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<div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Regulators or Educators: Who Should Run K-12? <span style="font-size: 10pt;">by guest blogger Ruth Herman Wells</span></strong></span><br>
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<div><span>Dear Governors and Legislators: <br>
Forty years ago, when I
was young and beginning my career counseling troubled students, I often
worked with gray-haired, veteran educators nearing retirement. Young and
optimistic, I'd tell them my ideas for how to fix K-12 education so it
worked better for the growing number of students with challenges. The
veterans would listen, then some of them would tell me how their efforts
to reform K-12 education had failed. They'd tell me that they're
leaving an education system that functioned no better than when they
entered.</span> <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqW_e6wd_byzrjN6l03Ng9cyW0TPa9pUZCCa1Bn9ngfuGp4YUJ5xXC_WqXdcVHFSp-ixXq46otDvzTEnqf_OrUaKfrfBo6rJEwj6H3BEy5CZ_2XXQNWQ92pB7gaP8SxOtUBqQC5DDqxlai7VGPlwECTnSYROSctutvZ1oK0_TNVTmEISmXsImm_0Pkd-Jf0KJy&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">Read more & comment</a><br>
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<div>May 6, 2014 - In This Issue:</div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">What might work where nothing else does</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;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;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">Revolution in Cincinnati</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">Peer-to-peer progress</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">Reading, Writing, Respect, and Resolution</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">The Common Core could help ELLs</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;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;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Almost no one benefits from high-stakes testing</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">U.S. testing: Are the stakes actually high?</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">Charters and equity</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://mail.aol.com/38545-216/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27626644&seq=19&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<div>
<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 might work where nothing else does</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;">Preventing crime through
psychotherapy may sound utopian, but a new program is starting to
attract national attention, writes Dylan Matthews for Vox. Becoming a
Man (BAM) was developed by Youth Guidance and World Sport Chicago for
use in Chicago schools, and consists of weekly hour-long sessions with
groups of no more than 15 high school boys, with an average
instructor-student ratio of one to eight. Its approach borrows from
cognitive-behavioral therapy, which teaches patients to identify thought
patterns that contribute to depression and anxiety and replace them
with healthier patterns. BAM tackles catastrophizing in particular,
operating on the theory that living in distressed and dangerous
neighborhoods leads teen boys to adopt certain behaviors automatically
that are rational and adaptive in that context, but fail them elsewhere.
Randomized controlled trials have found participants in BAM have
significantly fewer violent crime arrests and arrests in general.
Perhaps most striking is the estimate that BAM likely pays for itself
many times over, as much 30 times, by reducing violent crime and its
attendant social costs in the year the program takes place. Because of
the program's relative newness, it's too early to gauge its benefits
into adulthood. Researchers have committed to tracking participants for
years into the future to determine its effects. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq7NL2vFbyYZsbvPYz2i9ICqE1PUbiOY2lqFDkOwp_gzYOLx3q8tDJKG4QStGBDRD2WQKhm_DJbadXwwmi7TqCYtUvuAAzOuCzS9MJjCwlW8--zpVgW9Ido2WYiGvXmSgkSPH_dlU5y061g358IaUPZeCBRgFdf8aDMiuel5G38i_UmPEYsILRsfvxmgRl9_gjY4IARb_E-fND2nLGCVod7g==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
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<div>
<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;">Revolution in Cincinnati</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Districts
thinking of embracing a community-schools approach should look to a
nationally recognized model: the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS), writes
Susan Frey for EdSource. Cincinnati has turned all 55 of its schools
into community learning centers by relying on partners to offer services
free of cost to students and the district, in exchange for space at
schools and exclusive access to students. The transformation required
leadership, community buy-in, time, and patience, but CPS went from one
of the worst urban public systems in Ohio 10 years ago to the best
today, according to the state's ranking system based on test scores and
high school graduation rates. Cincinnati's model could also prove
helpful to districts struggling for input from their communities.
