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<div>September 3, 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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">Of iPads and fiascos</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">Baltimore's groundbreaking teacher compensation</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">How to bolster the Common Core</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">U.S. math instruction is fine</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Can teaching excellence be taught?</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">No teaching one-night stands</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK55">Duncan's August surprise</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK54">Chronically absent political will</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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK46">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&searchIn=none&searchQuery=&start=0&sort=received&sortDir=descending#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;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" href="http://mail.aol.com/38727-111/cs_com-6/en-us/Lite/MsgRead.aspx?folder=NewMail&uid=27678304&seq=2&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><span>Of iPads and fiascos</span></b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Superintendent
John Deasy has announced he's canceling the contract and restarting
bidding for a massive expansion of classroom technology in the LA
Unified School District, reports Annie Gilbertson for NPR. LAUSD had
planned to buy 700,000 iPads for students and teachers, with learning
software by Pearson, but release by KPCC of emails between Deasy and
Pearson executives brings into question whether the initial bidding
process was fair. The expected price tag for equipment, software, and
wi-fi upgrades to schools was $1.3 billion. KPCC discovered notes
exchanged between Deasy and Pearson long before the contract was opened
for competitive bidding, and that Deasy and his deputies communicated
with Pearson over pricing, teacher training, and technical support in
drafting specifications for a request for proposals from vendors.
Pearson and Apple were awarded the contract in June 2013. KPCC's
investigation also found some LAUSD officials had qualms about cost,
infrastructure readiness, and timing of the iPad/Pearson plan; that
Deasy personally pitched Apple on the Pearson partnership; that
Pearson's charitable foundation subsidized a training for 50 LAUSD
employees at a resort and gave participants free iPads; and that
Pearson's sales representative argued against an RFP at all. The
district now owns 75,000 iPads, roughly half loaded with Pearson's
unfinished and problematic educational software.</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8U-YfPx2W1JhvU5Tg3XjYx5-edfCT0mOyb4ZZFVwAKRRVEzLr6YoD2h-mp513_RGji3s3qvBDH4s8E6NBxpGWMoLL4PhIxxJotuXatikHQkCEYvtvx4PA3gNbhue_b8p6teHczF5U6Zs8KiXREoqu4Q3PiYdxgehdELVuu6E3Q0Q4bR8fu5WRutJ9wPZ3U5hU75EvMkKH3XF_370DPbjmmieMIp7ZIIjE&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span><b>Baltimore's groundbreaking teacher compensation</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Baltimore
has implemented the final piece of its four-year effort to transform
its teacher-pay schedule into one that emphasizes professional
accomplishment over credentials and seniority, writes Stephen Sawchuck
for Education Week. Few of the nation's 14,000 districts have attempted
this, even fewer with cooperation of their teachers' union. A handful of
Baltimore's "lead" teachers will teach fewer classes, use additional
time to coach other teachers on instruction, and earn nearly six
figures. The Professional Practices and Student Learning Program all but
dispenses with pay increases for longevity and credentials; its
predominant element is performance. Baltimore teachers will earn
incremental pay boosts each time they compile 12 "achievement units,"
the quickest way to do so being via top teacher-evaluation scores.
Larger pay increases occur after promotion to the "model" or "lead"
pathway, a competitive process partly vetted by other teachers. The
system has its detractors in research and in practice, yet proponents
say the system offers an important benefit over its predecessor: more
options for the ambitious teacher. "It takes away the predictability of
when you're going to get this or that [raise], but it really allows the
individual to take control and lead where they want to go in their
professional growth," said Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger, the district's
achievement and accountability officer.</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8Lkk5HJbxNzmzhgABqtdhOi3Xoqn6xsjrI-ZGflsqk9U_QVon88v3cRLR0kaSvPoRDsdd1kvoeezAyGoBSgQEP6twKKizDahadhes0fycWTkr7znWRj6I-JfV2WiaUBAgo8hSOiX7qArVb_VsGIPxnUxuBxBWYTXhNMa0RcT4QVZWiQ3jdyG92-Db9sfYVMvVgRXXLNqFvdg=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">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>How to bolster the Common Core</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>What's
behind declining support for the Common Core? asks Michael Petrilli in
his blog on the Thomas B. Fordham Institute website. Its slide is
apparent in recent polls: Education Next found public support dropped
from 65 to 53 percent in one year, with support from teachers plummeting
from 76 to 46 percent. PDK/Gallup found a majority of the public and
three-fourths of Republicans oppose the Common Core. Yet after two
punishing years of legislative assaults, Tea Party attacks,
implementation controversies, and negative stories in conservative
media, it's a miracle the numbers aren't worse, says Petrilli. And he
sees two silver linings for those -- he's one -- who still think the
Common Core has great potential to improve American education. The
Common Core "brand" is indeed damaged, but the concept's still popular.
