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<div style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong>The NewsBlast is going on summer break! See you in August!</strong></div>
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<div><b>Five Takeaways </b><b style="font-size: 18pt;">
<div style="font-size: 11pt; display: inline !important;">by guest blogger Marie LaCassa</div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span>In May, I attended
the 2014 EdSource symposium, an event drawing some of the biggest names
in education to discuss "Testing Students and Evaluating Schools in the
Age of the Common Core." Much of the discussion revolved around
professional development and the field tests for California's statewide
assessments, also known as Smarter Balanced.<br>
<br>
While most
attendees were California teachers and educators, I think many of these
takeaways are relevant to educators in other states as well. </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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d0nEI8PCZZ2pCviT3CCFSMWgsfzwDSYHow1szVaVW8LcUwNLHbEotzAjfmlYc7a-8SJ6PSx_877vZDMXdSHRkFp2BzE9NwORUQtlmZyg8NQ3pJmsQBVpv2_beVbqftp5Fd67Nci0B-CjJVvcBqskqaw==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">Read More & Comment</a></div>
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<div>June 17, 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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">So closes Vergara's first chapter</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">Twilight of the teacher unions?</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">Bill Gates's Common Core</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">Superman's effect</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">A salvo from Haycock and Ali</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Perhaps new teacher evals aren't so bad</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">Shelby County Schools, one year on</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">NCLB and teacher morale: No biggie</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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&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/38593-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27644606&seq=0&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>So closes Vergara's first chapter</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
California judge has ruled that teacher-tenure laws deprive students of
their right to an education under the California State Constitution and
violate their civil rights, reports Jennifer Medina for The New York
Times. The decision could radically alter how California teachers are
hired and fired, and is expected to prompt challenges in other states.
The decision, endorsed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan,
closes the first chapter of Vergara v. California, in which a group of
student plaintiffs backed by a Silicon Valley entrepreneur argued that
California tenure laws deprived them of a decent education by leaving
bad teachers in place. In his 16-page ruling, Judge Rolf Treu agreed
with the plaintiffs' contention that California's laws make it
impossible to remove the system's numerous low-performing and
incompetent teachers, and that tenure essentially assures them a job for
life; that seniority rules requiring newest teachers to be laid off
first are harmful; and that granting tenure to teachers after only two
years on the job is farcical. Further, the least effective teachers are
disproportionately assigned to schools filled with low-income and
minority students. The decision is believed to be the first legal
opinion to assert that quality of education is as important as access to
schools and/or sufficient funding.</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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dF1HWASMDO_qR_S96izH6YhW6qIcbeqZ8-uFvDVqOSyDSCAx2oI_PpAMAy93PuNvhbciumn5FmBHO79p0mOeAshabrRH-P0u43pfQYYLUaAJsy0KuGt4fxiZ7foXxm9KBY16fyEuLQnrCoj4U9x0vBs4rMlPJa1-5_ql0JiZCTy3yDRGnvFaGxBxd_rbGQh3rvBmKn-0o8rF8B-DIFVBydoJ2nzqUZfOUscxuR5rpvLgEAhtLwkIcuzlgqg2tShKn&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a>. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dUw772uRJlaaVVW4Rcovp-dxQTqZGG-APee1rhE5yMZXCjo0V2Ag1yAjqlcF2osszWD0ljXpXiQiJ3smudXGNeqlRaGH5kgsmA7pUQ-CFFzw5MAQ8Pb_U3rcfQJG8wqmVhutsan6ojAhceoaAUG_i7p2E61oDaIkb3cYyJW9_ggpO5W733QCjj63o7uO3-lBcdI1eYaVstJ8=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">Related</a></span></div>
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<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span style="color: #f14e23;"><b>Twilight of the teacher unions?</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>As
the two national teacher unions prepare for conventions this summer,
they are roiled by the current moment in their history, writes Stephanie
Simon for Politico.com. Long powerful in American politics, the unions
face falling revenue, declining membership, damaging court cases,
defection of Democratic allies, and a public-relations campaign
portraying them as greedy and selfish. Responding to these challenges
has been difficult, since both the National Education Association and
the American Federation of Teachers are divided internally. One faction
urges compromise, another pushes for confrontation. Collectively,
teacher unions represent 3.8 million workers and retirees, and bring in
$2 billion a year. Yet 43 percent of Americans saw teachers unions as a
negative influence last year, up from 31 percent in 2009. Union leaders
have responded by supporting proposals they once reviled, including
rating teachers partially by student outcomes. They've also swallowed
frustration and put political muscle behind Democrats firmly in the
reform camp, starting with President Obama. But that impulse to
accommodate has sparked furious backlash from some rank-and-file.