Cincinnati relied on top-down reforms to generate a grassroots movement,
using a neighborhood-by-neighborhood planning process that worked with
the entire community. This took many meetings before everyone agreed to
the same vision. Today, every school has a mental health team, a health
clinic, and full-blown after-school programs, working with the YMCA, the
Urban League, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Boys & Girls Clubs
of America.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq_OUeVz2PotBv0IPjWBAOSswehqQgwZT_mTiR74RWOfKSLaWr7_WTcXWDe-6hk0ggWePOBXs2bszxZRc9Tgakf7AfisymQyMSofqyl1VgFWQ3cbfK9Maw6Mv4vBynvq9_-KkCoyJHyHWSIeVDlNjv0pnAlTzX4_F114uQI5zU7-fGX2FjkRYT6HSh6B5QfLf0OoMNjqbHDW7IiAHtB6_8kuv9mvVWZ2geafvbwkXpP4ISzsK5WHbPTg==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Peer-to-peer progress</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;">Schools in Baltimore,
New York City, New Jersey, and North Carolina have used the Peer Group
Connection mentorship program to boost attendance, academic persistence,
and graduation rates, reports Evie Blad for Education Week. Designed to
ease the transition to high school, every 9th-grader in a given school
participates. Some groups are led by predictable leaders, like student
council members; others are led by students often overlooked for
leadership roles. In a randomized control study, researchers tracked
four-year graduation rates for 268 students at a high-poverty,
mid-Atlantic urban high school. Of the program's participants, 77
percent graduated in four years, compared with 68 percent of
nonparticipating peers. Participating Latino males had an 81 percent
graduation rate, compared with 63 percent in the control group. Peer
Group Connection is integrated into the school day, incorporates
meetings with student families, and requires buy-in from principals and
teachers. Researchers tracking efforts between 2010 and 2013 found that
students mentored through the program showed significant attendance
gains. Chronically absent students, at high risk for dropping out, were
52 percent more likely to remain in school the following year than
comparison students. The Center for Supportive Schools hopes to
undertake research about the program's effectiveness. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqtNzou2VyWDzS6NpYLb5uHUhoUiILc_KloVpu_WejD2z7EsuMQNYIpU0rmw0KPUqbkKTLP2GNMo7G0pCA6GoXkOPHUG-zOn3nOxx0E11gIxu5Ccfj04PY7JkaAlpj_AdrrHbkLrX5-g8Pjhh2EYxTiIMz7fCdoLYkCKhoJhuk9WdBGmp3-ZUm9A==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Reading, Writing, Respect, and Resolution</div>
</b></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>For
decades, schools have worked to address a range of student behaviors
and emotional issues with programs that help students express feelings,
manage behavior, and solve arguments, writes Suzanne Bouffard in The New
York Times. But do these social and emotional learning (SEL) programs
make a difference? The impact from even the best ones appears to be
moderate, Bouffard writes. This may be because SEL programs are not used
as designed, or adults who implement them do not themselves model the
skills. Many teachers struggle to teach SEL because they lack training.
In a pilot program funded by the federal Institute for Education
Sciences, 33 third-to-fifth-grade teachers in New York City used the
4R's program (Reading, Writing, Respect, and Resolution) developed by
the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility, and received
monthly SEL coaching. They learned how to teach the program and to
reinforce SEL throughout the school day -- for example, by modeling
techniques to calm down and show empathy and by encouraging students to
listen to each other and brainstorm "win-win" solutions when arguments
arise. Preliminary findings from the project's evaluation suggest
benefits for students. Teacher coaching in particular seemed to yield
better results for students who then more easily solved conflicts with
peers and were rated by teachers as having better social and academic
skills.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqyhRP32cbSvz2E3uRAW3pLd3jHvRVjFtnB5rjVydzkluQaVZ34MV6ByYiyW62cqiRFoHpqv_OudaeIr5MiyealE6CnZhLLOqF3adLVSKEPh804LRm12_yYhswTYRkaCj3K-AEhoArCcKmtmb2b95nIW89ToeVNovsBqxcUbr50WKwUgQjVdwJ0w==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>The Common Core could help ELLs</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;">Some educators,
including those enthusiastic about the Common Core, have publicly
worried about the effects of the standards on students already lagging,
especially those still learning English, writes Pat Wingert for The
Hechinger Report. Teachers fear the achievement gap between native
speakers and English learners (ELLs) will widen, particularly where
teachers have too little training and too few resources. The number of
English learners has grown by 50 percent nationally since the 1990s, and
currently accounts for 10 percent of all American students. Projections
indicate that by 2030, 40 percent of the K-12 population will be ELL.
