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<td class="aolmail_TOCHeadingText aolmail_TOCHeading" style="color:#76b5be;font-style:italic;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;padding:7px 25px 18px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div>May 27, 2015 - In This Issue:</div>
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<td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCContent" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;padding:0px 25px 0px 25px;" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
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<tbody><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK17">Whether complex trauma is a disability</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK72">Climbing suicide rate for black kids</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK71">Can racial understanding be programmed?</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK45">The proficiency disconnect</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK44">What ESEA reauthorization must not ignore</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK43">The crucial matter of hiring, firing, and retention</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK42">Here's what's good about Common Core math</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK53">Vocational degrees? Perhaps.</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK68">BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56">BRIEFLY NOTED</a></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_TOCLink aolmail_TOCLinkBorderColor aolmail_TOCLinkSingle" 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 class="aolmail_TOCLink" style="color:#ee5624;font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;font-size:10pt;" shape="rect" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==#aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK19">GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</a></div>
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<td class="aolmail_SectionDividerColor aolmail_SectionDivider" 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 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Whether complex trauma is a disability</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A group of students and
teachers in Southern California have filed a federal class-action suit
against the Compton Unified School District, alleging it failed to
sufficiently address the influence of trauma on student learning,
reports Angela Almeida for The Atlantic. Labeled by backers as
first-of-its-kind, the suit will test whether federal law determines
"complex trauma" to be a disability, in which case schools are
obligated to offer mental-health services. The lawsuit focuses on trauma
tracing to home rather than school settings, a nod to the prevalence of
household stressors and the scarcity of mental-health resources in
Compton. The city's murder rate is five times the national average, and
one 15-year-old plaintiff estimates he has seen more than 20 shootings
over the course of his life, including the death of his close friend
last September; he has been expelled from three schools and is attending
an "alternative school." At present, no standard or clear-cut
definition exists for a "trauma-sensitive" model of education, but the
general concept involves training staff to recognize trauma and
educating students about how to cope with anxiety and depression.
Programs would use strategies that restore and heal rather than punish.
The lawsuit's outcome could set a precedent in what role schools play in
a child's mental health, especially in lower-income and crime-heavy
neighborhoods. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw2f2ElVnRmLhkT4c4pHwtfNM_UsxzqFMOs4Jqg0SeiV4J_pfHifzLAT42TohIZgT39ubp1Snkau8JJ-4-RR6cbcLyx7OWhdSJ0vs3Y5oTxijJoNs6Qqr2qgao6bCVdVim2mm4QRx6eMRi24J97muzxriIgn5KwMOFwCHOUWeVvk8USG0v1sZB4Ow-wY3L7BHLPHJLF3RPLa0zpS295RQij8X4QbFyNUeEbYSW7y--bv4zJ2iXCh3iDj58MU3unun6&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/05/holding-schools-responsible-for-addressing-childhood-trauma/393695/">More</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Climbing suicide rate for black kids</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new study in the
Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics finds that
over the last two decades, suicide rates dropped for white children but
climbed significantly for blacks, reports Evie Blad for Education Week.
Rates for white children dropped from 1.14 per million between 1993 and
1997 to 0.77 per million between 2008 and 2012; for black children,
rates increased from 1.36 per million between 1993 and 1997 to 2.56 per
million from 2008 to 2012. Suicide is the leading cause of death for
school-age children younger than 12, and rates are much higher for boys
than girls. Black children are also more likely to experience early
onset of puberty, which increases risk through greater liability of
depression and impulsive aggression. "Black youth are also less likely
to seek help for depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.
