1XktW9WvG22NUkwD1iUN4HL6czjzRgx24t6fIQ3xdPC6A==">NSTA/PASCO: STEM Educator Awards</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">PASCO has partnered with
the National Science Teachers Association to reward selected K-12 STEM
educators who have created and are utilizing modern and effective STEM
curriculum in the classroom. Maximum award: $4,500 comprised of a
monetary gift, a certificate for PASCO scientific products and expenses
for the awardee to attend the national NSTA conference. Eligibility:
K-12 STEM educators with a minimum of 3 years teaching experience in the
STEM fields, who implement innovative inquiry-based, technology infused
STEM programs; one elementary level, two middle level, and two high
school level recipients will be awarded annually. Deadline: November 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(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC234ICdQRIMyOuO4dI4TCsEKMbLhulY5Ku7topSMt0N5gh4O13ocdokn2R7PedSSwYXklycYZJuGBNMiT6rcxRvEk6ih82ACkT67BgPl1dS-0Jr4roEcmLVhsvpWva1Wtx4=">U.S. Dept. of State: Distinguished Fulbright Awards in Teaching</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Distinguished
Fulbright Awards in Teaching program sends highly accomplished primary
and secondary teachers from the U.S. abroad and brings international
teachers to the U.S for a three to six month long program. Maximum
award: Program costs such as tuition, room and board, and transportation
are covered by the grant; participants will receive a maintenance
allowance designed to assist with the costs of food and lodging during
the program. Distinguished Teachers will also have the opportunity to
apply for professional development funds to support development and
research, or cover the expenses of attending a conference or workshop
related to their fields of teaching expertise. Eligibility (for U.S.
applicants): U.S. citizens who are employed full-time at an accredited
school in the U.S. or its territories, hold a Master's degree (or be
enrolled in a Master's program at the time the grant begins), and are in
at least the fifth year of full-time teaching. 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(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC21zLTHV3_afultlVY5f4aSdugwOiSaDG5nbI_Ggo18SWaTrxSFlCr6MZ87NJaxx3prNs4XU-s6Rq3GYVlLgtWje6aZRryXDtCUbeSCZ0CDbECQZXdO864RhRYEgeJzZBnNNjMEx1f6ceg==">Vernier: Engineering Contest</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">To recognize creative
teaching, Vernier Software & Technology is sponsoring a contest for
high school and college teachers. Maximum award: $1,000 in cash, $3,000
in Vernier technology, and $1,500 toward expenses to attend the 2014
ASEE conference in New Orleans. Eligibility: teachers in schools serving
grades K-12, as well as post- secondary undergraduate college
departments are eligible. Deadline: January 15, 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(240, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uvHb2bNOC20QP_ucuL517qS1aeEzma9Qj4hOk8Qg1bHlSndMjW6WnqhvQSI_jtwCvwEnUUj3ZOvrc9hi5mp9gDIdU3fLVWOAuon78sL-Woqdk5EcMQwYYWvZZ7j0bctp0WMbYcRRt08RI68ardQip91IXSL1Le0QO21Nq8fH6Do=">New Leaders for New Schools: Aspiring Principals Program</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New Leaders for New
Schools is currently accepting applications for candidates who meet its
selection criteria (see website) and want to lead change for children in
low-income communities by becoming urban public school principals.
Candidates should have a record of success in leading adults, an
expertise in K-12 teaching and learning, a relentless drive to lead an
excellent urban school, and most importantly, an unyielding belief in
the potential of every child to achieve academically at high levels.
Eligibility: a minimum of 2-4 years of successful K-12 instruction
experience (depends on location); teaching certificate and/or advanced
degree, depending on location. Deadline: January 30, 2014.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </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;">"It is absolutely clear
that educational wage differentials have not driven wage inequality over
the last 15 years. Wage inequality has grown a lot over the last 15
years and the educational wage premium has changed little." -- <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=001uvHb2bNOC20a9VlDOH14FPWGDpwj-HUsUeo2K3_rPUcbxl2JbeZRBYgluTgo4iBoiEfJX7QxIPgDEAFeJaHROkEJowd4PUb8Niei1NUcqf43-iQvXhrtskoa_HL_k-21JDbI5KRfMH9X2DnQf4ihW9630henTOfN4li87_Vc2qd2NTZQUMZG9ZTQv0IN34bSmWDrqDNq9S0WqGtFGjmoCmIVBekcllVkqC2SN5ee8FoIo4qRaSUBoyIelcm-HAMAp0qFAtEyr3dOVVAvExTUQQ==">Lawrence Mishel</a> of the Economic Policy Institute.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>