Whether schools can successfully meet this challenge will be a key
measure of success for the Common Core. Writing and vocabulary won't be
enough; ELLs also must tackle more challenging, nuanced concepts, like
figurative language and inferences. But Wingert reports the new
standards have prompted some teachers to use ambitious vocabulary in
class, and they've been surprised at how quickly students echo their
word choices. Common Core proponents hope the emphasis on comprehension
and vocabulary will help ELLs catch up with native speakers by high
school. They're also convinced that extra time spent on nonfiction will
help all students expand their knowledge of the world and become more
powerful readers. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqQeP2M4m53QK-otJZm4NjIkINoYTIjNtcwTLpgWoIBf5_gQ6AzfV6Xs1lxV-Gzanhe2VtzgQ6Lh8hSfOgJqbpuCh5415QlU8IZcYELRjVvJwRqH-eIA4f2OaRS0oB2IUcHAKG9g5dD_SsneW9Gn6sz01Tqq52E0jXSZ9h0NP6joCYd947wHlk5MLiexcL0BOechuxZfb13XVWg3hClYiQwz6riBCfr1_W&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<div>
<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;">Almost no one benefits from high-stakes testing</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;">High-stakes testing in
the District of Columbia is especially burdensome to low-performing
schools, write Josie Malone and Wagma Mommandi, a sixth-year high school
English Language Arts teacher and a fifth-year high school science
teacher, in The Huffington Post. The DC CAS (Comprehensive Assessment
System) does not show student growth, which is needed for schools to
demonstrate actual progress achieved by students. Also, the test is
administered in early April, with nine weeks of instruction left.
Teachers must either inject so much content into a short period of time
that both subject and students are shortchanged, or must accept that
students will take a test covering material they've not yet seen,
jeopardizing their jobs and lowering the test-taking confidence of their
students. And many teachers are pressured to identify "bubble" students
in the weeks immediately prior to the test, who are within range of
moving up a performance level. This means ignoring students whose
grade-level reading comprehension skills are unlikely to grow before the
assessment, or high-achieving students whose performance is assured.
The students and teachers in low-performing schools in high-test
districts deserve a higher level of attention from administrators around
the nuanced issues of testing, rather than a higher level of anxiety
over the repercussions of scores. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqyqVmQOer50ubS2eU_hY0g00lp2esIjHlhvjp243uj0XT2tmGuiTH3lGTEqe3vY-wpVksw2pPAxZSJ-dkV5JOnB1Ju36kC6hrIYyqt7iFIrk-nLLnRAh1zQK1aZEsVAlLUjIDtwCVkV-Q0pQ-TNPuzOvxwF1aZvWYJZQFbKLDhADPuzm5NEeoRy87_-1Pt1md&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<div>
<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;">U.S. testing: Are the stakes actually high?</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;">High school students in
the U.S. take many standardized tests, but how do these compare with
those taken by teenagers around the world? asks Cory Turner of NPR. For
instance, at the age of 16, almost every child in England takes between
15 to 20 substantial examinations, all part of one test, which determine
whether they finish high school. Finland has a single standardized exam
at the end of high school, but it involves six day-long exams, so one
test equates to 40 hours of testing. Many Finnish universities also have
entrance exams. Japanese students don't end high school with a
high-stakes test, but Japanese universities require their own exams, and
many students must take entrance exams to get into high school. Dylan
Wiliam of the University of London says that when it comes to getting
into college, the above pattern "is true for most countries apart from
