<div style="font-family:arial;color:black;font-size:10pt;">
<div><img style="display: block;" name="aolmail_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.411" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs160/1102261797723/img/411.jpg" border="0" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="640"></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK60"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK60" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#ebf5f6" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:18pt;padding:25px 25px 0px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div style="text-align: left; font-size: 12pt;" align="left"><span><strong>LAEP
announces a blog focused on school transformation and is looking for
voices from the field that address the Six Core Elements we use as our
model.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left; font-size: 12pt;" align="left"><span><strong> </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>We
invite teachers, students, parents, policy makers and all educators to
share your voice with us on the Newsblast published nationwide:</strong></span><br>
</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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">* High-quality instruction<br>
* Teacher leadership and collaboration<br>
* College-and career-readiness<br>
* Parents as partners<br>
* Youth empowerment<br>
* Educational equity</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">We seek submissions of
350 to 750 words on any of these elements. Selections--some of which
we'll publish on a bi-weekly basis with the NewsBlast--will be chosen
based on timeliness, with an added goal of balancing unheard voices from
the field with noted voices in education.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">We regret we cannot publish everything submitted, and we may lightly edit for the sake of concision.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><strong>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="center"><a class="aolmail_imgCaptionAnchor" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGBUmX6f6SwoVP3Hep0W3yxncn13ha4vzMpXFZT5C3POx_Ez0fDctHCVdlwjA8w3TNDogMxKG00bmpl9ey7vQbA6_HqHeXu0Jf3mOjGjNk3wk36JgdLg6EVhF1qMBY4REew="><img name="aolmail_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.437" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs160/1102261797723/img/437.jpg" border="0" height="51" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="192"></a></div>
</strong></span></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="background:transparent;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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.BLOCK62" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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=001gnWwWp0NqGDsQM2ZZq-SrWOxihcp-S_VXpM38Bsq0HpG6B7XWWUmQdvWzSJU_zWwPrIdgjQLZO4D419Q-00zTVm0TwjLvv9HWquaN98oSUJOSTiaORo7Ww=="><img style="display: block;" name="aolmail_ACCOUNT.IMAGE.436" alt="pencils" src="http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs160/1102261797723/img/436.jpg" border="0" height="160" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="169"></a></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<table style="width:270px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:25px 0px 25px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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>March 18, 2014 - 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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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/38442-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27603487&seq=3&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">ARTICLES</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/38442-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27603487&seq=3&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;border-bottom:2px dotted #8c8d8d;border-color:#8c8d8d;padding:7px 0px 7px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" 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/38442-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27603487&seq=3&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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%">
<tbody><tr>
<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="center" valign="top" width="100%">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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>
<a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17"></a><table id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK17" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>A tale of two implementations</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New York and California
have taken opposite approaches to implementing the Common Core
Standards, write the editorial board of The Los Angeles Times. New York
jumped feet-first into the standards, administering aligned tests that,
among other things, were supposed to be used in teacher evaluations. But
New York's teachers hadn't been trained properly and lacked
instructional materials that reflected the new curriculum. Resulting
test scores were predictably abysmal. The New York State Board of
Regents is now delaying some aspects of the Common Core, and state
legislation calls for further delays and an investigative panel.
