This message was sent to ##Email##
|
|
|
|
|
| | LATEST NEWS FOR PRINCIPALS |
The New York Times (commentary)
Virtually every public school in the country has someone in charge who's called the principal. Yet principals have a strangely low profile in the passionate debates about education. The focus instead falls on just about everything else: curriculum (Common Core and standardized tests), school types (traditional versus charter versus private) and teachers (how to mold and keep good ones, how to get rid of bad ones). You hear far more talk about holding teachers accountable than about principals.
READ MORE
U.S. News & World Report
One day before the end of former President Barack Obama's tenure at the White House, the federal government issued a report that showed that despite the intense focus and surge in resources, the majority of failing schools were hardly any better off. Using data from nearly 500 schools in 22 states, the report, published Jan. 19 by the Institute of Education Sciences, showed no evidence that the program had significant impacts on math or reading test scores, high school graduation or college enrollment. The report was a sobering reminder that despite all efforts, little data exists on the most effective strategies and the extent to which states have the capacity to support school turnarounds.
READ MORE
eSchool News
Education is changing, things are in flux, and there is uncertainty. In this ever-dynamic landscape, "common" standards for education seemingly get a bad rap, but they're useful, particularly for the development and distribution of open education resources. The key to creating and curating great OER that will survive the choppy waters of policy changes is to maintain education standards that can operate independently from Common Core, or any state or federally mandated standards.
READ MORE
|
Promoted by
|
|
|
|
 |
Edutopia
Should cursive writing still be taught in our schools? The old debate is back with a vengeance as schools shift resources from the intricate, painstakingly rendered script to keyboard skills. The Common Core State Standards, adopted by 42 states and the District of Columbia, call for handwriting instruction in kindergarten and first grade only, and teaching in keyboard skills after that. The standards don't mention cursive. But 14 states require cursive instruction, and the skill inspires fierce loyalty, with some going so far as to argue that the founding fathers would disapprove of our abandonment of the script — students must learn cursive in order to decipher the intent of the original Constitution, for example — and others suggesting that our very identities are compromised when we can't create identifiable signatures.
READ MORE
Psychology Today
In elementary school and beyond, the stakes for students are higher than ever before. Third-graders are practicing algebra. Standardized testing is more and more important. Even kindergartners often forgo play-time to work on reading and writing. As a result, preschool programs are increasingly focused on getting kids ready for elementary school.
READ MORE
 |
|
UltraKey® Online is the latest generation of the teacher’s favorite typing tutor with all-new interfacing, the delightful new Game Zone™ with challenging language activities, voice-supported instruction, and a powerful management system perfect for small, medium and large districts. For your live preview, call 1-800-465-6428 or visit: www.bytesoflearning.com
|
|
By: Sheilamary Koch (commentary)
 It's easy for parents and teachers to be wowed by the tech savvy of today's "neo-digital" natives. Yet, while the typical millennial student can work the most complicated phone and has got a finger on the pulse of social media and the newest apps and games, recent research out of Stanford University shows a gaping hole in their digital competence — namely in their ability to discern what online information is credible and what's not.
READ MORE
CNBC
Most parents aren't very happy when their children bring home a report card with anything less than a C-. They'll be even less encouraged by the near-failing grade awarded to the nation's school facilities by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Close to a quarter of all public schools in America are in "fair or poor condition," according to the group's latest report card, which gave most of the nation's infrastructure a near-failing grade.
READ MORE
Education World
You may be quick to dismiss the notion of sanctioned school napping as some nefarious, self-indulgent millennial trend. However, the initiative isn't as absurd as it sounds when you consider the substantial evidence linking sleep deprivation to cognitive and behavioral problems. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived students are more likely to feel depressed, distracted, and unable to engage in critical thinking. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine reviewed literature on the impact of sleep duration on health and found that teenagers suffering from chronic sleep deprivation had a higher likelihood of obesity, diabetes and hypertension.
READ MORE
 |
|
Benchmark Advance and Adelante build K-6 literary and content-area knowledge through close reading and collaborative conversations. Foundational skills, writing to sources, and use of text evidence are seamlessly integrated, as are resources for ELs that amplify meaning without simplifying language. Fully equitable Spanish edition also available. FREE sampler.
|
|
Oregon State University via Science Daily
Some chemicals added to furniture, electronics and numerous other goods to prevent fires may have unintended developmental consequences for young children, according to a pilot study.
