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Eleven city schools will be overhauled in the fall—some by their own design and others at the Philadelphia School District’s behest—with staff shakeups, structures imposed by the central office, and additional resources. The schools were chosen because of academic struggles over many years. Read more>>
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The Florida school district is considering whether to outfit schools police with body-worn cameras that would record their encounters with students.School board members approved a feasibility study looking at the pros and cons of the wearable cameras and whether to implement a pilot program during the 2017-18 school year. Read more>>
Baltimore school officials have asked state and city lawmakers for $65 million to shrink their $130 million budget deficit and help them avoid laying off more than 1,000 workers. But schools CEO Sonja Santelises said she has "no firm commitments" from the State House or City Hall. And even with the money, the lingering question is just how deep the teacher and school cuts will be. Read more>>
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Using 3D printers to create authentic experiences DA Special Report: Makerspaces
The user-friendly MOD-t 3D printer facilitates experiential learning at Los Angeles academy. Read more>>
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Oakland schools partnered with the environmental group Friends of the Earth (FOE) to fight global warming by making student lunches climate-friendly. The new FOE-approved lunch menu features far less meat and more plant-based food. Read more>>
A federal judge rejected an effort by a group of residents and former Gov. Pat Quinn to force Chicago to adopt an elected school board. In a lawsuit filed in October, Quinn and his fellow plaintiffs argued that a mayoral-appointed board violated the group's constitutional and civil rights, and that the board raises the issue of taxation without representation. Read more>>
The Eagle County School District is considering adding tiny homes to some of its property. It's one of the options the district has come up with to make housing more affordable for teachers and staff. District administrators say the lack of affordable housing has made it hard to recruit and retain teachers and staff. Read more>>
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A powerful kind of PD for school administrators
There is a kind of professional development that we rarely see but that many of us in school leadership could use. Some would call it coaching or mentoring, but what I’m describing is more specific—individualized instruction in an alternative setting off campus. Read more>>
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Chronic absenteeism can be curbed if we can better understand the schooling options and methods available that may best meet our learners and their families’ distinct needs. It is essential that we go beyond the walls of traditional classrooms, and discuss realistic solutions to help children achieve educational success. Read more>>
It’s a confusing time in school finance—a system that is broken in every way but the most important one: It remains, according to the Texas Supreme Court, constitutionally sound. A bona fide remedy designed by a committee quickly with no legal ax over its head would be unprecedented. Until that or another effort changes the system, districts are wrestling with the current school finance system. Read more>>
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Children take medicine and generally become trusting that the drugs prescribed by a doctor are safe for consumption. Tragic addictions may end with a heroin overdose, but the road typically began with pills from familiar and trusted sources. As states begin to ramp up drug-abuse prevention efforts in all schools, that is one of the important messages they hope to emphasize. Read more>>
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In a new phase of collaboration, Discovery Education will support Capistrano USD’s efforts to develop district educators’ capacity to build and sustain a culture of STEM education in their school system through the implementation of a multi-year STEM professional development initiative in 11 district elementary schools. Read more>>
Primary Concepts has released FREEPhonics, a comprehensive word building curriculum. It offers 82 step-by-step lessons, beginning with the simplest CVC words and progressing sequentially through blends, digraphs, diphthongs, consonant and vowel pairs, and r-controlled vowels. Read more>>
Blackboard Inc./Chalk.com
Blackboard Inc. and Chalk.com announced a partnership to deliver a digital gradebook and portfolio for K12 educators. The Chalk.com platform will complement Blackboard’s existing offerings designed to enhance learning and will integrate with Blackboard Web Community Manager. Read more>>
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A new elementary school and another new high school for growth are on the horizon for Cabarrus County Schools. These are just two parts of the district’s 10-year capital plan estimated to cost $278 million in the first five years. Read more>>
Texas school districts have followed a keeping-up-with-the-Joneses approach to new construction, where many a district takes on more debt than it can afford to have all the amenities its neighbors have. Now Hays CISD is about to become one the least fiscally responsible school districts in the region with three of the most expensive schools in state history. Read more>>
The watchdog groups that keep tabs on taxpayer-funded bonds in California “by and large … have proven ineffective,” according to a new report. In 2016 alone, Californians approved local school bond measurers totaling $28 billion, plus another $7.2 billion in local government debt for other public projects. Read more>>
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