California, by contrast, began instruction this school year. Gov. Jerry
Brown set aside $1 billion for implementation, including teacher
training, and plans to invest at least as much again next year. And
schools and teachers will not be held accountable for results on new
standardized tests this year and possibly next while they're
field-tested. The lesson? Federal education officials should worry less
about rushing standards into schools and more about giving schools time
to build robust new teaching methods with supports in place. A recent
review of public-school textbooks concluded that none are fully aligned
with the Common Core, despite claims. And no one should expect dramatic
shifts in learning for the first few years. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDAmHUDok0GWiLBl6-xTvk2xgm-UWH5NF8d07n110nu4a-FRLaJVsT2f7yxSfx8V_U8__BvFd_ywMTrbUBEmDsNeq0ZRFHH-RA9k_AJ3L_071HCkgQaT5RydC2Bj1dx7vHgKB6I5eohd5_TyjoRLFeHvZlacuU35viED1D1GCn86a6snbz57fVjSxCWgr61WwCB8Q4A1NIwMVb2Lhef3UM_NfZpcL4W-Oc=">More</a></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;"><strong style="color: #f14f23; font-size: 14pt;">The search for effective pre-k</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A study underway in
Brooklyn hopes to gauge whether a certain math curriculum can create
lasting improvement in students' math and language skills, as well as
their likelihood to persevere, reports Kate Taylor in The New York
Times. The study, which is costly and labor-intensive, will track
roughly 4,000 children entering prekindergarten in 69 schools and
community-based organizations next fall, and continue following them
through at least the third grade. Half will get a curriculum called
Building Blocks, half will not. To ensure teachers in the study are
using the curriculum correctly, they are being trained now, with weekly
visits from coaches. The study's investigators will look over time at
children's test scores and grades, grade retention, special-education
placement, and executive function. Students will be tracked through the
third grade because most studies have found academic gains from
prekindergarten fade by then, either because other children catch up or
because the quality of elementary education is so variable. Building
Blocks is currently used in all Boston's prekindergarten classes. In New
York City, where prekindergarten classes are based in a combination of
public schools and community organizations, there is no mandatory
curriculum, although all are supposed to be "evidence-based" and to
advance the Common Core standards. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDBOKq-jdMONp5jAU4EUBdFLGE1N_oVqkr5tnGQumqb8Qqj1-F-zf0RVeqCidj2OGTDX_dkRJhB5obQTR1egDXIDwdA0c6b2BqvXX2z2UOlblNCYnJcwyv7imyHXIaV4zYm2TT6HyEgbMZ8p_F1AvMw9HyJ5y2d5SmFMwqC7P4woLOwga9Y6f_WBI2L1PSE-ysMiFYJQ1NIx5pp50JXWrxdBggVWi36MpMMt3yKr0NzFPQGy0-O1aS0meO8zInMkgesNTj_DYWIrK5iW3Lb3gZGgiRDbb4VJio=">More</a></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Opting-out, gaining traction</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Once considered a
rarity, the opt-out movement -- in which parents refuse to let their
children take state-mandated tests -- has prompted high-profile boycott
efforts and meetings in large districts and led parents nationwide to
join forces with anti-testing advocates, reports Tara Scoon Reid for
Education Week. The movement argues that mandated assessments are
unnecessary, excessive, and harmful to students. Their efforts come at a
time when states are field-testing exams aligned with the Common Core
State Standards, whose own controversy has reignited debates <span>in many statehouses</span> around
testing overload. Rallies promoting parents' rights to refuse testing
are planned from Denver to Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., and a new
national coalition called the Testing Resistance & Reform Spring,
which officially launched in February, hopes to coordinate local efforts
to form a substantial assault for reforming and scaling back
high-stakes testing. But opting-out can be a murky and messy process in
most states, since few specific guidelines exist. Meanwhile, the U.S.