Nevertheless, it remains unclear if any of these factors are related to
increasing suicide rates," according to the report. Suicide prevention
organizations say they have taken a new approach with schools in recent
years, working to help teachers identify warning signs of suicide and
mental-health issues at earlier ages. The study's authors recommend
further analysis to identify factors that are contributing to racial
disparities in this area. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwBrcOGTBq8wWz16ZdTUQxPn8za3vhnLpJwL1BgMB8yRa1eQpWLm4uvqF-Uz0NqGipcXuBIFUNb6__2_e5a1_hiQ93D25WqZx-CRd5h_bRw6-r7AfNNxzx5UIbiRSz21c2-RcF3wlz1vd4P7lCayPuWPrQtygbn8fjS1P-aj9LFFr5doulSBID4atGeNVjZaXWUZRPQ7taiMr84al7p2ayd8TPze4EmOIka6JDrj7ygj0-yAq6_-ybXQ0ZjluztVuP3spDIMVgFn8=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2015/05/suicide_rates_climb_dramatically_for_young_black_children_study_finds.html">More</a></div>
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong style="font-size: 14pt;">Can racial understanding be programmed?</strong></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;">
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 10pt; color: #454545;">The
Fieldston Lower School in New York City has become a lot less white in
recent years -- less than half -- making it one of the most racially
diverse private elementary schools in the city, writes Lisa Miller for
New York Magazine. This year, the school offered a pioneering curriculum
to boost self-esteem and a sense of belonging for minority kids, while
also combating racism. It's mandatory, built into the school day itself;
it compels participation from all races, at first separated into racial
"affinity groups"; and it starts in third grade. Apprehension around it
rocketed through certain factions of (white) parents, but the school
held course. The program reflects a generational transformation in how
the broader culture approaches identity, Miller writes, now seen as more
elective and performative. The ambitions of the Fieldston program are
large, with some aspects better articulated than others, but at base the
school hopes to initiate "authentic" conversations about race, which
researchers say have been inhibited for decades by liberal
"color-blindness." The school acknowledges the program might have been
rolled out better, with more outreach to resistant parents, but the
program took place as planned, with full support of the administration
and board. Mariama Richards, who runs the program, points out that true
integration can't happen if just half a student body discusses it. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwllviwR_W4f7UGs1tGtzoaOQR5pqR115I0iF_VBzw4HICmdCMj2tZh9CLHzKvD4l_dSCNvfHearzYnvK55c8cevJzsobQkJHoFFI-k_B3hAYghP6qR1qe0ElxWxNWRSN_PuaZj_BIKyi302Y5s7ZqzNxuKocLX-51eOS8-gPTdG0UL44RECQn5P16sq_M0hGKCXmELhuv6w-_3T8TBi1Xzg==&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/05/can-fieldston-un-teach-racism.html?mid=twitter_nymag">More</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>The proficiency disconnect</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new brief from Achieve
details discrepancies -- or the "honesty gap" -- between student
proficiencies as reported by states to students, parents, and educators,
and as reported by NAEP, the standard for student assessment
comparisons across state lines. Over the past two years, many states
report proficiency rates that are more than 30 percentage points higher
than their 2013 NAEP rates, leading parents and educators to believe
that far more students are succeeding in grade-level ELA/literacy and
mathematics than is the case. NAEP is the only assessment with
comparable results for all 50 states, administered to a representative
sample of students from all 50 states every two years, providing results
for individual states, and comparable with prior assessment years going
back to 1990. State participation was optional until 2003, when all
states were required to participate. The Achieve report includes
state-reported proficiency data from 2012-13 and 2013-14, and compares
it to 2013 NAEP results. Some states have progressed in closing the
honesty gap by switching to new assessments aligned to college- and
career-ready state academic standards in 2013-14. Many more states are
administering new tests aligned to college- and career-ready standards
this school year, and 2015 NAEP results will be released this fall,
perhaps narrowing the "honesty gap." <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zweIPiRV0ce5afcwU3xeuYcq3PlUIlbc1Fxn23dy7cCDXL07700Pdkqck2Aom14LIcF_rOmUcsQL10HYbTht1kbHLGNlyMroS4gXcSU02uGPlD4H1X33Ak8A==&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://www.achieve.org/naepbrief">More</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>What ESEA reauthorization must not ignore</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new brief from the
Alliance for Excellent Education argues that reauthorization of the ESEA
must ensure states and districts target resources and reforms toward
high schools repeatedly failing to graduate a third or more of students,
or consistently demonstrating low graduation rates among student
subgroups. Twenty-nine percent of African American students and 25
percent of Hispanic students do not graduate from high school within
four years -- if at all -- and more than 1,200 high schools serving 1.1