When Education Next ran an experiment asking half of respondents to
provide views on the "Common Core" and the other half to respond to a
description of the reform without the label, support jumped from 53
percent to 68 percent; Republican support in particular bounced way up.
The PDK/Gallup poll asked about the "Common Core" without any
description. Misperceptions are driving down support; fix those
misunderstandings, and support may return, Petrilli 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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8FfCmo5fKqCU0xpR-9DY9km2CAxuEakbAYxOQ2ib12GwXGcE3izoxHBWg56H-Jm_20Jx_XJ228xxO5snbgzBMypi8FSJ-oUaF-McwxlH7yoUoDYQcRGpt1gmoGmnYwK34MjCi8q4dX2ZvgnLIBXMz0zEEmpNjqwcpbXUDGw_1x9dY-EWePNtwoVMr6OB_Jn1LxTHzaZwSKIY=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
</div>
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<div>
<div style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:14pt;"><span><b>U.S. math instruction is fine</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>In
a post on the Brookings Institution website, Tom Loveless outlines six
myths he found in Elizabeth Green's New York Times article about
American math reform and its failures. The article's glaring mistake,
Loveless feels, is its suggestion that a particular approach to
mathematics instruction is the answer to improving U.S. math learning.
Green's first myth is that Japan scores higher on math tests because
Japanese teachers teach differently. Green relied on the Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 1995 Video Study for
her conclusion, yet the study itself collected no data on how much kids
learned during lessons. Her second myth is that non-school factors are
unimportant to Japanese math success. But what of juku, or "cram
school," the private, after-school instruction most Japanese students
receive? A third myth is that American kids hate math, and Japanese kids
love it. PISA data on enjoyment show that American students
consistently report enjoying math more than Japanese, 45.4 compared to
33.7 percent. A fourth myth is that international scores support math
reform. Yet Japan's scores are declining -- worse now in absolute terms
than in the 1960s, prior to reforms -- and U.S. scores are rising. Myth
five is that a blind devotion to procedure and memorization caused the
failure of 1990s U.S. math reform. The suggestion that teachers were
left on their own to change their teaching is simply inaccurate,
Loveless says. Myth six is that the Common Core (CCSS) addresses
teaching practice. In fact, the CCSS website states, "Teachers know best
about what works in the classroom. These standards establish what
students need to learn, but do not dictate how teachers should teach."
Loveless feels Green's article is based on "bad science, bad history,
and unfortunate myths that will lead us away from, rather than closer
to, the improvement of math instruction in the United States."</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8Uy_1AnRJ3VXMM-9Ix-Z9zqoWMa6z30ly_IJvEjyqeh0ejwFzmYUJjM1u9Jud1DiYDYb6PVxdLJvcIvAGYEhy8szVFbx-8_Sgz5z9qBpBJOhStjuKkQVDlpqefj8VDLRi5EM70q_eJVyrds_IpOE9P8QlUuwctKyVHou514hY2IgKSOqt3xhfrl3SrEaiq0qitC0jIIVZ5RouSDQ9PPGGjt4-z_p0K-t3&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Can teaching excellence be taught?</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Popular
culture promotes the notion that good teachers possess magical
charisma, writes Nick Romeo in The Atlantic. Elizabeth Green's new book
presents teaching as technically demanding, with complex component
skills that can be studied, isolated, practiced, and improved. Teaching
can be taught. Green emphasizes that no specific method can transform
any teacher, but argues for the teachability of teaching with case
studies, research, and cross-cultural comparisons. And yet, Romeo
observes, a gulf separates teaching competence from excellence. Can we
expect even the best training to transform a significant number of
teachers? Some people learn more deeply and effectively, are better able