Department of Education advises that while parents may have the right to
opt out of state tests, such a decision could hurt schools' ability to
meet mandated testing-participation rates under NCLB, which in turn
could trigger academic interventions. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGBGYQEfKkEcczqc9PWisCmxJV4kEKpnRmxdrLw7zQuaBkMLoY084yiZ_zUv71GJPpSry6Cz0krdBPAueRq878wDH9v7Ut4lxHSCn_OZXyIVBINKKYGVndy-6aWzlz9e3qThN4zOB-CvWO2mX77n32qNp9tfUzxzgRfcsD8zhI8nxpoMdLYyz5sA">More</a></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>The Newark imbroglio</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Three years after Mark
Zuckerberg committed $100 million toward remaking Newark's struggling
schools, a dispute over large-scale teacher layoffs may derail wider
reform efforts, writes Samantha Henry for the Associated Press. Nearly
half of Zuckerberg's gift was invested in a 2012 teacher contract hailed
by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and the NEA as an example of
adversaries collaborating; it allowed for teacher merit pay and peer
reviews. But its implementation, including an emphasis on performance in
determining layoffs, has devolved into a bitter fight. The district
projects that 30 percent of Newark's 3,200 teachers must be laid off
over the next three years to close a projected $100 million budget gap, a
consequence of bringing staffing levels in line with enrollment, which
has declined almost by half since 2003. A recent request by
Superintendent Cami Anderson for a waiver to circumvent state tenure
rules has provoked outrage; Anderson contends that performance-based
layoffs are the only way to ensure the lowest-performing teachers are
let go. Complicating the dispute is the fact that the district is
working to replace traditional enrollment with universal enrollment,
which would allow families to use a central online gateway to research
school options, and submit applications with ranked preferences for both
public and charter schools. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDJLH2q6jJKdJ5B2cJilfatWiCvH_TmKjw0ZqCD_OvJoA_xnq9Qg9Na7lZts_wGi4rocQBZ_dlED2PhM0-zYh1yTZCBRxz_wiRPI336Yecj4UbhEaK4o1qzsT2A9rt0vS-Sb48hm1gn9eOnKV16obSQNJaV42Ib5d4-Bx1qXor1iC8acOaC00VVcwIdZhFfPkWxGeWioK34NWuy7Y5ecEktLzDH0GlUXmQF_oKTc8pW41zaspjaLt3C">More</a></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>No thank you to Gates</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The American Federation
of Teachers has ended a five-year relationship with the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation after rank-and-file union members expressed
deep distrust of the foundation's approach to education reform, report
Caitlin Emma and Stephanie Simon for Politico.com. AFT President Randi
Weingarten told reporters the union will no longer accept Gates money
for its Innovation Fund, which was has received up to $1 million a year
in Gates grants since 2009 and has sponsored AFT efforts to help
teachers implement the Common Core, among other initiatives. Weingarten
said she didn't believe Gates funding influenced the Innovation Fund's
direction, but still had to sever the relationship "based on the
distrust she was seeing." She plans to ask members to vote this summer
on a dues hike of 5 cents per month, which she said would raise $500,000
a year for the Innovation Fund. Since 2010, the AFT has received more
than $10 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The
union's executive council hasn't formally voted to reject Gates funding
for other projects, but Weingarten said she would be very cautious about
taking such grants. Vicki Phillips, who runs the foundation's education
division, said her team is "disappointed by Randi's decision," calling
the AFT "an important thought partner" for the foundation. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGAY4WVxRvq6mJjombHS_Ax7TXYth5WTTLbTCVPKbl5Fu9vesbZbTuEBwJYJvYxtBy93wo5s-URJjTj6F7hV9q6GmZndLV5dKnApPAj9_iqILn6i2TPiRQeHhFRE5X7rb4-OH6tnJg6Z8t82EKLbtE1v0-_OM9b4sugBBD1lP_4MRQkFDJuUuhxV">More</a></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>TFA retools</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Teach for America (TFA)
is rethinking its training program in light of complaints from its own
members that they need more preparation for the classroom, reports
Lyndsey Layton for The Washington Post. The organization announced last
week it will launch a pilot program to offer recruits a year of classes
in educational theory and pedagogy, along with hands-on classroom
experience, while still in college and before they begin teaching
full-time. Since its founding in 1990, TFA has given its recruits five
weeks of training in the summer before assignment, a model attacked as
insufficient by both outside critics and TFA members. TFA intends to
offer the pilot program to 500 college juniors who have applied early to
TFA and been accepted. The college juniors who will teach in the
2015-2016 school year will be offered education classes in their senior
year and the opportunity to practice skills in actual classrooms. TFA
has not decided whether those courses will be online or through
participating universities near students. The changes at TFA come when
applications are below projections and the organization is unlikely to
meet its target of 6,300 new corps members for the next school year. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGBwBsYP3yVGYHSAVuBfWsG1DCNXTSt-PH0pwLLWlSnrhHBojToxBdxJHmXzlPeZdptMufuJEDyu-WTx1MPMBhyFK7NSo4GEHjNKPRUnCM9dwvaaCgzgwgpbyPub5YZ3XcFtI4zMImWV7-qCHQVBWudoEeaCvD7JFrJl0dO42RmOU80y4ztOAC_6Pe05XXFjC1xZMjaavft0TEymM5Zv3xjorF0oZt94ldLP8EFBoHbH1vjuNNjagkr8ZiIlqbcMvzstjfEHSPOhTREs2EeIHqnEoU5C3TIG0IzYPR9CVZ1AViXBz1Hbq53iGtbHOG5RGzY=">More</a></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Some problems with pensions</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new report from
Bellweather Education looks at current approaches to teacher pensions in
the context of broader retirement security issues. Using state pension
data to estimate how many teachers will qualify for at least a minimal
pension benefit, the report finds that overall, fewer than one in five
teachers will stay teaching long enough to reach normal retirement age,
though this varies by state. Savings penalties for mobility are large.