million youth fail to graduate at least a third of their students. At
the same time, federal funding for high school programs has stagnated,
decreased, or been eliminated. Therefore, ESEA reauthorization must
include a dedicated funding stream for school turnaround, targeting
funds toward these low-graduation-rate high schools. Research shows that
the current federal strategy of investing in early years and
postsecondary education, largely skipping over middle and high schools,
is unlikely to yield hoped-for returns. In addition to the above
recommendations, ESEA reauthorization must require states to intervene
in high schools where one or more student subgroups miss one or more
state-set performance targets for two or more years, and authorize
funding for "next-generation high schools" that implement new models for
school turnaround, expose students to the workforce, and provide
students with college credit while in high school. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw1_jG9GuroFeGlc0KHBBRR2hXzOU6wfV2-Wo04eGd3nJrpBfWO2GRrWmSCsyx7_specHVuQYwZ0lzEUvSdDMSmYcIWu0iW20dcXzo6yTaLK6GWrDr-1JKxvdZ31Gi0sMYRFXaPGsol6uAdMIV_XA72Q==&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://all4ed.org/reports-factsheets/nevertoolate/">More</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>The crucial matter of hiring, firing, and retention</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Few schools get
turnarounds right, least of all high schools, writes Sara Neufeld for
The Hechinger Report. In 2012 and 2013, the federal Institute of
Education Sciences (IES) asked 49 states and the District of Columbia
about their capacity to support failing schools that had received
federal turnaround money. This money disproportionately went to high
schools, and states reported significant problems. To fix a struggling
school of any level, the right principal and teachers are paramount;
state policies often negatively impact hiring and selection. At Quitman
Street Renew School in Newark -- on which Neufeld wrote an earlier
series -- an excellent principal received teacher-hiring authority in
2012 and replaced half his staff. Each successive year this authority
was challenged, because the district had tenured teachers without
placements and a budget shortfall. Principal Erskine Glover made some
excellent hires from the district pool; others were not top choices.
Meanwhile, New Jersey introduced a law mandating teacher evaluations,
making it harder to get tenure but leaving seniority rights intact. This
tension around hiring operates nationally. Areas where states reported
struggling most were in implementing the right teacher evaluations to
effectively reward teachers performing well at low-performing schools
and dismiss teachers who weren't. The IES report cites several states
with promising turnaround practices, yet none of these address hiring,
firing, and retention. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw_9S7pMR5EmIXgi4oODc84EUn0AEV4G8MYjqYik5yOjzEsyshBf1-kaNiImwcDfWAdbLQp4Xj70MUco7alsYtSiIEbPPDOaC-wLDe1MI_9pRvDvQZpk0tOxVR7GvoerFMeBbiCyW0cd_tmltgSNjfpSrtRP9lnzdAZ6SSyQe-cfDscCrib257Og==&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://hechingerreport.org/does-anyone-have-the-answers-on-school-turnarounds/">More</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Here's what's good about Common Core math</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">A new post on the
Education Next website by Tom Loveless looks at Common Core (CCSS)
instruction and its impact on how teachers teach, as well as how teacher
decisions around instruction shape implementation. Standards emanate
from the top and are produced by politicians, policymakers, and
experts. Curricular decisions are shared across systemic
levels. Instruction, on the other hand, is determined by
practitioners. Loveless looks at Common Core mathematics in the
elementary grades, with an example of how the standards will likely
shape math instruction. The CCSS introduces fractions as numbers on a
line, versus traditional representation as parts of a whole. Emphasis on
a number line doesn't guarantee effective instruction, and there will
be variation in how teachers implement the concept, but overall it's a
shift that will yield needed and beneficial change. Loveless points to a
practice guide published by the What Works Clearinghouse, Developing
Effective Fractions Instruction for Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade,
which states supporting evidence for use of number lines inferred from
studies involving whole numbers and decimals. This is the kind of
research that underlies many curricular changes in the Common Core that
will have huge ramifications for how teachers teach. In a successive
post, Loveless will cover less-promising Common Core impacts on
instruction. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw5Z_Bp7IrAmU81t-Q2Ln-3jIMQ6EPkH3XDJLRPoUDJlqntvnwSwAznmMNYlqHPPlJYgK-fNY32XolIJFoHTJhlFJTQCc-yxMqI46-wOITMtwu362vSWWgjj_QTo1ckmOkh4UgNIQjJPxCA4b-oo2b4ffWo1cN7Nm2nNrlols5fwbckUn7aWQqyQ==&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://educationnext.org/common-core-classroom-instruction-good-bad-ugly/">More</a></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Vocational degrees? Perhaps.</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Many return to school to
get a vocational degree, but does it pay? asks Jill Barshay in U.S.