the U.S. There's no teacher contribution to the decision. Basically,
it's how well you do on exams." In the U.S., only half of states have
anything like a high-stakes, high school exit exam. And American
colleges and universities consider report cards, teacher
recommendations, and application essays. Hundreds of American schools no
longer require test scores at all. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqWJU1Z8XHVXpfE6wMKs2Oj9EVk7nLf3WbSxswVVHC4SLs_vfX7xELrHm3_KLJHK-F8Yy-jhnjByBi7EJp9AuyNUH62RYCaEr1dGHKIt992h2aOGvGXgNO1MVpK3pQgl_z2bnkzOQcqpJiQmo7WzUycYmRi9DkECefHf9xeNc88gVM9HcSh83xb4ZaZN0Xo6Nzp6PvC9K7oByt-YAFVk-Kk_-eWScyisrqEWlfoKCXttvMyCbENkeVxg==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
</span></div>
</div>
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<div>
<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;">Charters and equity</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
Walton Foundation finds charter schools on average receive less public
money than traditional schools, reports Joy Resmovits for The Huffington
Post. Yet many feel this funding gap isn't necessarily unfair, and the
report's methodology masks fundamental differences between charter- and
public-school populations. The report examined charter funding in 30
states and D.C., finding the disparity between public and charter
funding grew 55 percent from 2007 to 2011. Most disparities stemmed from
state and local revenue, and in 16 states widened as charter enrollment
increased and district enrollment decreased, according to the report.
The 2007 recession exacerbated disparities, with charters losing $902
per student -- 1.5 times state and local revenues cut from public
schools. All states except Tennessee gave traditional public schools
more money than charters, and D.C. had the largest disparity at $12,736.
In 48 urban areas, traditional public schools received on average
$4,352 more per pupil than charters. The report's authors frame this as
an equity issue, asking, "When will charters see a reduction in the
funding disparity? When will public school students experience resource
equity?" The report's findings come after an expensive battle over
charter school resources roiled New York City, the nation's largest
school district. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqAXx9iUbObgqjTtzawIxnP2GlwMl75jwCftPaANlTkxvo-VPx0kv-5xz4eYpP9qF7SjAibaho1JuYtxvEDQYCAnLM1yZOlCwVSSgYt40nAQGkbO8vP9F9CgkDgRNueMDGAPaQvLVrErRdG7QFg8HYMp2sPU2wiTY2WijsgBZ0xZhhSzDs44FNt2KR--N7Thaa&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
</span></div>
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<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: #ee5624;"><strong>No pressure</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The graduation rate in
California inched above 80 percent last year, the highest level in state
history, but numbers were tempered by a report suggesting that progress
in the national graduation rate might be lost if California fails to
make significant gains. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqZphDC36ufYzM4YV9oOV6nAEVSHy-MBz6bJ7ViNCD7IiePmr_x_w60DXHOZd0RKrWoXwSx2D5j4j5qLmKGbXC20RxaB6Hf7qrwIjQKlTsfsOJzhYahQYt6yED6UvQgIYCJ9ocjqv05CVtolWuG5jsBMUJDcSd6ph0YTq09Cnff1TWIooyUVu-nwmHleSkwn6WBlcEYHIMKKQ=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Time to step up</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">State elections this
year offer the first look at Californians' willingness to raise revenue
for local schools since passage of Proposition 30, the tax initiative to
benefit education that voters passed in November 2012. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkqwud-CEKQUGHgTxD5u4Jq0cRJg28ZPD_mK1yQK-AWGntJ9KLtdc-VbE8dyu2GwjJxlBSw68LualFEKvTrZyFVJgOVc9kyVmgvbVwMfFcMGtO_9oAU6lTEphrUIxSS9SVrj3urP2simC5jWH3tfBScit8cHKR7oa7FsrhGFqo_kvlXbibTaBWT6XcROhFv0klj2O1aBy_2Rpv1J4NpTpHz6w==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>It gets worse</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">iPads that the LAUSD