An individual teacher could forfeit up to 6.5 percent of her annual
salary for one year, or, due to compound interest, 22.6 percent of her
annual salary after three years, according to the report's analysis. In
dollar terms, a teacher earning $40,000 a year could face a penalty of
$2,601 for teaching only one year and $9,035 if s/he left after three
years. Teachers are also penalized if they stay teaching but build a
30-year career across multiple states or cities. States are addressing
pension fiscal problems by making plans worse for new and future
teachers, and the debate is too often framed as the status quo versus
401(k)-style plans modeled on the private sector. In fact, the authors
write, there are options between these two approaches: The federal
government, for instance, has phased out its traditional pension plan in
favor of a hybrid retirement system that combines a less-generous
pension, enrollment in Social Security, and a defined contribution plan.
<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGA9gPjLZXOqxs4Qo4dV46VgDVRPOx7cpkK5Nq88jGdqoquAUaL0oCO8C4zJ7HwkzNZsQVLoe7Bwx1PlCG8J27PfmgSC0KKyBeL4m6nYzUqxeQcgLDpXsWi7Kj73CfPXrtJmdYsfGZHQKdZFS08DlbRFWronAmO1VV7lhoBDTRUlQfhsRNZIb57o4nDm1QobBMKS5FSufWi3Xw==">More</a></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Discipline disparities</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A report from the
Discipline Disparities Research to Practice Collaborative describes the
ways in which schools and communities across the country are reducing
disparities in discipline for particular subgroups of students. The
report urges schools to see discipline through an "equity lens," with
reducing disparities as an explicit goal that undergirds design,
implementation, and outcomes of reform. Discipline reform connects with
the rest of schooling: All students must have access to quality
teaching, a rigorous and meaningful curriculum, funding, and other
factors related to positive student outcomes. Effective schools move
away from blaming individual educators and consider the conditions for
learning and school climate more broadly. Schools can prevent or reduce
disparities in discipline through climates that establish supportive
relationships, promote academic rigor and support for all students,
provide high-level learning opportunities, connect teaching to students'
lives, and create inclusive and fair classrooms. Finally, when conflict
among students or between students and staff occurs, schools must move
beyond merely applying consequences. Effective schools seek to identify
the root cause of conflicts and disruption; engage in collective
problem-solving; intentionally engage students, communities, and their
families in identifying causes and solutions; and implement effective
re-integration efforts for students. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGC2T1nOj11PIlVpFKnG8zqeTtOUCWQEI1CCHKyLli9iRUu73Aqwo0OXkDdrr2mjOO8HMQHSWF91logUl5tVLQdoZ0atUevfuAM4sN0N2GHo4BJw86vytJsLOMr3j7GCt-BFrwKkjd6UgqwMbavgTBGNVIj5WTsOjlLVsyp_6mkDesyN_d4RiRX9JP8qMtkTD3pd6mK5VMeXLz1KptifzB_vj09qr_vDQEk=">More</a></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK46" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bgcolor="#ebf5f6" border="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: #f14f23;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong style="font-size: 10pt;">Phew</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Federal education
officials have approved California's plan to roll out new computer-based
standardized tests this spring, ending a months-long dispute that put
the state at risk of sacrificing $1.5 billion in federal funding. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGCRbfwvdAdciQbqolOXCSEqmTQPFP4Dae7zJu8ztSIRRXnsCEEr_BKtQVFh4Aan6fx2d_Vy1IpYVKjCHGt1-gFCrmtp8XrC_vtFXzsbNEOP9-3FTzx9ihc-hNid3HLmWIHqqkCCbRYBrcL2wtZq6zL0kwWuZIUdENMcND-wy4NG99ClLMuZhNIY7po3wlPKOZHqqbolUosn5LCQYsQH_T6S" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Crisis</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Warning that
