| Top News Maryland governor calls for state investigation into alleged corruption Fox 5 Gov. Larry Hogan is calling for an investigation into allegations of fraud and corruption in one of Maryland's largest school systems. The allegations include grade changing and manipulation of student records to boost the graduation rate in Prince George's County Schools. Read more>> Top News Nevada expands school grant program to help poor students Las Vegas Review-Journal A change in a competitive grant program run by the Nevada Department of Education—partially prompted by a change in federal law—means more schools serving the state’s poorest students will have access to outside help. Last year, five districts were awarded grants to work with a single nonprofit; this year, the department awarded grants to 11 districts to work with 10 organizations. Read more>> Top News Nashville to do a total middle school overhaul Nashville Public Radio The Tennessee public school system has found the money for a district-wide overhaul to middle grades that includes new after-school programs, science and the arts field opportunities, and an initiative to equip teachers interested in helping students learn computer coding. Read more>> Texas House education leaders won't budge on school finance, private school choice The Texas Tribune House education leaders are not giving in to the Senate on the contentious bill subsidizing private school tuition for kids with special needs. In the July-August special session, the House Public Education Committee chairman is planning to restart his bill to place $1.5 billion into public schools, which had previously died after the Senate appended a private school choice measure. Read more>> The cost of school supplies nearly doubled in 10 years, survey shows NBC Chicago The cost of raising a child has decreased slightly, but their school supplies have become steadily more expensive since 2007. In the last decade, the price of supplies and extracurricular activities increased by 88 percent for elementary school students, 81 percent for middle school students and 68 percent for high school students, according to a new survey. Read more>> Private school students don't test better, study shows The Indianapolis Star A study of Indiana's school voucher program indicates that students who switch to private schools aren't necessarily better educated than those who stay in public schools. In fact, Hoosier students who moved to private schools with the help of school vouchers initially saw their math test scores dip, the study said. Read more>> From DA Magazine New teachers need a master’s support Tim Goral Teaching is a craft and, as with any craft, neophytes should ideally work alongside the experts and artisans to soak up knowledge and experience along the path to mastery. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Amend state school code to reflect realities of charter funding The Inquirer Charters schools know far more than their school districts how much it costs them to educate their students. They should be responsible, therefore, for developing their own budget instead of relying on one prepared by their sponsoring school district. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis School districts fight segregation on their own The New York Times Dallas has come a long way from the 1970s, when school officials proposed a faux integration plan in which white and minority students would view each others’ schools via television screens while never meeting. The current administration has realized that racial isolation poses a threat to children, and to the city's civic and economic viability. But that has yet to happen in the hypersegregated New York City. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis The case for slashing summer vacation Bloomberg View Districts should focus less on radical changes to the school calendar--such as year-round school--than on making academic instruction available to students earlier in the summer. And policy makers should provide incentives to poorer districts to expand summer enrichment programs that improve students' retention of material taught during the school year. Read more>> Industry News Improving classroom listening activities Califone International, Inc. The new CD360 is designed for regular classroom use, using shatterproof ABS plastic for safety and durability. With a maximum volume limiter, the player ensures students are listening to content at a safe and appropriate level. The CD360 also includes an 8200-HP digital stereo headphone. Read more>> Industry News Increasing staff response to support requests Hayes Software Systems GetHelp, a cloud-based help desk solution, is scheduled for release on October 1, 2017. Integrating directly with Hayes' TIPWeb-IT school asset inventory management software, GetHelp enables staff to see details and a complete overview of all tickets, current and historical, that have been opened for assets. Read more>> Industry News Using the power of augmented reality in STEAM instruction Designed for early childhood and elementary grade students, Pai Technology's Augie is a robot that pairs coding with augmented reality to help students learn code through constructive, hands-on classroom play. Students control the robot’s movements, and can use the video function to record their own sounds and movies. Read more>> View more news at District Administration's PR Portal People Watch In Alabama, Decatur selects new school superintendent WHNT The Decatur City's school board members voted to bring in Stephen “Michael” Douglas of the Oneonta City School District as its new superintendent. The district was in need of a new leader after Dan Brigman resigned after ten months at the helm, and named former Guntersville superintendent Dale Edwards as the interim. Read more>> People Watch Superintendent to retire after four decades with Montgomery Public Schools WSFA Superintendent Margaret Allen, who has served the Montgomery Public School system in multiple capacities for 41 years, has announced her retirement. She has served as a teacher, school-level administrator, central office administrator, and finally as the system's superintendent since 2014. Read more>> People Watch Adam Fineske set to become Sylvania Schools superintendent WTVG The Sylvania Schools Board of Education is poised to remove the interim title and vote to name Adam Fineske as superintendent of the Ohio district's school system. He has been with Sylvania Schools for 17 years. Read more>> | 