News & World Report. A study by the National Bureau of Economic
Research examined career- and technical-training programs offered by
California's community colleges, finding vocational certificates and
degrees made up half of all their degrees conferred annually, a
50-percent growth over 20 years. Engineering and industrial programs are
top fields, but many programs fall into non-mechanical categories, from
business to prison management. Researchers tracked wages of students
before and after receiving vocational training, gauging a degree's
financial impact. Salary increases were compared against those of
similar students who started but didn't complete vocational training. In
some fields, especially healthcare, vocational degrees pay off
enormously -- as much as 65 percent more income per year. Other fields,
such as informational technology (IT), see less gain. However, the
authors caution against dismissing all vocational IT programs, even
though the return for a two-year degree was zero (i.e., similar students
without the degree earned comparable salaries). "IT" is a category that
ranges from sought-after certificates in computer programming to
secretarial programs in data entry. Interestingly, the study found
returns on investment for vocational degrees were as strong for people
over 30 as for younger students. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwgs37uThchhqnNi38widqgwvLlXb1aVdohkI7SOX7kAVmLoAm3YSTnmTOpPBkeN9_RNiGukWzPJp-zkAJh4EDyA0MmX6Tk--rIHCkUf1uycP6SPCOrSpJ45KxOwpdB2jPzY1QBK2vIG4JkBw8Ry8dNFHaFYR4a7d6Mq1igcfkNecbCt8qfGURqpz3zeTYd2I1&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/05/18/which-vocational-degrees-pay-off">More</a></div>
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<div><span color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED CALIFORNIA</strong></span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ee5624;"><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 10pt;"><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Cautiously optimistic</strong></span></div>
<div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In his proposed budget,
California Governor Jerry Brown is calling for increased funding for
education and a tax credit for the working poor, though he stopped short
of agreeing to fund social programs that were cut during the recession
despite a jump in state revenues. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwAU-F2QLFDoL6RnqwL_oNwbJp0ZIAFAHe3S6RL2oWwUd3nhoItW4WVr1BsVygZpTyP63h8Ws_b0iPRLPdMbTv3i29nmRHT16evGmIlYtv5UXU3_ra7FDR5tLjZKdkhzaUBzgF_h6KpRuz-kL1DAFhvxylG5ldN49BDhYwRVsZhVKxPGSr29UCeAsPBrjpXRfiEJcWbuuThyo=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/14/us-usa-california-budget-idUSKBN0NZ11W20150514">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Possibly illuminating</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In the coming weeks,
California families will receive report cards describing how children
did this spring on new statewide tests tied to the Common Core, aiming
for a more robust explanation of student performance by using bands of
scoring to show whether a child has met an achievement standard or
fallen short.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwrh-DMnIOswJLXIWv15HR-_pDSxpnjGUa5N9909BhM5a5yeZGLYyFFb7bC3Lgd3wZ0vNDA-1nKpa1DSmStgxA2vy1jnE-aB8QVKF188CyFTGptIWBTI0L8swyFJf-xwiiLRxQ3XgGwDTQwDwgssS28mE_QoCOiSEAipdqJ41ldYAHLzTt3Kwq7sps7FhlGEyUDMdHB3nqVY_Tz7K7wtfNweh7f8L46fLI&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="https://www.cabinetreport.com/curriculum-instruction/ca-readies-new-student-report-cards-on-common-core-testing">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>The slide continues</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The number of
credentials issued to new teachers trained in California has decreased
for the 10th consecutive year, according to latest figures from the