Analysts, even those sympathetic to organized labor, say teacher unions
risk alienating the public with their constant complaints about a
wealthy conspiracy against them, and their defense of job protections
like those found unconstitutional last week in California.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118daZb4IDt6_b2WWS9INHYVjL1imPzx6rFRKPoR_DJ2wPmFBDGu1iqf4TKoscWIjP8yyOQpJMY5ZjtOhEnqZLRCFXuIxd90D8EkeQhijy6T_fm_owwPL8RUaUvev4H4jKeFyongrxiOt6HvTDa4FD0NMJcHPv-h6yY3ApwySyZ821q0laA-s5n9YTdvSFXGHZyJ_yzqooBAZZcOoDPxWv_6UABF4KPc-_4e&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==" shape="rect">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>Bill Gates's Common Core</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>In
a lengthy article profiling the involvement of the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation with the Common Core State Standards movement, Lyndsey
Layton writes in The Washington Post that the foundation didn't merely
bankroll the movement's development. It built national political
support, persuading state governments to make systemic and costly
changes. Bill Gates was de facto organizer, providing money and
structure in a way that avoided a collision of states' rights and
national interests. The foundation spread money to teacher unions and to
business organizations -- groups that have clashed in the past -- as
well as to policy groups on the right and left, funding research by
scholars of varying political stripes. Money also flowed to state and
local groups to influence policymakers and civic leaders. The idea found
a major booster in President Obama. And yet, because of the way
education policy is decided, the Common Core was instituted in many
states without a single vote taken by an elected lawmaker. In an
interview, Bill Gates said his role has been to fund research and
development of new tools like the Common Core and offer them to
decision-makers trying to improve education. It's up to the government
to decide which tools to use, but someone has to invest in their
creation, he feels.</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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dHza7esg5YA1ccIZNjC4tz6WfVm6CO9k20BWXnyPO4_8nExwrTTNRm4uFCSbBKwMhX9xOjVh70jktSMttAHa53uWUzt_rETUuHPlOj-v49YUtjLLGtZOyKtyNHU8o55NMlb9DLbzv9XMleJhW5qjMHvuJqw1l6S-_kIb13hkW3vZkgn5ErU5WNZp5ndkp-baBMhEPo1tssFmvOHH4qL_jdJ0UgYKpC9mly-WxbWMQvoEfoMPAP3yC7tZh7YaT6ZsQFi7csWKXfTaYFVVEnwOORXNGbMhOoF35YQkaK5byuQM=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span><b>Superman's effect</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 American Enterprise Institute re-examines the film
Waiting for Superman, finding it to have been neither overwhelming
success nor abject failure, but a new kind of advocacy that solicited
public sympathy and support through popular media. The report credits
the film with real-world effects: creation of The Huffington
Post education page; $2 million in classroom donations from ticket sales
and DonorsChoose; and increased interest and funding for participating
nonprofits and schools. Participant -- Superman's production company --
in its promotional materials credits the film with creation of
StudentsFirst, use of the parent trigger, and a February 2011 speech
from the AFT around revamping teacher evaluation and tenure, among other
things. A 2011 study by the Ford Foundation found film viewers
remembered key facts afterward and expressed interest in learning more,
but the movie was "unable to foster a national conversation among those
not previously invested in the education-reform debate." A 2013 study
from USC found viewers learned key concepts and were more likely to seek
information about public education, encourage friends to demand better
schools, donate books or materials, and volunteer. Still, the movie only
weakly motivated viewers to take larger organizational action. The
paper draws several lessons for this newer advocacy: a campaign's main
characters must be diverse enough to engage a broad audience, and
address fundamental issues over narrow ones; it must resist the urge to
be comprehensive, and can be controversial only to a point; and
producers should anticipate being misunderstood and prepare
counter-arguments, as well as devise concrete actions for viewers and
policymakers to take.</span> </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dytUzEFz0T8bYQVYHayFO9LLHpEErf94CygYQBAEI5HxfmCDUtgGDFon3sb09sPmbHNEJG2zmCu1kpe7pXawGdud1W2v5juRGHQj-35BnJX03CJMco2N7xhhUAEWV6G--iInqW7obn3H3oxzmqC13CGBN7FjM7uHNUaigVuEzNSBb-xZTKZ-e2__Dlu_qiloblqpLOtSryV5fL3tAaSkZSw==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==" shape="rect">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>A salvo from Haycock and Ali</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Recently,
AFT President Randi Weingarten and Stanford University Professor Linda
Darling-Hammond redefined "accountability" to mean its opposite, write
Kati Haycock of the Education Trust and Russlyn Ali of the Emerson
Collective in The Huffington Post. In doing so, Haycock and Ali say,
they illustrated perfectly how the reform debate makes false connections
between policies and outcomes. The Weingarten/Darling-Hammond piece
asserts that California's record graduation rates and gains on national
eighth-grade exams are the result of new funding formulas and testing
policies not in place until after these gains. That they call California
exemplary is "laughable," given that the state's educational system so
poorly serves low-income students and students of color who make up its
majority. "California's educational system has for years been gripped by
a kind of 'pobrecito' phenomenon, where hugging kids is considered an
acceptable substitute for teaching them," Haycock and Ali say.