purchased to take new state competency tests are failing to get online,
having trouble connecting to keyboards, and in some cases, not turning
on at all. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqukLJbV_Q16rkskLvarVqJavH1p1M3BViHK4iG2oUaIKr-A-7EQFYOkEvHmdd9qGIThUDHAipRNMS3CPHx-Q9hObNraZb65iKefZ7z0Ed6laEm4lKJO2Q_irshCT91f3R78j9CI7CO7uxHKguCUxeWg5SPUMTK6-ay6YZLIS8ldSsDkw4oRUDfvHxqQ5ueJGRjU-kzWZ1FwpnyvdJrJPLKMgM9xl5AH5h&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>New boss in town</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Alex Caputo-Pearl has won the top job of the teachers' union for the Los Angeles Unified School District. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqvIbXXfBxs5kW6eQJjCIW_FSF35zcRc89d8X31i3tGToTrYn8xuVqcglxQ20n4xCKOWhrOeh4gsX0Re57QIrcSqrq4OX3BGXbnoXRplF40Ov5mpvAwk3TDx16EKydDAjUjFPtSYxaoKw4XHdultwvlvmkYp7lZAAO79x3EmCTrNU2giQ49pofhA0Pek9DrywGM9AAFf7v1ko=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>A good start</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">LAUSD's plan to help
foster kids calls for creating a corps of social workers and manning 17
centers in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqrWtG9_sbwo6fdjrEIyiLUXGpPt8GiVQToMEVxvlSkZPwoJpzs4Ix8pbOclyS38LY135m97Gr2XmDX2lRlA1RVbrOXyD8wfrXysvOVkNAiAoym0Xfzu3CwjjaPycqq2YET7HGkvXL0VWiyEGffROxAxZhEPdqKkgyKHdIfhpxGw5e7878saYVYp431tLedQBw6co8WpqZ0HcLGo07QLziqOSdVTy17BxDAVSmcFJtYok=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Evil creep</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Former Miramonte
Elementary School teacher Mark Berndt's alleged sexual abuse went beyond
what has been previously disclosed, and included "highly assaulting"
touching of girls' genitalia, inducing children to touch his genitalia,
and exposing his genitalia to students, according to a judge's summary
of an L.A. Sheriff's Department investigation. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqGNLjmW63S3l-Qw2YoSrAXJqiKey47KqJanLdk-8xZqObWxPEZyryCifVQNUnB5JST8StDv4CSx7j8_SgcLlcj9c23K6QF7W-v4WJR3Ne0HH60W4XoAzjfznst38GjMRWHhmRkGozcUl-ufE7e5V3qSOYZROTThJw_nAmUE_okGCpmXxMhtxk_zIDaH4MWExO3R0QzsR61pF52spoG5cJfw==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==">More</a></div>
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</tbody></table><a name="aolmail_aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_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: #ee5624;"><strong>Violence drops</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Despite frequent media
reports of school shootings and child abuse, a new analysis says the
amount of violence U.S. children are exposed to fell considerably during
the past decade. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqV59X_V9ICOCwE5h3eI2NGJ3wAajXZq1XISI3BwiUQ3E56FppRIMLcf6X0Fg7bqjYTC5v7jVVE3jUqCtsq2Id6C3OF29PUWT2-QaA343uvEf6lRe-dRynxn2gxk2LpweCzf5KHet1bSvSS7Thb6tW6c6-vj1nHJ4vAZX6dlk8uzBg2FKFykICHcA5wLkU_n1ZQUgRKLewTrQ=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Mild progress</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The four-year graduation
rate in the United States rose slightly during 2011-12 to a historical
high of 80 percent, up from 79 percent the year before. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq3bF2t2abKQfn-bCWItCHeYrpCXk3uZN_gvOOq5zyBf78XFWr3VNjBHv7OJtkXO89JPE_uBS9Ivb3ZWfJKBTIwXXH3J9DUu_yjzH0hy05M3I5SPapTXj3h9OB28StvXD1&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>New wonk</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Robert Gordon, who
played key roles in the Office of Management and Budget in the Obama
administration, has been tapped to serve as assistant secretary for
