ASCD SmartBrief

Reading this on a mobile device? Try our optimized mobile version here: http://r.smartbrief.com/resp/gNsUhMrCCnkfopXgSg

How can we create writing classrooms that are
friendlier to boys? Boy Writers by Ralph Fletcher
explores how to give boys more choices and how to
engage them in classroom discussions, tackling
difficult issues such as gender differences, violence
and humor, edgy language, and handwriting.
Click here or go to www.stenhouse.com to browse
the entire book online!

May 3, 2007

Forward

Archive

Advertise

News for the Education Profession

Eye on Curriculum

Economist says Arizona state preschool could pay for itself
An Arizona preschool program for 3- and 4-year-olds in low-income families could pay for itself in 16 years, according to a new report from economist Robert Lynch. The state would save in reduced special education costs and also via greater tax revenue, as preschool alum go on to earn higher salaries. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (5/3)

Schools fear lawmakers will not fund all-day kindergarten
As Michigan lawmakers debate becoming the fourth state to mandate all-day kindergarten, school districts worry that it will become another unfunded mandate in what some say is already a looming schools budget crisis. The Detroit News (5/2)

Other News

Dance Dance Revolution comes to Hawaii physical-education classes
The Honolulu Advertiser (5/2)

Connect and collaborate at a website just for you!
Looking for ongoing support to advance your professional learning community? Your search ends here. Join fellow PLC practitioners online at www.allthingsplc.info, an interactive website where you can exchange ideas, post success stories, and locate schools and districts similar to your own. All information, no commerce. Visit today!

Professional Leadership

Ousted Detroit chief threatens to sue
Detroit's former superintendent William Coleman III is threatening to file a lawsuit, claiming he was fired after asking the FBI to probe a district department's financial irregularities. Coleman asked the district's general counsel to request the FBI investigate whether the district's Office of Risk Management improperly sent vendors and contractors millions of dollars in wire fund transfers; the school board president said the suit is not likely to have merit. The Detroit News (5/2)

Hawaii teachers sign off on random drug testing
Hawaii teachers have ratified a two-year contract allowing random drug testing of teachers and increasing pay 4% each year. The tally was 61.3% in favor and 38.2% opposed, with 63% of the state's approximately 13,000 school teachers reportedly voting. The Honolulu Advertiser (5/2)

Texas principal resigns over "Bachelor" demotion
The Texas elementary school principal disciplined after one of her teachers missed class to appear on "The Bachelor" has resigned. Many parents have expressed support for principal Tammie Carpenter, and fourth-grade teacher Amber Alchalabi said she was saddened by her principal's situation. Houston Chronicle (5/3), The Dallas Morning News/Associated Press (free registration) (5/3)

Are there more and more young English language learners in your school? "Literacy from the Start" is a two-day summer workshop for K-2 teachers and curriculum specialists who work with ELLs. Learn how to launch reading and writing workshops, and discover multicultural book resources that lead to success in many languages. Click here for details.

Learning and Teaching

Handheld tracking program transforms teaching
Teachers in rural New Mexico are among 100,000 nationally using a handheld computer program to track individual student progress and understand where they are succeeding, where they need help and what methods are helping most. "With the progress monitoring and DIBELS, it's less likely that children will fall behind because you're in contact with them all the time," one teacher said. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (5/1)

Study: Teacher colleges don't spend enough time on child development
Teacher education programs must spend more time on child and adolescent development, according to a new report from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, which evaluates more than half of U.S. teacher-training programs. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development says that most teacher colleges do offer courses on child and adolescent development but don't explain how teachers can apply their studies in classrooms. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (5/1)

Prevention or Intervention, Teachers Need TouchMath! Request a Free TouchMath catalog or Free Teacher Training Video and Get on Your Way to a Better Teaching Experience! This Multisensory math approach opens channels to the visual, tactile, and kinesthetic senses. TouchMath reaches children of all abilities and learning styles. To learn more, click here.