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwyEW7-rfciWZ3JS-TNi5GKStep8g-qIXarWcBXxuvYihKpSx2ZTI094-m8pwcTMfd-OFiUmkVR6TcclMXF1KVtZK6_bMkCAUSWfUjfwaCq8pep7AtM3fiosmFUatbU5hGR3IkAJ00hhgU2J6Ve_LBkg21yLJ4moA_R8dszH47xyrVnm-P0UBaIRtzcX0WRNvXBGrIC1d8RjgD67E-WCBUmsqEx6fNLAbI7l9ryytwtLk=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://edsource.org/2015/new-california-teaching-credentials-decline-for-10th-successive-year/80248#.VWDRoOdf_va">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Give peace a chance</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Oakland Unified
school board has voted unanimously to eliminate willful defiance as a
reason to suspend any student and to invest at least $2.3 million to
expand restorative justice practices in its schools.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw9eSiF-nz1a_je_BjqcnhzXM29srynYyk8ZeuXvqozMHc_KNT7D4WuyTsA6lEVSlBp9L8OSvFmAWTTO8dvHjLECu6H7jkTDI8fTlXzGSgA0yUpO1QQaUpRcRfxsEIoTLvs7Z0hRe7P69GvHiC3tECWwOgMWXVLgh09rNNvH0eIWWnCOCeoSYtekiJVoXYmHHcg8ysxzslyJsb1jkSfhfs4DN4TOnXDKwRSgDgtC9qEok=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://edsource.org/2015/oakland-ends-suspensions-for-willful-defiance-funds-restorative-justice/79731#.VWC7X-df_vZ">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Mulch ado about... nevermind.</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">LA Unified will begin phasing out polystyrene trays this month, replacing them with environmentally friendly compostable plates.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" shape="rect" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwU1IUIPZ2E6dEyGDOkqwNQhAkFOBEqaVa7h_ZPSFwV5kzm25OEg5Me6mcEVhBxYmK7yi38A8eXnw3KByGaFOExXdK-f_b8mAKud-AS4SyXDim1aXiZ-ifnQGQaIUB19A3Z88Wp395u5o90WwSwwHsbOMClbXc4BMhAtWgEqVC0rrZyGSseOXBkw==&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" alt="http://laschoolreport.com/more-good-food-brings-compostable-plates-to-lausd/">More</a></span></div>
</div>
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</tbody></table><a name="aolmail_LETTER.BLOCK56"></a><table class="aolmail_FeatureBGColor" style="background-color:#ebf5f6;display: table;" id="aolmail_content_LETTER.BLOCK56" bgcolor="#ebf5f6" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="aolmail_FeatureHeading" style="padding:25px 25px 0px 25px;font-size: 14pt; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);" rowspan="1" colspan="1" align="left" valign="top">
<div><span color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman"><strong>BRIEFLY NOTED </strong></span></div>
</td></tr><tr><td class="aolmail_FeatureText aolmail_FeatureContent" 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: #ff6600;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Reality check</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Common Core-aligned
tests that debuted in 11 states and the District this spring will be
approximately 90 minutes shorter next year after parents, teachers, and
administrators expressed frustration with the amount of time devoted to
the new exams. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwynPrLr3yrv1c3X6Mbj7zi1R828Ihu6UGXbyhlR_2J8e3wK17AkcFKrGMHF3Magj7jzqvqbNJId3tRHW8f3lu37gBc1uB0LiS71BU5UbLzMRKkXI_vbTNxn753ZJVixxE_bwy0mYxxCFGz3cT5ILXT7gcpmrZNQBgutCyg7BVn6eEr8vUZKbo3yLpqL78weSwY4_32NOAcPyI4AJ3ckqY8Qvk7CogSQcsQYdyLa4cxjC11eNCdkrV-dZdbi2oLpJzZGnsBmLRS6ab0gCySATZddDZ44BJVviGSaiFnrmJKyuWmKk7fg5FFeXxZFwPh2Rn6DY1YuQVTlMj8jpAE0PHrAkk6WRdCiA5&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/states-vote-to-shorten-common-core-aligned-tests-known-as-parcc/2015/05/21/0e6807b6-ffc2-11e4-833c-a2de05b6b2a4_story.html?wprss=rss_education">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Pearson got some splainin' to do</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Virginia students taking
the annual Standards of Learning exams were unable to log in to the