Accountability for student learning has never been taken seriously. "Our
kids take the journey through school only once; the poorest among them,
in particular, need us to get serious about their education while
they're on that journey -- not years later," Haycock and Ali write. They
feel Weingarten and Darling-Hammond are saying that public education
doesn't need meaningful expectations and consequences. Instead, schools
just need greater resources, support, and time.</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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dGZ-7t9zqW9UIyCALvmAspPghISddg6HAjGsFoSED-QMIhO_F4e0a8zgzLITxpsRwoSokN6r-tbPu9vnvksLoka0MwhTHCA94v8zyFJQllIAmqhE9nAucE1D5e8_5WE6w-yr6SbmPIuWtr8Jux-IsGVSMm4TIKvqcocaI_A0qv8ydfrdCMn-ZOai-1zQj_FYR&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a>. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dGa14qcTVnWl1lBkZGWZugYTBeeHJn5AqjGSdGVqhVhc87-Wir4hE4wjz8HDW3eFazbO675W51GBAqe-lo9H2zco4sfLGiJhAfvwE-gwSclbsT4BbtHmKvco4Hgh3uqzT94mfG8pG_45-rOZiDs-rKDQ1vJH3wnNyuSklPZs4NHrxTm4rw-5IaOELScsCSXY81kRN1nWDwho=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">Related</a></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>Perhaps new teacher evals aren't so bad</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>New
York City public school teachers used to receive either a
'satisfactory' or 'unsatisfactory' rating, reports Beth Fertig for WNYC.
In 2012, 97 percent were deemed satisfactory. Now, teachers are rated
through a combination of classroom observations and student test scores,
and teachers and principals say overall they appreciate the
classroom-observation component -- it's just very complicated. Last
year, principals had to make four classroom observations of every
teacher, and observe for 15 minutes each time. During these visits, they
measured teachers on 22 competencies. The new teacher contract reduces
the competencies to eight, partly because principals were overwhelmed.
At the Community Action School on West 93rd in Manhattan, Principal John
Curry and special ed teacher Noah Foster allowed Fertig to record a
classroom observation and follow-up conversation. Curry recently
assessed Foster's seventh grade English class, which he was co-teaching
with a general education teacher because it had a mix of students. Curry
brought his laptop for notes, and cell phone to record parts of the
lesson. He leaned in when Foster pressed students to think about a
writing assignment based on a chart about student crime. "Careful --
does the data say that kids are turning into criminals?" Foster asked.
