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<div style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>You Don't Fatten a Pig</strong> <span style="font-size: 16pt;"><strong>By Weighing It</strong></span><span style="font-size: 18pt;"> </span><strong style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">b</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">y guest blogger Debra Weiner</span></strong></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;" align="left"><span>I was a fan of No
Child Left Behind when it was adopted. Working in a college-prep
program, I welcomed standardized testing as a counterforce to the wild
grade inflation that had produced 9th graders entering our program with
A's and B's but unable to assemble a coherent paragraph or do long
division. I figured that NCLB would lead to more reasonable grading,
promotion, and graduation standards. And I believed it would provide a
sound approach for holding educators accountable. How wrong I was.</span> <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrZ99fQOPv3igiLJgwqFxlsmm7jPPFLSUOkkziz7MHfKZqqVlBtltIvACVt5pP4sgmyfcWyvq15Vh1_kTaQJuxvZtOxx9e3CdYKBXIkFO1ClnaAamYT5WoL1Dm0VAjooS9nH6ZgaRKgkPeQCom5bVA_Kqp8KdQUk9OrhvV4GlvRnQAo1C2b5yGbw==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">Read More & Comment</a><br>
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<div>June 3, 2014 - In This Issue:</div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">Spending works</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">Supporting boys of color</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">NOLA: All charter, all the time</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">Shifts and clashes in Newark</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Policy protests and strange bedfellows</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Those luddite Finns</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">Teacher performance laws, across the country</a></div>
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<div><a style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&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;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://mail.aol.com/38571-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27638848&seq=1&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Spending works</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research finds that in
districts that substantially increased education spending as the result
of court orders, low-income children were significantly more likely to
graduate from high school, earn livable wages, and avoid poverty in
adulthood, reports Holly Yettick for Education Week. Between 1971 and
2010, supreme courts in 28 states responded to large gaps between richer
and poorer districts by reforming school-finance systems. Although the
changes had limited consequences for higher-income children, for
low-income students who spent all 12 years of school in districts that
increased spending by 20 percent, graduation rates rose 23 percentage
points. Estimates are based on an analysis of 15,000 children born
between 1955 and 1985, and account for a host of other potential
explanations, such as desegregation, War on Poverty programs, and
demographic changes. The paper's analysis also found that low-income
children who were exposed to a 20 percent spending increase for their
entire school careers attained nearly a full year of additional
education after high school, and between the ages of 25 and 45 were 20
percent less likely to fall into poverty during any given year. Their
individual wages were 25 percent higher than they would have been
without the changes, and their family incomes were 52 percent higher.</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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyr-URrklbuRgo4k9qRpy0eqsTknBZIrsBNkGmgM8NMcM9TFNYl_qf-YT-FtzyuAvUET9sX99PEeI9Jl8wJv-ngMebpcxluqgiIwVvrqrE6p6zGnpB4bY0aPFQcM9H34EK2_ZYPmook3RE4gi8YukvTmZfd2VBoMTRCHDsOksd37cclRzxC6Am9SDsrAkKOSwKtNox4Sug-XT3zqvx4ZygGQchApzyCKHxAOCnb3dMJodtgvG03a6Ksk_lFppUNQ2h1&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">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>Supporting boys of color</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>The
task force for the presidential My Brother's Keeper initiative has
issued a preliminary report and blueprint for action by government,
business, non-profit, philanthropic, faith, and community partners to
support boys of color. The report identifies milestones that are
especially predictive of later success: a healthy start and entering
school ready to learn; reading at grade level by third grade; graduating
high school ready for college and career; completing post-secondary
education or training; successfully entering the workforce; and keeping