to anticipate student confusion, admit and correct their own
shortcomings, and adapt to the flux of a dynamic classroom. The idea
that great teachers can be made is appealing: It offers hope our schools
can improve, and sends the democratic message that we're all equal. But
self-improvement requires learning, and the undemocratic truth is that
some are better learners than others. Green's title is Building a Better
Teacher. Making teachers better is a reasonable and laudable goal,
Romeo says. But it's important to honor the fact that teaching -- like
any other profession -- has its geniuses. Better training could make
many mediocre teachers competent. It's less likely to make competent
teachers extraordinary.</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8_rIKRXuFLRDRv26YK_XaPjuDHzHEaUs9qp7iqy3MBl6_vSGoyxdVX0N7HL-_8IGGEK4oH4a7tCL8LRZOqk_gMXVD1pgJ9nPPgR3hGxsElBS-3ZukpcCzGt3_JGzFzDRwgNmdSiWkUOYAnRQgA9_WMY_x1_QkIss2RkUWC_WbUGG6JM2rF9qA3NT6g9Bk3QVbA7lIqv89PqFtkiy-EYIFsg==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">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>No teaching one-night stands</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Teacher-preparation
programs should be matchmakers, writes Andre Perry in The Hechinger
Report. To his mind, communities benefit when new teachers share their
fates with their surroundings. To meet this expectation, teacher-prep
programs should be measured by quality time served, but new teachers
aren't staying in the classroom very long; one estimate is that 40 to 50
percent of new teachers leave within the first five years. Causes for
premature exit are multifold: poor preparation, feeling overwhelmed,
work conditions, and student behavior. An uncounted number leave simply
because they had no intention of staying. But schools are so much more
effective and efficient when teachers stay: It's hard to develop
feelings for anyone expecting the educational equivalent of a one-night
stand. Kids don't learn from those they don't like, and can't learn from
those who are detached. A relationship is both process and product.
Perry recommends teacher-education programs move toward required
yearlong residencies that give candidates a "figuring-out" period.
Opportunities for skill development should occur under supervision, with
feedback, but before the candidate signs her or his first contract.
Most importantly, skill development should happen in the context of a
relationship. The effectiveness of teacher-training programs must be
measured on teacher ability to positively impact student learning.
Districts can't shoulder the costs of teacher-prep promiscuity.</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8qfrCcv7K8x5ICytC9ew-NdCNeQHV5KgWE1mV7T6nNtCQohfi9ikgLiQeG3sW9HKRO7vYQb2NDJpmsPspKB6oXuZo-DBIo3hd7MaHP7odK-S1-cINomajlxl-K2iXqnzso9IL8OjRdpxgEaqgEjf8QlYoybIh4yEQ1F4fknamYapOKDAIU1uRsGmdPAX50zr5YIvxySpFCEYJY5Frr6KPA-5zXyk-8iDYtbzbpeRZakk=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Duncan's August surprise</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>As
teachers gear up for a new school year, U.S. Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan offers two thoughts on ASDC's SmartBlog. First, thanks:
America's students have posted unprecedented achievements in the last
year. Second, he addresses concerns about standardized testing -- that
it makes no sense to hold teachers accountable during a transition to
standards-based assessments; that standardized tests privilege basic
skills over critical thinking; and that testing -- and prep -- takes up
too much time. Duncan agrees assessments should be just one part of
gauging progress. Schools and teachers shouldn't look bad because they
instruct kids with greater challenges. And no teacher or school should
be judged on one test, or tests alone. It's become a distraction, he
concedes, "sucking the oxygen out of the room" during a transition to
higher standards, improved data systems, better aligned assessments,
teacher professional development, evaluation, support, and more.