Curry rated Foster "highly effective" on six of eight areas, "effective"
on two. But the conversation with his principal meant more to Foster
than actual ratings. "I value these conversations extraordinarily,"
Foster says. </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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d5WoTXjg3KE22K_OnAvaLFKFZh0FLyks8dj4A9_4n0LpM11z_BMngJEdM9bkqtowt9x7n7gllgf4XclyuUucFqCJoPz-qJQt477kYPzsCDR7FjOjyU36x7oBDgsB75FBhZic2W-DOfmE4LTeXqHw8hkbPdjqD_3l5&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">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>Shelby County Schools, one year on</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new report from the Center for Reinventing Public Education evaluates
the merger of Memphis City Schools with Shelby County Schools -- the
largest district consolidation in American history. Prior to the merger,
Memphis had low-performing schools and an "impenetrable" central
office; Shelby County had better-performing schools but persistent
achievement gaps and few charters. District leaders elected to manage a
portfolio of different school types, including some operated by charter
organizations, and hold all schools to identical expectations. The
report assesses the new Shelby County Schools (SCS) in terms of: options
for families; school autonomy; pupil-based funding; talent-seeking
strategies; sources of support; performance-based accountability for
schools; and public engagement. It found communication with families,
autonomy for principals, and performance-based accountability to be weak
areas; however, the district's pipeline to high-quality teacher- and
leader-preparation programs, and hiring from these pipelines, was a
strength. Researchers note that since they conducted interviews, the
district has taken significant steps. All departments are building a
menu of services with associated price points so school leaders have
budgetary discretion; it's developing a pupil-based funding model to
allocate dollars to schools rather than employees; and creating a
school-performance framework so families can access information. The
report concludes that SCS has used the merger to leverage opportunities
for students, institute financial soundness, and build a
self-reflective, transparent organization, albeit with significant work
left to do.</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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dvXnl1YuQ3koZ7Whs4GoXK2bldJ4DxMuy8fZhkaUxpf98O6YpUjxN-4glFocBm6JlOF9LxOxc4f5qQjJws_uPRjA6mcY2N7ch45uifRoM6apEaropcHEOPDBY7oGZXSu3iXWSGq_dfqigM6evmAu-9BNtDI5hImFeMGvfmZRp2zqZvIxDotAMbg==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">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>NCLB and teacher morale: No biggie</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>A
new report from the American Educational Research Association
investigates NCLB's impact on teacher perceptions of work environments
and related attitudes, including satisfaction and commitment to remain
in teaching. Using four iterations of the Schools and Staffing Survey
from 1994 to 2008, it documents overall trends in teacher attitudes and
uses the presence and strength of prior state accountability systems, as
well as likely impacts on high- and low-poverty schools, to isolate
NCLB's effects. Researchers documented substantial changes in job
satisfaction and job commitment since implementation of NCLB, though not
negatively, as has been argued elsewhere. For example, while teacher
hours have increased, so have feelings of classroom control and
perceptions of support from peers, administrators, and parents. They
found some indication of negative effects on perceptions of teacher
cooperation, but also potentially offsetting positive effects on
perceptions of administrator support and classroom control. "Simply
stated, our results do not support media accounts, academic reports, or
policy rhetoric that portray NCLB as undermining teacher morale and
intent to remain in the profession," the authors write. They concede
it's possible that NCLB is only beginning to have substantive impact on
teachers as states fully implement the law and its sanction provisions;
future research can test this as newer data become available.</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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d5gCVEQtlhEN5YyLK_-cJqKrabhNwtvgZa3os3rSzwpqJnwqhJMYHhVYq9nvixUryDOiW2RThuHew2RyNkhOC0Qkwn0u5yAIOZCwbteewnl6L0eEgx2g1suIFOJKqlc1H-iZUdKOo2Sri9ivvtD1WDZLwIR3pPeZ2Sdzd0G4FsKa3vrvW2whgJr6T3Kx6lsf4_0zIrINDAaiyc6xjEKqSiKGPFPuh3KFahwukhOswTfqKcPP_gg22U66RCwMNJECDGR3-ONlUQuuasNQXySdYHg==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