on track and getting second chances. The report recommends actively
recruiting mentors for youth and improving the quality of mentoring
programs, and supporting locally driven efforts that address the
educational, physical, social, and emotional needs of young people. It
urges eliminating suspensions and expulsions in preschool, and universal
early health and developmental screenings. It recommends an initiative
to increase joint and independent reading time outside of school, and
promoting alternative discipline practices to help teachers teach. It
urges expanding access to Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate, and dual enrollment options in high school, and improving
youth summer employment. Finally, it calls for addressing racial and
ethnic bias within the juvenile and criminal justice systems and
removing unnecessary barriers to successful reentry and employment, as
well as improving data collection and transparency so as to make the
status of boys and young men of color more visible.</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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrjDFsnXXMTCtR2_7AMENXhW1sx5O_oVJ6mNFpaful3jMYcAqSc3Wi81aI9cP3HsLDXxnKK--12sEun_iGaCInasbc1YOF6aWia7O5sdRj_944L1_gWmgLC6X2lBiyAJGXiMVDOUhpru-fsBdRuuiYusNwKEYTHnuGaWL7gQy-jUiLf77YfGyrew==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">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>NOLA: All charter, all the time</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>New
Orleans's Recovery School District has permanently shuttered its last
five traditional public schools, reports Lyndsey Layton for The
Washington Post. With the start of next school year, the Recovery School
District will be the first in the country made up completely of public
charter schools, a grand experiment in urban education. The creation of
the country's first all-charter school system has improved education for
many children in New Orleans, but has also severed ties to a community
institution, the neighborhood school, and amplified concerns about
racial equality and loss of parental control. An all-charter district
signals the dismantling of the central school bureaucracy and a shift of
power to dozens of independent operators, who will assume authority to
hire and fire teachers and administrators, maintain buildings, run
buses, and provide services to special-needs students. Of the Recovery
School District's 600 employees, 510 will lose their jobs. All 33,000
students in the district must apply for a seat at one of the 58
charters, relying on a computerized lottery to determine placement.
Opinion surveys show support for charters but unease about the
shuttering of all traditional schools, with just 41 percent of New
Orleans residents backing the idea in a poll. The changes also have
stirred racial tensions and claims of disenfranchisement.</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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrGvt6XZzIx_J8CiZXHo9wu81eaFKMrudajc8jG9bYrfNdjg_vgB4015CvgieUn4w4kSUsGsd5c5povvhFjMgoQA8S-d8-NS0qPr-d09lcOEn1aVhkp9MccG_WxbbKQ4lJj6oL7wjBIYQMwDLul9Omjf3NJdRuPwjeTG2om3ArW_EOK1r_kvOVinXDtvjKiADXIG-5S6Z2WjXjs8WIhR_a_86OskIMwJEfJiNxYgG9sf6CyWj6gePhfT-rJxu2IzqdWJXLgjpQXG8y5hpD8CfZhx4PScr0QduoIydJzXghEtzQhxUPyAzGWJEOgE7tg252nLs9m4yk00jiYzdThJPlJQ==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span><b>Shifts and clashes in Newark</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Despite
Ras Baraka's recent mayoral win and a flurry of sit-ins, walk-outs,
protests, and pickets, the transformation of Newark, New Jersey's school
system into a showcase of neoliberal education ideas is unlikely to
stop anytime soon, writes Owen Davis in The Nation. Newark has undergone
a dizzying cycle of school reform that rivals post-Katrina New
Orleans's transformation into a laboratory for market-based reforms. And
since Newark's system has been under state control since 1995, Baraka's
entrée presents more questions than answers. Two events, both in 2010,
ushered in the present era: Chris Christie's rise to governor, and Mark
Zuckerberg's $100 million donation to reform the district. Then-mayor
Corey Booker established the non-profit Foundation for Newark's Future
(FNF) to distribute the billionaire's gift and matching donations, and
the state selected Cami Anderson, a hard-driving former New York
superintendent, to oversee the schools. Anderson swiftly introduced a
dramatic reorganization plan, One Newark, that hinged on shutting down
traditional schools and turning them over to charter operators. Forty
percent of Newark's charters have opened in the last four years, amid
community protest and upheaval. Newark Teachers Union President Joe Del
Grosso has suggested that Anderson's departure is imminent, but the
superintendent has made no indication One Newark will change course.