tests for more than an hour, the third time in a week that computer
problems have disrupted the statewide standardized testing administered
by Pearson.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwvSPlu4zX2_t9VqIPVB5znxPtzQFab0NP5HiT8PUpmGYBIbZk_BJaNe2CsiGw-iNOEAV7IjxF2gptM_W9JYlldq2dYurUiM9aD4zmGx5UQ1chsf_d__fZKU4-qXATXIbuyO4mV1HEHb2o-Gtaj6mCbMin6GCuT5eRyGIO-sQPP1NgWJqvDKcd3_a7gaE-P8VlsxuEu81BZ9P1YjBiO_O5YgY9gDyUjM5jk3wU4ewE4A-P_dyEjMHJxDlXeWrfxsc5y6XFFCFEzi5lBAsurkOv-ffG71gYP0d868X6BjYSYtSdCLu-2eFg3350sEsXijfsjRy7OqWgbaaqcWXmOeY6RKRIWagtY-p59gb8cAT4ilU=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/va-testing-interrupted-three-times-because-of-issues-with-pearson-system/2015/05/20/3243a030-ff38-11e4-8b6c-0dcce21e223d_story.html?wprss=rss_education">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Are we all getting along?</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The portion of students
who experience behaviors used to measure bullying -- being threatened,
pushed, made fun of, or excluded -- dropped to 22 percent in 2012-13,
the first significant decline since 2005, the U.S. Department of
Education reports.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwdEbhIr5xd-PhTJXa1lUCvrpGhuPxo8CFCOaKvNXKKYJr_WX7y8j4IpI8k0Jo3R0zFINVYioVbvqC_6oF1Gb6eEr0jbiRc1Ym0qHquiMI9nLln14PLRt8abraHeCUiLfErb1fwgAbJnY6wI8S7UDL0hrpbPUdjg0A70BaHTWyeoykGroHbowcDcHrUvedduQB2NKE2IF14XSQ5BUcY5dNkNDEHKAOfITcIVzJCyJd1yl8M7bEx4CGmvdjrlLGw0bjQSLVzHJ4np8=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2015/0515/Bullying-declines-in-US-schools-as-more-students-embrace-diversity-tolerance-video">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Lasting legacy</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">African Americans who
attended racially diverse schools had better cognitive abilities decades
after graduation, according to a new study.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwD-v_w2Eqczf-AuKkoSEl9WG7Cgp-P_idVhMYTQ_WJYNLg-3rw3RNvRrXct6QznVdVAXuLjC3WBQ2Hy4ICzLeWiZoTmUa-UI12ww9ITqTi9wsDkaQkYLH8dO5WtysnDtF6pYkbrrlZXdVaED4UAsFC88dkTGuzLdGREUC909l7bIX9sTfsQurcdmGQD7MrdsJ34HDLGY1hko0ykdlTch4brTxU7PfZ0Lvrju4yqYdtJ7ozqmoURvP3RGIyRG5G4g-&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/21/desegregated-school-benefits_n_7390460.html?utm_hp_ref=education&ir=Education">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span><br>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Cuomo hearts tax credits</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">In a campaign-style tour
meant to put pressure on lawmakers, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited
churches and a yeshiva to promote a bill to give tax credits to families
of students at private schools, including religious ones.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwEw6Eb5OAgUJcP0AdGHyEF6WlIVATlqGIRpF3ukUcIHv1EHeOYVR8_Bqwk6CZAu1J8R0hWeccq2Y08I2TzfybnfX-Rt78OYJuEflNMzaB1ZVPo7BAs1eyJA6EiSNbG67pM9KKwXkcnx8-TMaaOr67UDw3ofHWRuA5pvOhEibGD9hJYlxEVJ6VY5bHfRkGCjaSTeD_HGd1e3uQsjgKmXuST-voRFgWe_7ZphX1RA1tMzHw_kIw-oAanf7RsWa1xKxGu9z8qg1tAcfhn6LPEIdA_azbpsJlZJBo3M1A8bdeH2o=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/nyregion/cuomo-promotes-tax-credits-for-families-of-students-at-private-schools.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Get your affairs in order</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Districts across
Kentucky are tracking down 16- and 17-year-old high school dropouts to
tell them they are required to return to school this fall if they don't
get a GED by June 30.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw4-folsq2EHraw1_QTcFncrGIspXt4Kg4EZx1T4VVI1xyd97_bZ3bldl4uswcylFpGmQv5R71VnUtnfjRjj4wDBqse666A7QprWzLO9OxU9xb4J7HN4JiSRNw2Byu6r4f5MxVhZXC5D2c_q8I1qxJvcjasEeJkR4XmWQAWATheo96PKWG7F3yGzTlv7haE2Tx2pf0z7UENgA_wGkX7CpgMRPlmU4kFa_R&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.kentucky.com/2015/05/18/3857929_kentucky-school-districts-are.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>A boon for parents</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Tennessee Gov. Bill