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<div><b>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</b></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Consider the source</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Los Angeles's top
juvenile court judge is objecting to a planned diversion of $13 million
to school police there from state funds earmarked to provide
special-learning assistance to disadvantaged kids. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d-nqRY58p4UrBe9Z5AEWDpe-AmDhjSTVtO18KuPkb7XGVCVJ3c0em_EYDS0Ks5rlh0DCj14eP_WM-YPHn7wvhY_YojO8fPZyv1JVcaeC_qc8MW-nqxa4erB1HcioYK0lgrT-sX_mM4mlS5P3gGX7NoEXj_fvhEIX_-r26NpVP3Jg1e99RQnIIdz05nj3e4tVefpmkqtIPp8Ou-OAQVpS1eb3KIMvUggqCamRQw3JvNOunFsvstpFues4IEdI3gbR2&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Timely</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A bill making it easier
to fire abusive educators headed to Gov. Jerry Brown two days after a
judge found California's teacher-tenure laws 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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dKv0p8lZwdsAR_Knd7YExhhk0SKb1xe6f8pH7sEvQzettRcBoxaLha85OXOl4_WYYRRJ9jpHXFHmX3u5PrGkaC0ANsuGJlkGkMsEmN097Dwcl4VNEmAs1flzTHKfvBSN4RqktpEvtTtMkUEHhgTKk-KoNuUV5yJSggUJY4clEtk-3dx26yFt4R3-rD026f368CZbG1nxdjMNulnPRrjc-zLTcBR3UnQBc&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Welcome back</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California K-12 summer
school programs appear to be making a comeback thanks to a rosier budget
picture and a new education-funding formula that directs more money to
students who would benefit most from added-learning time.<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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d_6kxT7tDwy_hPitOEjTX_8hkFG_45QhabnIpmIb0fznqyRvN37Reeors_NU3wU62kHlsgPBIamT0rAhriEWYnwY4IXYMgOr1bpLHVRLFCzYywavb68Gg-j4wBHtLmxCgtnC6wtraqfk2IHAJzrR7uB464fqE5ACO87IGDaUXm3u7P6HZ5JKaonIplcrPx7JPzfwQ9zVA2vbzk8tw2UPhFwmGWNJ-zJ6U&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw=="> More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Something, at least</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">California will add
thousands of transitional kindergarten and childcare slots for young
children with a budget deal underway in Sacramento, though these fall
short of a broader expansion originally proposed. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dGJvoeevY1w-GpeUXJqFk8kA-Meka4dsP5ejUcRBST27g68Wk7I1yLXAfrKaI7KuXBlTzDnmiHhwOgUu07GE3Hea3uZ9Dy5qz0GVO0onTgvusC5LAbXveot77_fZWTNFfxqnyg7xvk9ioqx8Rr9SlENuk97dOLmTWWSwvSBYvSaGIaXHLeqh778JfCd8KkrRpOfJzb2-A0uaiE48diKEBbdyg4DVF-Gt-&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
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<td style="padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;height:1px;line-height:1px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
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<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>
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</tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56"></a><table style="background-color:#ebf5f6;" id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK56" 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 </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>Sloooow down</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation has announced support for a two-year moratorium on
tying results from assessments aligned to the Common Core State
Standards to teacher evaluations, or student promotions to the next
grade level. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118ddkuLbf1HqJs5D0iFlem3bsZK98RjVeKQds7MQAo0_biNdPrUrmATUHztw2JYDcpJ5VSXiRMCVJaAp2gdbdc2mt2qkuOf3b_hENvsM_pFj0gVGar04dhtnTl2yIES7Z5AnMrYnfluQJMYoLV4rLr24WY3f9PpMyHj6EyFjQ6sbiCb4sJmWEIGiuV6MbR0cZchUDmvnpbu9dw=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Shocker</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In his strongest criticism to date, Gov. Bobby Jindal said he wants Louisiana out of the Common Core and tests that go with it. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d9pvuK9PIhHzfy95ruzBCF4CVI7d4PHs09sj2Q8aDhctjXYgu1MCtUEbUj4uGwV7hKmHY1lmlP0LXzBgjNNWCKOOzLQHwMPxQCBLuyUO5M6bN1HTKYQ4KTsYg8VJ8CBVccByiYGjX3IyNRQuwVb8ke44PVApwuMi7hmKFW-Y0v3w=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Piece o' cake</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Changes to South