Accordingly, the U.S. Department of Education will allow states to delay
when test results matter for teacher evaluation. States can push back
to 2015-16 the time when student-growth measures based on new state
assessments become part of evaluation systems. Change is hard, Duncan
writes, and changes of significance rarely work exactly as planned: "But
in partnership, making course alterations as necessary, we will get
there."</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8lqUL--ic6o-lpJMNU0Kq2V5ytsdU5ktL-CphP817Z352lPu8efYz0n_sqT_MoNrOqACy5FZOk_-liF-aMBye4LwWDC6y37fpM5LsVUiYjR5kJWzSdMXutOHF-j8ubiRK5JDOu_mpcOQoxzLVItEJwZye6aupXoPiEdsEa8RlX9Uwf0jSMjaJO28KrrfYDYA-&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Chronically absent political will</b></span></div>
<div style="color:#454545;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span>Given
hardships at home, poor kids could be expected to have the best school
attendance, if only because school offers a hot meal and orderly
environment, writes Daniel Cardinali of Communities in Schools for an
op-ed in The New York Times. Yet poor children are most often
chronically absent. Amazingly, Cardinali writes, the federal government
doesn't track absenteeism, but state numbers are alarming. In Maryland,
for example, 31 percent of high school students eligible for the federal
lunch program were chronically absent this year; for students above the
income threshold, the figure was 12 percent. But policymakers treat
dropout rates and chronic absenteeism as "school" problems, while issues
like housing and mental health, which have huge bearing on a child's
performance in school, are "social" problems. To bridge this divide, the
community school model would bring a site coordinator, with training in
education or social work, into every high-poverty school. That person
would identify at-risk students and match them with services in both
school and community. Putting social workers in schools is a low-cost
way of avoiding bigger problems down the road, but will require a
measure of political courage, something all too often chronically
absent.</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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8zpAQmOlsPWJyAzJOABFZMjFI4RtR8xMIQ2PTuv388SCUfRoJ-Ifg0fMrwYgLByrJPAeFV_qHZ1-Z_i7CNGb5ij4kZsz4NsBDSrZTu30qRdO4lSVRjjsAyDFELQm2s7cIH8b4hAbTnX98Jpg3wOR_PsWczc8AyrhrfzTMVLrqNXtKT3pDDndK-zg-jaSbqKPQ8SVBop8eTqvpdEc_UqoMmzL_dFDh0_KtyDJOLPiwBqctd1IpR3ybQF5xaUsnVu5TOxa2UkENMBs=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">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;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Common sense prevails</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A piece of legislation
aimed at overturning a 16-year-old state law restricting use of
bilingual education in California's public schools has made it out of
the legislature and now awaits action from Gov. Jerry Brown. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8x5MC8rmm6ZanoYdAUB6RcNPQbv1MVl69NlU5xLOHRJo-z9qHGAnYwa-sM3eynHmfFz4oezk6TLtQOFcBDMrQcUUBaUFnCWc2TnL5Tkae-7OSBhPP8jSXxeAkuTSnXWD1axjPB4SOSItXxcdcmxJUfh73W3BSV4R-fc8LxzFq5wMWQaKxOKoycaOr6aWYI-3gPA6OlLtICDrdCw1-TIcsUQ==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Brown contests Vergara</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Gov. Jerry Brown has
appealed a California judge's sweeping ruling that threw out teacher
job-protection laws on the ground that they deprived students of their
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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8x5MC8rmm6ZanoYdAUB6RcNPQbv1MVl69NlU5xLOHRJo-z9qHGAnYwa-sM3eynHmfFz4oezk6TLtQOFcBDMrQcUUBaUFnCWc2TnL5Tkae-7OSBhPP8jSXxeAkuTSnXWD1axjPB4SOSItXxcdcmxJUfh73W3BSV4R-fc8LxzFq5wMWQaKxOKoycaOr6aWYI-3gPA6OlLtICDrdCw1-TIcsUQ==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Sounds good to them</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">An EdSource survey of a
sampling of Californian county offices of education found they had
approved nearly all inaugural Local Control and Accountability Plans,
laying out spending and academic priorities under the state's new