elementary-school truancy in California has reached a crisis level,
state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris and lawmakers have proposed a package of
bills aimed at improving the tracking of absenteeism and the evaluation
and use of measures to keep kids in school. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDH_pNJ_QeMpEiYPX_A-0O3lxyCM13_tMvF45yDRR_f3NacWnudzuMVZ4-QpFqxXuY9GnxAOGVllTDtrZh5xLcCOX5wwXgWpSptsiIWB_9BYU6oJWzxv5r4DYmAl0rOfFl0KgpDyS4Ym6mD_tEqKXCB7uG6HySK4r2Q46i9f3Gmy5OnyIYtCANGxPR1TGYvxhg2nXGQUcs1YDUvFIRxT_XjrTQPEqDQGcYox3wbirg9XhpNiqXqBy82GrYPrJi1JlqaNK9quRatlkGDw2vjTcets0TwGaA-9G0=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Must be going around</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">More than half the
teachers at a Compton high school called in sick on March 11, leaving
students unattended and forcing district officials to scramble to bring
order to the campus. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGCLWwv3TDE4MEvZ6gbSf9eApll5dnDKemerezfJEuN-4mHOHdaCkFJsX8ijnjeSDVVH2kdLe-DJlpk0vBtf-4KlEk6-GWPYaUevbBgffvpT9A-oneqfGtbhuAwq3PPT2OigKeaWKiaaqjPQ2IriZ8V_RnVQC3LU_hXzeKX46pKb57aqFtEobWosbak27vHxvGRUESPxUQxzxH4DbIVIbXQvyM3uL8XB4ruLyN9GfXq60A==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Time to roll up his sleeves</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Los Angeles Unified
Schools Supt. John Deasy has a newly modified contract that includes an
annual buyout of unused vacation days and new performance measures that
require him to bring in revenue and enroll more students. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGB2qc8gc79N0UtsdiZDqdSbMU88bRnOJW8fwpcDNuUBw6dYE0CSintUpGUNBh7NLno_i8guwMv9RnmDpI9-bKC-VrTU1RiREbXXDFf_z0E2QMCTSpKgjF9jImS8XBcKMe12DdYKxXEHpRNM191YO2_6wBu20PA1TvTetvkZw9pvm_6ocNOn_oSF-Y7dhhEOigQsSdloOBHpDg==" shape="rect">More</a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></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; font-size: 14pt; color: #f14f23;"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED</strong> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>So stop saying otherwise</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Head Start preschool programs make a difference for children who get little academic stimulation at home, a new study finds. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGCI1oj0jSXi4i-Z-ahg-6maCSbs-ZVwqYIZFhqUrhIyASrcOqm6yYXv-ai9Ges9dN9382-1eQS3FQI1SKd-P2nqcN_9nIq0Yeud_msQLBChwLo4BFTKPWf6zk_r4nllr51b42z-tShqznS4xdD5LAxwji_0IE52M5rw0VQVOhuPtVRo7RLPLqmuBKGaI22Yo4dq6v_wW376Lxlgg2BfYdMmizt6TX_DyY653iSH8zeIIg==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Tightening up</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Wisconsin lawmakers have
passed a bill making it harder for new private and religious schools to
join Wisconsin's taxpayer-funded school voucher programs. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGBGicCQsOdBY0UCG45G1cvBU1n_ORgjBQpALLyeLDotxhUETWJzy_nSt-K2AKJtITj9zsL3TEH0xgdh73_kKNp0mR_SzbKniTCXvMyP_z0AKKui9ZFfLXlVR8BeVahUv6zgCF_Biwkv1yO0YenCyoVhHTDIcaRGC9gCMdas7BsFwA==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Somewhat decisive</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">After months of buildup,
the Kansas Supreme Court has handed down a mixed decision that ordered
more money for poor schools but dodged a larger question about overall
education funding. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGAHmyFrp1Z0ltUnrhrUvSwRz-6UlIhvxal85ZbVNItKL1FCetR2HuDj5bjc7tsecyrmF_BxcoLm491RgAQHLufYK_PfL-R3XT3sFSve9zupmqvTQiVj56nXVIGFy8stzCucKJApvEZ4-As9ED_Ri6ZibCpp2T2hbmcadK7ydSuG86kVyG2gddP6Nr3rB7WFf-cR3PgZ8qUADmSvoEkF3OcZqYwMjc3fmHE=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Messy</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">After five hours of
debate, the New York State Assembly passed its bill to delay some
aspects of the Common Core, after first defeating a Republican amendment