Haslam has signed a bill that overhauls how severely disabled children
are educated in the state; the Individualized Education Act will turn
over roughly $6,600 in education funds per student.<span> More</span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><a shape="rect"><span>http://www.knoxnews.com/news/state/haslam-signs-bill-overhauling-special-education-funding_56886170</span></a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Impending crisis</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Driven by a combination
of budget cuts and declining enrollment, the closing of schools is
profoundly impacting communities in the U.S. island territory of Puerto
Rico, forcing children to commute long ways to new campuses and creating
a blight in places already hard-hit by recession.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwO6LMK9KYWxCZ4ZJRLLRthZNL1Wk0fpxH6dxjo8MdzCBZCAzPK8NDs_4a5gyD9BcbV0Pq0r3P_B0NLWh6CFBfD-YZ49gMTGpzyJJOMvTZ2XAOTLsXOCFXbs_OAM-wqkIPWko7-DD_OhI4FChX_ks_nouKGrWrInPzpV-d1m37W2V3FgRlVnqM4j8ipuUJpKoCuQPreIIo6axFZ6lvkPokwHShinrjjxEa&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Puerto-Rico-closes-dozens-of-schools-as-economic-6263306.php">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>No big surprise</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">New findings published
in the journal Sleep Health suggest that teens with sleep problems are
more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, synonymous with previous
findings that link increased risk of substance abuse to sleep disorders
or insomnia.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwccI8Tpw9H9k7sNv4pJhbmto8QC8L5X42dFSBB-iczaYUd36W8JNwX2mAawp4y7RPUWP3s1oNk9V9_wHDNjR4Q1z0gvEcLMQxnf1D2hykjpX7AxI5Q6gXUnzvn9FKfpuxKZ3DSCYkl_DFjvMdxy-QSMtzb8DLGSBerzMRLHzDtkc8vOu36e2iJyb_7zEp683NPz9NgSjH_I5Slher7bs1qiMGhYiz4T5Swx1wHs5EUEoSJ5-Gr6vLPoWESVmnnnBD&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/25723/20150519/adolescents-who-stay-up-late-at-increased-risk-of-substance-abuse.htm">More</a></span></div>
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<div style="font-size: 14pt; color: #ee5624;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: #ff6600;" color="#000000" size="3" face="Times New Roman"><strong>GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES</strong></span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Ribbons of Hope: Grants to Benefit Women and Girls</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Ribbons of Hope/Invest
in Women, Inc. is an Atlanta-based foundation that began as friends and
family of the Coca-Cola Company who wanted to reach out and support
organizations making a difference in women's lives. Its membership is
now 50 women who together are committed to an annual grant to non-profit
organizations that empower women and girls in the areas of education,
health, economic independence, social well-being, or human rights.
Maximum award: $100,000. Eligibility: 501 (c)(3) status organizations or
agencies with at least three years of financial records and an annual
operating budget of at least $500,000. Deadline: May 31, 2015. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwhBYqrdUpMpj3AB6aVrWbevB-UrVSeR1ordzWljHhQK4ONHxK7WlwE6QWkqBkaFyZm7c6Y6GfhETrItxx0jAiGkWn3e3wTkLXARHcRSSu1wr8trEBmNgfw9qM4nPKxIWk&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.ribbonsofhope.net/grants/">More</a></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>MLB: Baseball Tomorrow Fund</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Major League Baseball's
Baseball Tomorrow Fund gives grants to nonprofit organizations involved
in the operation of youth baseball and softball programs and facilities.