Carolina's education standards will be ready by the time the General
Assembly returns in January, according to an education official. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d_zPTtV1lpyUnFSFBfqsMqUWBYGl7ldPUgN2axpBRxxpRRNPjLozCTfnc2ov5in6Z634Dpy1a_klXOvIURQt6U3XhUy3MIxAIsLb8dnwqUYVhCqZNVGXXPHrx1di_7ikLFOAdrnl6ZssR6camf5uy2dWmUFkVB4kFF49e1KAjrmvDJSZtmjpYoJ3-D_xZuxJj1-cuPDWK8ol_ZOnRY4vRUiy6t-rku2YQ1gccu-BtM2JsnbNjmVlz1-JXBBvsknWlkaHC9txrHJk=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Whoops</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Both the New Mexico
Public Education Department and Albuquerque Public Schools admit errors
in data on which new teacher evaluations were based, but neither could
say how widespread problems are. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dAITO_lSkHFKxDzbiWF7ggGiUJjIe3wDVMZIStYTGHEFXi01fQzouxbiPU_U6TfMeA7K_HGnDBalCGPKuFa2XHqdmTVDfe6zN9itzSYlIGVqyBUJb7CCwgl7d_CvRmQg3rK5F2jSb-wBNd0mX70alf5fp5c1tLHu4pXQYBY_gx90oLUdLmwNiPg==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Regroup</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Colorado has backed away
from its planned July start date for a new mandatory quality-rating
system for early childhood education; officials now are aiming for a
November launch. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118deqTqkZ-aQ8tGTqswBinN2NpB5PqjIGXiP08LJg9K9sFwMOUyDIughWY0TeLDp4pvYNiP3yy3g6tMug-UM-bYoc8jNM8kDMvnY0TsMC8zTwk-On1wmG6KRvwMU28sqdZUtHm3L5UvDUygkB4GXcTbinzcThuqUeu0CjZG6sgpHuQbEWKe_LfOMoDMC99kb2Mgo_g370LmE7SIAPlB7cfmW_BKlQ8kyF_U&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Rigged</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Teachers and some New
York state lawmakers have proposed changing how students compete for
admission to New York City's most selective public high schools, saying
the current one-test system is unfair and excludes talented minorities. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dtogM7-BCG_OGGMN-UTcxUJ-hRRO3UVAI8BMzfp2wcBtbutIMnjvez585MwBMblUdwgQb6edpxKeGWRlmKsKlgN0wnXlRd42LToW7CUaCoseXMOmcOt7sAw399rlFe139iKATiQrNtwlyT85c1hPHw0mT1aRjiD6IaQgV_cX0abGd3QwsXbrFmy2T_12ePKXYV3jliRsViLdtgMFjLF-QQw==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Everyone's doing it</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Seventy-eight percent in
a recent survey of 694 teachers with an average of 14.5 years'
experience report using digital games in class, up from 50 percent two
years ago. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d3BbieHHautWv8zfCH58Bpr4Gcn7fHAzhuR_jNo61jr2NIqfcSdj-5uEgl3QuFG8j-AbA0AOtMqpqCaI5ItQ35hnSCzUdf-UBGBxIiiULm2Qt_3J4LX1BhRRUt4IfsJ5viriYKHPWk7u0OUsSLmKYphlpFpzWjTYnlKf6Lc1Ni64ELM-sWHatAyKPomLAlUoYXqAfgSwDv9plqSQIS_byWjTl6IPe-Yhu&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Go team go!</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The American Medical Association says cheerleading should be considered a sport because of its rigors and risks. <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118d8WDpvvYEBvJwTcF-eiwah6eoWSAyqwUzwjwHDkAy49EhosmDuZnbEv9K6ZCn36It4lxPj4UHZcE3pbp7ESaEk7flacC4tZ9GccYp8zG9y9ZArumZ4BPp7yaOisoxpKi2SX26wum2aLHg11oXAbmYJJN1SaZI6xEzwraJakVygM_K6Lq6i_YYCOX7Biq9CHf6dNk2njaVAaFnfZ60t4G1hw==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Unsupervised</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A Norfolk Circuit Court
judge has found Virginia's school-takeover division to be
unconstitutional "because it purports to create a school division that
is not supervised by a school board." <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dHnwta6oczDCBQQDfLm20Xx8xlq3OYJC_uN-rVggK2QzGpKfGSTl3LTdHgT9rj5anOYEbNgvvb8OxyDV42uUyVF4HtQkUu09K5QnIVNNh9_V0ZVLgx6AWxMe9uZALIdGIVOYpnlbVfRv_le9xo66cw9rGCM_unfz-0fObMq7nFPTKHTRzmaIhAFZq0VFMgf20pDZrhFqkSAOm3PRSvqv7spu69BPLQMB3v0LmWnQyjfli1A8e0fOcaB-Se9FiU7ASj_uhKb1lBO8HJ91e8KcKTg==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">More</a></div>
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<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>