READ MORE
eSchool News
As schools near completion of their E-rate filing for this year, one game-changing E-rate technology has the potential to save schools precious time and money. The technology — a new network design concept called Network Functions Virtualization — allows schools and other organizations to replace their current network hardware such as routers and firewalls with a single, multipurpose device — while moving the "brains" of the network to a central software console.
READ MORE
[Istation]
Watch the video to see how schools succeed as educational leaders share the power of formative data. For quick growth and a big bounce in student achievement, get the FREE e-book to learn how data-driven instruction helps close the achievement gap.
READ MORE
| | FEDERAL ADVOCACY AND POLICY |
Education Week
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a new application for states to use in developing their accountability plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act. And, as you might expect, it is shorter and includes fewer requirements than an earlier application released by the Obama administration in November. The biggest difference seems to be on the requirements for outreach to various groups of educators and advocates.
READ MORE
The New York Times
With all the attention paid to President Donald Trump's lightning-rod secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, and her advocacy for private school vouchers, little public notice has been paid to the action on education in Congress — where lawmakers have broader power than DeVos to make changes to the nation's school system. Now, Congress has done exactly that, voting to repeal crucial regulations associated with the Every Student Succeeds Act, one of President Barack Obama's final legislative achievements.
READ MORE
Education Week
Congress has voted to get rid of the Obama administration's accountability regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act. And that's opened a bunch of questions about the state of play for the new education law. We have answers — both to your wonky questions and the ones you were too embarrased to ask. Is ESSA still on the books? Yes. Lawmakers did NOT repeal the Every Student Succeeds Act, they just voted to repeal a particular set of regulations issued under that law, which is actually the latest version of a much older law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
READ MORE
The CT Mirror
Despite spending five years and hundreds of millions of dollars to improve the state’s lowest-performing schools, the state's efforts have lacked coherence and have left districts scrambling to comply with constantly shifting broad reform expectations. That's the conclusion of a report released Thursday written by a group of education experts from the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education about the state's Alliance District program, which has funneled an additional $548 million to the state's 30 worst-off districts since the 2011-2012 school year.
READ MORE
|
Missed last week's issue? See which articles your colleagues read most.
|
|
Don't be left behind. Click here to see what else you missed.
|
Education DIVE
With initiatives around universal pre-K and expanding access to literacy, algebra, computer science and Advanced Placement resources to all 1.1 million of its students, New York City's public school district has arguably one of the most progressive approaches in the nation. And as the nation's largest district, it also finds itself in a position of influence when it comes to best practices. Leading the charge for the city's 1,800 schools is Chancellor Carmen Fariña, a first-generation immigrant whose experience includes over two decades in the classroom, 10 as a principal, and stints as a superintendent — though, as she recounted during a Wednesday session, it was still fairly unheard of for a woman to be in any of the leadership positions she's held when she first entered the classroom.
READ MORE
District Administration Magazine
When Polk County Public Schools started its wellness program back in the late 1980s, the district hoped to get employees moving with weekend fun runs and weight-loss challenges. "Everybody thought it was fluff," says Debbie Zimmerman, who today manages the wellness program for the 96,000-student school district in Central Florida. "How are you going to make a difference, because all 11,000 employees aren't going to come out (for a 5K) every weekend?" Employee wellness programs have come a long way since then. Today, more schools provide a variety of services — from flu shots and exercise classes to biometric screenings and chronic disease management — to keep workers healthy.
READ MORE
NAESP
The middle school years, ages 10 to 15, are a time of some of the most rapid changes in physical, intellectual and moral growth for humans, second only to the growth that occurs from birth to age two. The skills, habits and values established during this time of life will directly impact a student's chances to be a lifelong learner ready for college, career, citizenship and a bright future. For our students to be academically and personally successful, a supportive environment both at home and at school is required.
READ MORE
NAESP
This chat will discuss the benefits and challenges of ongoing PD, how to prepare your staff for the experience, what to look for in a coaching candidate, creative funding sources, and more. Special guests are Gerry Brooks, principal of Liberty Elementary School in Lexington, Kentucky; and Karen Scott, director of Elementary Learning and Federal Programs for the Ozark (Missouri) Public Schools. Tune in using hashtag #rrchat, this Sunday, March 19, at 7 p.m. EST.
READ MORE
|
|
|
 |
|
Designed for kids ages 5 to 12, Smart Play: Venti packs 20 exciting activities into its compact size.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
|