that would have withdrawn New York from the standards altogether. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGCic-aWoIy_k0Ie0w9TeHn4vnvNhVdC0AkSfbkAAfcPBHXtEPXuUh_KTRjbdOPFQXV93B1DOP0jS6LKjDibJ3eKNPiDmnBmNSg6d7yGlJVCmrNuaHWl_3bliENP9kszyJsnhHr6IckpxZLBylNUCI7aJoRv9j4I_v5x61brzEobCGiopGu_pFONW8jTXCg2KrdOpsHHXxcNqElk4glaC5Neiaq5jQ-6IG8=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Well, it's a billion, at any rate</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A preliminary revenue
blueprint released by lawmakers last month showed Illinois schools face a
nearly $1 billion drop in funding beginning July 1, rather than the
nearly $1 billion increase sought by the Illinois State Board of
Education. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDllwckW5aaR7fWtkUJmld8mcN8ddz7J4dwOe1D0W8A0_kEj0fwL8umDznhLojZaI0YnOhx2Ca10c5XmyC59jth6oQ1W0ZuBQrba2aM9LYMhfrPGOlH7wMQZkHZPgqWvD4u0mmjTaOpawY8hfdMEByGHUkhzNxmZ6lMU62InIq_zXYPwQkmGxXE1lmfFV27FUXkOtIGgf9vdA0sPU55BeQZ8I5NXAVJKY97saeBIDtYMYmeok9xYIvr4p43h04ZY5c01ribM5HKVGcD2-f92UMLBn-hbalhjvo=" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Moving ahead</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A program to help cover
the cost of preschool programs for low-income Utah families has cleared
its final hurdle in the state legislature. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGCkSiKyzDxmvY0qaVXNL61FJkzBHIMlpi-9vRzP_WTVwv7d15R394HPz9a3odl_toiqDEpfRHBLBCeUCKU2Ycm1WZheJtg894o4sBLszxYGyeLOPI4Dnr_wSABwIk2upHODvmkEJ7LoFfuUueGFzyV5DEiPaekV1xF4mbrpqtNPZEsUz9U7tRlxZvkfghu6azVRGWo4Xuz76iHZIt8kqsb01yKcecDIamQAMJpQklUfvA==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #f14f23;"><strong>Time on task</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">As part of the
Washington D.C.'s 2015 budget, Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C. Public
Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson want to dramatically expand a pilot
program that allows low-performing schools to extend their school days. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGC-qh7hne0NMvtAGRv7M9n72DEXVoH14T4WUmko8_oc3oiqLqAuQFrLp1SlVtOWh_s-Pnu8dyZjKvIjF-4PiPHi-6Cdu-xjKFyCLcl3LN-AN3rQpOmpVKKEJcQ53w-GfLosbT8_Qo-OT2TVyrhWXWjqcbY6h0jwvEsKttGhyofu9Yzhpgs-96nwjQHeC2QFM5DFMp4Z8pg9YeXmwXhm_X9Z" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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 cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="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><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 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDR1uDqfWJxMduXfrCPk8MU1tJVwUkgI6vgQvuMFH0U0_l87SQ_AEBgLBuoAQ4IIce5h2zm2vLScIeWzzKJrwi0OWlUr_MIY5CkVNh2bTlyrUgC0AVOMJE4RQPVEbtn7vgY5XojYgUfw1qXRb4ck4_TeYQytrtdG8x97m7yUYfFlQ==">Grammy Foundation: Music Educator Award</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
Grammy Foundation: Music Educator Award recognizes music teachers for
their extraordinary impact. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: Current
educators in the U.S. who teach music in public or private schools,
kindergarten through college. Deadline: March 31, 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, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGBYGtSgI67w0BK6UZeI9lRbQXvtXreJ5GGtZ23NVqZE-ZRMmE-nKXo8i73bAhvO0A3k4Y0HW2ldOib9_OejGyqOxAkNvsrZDCQfW60NRQjOgIyWINHQ8NY50GfwnZlIBVT3MfdCnLwPtb92gt5DOF7H">Entertainment Software Association: Grants for Youth Programs</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
ESA Foundation is dedicated to supporting geographically diverse
projects and programs that benefit American youth of all races and
denominations and make a difference in the quality of their life, health
and welfare. The Foundation seeks to harness the collective power of
the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact
in our communities, and supports. Maximum award: $50,000. Eligibility:
501(c)(3) organizations with programs that serve youths ages 7-18.