Baraka has vowed to better involve the community in school governance. </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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrRfHRy7LLqMLhe_KTvpY49ASejUFeOjJQEKa7_5khquVd6QQk_hU46nXYFy0Blhsk8f2kX_zjHrKwX-6xm4tuIhczubHo395Q66lXn6DL-KGWq_Uo_TbnBZtTm2KOfzh2Moj9IEzDOFBpnnuy-Ru2QRB48edmbNeJFyERakIoqQs=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">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>Policy protests and strange bedfellows</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>With
tensions running high over academic benchmarks, standardized testing,
and performance evaluations for educators, unlikely coalitions of the
left and right are increasingly pushing back against new changes in
education policy, writes Motoko Rich in The New York Times. Some have
Tea Party Republicans and teachers unions on the same side. In Oklahoma,
teachers unions gave strong support to a bill, sponsored by
Republicans, that would overturn a law requiring third graders to be
held back on the basis of one standardized test. In New Jersey, a bill
to slow down introduction of the Common Core and use of test scores in
teacher evaluations passed with rare unanimous support. And in New York,
grass-roots opposition on the left and right to testing and the Common
Core led legislators to delay the consequences of standardized tests for
students. These unlikely partnerships mirror the alliances that formed
to introduce the contentious policies in the first place. Centrist
Democrats -- including those in the Obama administration -- lined up
with moderate Republicans and business leaders to promote the new
standards, teacher evaluations, and updated standardized tests. The
unexpected alliances appeal to teachers and parents, at least in part,
because many felt shut out of the process and were looking for partners.
But as in any marriage of opposites, fissures may emerge after the
initial passion fades.</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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrVAucKrKzjG-RS9-Z1EWXi8bxmi1PEmtb_z6DpNFh5Zf4NWfts4SckTmJxKxppNxMclId7AYLiM4C0D1VEU9meEfKXENOHNYlgwR3WC-gjKAlTBD6N6CgrNOHJN8Y_pMmxp5mARLlayvbni4fFIcyt71tAatvMdUFq18r38uU1spiuKyJBkCjsiACqEzDVS05y-ZJRkPftHjAK1YpL99oSS3nvnw2JDLP_rEVd5o9TGb-1wVmpNOSng==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">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>Those luddite Finns</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>With
little education technology in the classroom, Finnish students have
repeatedly outperformed American students on international tests, writes
Caitlin Emma for Politico.com. The country uses innovative teaching
strategies in the classroom -- just generally without incorporating
technology. Finnish students, even those in the most modern schools,
aren't playing the latest learning games in the classroom. Even upper
secondary students who receive laptops from their school leave their
computers at home unless instructed otherwise -- which doesn't happen
often. According to the latest PISA results and a study conducted by the
European Commission, there's roughly one computer per five Finnish
students in schools. In the U.S., that ratio is almost one to one (but
the breakdown across individual rural, urban, and suburban districts
depends on a district's financial resources). At grade eight, Finnish
students' reported use of school computers is the lowest in the European
Union, with only 27 percent saying they use computers at least once a
week. That said, Finland is also due for a new set of education
standards, and part of that effort means likely boosting the role of
technology in the classroom. Perhaps ironically, Finland hopes to become
more economically competitive, pinning hopes on its students to become
future technological innovators.</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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrKEJceJVe8_M6s5QyGA5gIzdWntMyW9zNPZ3N_f9Fy9HQbW9Gt35NYPVYsqO6lFHg_MmUVY3AweFW887500NE4EikpPNacRE4_N3_qUIvr5x0XqDWJD2ZprmPa0pgYyirPgO8OxeWBdKTGW4mN5MyMzXMMD3g2s8vqM8UuZjSqEmcn8Ym6mgEDBeZaETZiLB-&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">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>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Teacher performance laws, across the country</div>
</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>An
increasing number of states are mandating that teacher performance be
considered in employment decisions, including tenure and layoffs,
according to a 50-state policy review of teacher-tenure laws by the
Education Commission of the States. Three states -- Florida, Kansas, and
North Carolina -- have attempted to eliminate tenure or are phasing it
out. Florida and Idaho fit this category in 2011, but Idaho voters have
since repealed that state's law eliminating tenure. Sixteen states
require the results of teacher performance evaluations be used in
decisions about tenure or non-probationary status, versus 10 in 2011.