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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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvdx11re1hGLlI7anptuUL9CJuXtxw4aE665uww6MNueRxnLQI5d-OT2A_lm3XDEJOdAyjO52YQ39ppocjA93ubZQoL0Tnw40nNA-8mBtmh4E6H0rnefNRqCKOI2q97_KzsSCv0KkFmd391E6jG_W3RM4FqHhn8R9MLsLBuMIGX6XG7oPrDJrmp8N18F_cIelbQHiuXCbiUIkG&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">Dow Jones Fund: National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The
National High School Journalism Teacher of the Year award identifies
outstanding high school journalism teachers who have done exemplary work
in the previous academic year. Maximum award: laptop computer, travel
and lodging expenses to national conference, per diem for substitute
teacher fees, and a quarterly column for the Fund's newspaper; the
winner also attends a seminar at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies
in St. Petersburg, Fla., and a senior student at the winning teacher's
school will receive $1,000 to study journalism, based on performance in a
writing contest held at his or her school. Eligibility: high school
teachers with at least three years' experience. Deadline: July 9, 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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvdx11re1hGLlIu1fvuMFk49PmDMY6v4_e7t2MAUQWE0t1Z6mPktfTpa1LSqvjbv3Jzrwa0t4V_i0P7I91_6i53i8vz7VTbWwdxg3q5zwJLJSrptzZ6mf8UhCE_RjymH2nCNm9u6fKYYLk_CHF833Gd2MaOib7CA7E2rx80pURwli3&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">National Association of Independent Schools: Challenge 20/20</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">National
Association of Independent Schools Challenge 20/20 Program provides an
opportunity for schools to develop globally based, experiential
curricula and to build educational partnerships with schools around the
world. Challenge 20/20 students form authentic bonds with students from
across the globe, and learn first-hand about cross-cultural
communication; together, teams tackle real problems. Maximum award:
participation in the program. Eligibility: elementary and secondary
schools, public or private, located anywhere in the world. Deadline:
August 15, 2014.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvdx11re1hGLlI5R0Aw90lyAonKAFa39sGyyG84hFjKFmKnOO86TnNBvlQCb4Vw4MU458s63mC669cT9chRl7iqn58wizor9vDnUQALhryq5TCbCCyZG8-iwKFcBY2n20Zv35B0SBU7I-Z4EmiAH2JyyoamjYYSC5Yjw==&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">Dollar General/ALA/AASL/NEA: School Library Disaster Relief</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Dollar
General, in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA),
the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), and the National
Education Association (NEA) is sponsoring a school library disaster
relief fund for public school libraries in states served by Dollar
General. The fund will provide grants to public schools whose school
library program has been affected by a disaster. Grants replace or
supplement books, media and/or library equipment in the library setting.
Maximum award: $15,000 to replace or supplement books, media, and/or
library equipment. Eligibility: public school libraries preK-12 within
20 miles of a Dollar General store, distribution center, or corporate
office, which have lost their building or incurred substantial damage or
hardship due to a natural disaster (tornado, earthquake, hurricane,
flood, avalanche, mudslide), fire, or an act recognized by the federal
government as terrorism; or have absorbed a significant number (more
than 10 percent enrollment) of displaced/evacuee students. Deadline:
none.</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;">"When
rich folks who've just spent a huge amount of money taking away teacher
rights and trying to pit teachers versus kids talk about sharing power,
let them actually roll up their sleeves and help us educate kids in
schools." -- <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=0010aFzHYomKfCRX_wjDTEwOR5Wu-IfjP7wCUbGMmWOUPX2HmdFKUBvd6h2KyQ7118dwlHQAzKoVtOfMYe5iSFg0wyAtNaFJo4P_BDlr5IipLL9KVKCDLvs0DRVsZ_pEs83PeF-Aks8X_ALBmnbSbT63pXa7Wy_sznsUDUoF7mw14o0Nrd5z31e551eZtrBptTwHg0vADX_hAQzlfrFpXwY06WJwCcRKMerF_fj5tfbfsjEcYeQ7gGlLRmy6xifs3s5fC9-d1Dlh4Xk-NCgRUsgzcEr3YK9g0XlJmJ1ErzdLI0=&c=Co3u1nHROd-yckDyTydjDnZDWTMRP9BaJgwZfU1WN08XD-U1uYFrYw==&ch=L7b1sPCObFWSXhKbgzJABrh7ESLCfNFHu-4YLPUJSAkDUW6BMiECDw==">Randi Weingarten</a>, president of the American Federation of Teachers, regarding the recent Vergara decision.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> <font color="navy"><i><b>Via: <br>
Art Snyder<br>
artsnyder44@cs.com</b></i></font><br>
</div>