funding formula. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8svJBICVKbkgvuyjZmyJwtuiuwBcR1r0m3nUnmhgE3gjmrCRjX9Potzadv_ASxWguBP_ynTpBWMi277D4EAZBRQKcuh7pWlgORba3a4Qqv50CHwOL8K51eNPbErfwI8Pe9jBwezCyc5uK4JWJF5uKFxHxNgIz8HzXkHM9BKJPODiMvpDB8QQcXtJeJztBvl1y&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Readiness lacking</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The "career" piece of
"college- and career-readiness" continues to challenge the state
advisory committee charged with reworking the primary measure of school
effectiveness in California. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8yg7MKvY8rbxfAqMdQ2T4l7v2jN_Ww4iKv2LoJ_yLV7D25nzPnIOsmSbErvEZSgcNBbatKc4JaK7_OYiCzC5e8BSlvHWib80qm0AK9YFWF6aI9H3wagw6jxA9qcZvBfjJU3qaEOvXC7RSbgqashhGMVhp7AsuhMLNVz-0zsNG50528Pz29X3V4fOecHlry2oi&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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>Hoboy</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">An audit of the Los
Angeles Unified School District's computer inventory reveals 230 devices
worth nearly $200,000 have been stolen or are missing -- and school
officials can't account for another 3,105 laptops, desktops, and iPads. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8vWyt3-Tmqo2TyiPnRhhYQGuPnUsNRaX-MSe4XSmnD71eku1ThLHlDuWtX5kRMIxoGq9KmMpQ4lrzQPHIwnGZBY14ubgFnJFRUiYx2YrftdZCdr2O_98GPFHlHgGmy9G6IdOtAi5hsFl7JhROpwdp-2M-UdpFcad7QzCjrrvuvNxGlWKGh-HOePiLLY-S7Jhh4ZDn5SyXPNVccTi2f6uRiPRyhN4GNdXdqd4RvZZdxIQ=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" 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;">In the fast and furious
final days of the legislative session, a package of bills is headed to
Gov. Jerry Brown's desk this week that, if signed as expected, will
initiate a systemic effort to increase student attendance by reducing
chronic absences, providing for follow-up on truancy hearings, and
requiring statewide attendance data collection. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(238, 86, 36); text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X83f8jHwPjwnOZniYviAr5abAlevS6qa-Grt14UpJ9YeX9myoapzcpwmKG0tYpsbJGXMmGLO00Xh7usjfPMZO1495j-brzK8AvXzhy1fXVwKnj35SnAUXsfSSHJfw8NZb0NHZ7wHaieRVEpvqOhOrT4WhNk7vl9HP0oliyiUEWIu-o7UrSKQ955iAakNbDDyQn5ZJYcqJo8gKjjj-a39IfMw==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==" shape="rect">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;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>He used to love them</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Louisiana Gov. Bobby
Jindal has sued the U.S. Department of Education, accusing it of
violating federal law and the US Constitution by strong-arming states
into adopting the Common Core State Standards and assessments. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8rWmhOj0s3IFgXA1xlywXFBNlFxrVwizkl4n04_tsiyxcUPk1IOs8rlb4m7cSXAMIYXNpxn14F2oHfMGcNXZlmqvs-nM1pdokzDe1Qjt11rnmWT347dqzxOg10uIbuLn4eoqnBtBrVw4OHLlE_iWFqeuabiScoPyDkEkLMZeGcHZ1N3w8VRkOfBrY6zSPp913Rr8RnaLGCKPk9tlko1xFYVe3SCIEcuHS3cVr8Z9uRe5JWQ3nmzd87g==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>'Broken'</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Vermont State Board
of Education is taking a stance against the testing policies of NCLB
weeks after the state's education secretary sent a letter to parents
saying the "broken NCLB policy" has identified nearly every school in
Vermont as low performing. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8nu1GqVXCOGHUYpef4uYF4cp8toQzN1p6RXENSvQRyyetD8lDWygsa-NPZWiCcZ6RpWQTTd-et7qSMZOLxQM3QS2KYU_KmNT-Fn6M6skst_A5DWAJc8gPJDmqy9N1KTRDo7RAaX1yFdED2QU3p2y1b0smiwABn5PPPE62Qe5GINMPPrQNkmuKoMlDHqLzjnaU8lXpWisV0KHh6jg0rZShdlPXG541FQxBRqnTBdBJ3uuNs1UqVteFmcbAnq3RWyx1qZm4rbt_gkhhxXkQ860r-w==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>You're out</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Nearly three months
after Oklahoma dropped the Common Core State Standards, officials at the
U.S. Department of Education revoked the state's NCLB waiver, saying