planning, evaluation, and policy development at the U.S. Department of
Education. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq82bR978ocft8kxvOlM_uBumMmAaP7QGuI4cYeA1ljvst3sm7_FadYtoTqmA9N86JvXv-o35aVQ-xKq7ZRCrGFD9eV9osl4u5tVmvZAH2d5DH8TaF5kPe9NFf8H17-6pCGzi7O1LGNkH6MaxBVgJA57v65vS-OfzS0k-YUXTJ-JInWKxqcoddYRNaS8A2KtSp-69R0yuTLCM=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Mandatory K in HI</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Hawaii Gov. Neil
Abercrombie has signed state Senate Bill 2768 (Act 76), which makes
kindergarten mandatory for children at least 5 years of age on or before
July 31 of the school year, unless otherwise exempt. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqR54i1iHKTpbdWQ4PE6GG5uYbKoFtXkdZu4PtULDSPkjA7wQKSwEJlR1uS6-DS8bwno7-ERHAFW_qOJQ7k2jYrmcXsJ6vQ0QO1KfrVY3efsxvmtbPBXTdW-rgWaRECLvfXqxuttiQ0Gyqb2BBzau0BQ3GrOlsvqNV6Z_v5Oj9yWZxQK5OrjNv409okqAypR7xOZPeGJ5wAW31_4RSqYUpad9YNXvMCVj3a1-WpvmfNII2XoKudLk_Hg==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Multiple measures</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Connecticut panel
responsible for crafting requirements on teacher evaluation has
unanimously approved changes that restrict districts from using a single
standardized test when assessing teachers. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq2zafBHkVYaP0uh3aVshTTw5YHlD7EB87AQ9hJObDtKfa3Opoe7mdu4aKsrKN8tQ13C6uUZEL2f9851XLVaQAeDOx3iK70RpzUtEVThiHo1m5tu7SY_r-loaMjxiFp3m4P9xB9Dyq8HOsz1mqpQvHTCJlnBIBVt6AL36ns2rxqRpPGR80Bnj4jneigY8HTImIuANEpb-jK_U=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Forging ahead</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Indiana Board of
Education followed Gov. Mike Pence's lead and gave final approval to new
K-12 education standards despite continued objections from critics who
say the guidelines are a shoddy, warmed-over version of Common Core. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq9p7L4SZjFPaIoYwdsAq5Kl_SW0pVeemyIlUaYJt_selkPq1dSBaKi4s6cKqQM6xFhAwJgZ33evql3O-zLsGKSdo8k8sJxVMpOpcGrgmYfyQgMOU1T3Ns-Zx0D8IBvFf-h_nXJ_HKnyVZzkD0KvCzByGCrUwi1O-XiPiY2cA_K7yfDj3BIpKYw8hFZBZGO8pQQQK5NBobPPM=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Right, that controversy</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The S.C. Education
Oversight Committee has sent proposed language to the state board of
education that would require biology students to construct scientific
arguments that support and discredit Darwinism, so students could be
exposed to the "controversy" over evolution. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq5u6dB1U7yF76tPYbv8q7JUbFphgC6UmgPrYX4EjjNNPN0WNnBeOHZ2Gz-F0Q6iU6d2XMZSKeWBCh4w8hueqUaEhneJU1Nb4aqd3EnRJ7hKyvARhZb5vLCnKloaY-fqBYSQ_1rg1Be-1YRc6Vc_Z3qHvwDOewKbZVc__MBZ3EDJY=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Under the wire</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Aspiring New York State
teachers won't have to pass a new, tougher certification test this year
or next, thanks to a Board of Regents vote that resulted from
last-minute negotiations with the state teachers' union. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqQlhaE422uP33DIymeYfx3QTWyL7cKO6VNg9di5uL1ODEN3JAoyq84By8lGccCTrlkhaWVnGMKLCAH4_gEE5WDvLOn0XKymG_fSfpaeSU_BIh0hOAVexJ4uyFb6B2Tvv6XeWBk4Vzi_DslqPO7LRBjcg8p8a58BugSE-Y0fIn7TaHjyNOssCIDL6W80x5ID91gv6tI-xVg0bxWHAjkkcZWdyGm_SiKJZY&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>How nice</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Google has said it
stopped scanning student Gmail accounts for advertising purposes after
the practice was scrutinized during a recent court case. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqtOIIyYIZ95O7TIp2O8XFb_mY-glfNOuUSCK-Ft70mJqn89Ro-M-cfuSpr2WlSRb25N_xkB9XCCWRjXhOt9lMENNem94ApYwdxoZimH6zkfy548G-a2wBJp0MOvTlQ6G5HJf0vr3_a545Fc9T_8UGXcvjHGkcbeEUmN2JCtZZ46_1QSnBRp-SEVzT3N-DUwxNxPzpc8bKC3dUBDDNEXkf3Q==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>As promised</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The new NYC teacher