Seven states have laws returning tenured or non-probationary teachers to
probationary status if they receive ineffective ratings. Arizona and
Louisiana have joined this group since 2011, and Colorado, Idaho,
Indiana, Nevada, and Tennessee already had such laws. Eleven states
require districts to consider performance in deciding which teachers to
lay off when declining enrollments or economic factors necessitate
reductions in force. Georgia, Louisiana, and Maine are the most recent
states making performance a primary consideration. In addition,
Washington added this requirement in law effective 2015-16. Ten states
explicitly prohibit the use of tenure or seniority as a primary factor
in making lay-off decisions: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan,
Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Utah, and Virginia. In 2012, only five
states had such prohibitions in law.</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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrF8z7b3HrMqY7Vg5Ut6lPXx4zo9ieUrZxiwVbOZGCQttnwCIkeMMt84HlC0MuMKvMPa6YLKsQYFmxNDwbO842vGHJLk-2mcGuzjAaaw2cP8MwBIWfd6RI2vdIZ4O9z5JsAI_O4SyfchiCqn0IQowC1lin1WexxUas&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
</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>Short-changed</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The American Civil
Liberties Union has filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that
high-poverty schools in California are denying students the learning
time they need to succeed. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrr7a7Ec_Ov4Ffv8wSpYOtxrV6EOTtCDGbyBHHguYnTo2Dw01AnY8dRmCiBxWQSFoRhJX4_5ogxbQglz3ZSfdIluPDPO4MYkpAV8VtrvQXX7lhLhYG2Kb5GWrvKflUKKhhtSvbzKboBUUK0D3FlY-ifCFUoKgzm4dQk83ihMWqAINwrJbJza1xWQ==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>But what are the strings?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are donating $120 million to
public schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrhBqfdnXTRiYYjf8PJAzclNmxJbYdTgpgdVqFP1nkJ5VLVoJNtD4NbQuoeoK1K__SsPUtnW_FLGf9JOJSDzQZhRP3VWi0KCLakNARiEwKoK-B88sQBBLRaZ36Cgff1njhQCtVWK3So28d0-T1x8dYpHCPYcSg5Ockwvq9MZofzvsQqDtHh_HIgYKmElhD9VCPjld9jawSZ1o=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>They've got some splaining to do</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The California districts
that won a special reprieve from portions of NCLB are falling short on
several key pieces of their waiver agreement, and, in some areas, made
major changes to their plan without first getting permission from the
U.S. Department of Education. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrR2ZmkgLrx9LbXdi5fbRPR9nFPXklE07EXRlDvsfmZeyuoQYStS0TBOvjyt8WgVu6lcDNCFJu427PezX7dcw8QjRoFL0Zd2RXO_1fikMou9U2UYBs6Nt822hfuaI-eo5lDLIurts_dLcPlV7NayibofN4mULwIzextu2kY9m2bjmtT43xJx6lP-Har5elg4pIIG_edAnQEaN6MIu4ntJBuvVD89cqvDRHhlz0LUFYcLhrsYHSytCxuBOChzkWX_k1QasNu89Fns8=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>A step forward</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A challenge to
California's ban on bilingual education in public schools has taken a
step forward after the state Senate approved a measure aimed at
overturning key sections of the law. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrCWQNZTAnUzK-lGZKuPlmlbTnQdko2xkMTB1mxhIkEaT4HWCLp498OnBBcGFTc53GqoWqGz1plNnsbehF5KaM8IiGiT5QJHIeCm59kc-abz_nRikRlWMKgGNmEZU6gazzv2SHZ4jaIDOW2nuitPL21Dq67ZMcWjcKyVplQRgHZph6ehu_nAUX1VsO684actBgDjDxP3cX6fKK0VHwsiN-ahdf8P1bUSRcv7lGtwAKYfCN7M3oh-rfaQPaFh_8uVnR&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Skeleton staff</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California employed 804
school librarians in 2012-13, which translates to one certified school
librarian for every 7,784 students in 2012-13, the lowest per-student
ratio of any state in the country. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrHnKoGTzeBlmcIjT5Oyl-4DdhdD7jnFdALFj67rnOaBBcQZ_WIQOc6m1O4QLL_N1NPOBpsAaxAV1ztnYpC23E8QuvFIu6b6IpU7NgoOOY5N1DPJX9XVJQhVvk8Sc7JrXxvDjI8RsTP8EkxoFs2UbxrijAcMYvyJRJmRIQ94XE0pFqp39OV9YeLIXn3AUhAvx3zCnUc_KqB4Gl9IEcQc2q_M9O6FVuvrdP&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Yum</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Los Angeles Dodgers
Foundation has committed to giving $200,000 to the School Fuel program,
which provides universal breakfast to nearly half a million students in