its academic standards do not prepare students for college or a career. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8KR_GFcOWDuPGwrDGt4yh1dCrKJTALB38s3Qngou0AgRc14N1FxMTiIMP1cYREivO8DQzNaU35iCTtoLiLuhAw7zwSh9ICxKIqrotaf0vG5ujl592QYZlXjeTem_hAV2jfIQkoyHsDjpnazzWqSvu53JWjHA4bllYnxGooZlJc7jxTmhINkVgFgDdcDaWjTowrrWsIZMxpHe3YmT1u-Emy5ZhFT0uU2asoDT6Dz9DC3M=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Feeling put-upon</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Florida Gov. Rick Scott is ready to take the federal government to court over testing rules for students learning English. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8zgtrN7de5cU00G5GqydiccESZylj3D6g1eOCbrCfSLPkcKrMU0uzTCBWij-JCbHt28-h9nx5Xjp6m_w0rgXvI92NfI_GRUEcEUZ1_FNRBUgt-iM3AzJ87R8ctgkBNyYU_04gsHWW4HnpKrh_0RGDRyEG_VXuW3AFYe60Ju1q_dAnqzqIfdXRLQojdUeFiE8lRrg171aQlJ-E_69-ACW2qvaXYYHjFmBMG1rpgH6_8pvQ720jO0E9R-nmh7J6przB&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Breaking Away</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Florida Gov. Rick Scott
has rolled out a series of education proposals that touch on everything
from high-stakes testing to the cost of college, representing a break
from signature moves put in place by former Gov. Jeb Bush. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8Sd_sgoa71DdrUBUE3x5rGRtN39D-0YGi-ODjbdrFF_RRa4JuNT6bCF6K7IrqXaIuRsu3uDETE84HP9QsmAj03nL9uyAJ5xNfEp-2hBB6tpz1sXsFxxxdZo8ShFFD8GVACQ3wgYkEa_giCtJg2tOrpTfyQxA_UwlvyV0tBj-VYX3pB8K47qP13GmancoLaxwhpfuS6iMs_auD2L2NJGfnh60Zd5Jikchk&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Keep trying</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A judge declared Texas'
school finance system unconstitutional for a second time finding that
even though the Legislature pumped an extra $3 billion-plus into
classrooms last summer, the state still fails to provide adequate
funding or distribute it fairly among wealthy and poor areas. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8mLBAsuKXjkvK8W3lx7IiloYUgnZsX5jXm1IIYfqbntHs5bBZmS74QT742Z6aKmuY0HEmyBDJ-dVhLigetQqjswK6JUJezire1hbUAM8Pn4XDnh3W-YQxmJQIk5mJBWRcuwdQSs5PtFAixBijVqWjtaw3w1gaxFPKkaSXj_ZCBoYaFzsluo8P0uo6Jwr_Pik7SEN73iHQx74=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Scramble</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Knowing that New York
City schools and private organizations would need as many as 1,000 new
pre-k instructors before classes start this week, city and school
officials have resorted to creative training and hiring strategies. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8YiaoLdmsI-3akW9O3LT4-boyv-uUj0SrPD2Ti98edDVuxTNXLVv92xZhbxE8Qt-zRR3hGD5OaCdfR3M0dI214sPbYEnZSBwtDQmnksMoZmtuEJilMfrtmemd04wzUlr675wemO-hYLl4upO9cHwfIeR4820P4rikCjG-ztfGPAjWhdxlMmnlam2vdJhlPg4Xe0XRSB6o4vy6CaXrUZkAh5N53yqb48WcqJSc3ksM7Dw8Ce1vjZab_w==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>For the love of tofu</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In a move that appears
designed to counter criticism of the healthier school meals rules, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture has given grants of more than a quarter
million dollars to North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana to help
implement the program in states where students, school food service
directors, and politicians have complained they don't like some of the
changes. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8LRyQM282HYaQr_ERvzlHdFuWJnkZjOkvvYbruNrdNKyO_6BhKSC2nbIvsN3p16wM2GvEgXXaxSTi-aWVfR4CgeU8diUTlZGyisdk62bXDxjgOmgpxa_bihi7A0osyaK6or0APK4g2Bqck2EiXA2zyH72LG5BusQ_qEW8_oG9iUBePz1yzJ9zHw==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>In arrears</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A group of 14
Mississippi school districts is asking the state to pay up $115 million
-- the amount the group says the districts have been underfunded by the
state since the 2010 fiscal year. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8wJDoWDZHhYIR7Vfg4-QyqjwU3pb6c9GNAI9PWc2WjRqQPEJ40SqrU7AEevii9nFos7e_372IcIYKs_dPj7T1L1d60wbRUwhhWOy41_iJJewrrduj1OdHQBxD0lPEQSk5CAb61iBHm3Qz_1HfTyn_vsVnQm4obZpZMjVpLESQK0UDDzJVw9kRhKbUZw5otpZMUu7ZC8Dh3BXK_ki5F4ruRs-nzF4uAMqXbZGmosl78CY=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>A meeting of minds</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Lawyers in New York
working with former CNN anchor Campbell Brown on a legal challenge of
teacher tenure have agreed to consolidate their case with an earlier