contract includes wage increases and back pay, a streamlined
teacher-evaluation process, and time built into the school day for
professional development and parent engagement. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq_sy1KaBkIMRBeMbOP6MoMHJlfDOiHHRuosdXF9E0nj8P8ig3WteBX3TmOWyLBKuS6--c7pMeluBEndVQWvrEyTX3fACULTXWROhl5gFkcoVwXggTNRasM4ClrUlENC5eR5vm9mPweGrVIS9BdBtmoQ==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Bottleneck?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Nearly 50,000 city
students were turned away from NYC charter schools this year, a dip from
last year's total, according to new enrollment estimates from the New
York City Charter School Center. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkqdhgpc9mpa6E1vyks-0dzszoIfhtlMWM-QCRtF2f6Czq6Me5heubgB89M4ECYuzajoUoiUADq7u1Z2rI45pRQK0nF2hhqqpxQiccQYzkL_nqMBhG5OGasRWro1qbKodK6mc0Wiwop2-xsakmJ0ja_k7xlCsIjA5uYBoxAhj0-XnHVDUFhS9pSFbdZNCScViFtX3viiOk7WqVvC_Jv5ha3xw==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>This won't hurt a bit</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Chicago Teachers Union is rolling out a plan they say will help solve the teacher-pension crisis through three new taxes. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqmShbRGifRSdvxZzqTnpkUUauciSPW4JSmlI4giFg96wcsgqQG3lXU0dZiugcC03s_5e49GeM7PTpooLMR6llLk28pB5cKmZ28NIm_h0VRjNUUxbjSR2QvsB80GigtczLl_PbO9LbNtKczmKAGGUxAGZi-7AumA3veak9mO9AdaI1LXFWMt3chSMtCYL1C7AsiWWEAkGuNJ71PzjwhOodzg==&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Starting smart</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Some New Mexico schools
will be offering the Smart Start K-3 Plus program, a state program that
extends the school year by 25 days for math and literacy instruction. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqfY5-zKHcX1VCyU4vpqREwsZrv5Eb56213DRrFIWoTo9QZMpw1xJPdR9ivxXk0q31_N3CNUP3fI7XYjYNFguIRuC85HpeRntFUSYiwtY3pSR-BCb9f9TsdgRbsUweezJEM_VDdg02Ftlvd9r3bJjWVo-QLvJ5KLlA2g78Bd5SuHk7hGFHoRNi5PZNghIYVtmR4Iem4J9pJZTJMxIBFKJSlznw9jP2iMOW&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Lawsuit-added</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Houston Federation
of Teachers has filed a federal lawsuit against the 203,000-student
district, claiming that its "value-added" approach to teacher evaluation
violates teachers' constitutional rights. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqCih_BwfomKBjJMbiFkl0N1mpeqMB3O_vgZq7_qZlzc5WHSEBP3qyfvPhrq6Jnw9vWkdLU-auSA_rSFCptTGNsqbGvZC_54y7xlNO8lNvZlrghPLaXUekQfR9Yef1npx_cgwlSGSUnxz8x6Gic5dxscBwdN-bm-AcwyEevKIpAvex7ragY4vd7SOHl7J53_0N&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">More</a></div>
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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</b></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94Gkq-TwMY445bQtJtYjnfmfl_IrBIGEpRuXPi-szGUjwQuKSQMtBpLzgTe6RIsEHwl25pyVuwQNb_Mf_Qe_uxiZZ3lgX-CwIL_A4MrAUNEyCcMfXKv2sZVWTyJd97uR4pSvzTExuCj1oNnTE0rxgIqZZ8NO7h8acWsE6&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">Farmers Insurance: Thank a Million Teachers</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Farmers Insurance wants
to thank teachers all across the country and have a genuinely positive
impact on the lives of teachers and their students. Every educator that
has been thanked on <a shape="rect"><span>ThankAMillionTeachers.com</span></a> is
eligible to apply for a grant. The winners must use the money to
purchase school supplies through AdoptAClassroom.org or have the funds
applied toward a professional certification through the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards. Maximum award: a $2,500 grant.