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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrtF-2QYw1IFNijzo2r9E6XftaaX7XeDoh4CtZ2jJOUpsMI03utyX7PiO0ZEgok3yJy_FDPyslBFsAfAri83B1MzRozuClfm6RO4pmWIT-EsVMSzE84sMAT7sbT7VnU2fnaNOj-u2reCkN9CJPz9VNlv15p-DWTwzQDnqA0G_M28pVk3ZFufpIWWGTQ7tSPRMn0H2AIN7PlXK-ZY958l2CARduniemaYlCw4D0KaGDjrRxNbdNoCKSDQ==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
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<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>Sorry, folks</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Montgomery County
Circuit Judge Gene Reese has ruled that the Alabama Accountability Act,
the school choice law passed by the Legislature in 2013, is
unconstitutional. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrgDhqCV4ilCUx2edYhoGv7Usmfi4t2XywftVLOV00AtOd7Db2i0QT1qlvwZyRvo550nQWXbQJuAWIFldgNp9NIvp-BrKNvqThxT5Wgk-8-kfzr8Tr5TSR6WyBcV-q3wbOwuRyclDBYHR3JCeSt2xt8orwFbchhW00rEThiV67Rac=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Evaluating the evaluators</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Since 2010, at least 36
states have adopted laws requiring principals to undergo regular
assessments and increasing the rigor of those reviews, according to the
National Conference of State Legislatures. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrJxAj32ULjq-4ZN8-Ixt0NW4Oj67LgayWj0usaL7Idyly3pwUAu_0Zw9sFTZQurcPJKOPsPO5utxXIFji2dj0gdWA7bI9np13T0hkKwyqZ0uvp0AP6GW-6yrDbI0tRSFn4mf5jdyu6e6bwd3Aob1yfaiVLdbA3WcCmefQqgeW1QyzmYqXzDXkIg==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Bad news</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Dysfunction and discord
in Boston's public schools pose serious threats to what has mostly been a
steady and sustained record of academic progress in the 55,000-student
district, concludes a new external review commissioned by the school
system. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrmamJWi2kcv-FMswN0r3_EUH-b9AwsnwMiAfKlV8jVWrwzI1wEIl_bj4A_yCbqbM3w4xkMxqiXQFaAZ8tw8ZCrCvnYJfHhvqDvHv1Fe4BVGUwivCrJ6Zn3dlwiNbZR1P7_rjuxsNr1ZT-RlYfT3KpmJ9-EvBpqxFrOConATkfzjUWMrxsnSDyGTDqw8uboxT8QPDvQGbudgOmDISsiNXpxw==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Nice going</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">When D.C. is compared to
states, it has the highest percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-K
programs as well as the highest spending per child. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyr8UvlHFoRUKYmFnXMhEuCxT3sNVrLCPYv_bFUL7ZsMc3Gdp1GWi73mDTRgVTTiGAYkWRRFIPIUd5pRg4k1_3bXKx3ttyWaORezHsTuLp_LAjakNC5o4_ADB_y7E7oHenrOdIK30y7DqPd30qB5VN3kQ4N2FtT5oqu3NgXBA-yh9A=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Performance pay prevails</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Dallas school board
members have approved a plan by Superintendent Mike Miles that will tie
all teachers' raises to classroom evaluation results. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrzSQ3IL2c6gQXAw5G4LYmhjMLuaUJ6UQUWYtQh3Ieq-O_39QRgFUbPZjguIvzpz3Ni9SBD0tRsrdJ_OpcLZI6eD_lb0Xw-Y7wMl01KsvFduLeEvPMabCOPI-veEzipXy1SJcCaja_ORc1YDTudp5-xHayrPYDcGXV7XNepdJcH0M=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>A healthy decision</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">All Indianapolis Public
Schools students will get a free breakfast, lunch, and snack of fresh
fruit or vegetable starting this fall and continuing for the next four
years under a federal program the School Board has voted to join. <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrSK-qf4sRiiw5Cmygm8x7u2V1dJ62qMdPz9z-KwPLhXVKtN1II7j0uSnmwxFtGR_SEY8pgD1c3NfB0fofxbkV9PfQOLjs4D3UNOzpY5tGvBm7yyjEYHoGlVdsyA-MsTxXPe5zcKBmHRXdc8SmAb-3_4A81iw0Lhf54Fpnt2mzzJC7qYWFK5zMjvRdrrECR6Rc4Px_jEhbhSxIiwwAfBp58HDFEHB1fp5TXmYdVkeTT3Fk84Wcos9q875fmTUenah-&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">More</a></div>
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<div><br>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><b>GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</b></div>
<br>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkR6PTrRJyWcNN8EFtB9eBvt-S3Cq0s9P3B0ECc1JSb7NH0ePacfBctNEBAu6bJhURyAGHgvVTxw2e0wMYQBu8TLOWED-JikGdYUZsLskHVSjRJnDeIqnKszJQJ3InHvIpzNTOLbReAeDlRhZWfKN3sAZJzo3nfIm8lvZzOdiYPPwjrp8cU-rVdVQp6597iY12FkLcbDi3fVrQiImlaChfu0=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">NASSP/MetLife: Breakthrough Schools</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
National Association of Secondary School Principals and the MetLife
Foundation Breakthrough Schools program highlights 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.