complaint filed by a group of public school parents that also seeks to
change job protections for teachers. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8H0wNgCUcu_ZARNIg6Urv4eFvNgL7P6qp7z5dtyFVgQLpry4o8eIdO1ojC8cX1EnFlLvIjXxf2eYhkY7pFyO43ByUytstVJQdZ4QSgbu1tIUDmpkAwXe0CtWloYXaKZUvstUMLPKAQFGCx0OyoEDLhH2Yy4G_AHUdDGIbppdO9iXS-RnsbchOrWKWWULxFtUt8FIQXb_CZ4BXJXw09xE5XiNSNwsZOGeyy84BlwKjr2WQXUPVhgxiGgh2fy6VsItJi_yXBltatCBGyoN-qkGFw80sdPhbMwiygq6CqC_NbGU=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </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>
</div>
<div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation: Grants</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Melinda Gray Ardia
Environmental Foundation grants support educators in developing and
implementing holistic environmental curricula that integrate field
activities and classroom teaching, and incorporate basic ecological
principles and problem solving. Maximum award: $1,500. Eligibility:
501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: September 14, 2014. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X86cCJEUWWMoK-Ek1GIKweDC82XuIoY0Yv-PJ-YUvT2q6jivrS2ZaS_Nw9dwSQahWSziQEFoTqurdjf_NKlfbOtywVNSDT8tGaA2LZjtt6yyVgPsWycV-kiw==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>AAE: Classroom grants</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Association of
American Educators offers small grants for teachers that can be used to
purchase classroom learning materials. Grants can be used for a variety
of projects and materials, including but not limited to books, software,
calculators, math manipulatives, art supplies, audio visual equipment,
and lab materials. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: all full-time
educators who have not received a scholarship or grant from AAE in the
previous three grant cycles (or 18 months) Deadline: October 1, 2014. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X84tJ74IFFU80tU4wpurOxd5ih6QHscAp3BzLEL5laLRGPjbP_M5upQV7kWWGF5UB0MT8gn0fk7sIbwZUZyKSsgH_I729ahLP8oX1HjeE5bJmQh_LpB2laj2O2WqLd8MagFO6NwzXgPeEyMfumg_TL3cILWbVvmFrQEFaAPaL0u4w=&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><strong>Farmers Insurance: Thank a Million Teachers Grants</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Farmers Insurance Thank a
Million Teachers grants can be put towards classroom supplies or
National Board Certification. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility:
teachers in the U.S. Deadline: October 30, 2014. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXlV3YTcbgpumoMiMr364f0WiUVHn1vnTMfhGV6CVPng96WbxEblj-ilBPiKdx2nXylf2_WBfg-hiiSS2c_2xi2QIZTO889YST6HfKOqY75oMSgwC0KNmkSxc_8HjHHhlYIufDgc8tGsjqpOFDoKAaQyOkEYKASPc9bbWQSEuD5G0&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
</div>
<br>
<div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 12pt; color: #ee5624;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Quote of the Week:</strong></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"These kids live a life
where their best friend may have been murdered last week, or a horrible
abusive incident may have happened at home the night before the test.
You've got to look at class size; you've got to look at resources in a
school. If you have 40 kids in a classroom with all kinds of problems
and they have no services, then a great teacher can't do much." -- <strong><span style="color: #ee5624;">Michael Rebell, professor at Teachers College at Columbia University,</span></strong> regarding the disconnect between teacher-effectiveness ratings and student outcomes. <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=001ggjIoFyl1_NqhysljMkH6XvuvW2H6TOwv1EUCd87aI_UibvVusjhXoQA-z17E8X8GBQNulxIS-8JuQWLkJDBM0ym47SJFuQTbDtA6E1zcmKqFaw0eXnpldojrxlksyLMdkJYP2qQZ5JLi2OrQhV0tA5BbYFlw_ckgj4fV8AH1MzvUDYBf2tcAFqOFs3lqpQlRZwce5tOteuu7PTKwnpFGNF1q2MXabhNOeIB8ewbvnOtzESw0kvqgJaWTu1QM9QHAQXPiH7ZwDODgulh3ACJb9jAscW21PM5vDZ6DivXNxiD8IQK0hW_ww==&c=fg1Qde5yc_ebhvP9qdujnwscO98enk5Eeol2WjR0_wkPlv9NJzCdgQ==&ch=pJiS4D_lxoSFQzeB81-0dLOOj7CacFL-ta9DAqW-DM2gtwskk7OiKQ==">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
</div>
</div>
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</div>