Funds may be used to finance a new program, expand or improve an
existing program, undertake a new collaborative effort, or obtain
facilities or equipment necessary for youth baseball or softball
programs. Maximum award: $40,000. Eligibility: U.S.-based or
international nonprofit, tax-exempt organizations involved in operation
of youth baseball and/or softball programs and facilities. Deadline:
July 1, 2015.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwIldnRoVvBNDyfffQ3f7ba4lXPIe1xq-NA0iWUYRslRni-SrNBe-B9oCggDJmQ8UFRqgER5kwOvdQyov5TM_qxdaJQ6ntXWfR1oEEHQqj1M3WU4f0RS5_xkfUkB9x98BdBdxy_HEWaCQBsmqbaJRV9I1R_wulSnfQUTNbksOCPA7UCfZ8g44V3UIped4fGGse&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://web.mlbcommunity.org/programs/baseball_tomorrow_fund.jsp?content=overview">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>RWJF: Healthy Eating Research Projects</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation has issued an RFP for two types of awards aimed at providing
advocates, decision-makers, and policymakers with the evidence needed to
reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. Round Nine Grants: grants of up
to $190,000 over 18 months. RWJF New Connections Grants will award up
to $100,000 each for 12-18 months. Eligibility: public entities or
501(c)(3) organizations. Deadline: July 1, 2015.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwkssn-awZAOYf1O-RQd2S22GvcTmCFTeXDrX5bGvOK4xS6zHCZgZoZDjjU6PGOqwKSzBMi6sj0uhFCivuFKYlv-FJP-V2zlAIVgvZBIPCqaGk3vBIk8iYAqHpvdwmbjoW2NBljMRznJ5kOQl2obLYGNV20mJrYnik4iCxyyoA0sFg02qWBQ6dikPOPbBJJQKoDUsBS0JfU-sXKnVZpgqbzQywSYLy_4SS&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.rwjf.org/en/library/funding-opportunities/2015/healthy-eating-research-new-connections.html">More</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"> </div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; color: #ff6600;"><strong>American Legion Child Welfare Foundation: Grants for Children</strong></div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The American Legion
Child Welfare Foundation supports organizations that contribute to the
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual welfare of children.</div>
<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">The foundation awards
grants for dissemination of information about new and innovative
programs designed to benefit youth or information already possessed by
well-established organizations. Projects must have the potential to help
American children in a large geographic area (more than one
state).Maximum award: Grant amounts are determined on a
project-by-project basis. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations.
Deadline: July 15, 2015.<span> <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zw4WRAw-Zhpm9NMr6T5aDJwxDPJ32dvmpDbuMHBICxAmIfrBe8VbyVQZEZh5_2ZVdfGTykjKxSsn0R1KzqGQeS0w8daAfg-1zcC4TDCOZYneg3hXWsv-WZBTDTwbUheTg0EKjsQKAxWDw=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.cwf-inc.org/grantseekers/overview">More</a></span></div>
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<div><strong style="color: #ff6600; font-size: 14pt;">Quote of the Week:</strong><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">"It is incomprehensible
that estate tax cuts for millionaires and property tax relief for large
corporations are higher priorities for your House Republican caucus than
investing adequately in our students and young children." -- <span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D.), in a letter to the Minnesota House speaker, Representative Kurt Daudt, (R.)</strong></span>. <a style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hM2rpSAEzNLAFtbEDdz5lV6CJyxFQC1Y3SkR1FPe6OotY7UqlRnHxh5HabqlW6zwgVeuEm5bMXqSkjx9AP4RajYWg0_345KDK8yI4C85h_jOF61iNr7L0n2Mo0cVKzELLr09zN4JiVavAYew9MWxdcZGwm_D_t6ckUIm6ZMz08RjFw7jeJodE3ZMkt_gpufHo-0O1SN-SHO16BbUT7oFqKzBcoBma57U_Ekh5klllDS3TxvgWLKPih5CPPyOuVse29BDndATDVVozlOYEx2lZX5O9P-d433Xv7Af3Us3L1E=&c=DzTGTvWQbLzXPbyvZng1ygiXW4YX1IHbj1-vDNuZEZ0HKP4TIhgTyA==&ch=G0GqwdMfOX8UVN3Y9xJ5INEd2shplB3oOsNy3PSYGIkQCHN_ZsL5dw==" shape="rect" alt="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/20/us/a-vow-to-veto-a-schools-bill-in-minnesota.html?ref=education&_r=0">More</a></div>
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