Deadline: May 28, 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, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGBzl8voJ9oJkehCwUTR2wrfIffYO2k6zbKkTrWFH4dgo32MXDGGDQmHuKnYw10ml5DNSQZWtKu0S5ejxPjm6PLHMApiFAn81kH11InFyseErBPRszv6Y5R1">PTO Today: Parent Group of the Year Contest</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">PTO
Today's Parent Group of the Year Contest is an excellent opportunity to
showcase your hard work while giving your school the chance to win cash
and prizes. Maximum award: $3,000, plus a free DIRECTV system for the
school, installed in up to eight rooms (valued at $3,500). Eligibility:
all parent groups -- PTO, PTA, HSA, PTC, etc.; public and private
schools; rural, suburban, and urban schools. Deadline: June 2, 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, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGAEf02NiSvYUUu9dbr7L1cpI7RwhvcQCNDRW1PIBM9w6zsjFueRjrWLMcTBpBWrYSDShEa6Y2VWQQH5QaQLaBvF6SevGQiB0qMHUeGRnGL4DkLiDfnQwmzr6Tf7-3q-LaWK8r-UZ9VVazYz1tI1zqZIhC1W2l6gg7TKV5BxYtLESyeo6wZ4YrUeocMpQPYn2TNBKuiC2YamvA==">MetLife/NASSP: Breakthrough Schools</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
National Association of Secondary School Principals and the MetLife
Foundation are calling for entries in the search for the nation's top
Breakthrough Schools. Applicants should be high-achieving middle or high
schools, or schools that are making dramatic improvements in student
achievement, whose best practices and outstanding results can inform
other schools as they further their own improvement efforts. Honorees
will be chosen based upon documented success in implementing strategies
aligned with the three core areas of NASSP's Breaking Ranks II
publication: collaborative leadership; personalization; and curriculum,
instruction, and assessment. Maximum award: $5,000 recognition in the
association's monthly magazine, Principal Leadership. Eligibility:
high-achieving middle and high schools with 40 percent or more students
eligible for free and reduced priced meals. Deadline: June 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: #f14f23;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"The
business community is by far the biggest consumer of the product
created by our education system. That's why we're all fighting in this
direction." -- <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(241, 79, 35); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001gnWwWp0NqGDGaKtUb2I8U-pNEYGf4jCrhIZtALhsM4zrO-Q7x7051ih15iYVcINQXZS1ob49O2yvwG6oxrCgq2CSJCqosdekTy4c-wtHeXzPNVNgZ-6xhyfgG8Ryox23kiFxrTX5X8-Z13A6pzH5vbDCE_MBuH_RqFFpkscqQL8JxJYcm-s8G8ZgFaLAUkTYnfgPmF5hNkdHfLdNlzIvKIjrt5J52B3PgthcDaMQnO5aKyRaXjFqhMCTeCRlG8UH">Billy Canary</a>, president of the Business Council of Alabama, regarding political pushback from Big Business at opponents of the Common Core.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>