Maximum award: $5,000. Eligibility: high-achieving K-12 schools with 40%
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;"><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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkR6PTrRJyWcNa2JClNdNcuefvdx-47B3zjsCSF1L_1JHti5DnVp1hbbVVaYFz1fgY1KCgMRfeCFP2akbY9-MdUIwO_kEb4DNk7S4bDSKZzLHgz5YO0JQKLygxHt9mHeEcoQiTTmDYFkJHp6HUUiF9xiqiIBo7bUdeA==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">ESA: President's Prizes for Outstanding Achievement in Primary and Secondary Education</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
Entomological Society of America's President's Prizes for Outstanding
Achievement in Primary and Secondary Education recognize educators who
have gone beyond the traditional teaching methods by using insects as
educational tools. Maximum award: $400 to the winner's school to
purchase teaching materials required to expand the use of insects in the
teaching curriculum; $400 to the winner for expenses associated with
travel required to present a paper or poster on the use of insects in
primary or secondary educational programs at a peer professional venue
of their choosing; gratis registration to attend ESA's annual meeting;
and an $800 award to the winner for expenses associated with travel,
hotel arrangements, and all other costs associated with attending the
annual meeting. Eligibility: primary teachers (grades K-6) and secondary
teachers (grades 7-12). Deadline: July 1, 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(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkR6PTrRJyWcNenOT-TDBItX_A-1qxQu2aCHdjbQOgq9BYHM1YSGwaBerlw5HQSKTuiRMfc9IX7qUpPoOolXmlsuVa9H9Vop8kDTZ80Oolu0PmJaiU2IKSmy5BEteMzfqReujgh_5W6HmuvjF2ael2-CIDRuDiTGqDw==&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">P. Buckley Moss Foundation: Grants for Teachers of Children Who Learn Differently</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">P.
Buckley Moss Foundation Education Grants aid and support teachers who
wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching
children with learning disabilities and other special needs. Maximum
award: $1,000. Eligibility: new or evolving programs that integrate the
arts into educational programming. Deadline: September 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: #ee5624;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>QUOTE OF THE WEEK:</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"The
second-grade and first-grade curriculum has now been pushed down into
kindergarten. If we push it down into pre-k, then children lose their
childhood." -- <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=001QEhmnHX3JfrGDA1p3e-2lSG6n798U652aeROdmHYQef9Tx_j-osqkcbUqX_tnlyrMyD_P3_LqmFaIsnWnEqmu-yIhtv232L6gG9RekPIiaMLsZpog6UFZMCdswTLnguDvvDLxtMcaSdBy1wAo0qh-CJH7RrP-xhRhuMivMjVmF3N_CO2QhaFPKjp9SmLGtfPz62avyu2DOc=&c=oY3N9OLrw92HK60IsS8UicP17qnmreqf56FUtUzn4lhEPwTxgQtY0w==&ch=u1xX3txLoFGPsZZUJ149qyX_3UHugSmLDTHj0moCs0z54hDoZ-CHgg==">Regina Gallagher</a>,
head of early childhood programs at the Goddard Riverside Community
Center in New York City, arguing that young kids need time to play.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>