Eligibility: current K through 12 teachers in the United States who have
submitted a qualified proposal on <a shape="rect"><span>www.thankamillionteachers.com</span></a>. Deadline: October 31, 2014.</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8i82aZdCGrG7pUMPbn5axXDxppvzM5VjZaIifIBjiexLzJ3nphfjgMyyAoe6cK1WwA-sNPvxF7TJTIBUl0-F0zAoO40pgIe3mdaS24cab9PzvYhWvUBM9FTztaa6nHpEhcF6Ib6KNTloGvk4qxjADQD2FM0pExr3IqKmb5XhFNkB&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">ASIS&T/ Thomson Reuters: Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Thomson Reuters
Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award recognizes the unique
teaching contribution of an individual as a teacher of information
science. Maximum award: $1,000; $500 towards travel or other expenses to
the grant recipient, contingent upon the recipient's attending the
ASIS&T annual meeting. Eligibility: individuals directly engaged in
teaching some aspect of information science on a continuing basis, in an
academic or a non-academic setting; nominees need not be associated
with an educational institution; however, teaching information science
must represent a significant work responsibility although it need not
occur within the traditional classroom. Deadline: August 1, 2014.</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqBtOlzbbnX2jyesitYwdEvzMS0F9o5Dn7i78ydkI3z7Ezz5IE5n17bPdEv7BQqgTc9EESoik0LAtD048BrGo1tBjByG5qpUnmXbIU0e8tEa0AMyZ9pd-2PPHyEj9MKTsHp3WD27CNfmN12cSTkyus8tfY-wTvbdk5HWWANzY7How=&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">State Farm Foundation: Grants</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">State Farm is committed
to meeting the needs of our communities by focusing our giving in three
areas: Safe Neighbors (safety), Strong Neighborhoods (community
development), and Education Excellence (education). Maximum award:
varies. Eligibility: nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations under Section
501(c)3 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code; Canadian charitable
organizations, educational institutions, and governmental entities.
Deadline: October 31, 2014. </div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"The fact that females
generally perform better than their male counterparts throughout what is
essentially mandatory schooling in most countries seems to be a
well-kept secret, considering how little attention it has received as a
global phenomenon." -- <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001p3Il1KGb3AGTyWsaPk6y2n5mlS2_5hYoF4sJcKS9AJwirlACbM3O8oa6WeU94GkqLGQMmKqfnhjFQDuJHrbxJT8CfbYb3ZVm-74b78vPjH-ICTmVyZjJvrvquCICohR_XwbdzSChpk4_5FT3S7VLsJbLbeMeinheghKuSwT-qmEXUnT_0xzWlbRchanqZKHJi-uQrVPFMH-L4xDQY47zSVTc7feMRs_mIcaWijLPDpJNswFfvMRFl2HbnfitFCJZ4ipg4FZf6vY9StfmFbWcNPCGyFJ0aOlG&c=PfoGZvZUPOnGJcxt9KWr_AnLxSo9sRwgaIdFyT5M1DULhM1WV2lZSQ==&ch=jBo-eanWoH1oJpQEJ-GeFNzwnw3yqbitWoaQNpUKcU_SZ7oTK3BDlw==" shape="rect">Susan Voyer</a>
of the University of New Brunswick in Canada and co-author of a
meta-analysis of studies on gender performance in schools globally.</div>
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