Technology Solutions

Atlanta technology director admits taking eRate bribes
Atlanta Public Schools' former technology director and his wife pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal district court to bribery and defrauding the school system. According to the plea agreement, the couple received $323,524 from vendors seeking the district's eRate business; they will be sentenced July 31. American City Business Journals (5/2)

Educators block, threaten to sue rating Web site
Australian educators hope to shut down a U.S.-based teacher-rating site they say defames schools and teachers. The New South Wales Department of Education blocked access to the site on all school computers, and the region's teachers union is considering legal action. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) (5/3)

New All-in-one interactive whiteboard system from SMART Technologies Inc. With the SMART Board^TM 600i interactive whiteboard system, the simple push of a button gives you control of a powerful media environment. The all-in-one design brings together an interactive whiteboard, projector and audio system that helps save you time and focus on what really matters - your students. Learn more or view a demo.

Policy Watch

House bill ends Head Start testing of 4-year-olds, increases funding
More children will be able to enroll in Head Start under a U.S. House bill approved Wednesday adding around $500 million in new funding. Lawmakers also voted to end standardized testing of 4-year-olds, which was at the heart of President George W. Bush's Head Start plan, and Democrats rejected a GOP-led attempt to allow staffers to be hired or fired on religious grounds; the White House said it won't support the bill. CNN/Associated Press (5/2), The Washington Post (5/3)

Connecticut bill would sharply limit out-of-school suspensions
More than one in three students at some of Connecticut's most troubled schools were suspended at least once last year, state figures show. That's far too many, say state lawmakers, who are debating a bill that would permit out-of-school suspensions only for students deemed too dangerous or disruptive to be in school. The Hartford Courant (Conn.) (5/2)

Other News

As governor seeks to end Ohio vouchers, applications double in Cincinnati
The Cincinnati Enquirer (5/2)

The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)

Bring professional on-site staff development to your location! Hundreds of K-12 topics available: Assessment, Differentiated Instruction, Four-Blocks^®, Four Square, Guided Reading, Math, Six-Trait Writing, and more. Learn practical strategies from SDE's national presenters and educator experts. View online brochure or call Staff Development for Educators at 1-877-388-2054.

Boost Student Achievement With Learning Through Listening Web Site
This comprehensive new web site is a collection of free, educator-developed and reviewed lesson plans, activities and more to help teachers develop critical listening skills in all learners. Help all students listen, learn and succeed! Visit www.learningthroughlistening.org

Renaissance Learning announced today that the company's reading practice software, Accelerated Reader (AR), was given high marks by the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). The rating means the program has "evidence of a positive effect with no overriding contrary evidence." Click Here to learn more!

Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 407-7857 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.

In the Field

College rejection letters sting despite careful words
Top colleges are rejecting tens of thousands of top students this year, as more high schoolers with better qualifications are applying to a greater number of colleges. But while many students are initially crushed, surveys show most students end up in their first-choice school. The Washington Post (5/1)

Association News

Professional Development: Planning for Success
According to author Gabriel Diaz-Maggioli, professional development should not be regarded as an administrative duty, but rather as a career-long endeavor aimed at disclosing the factors that contribute to the success of all students and teachers. The ASCD Homepage highlights a variety of resources that help school leaders and teachers plan professional learning that improves their personal effectiveness and raises student achievement. View the ASCD Homepage.
- ASCD Poll: Take the Poll.

Learn more about ASCD ->


Director, Curriculum and Instruction	Tacoma Public Schools	Tacoma, WA
Assistant Superintendent, Program and Learning Support	Tacoma Public Schools	Tacoma, WA
Assistant Superintendent, K-12 Learning	Tacoma Public Schools	Tacoma, WA
Assistant Principal	Oregon Connections Academy	Scio, Oregon
Principal/School Director	Oregon Connections Academy	Scio, Oregon
Principal/School Director	Nevada Connections Academy	Reno, Nevada
Content and Curriculum Specialist	AccuWeather, Inc.	Ft. Washington, PA
Director, Newsletters & Special Publications	ASCD	Alexandria, VA
Teacher/Advisor	The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, a Big Picture School	Providence and Newport, RI
Director of Marketing	Solution Tree	Bloomington, IN
Director of Program Development	Committee for Children	Seattle, WA
Chief Operations Officer	Houston Independent School District	Houston, TX
School Superintendent	Hudson Public Schools	Hudson, Massachusetts
Leadership Opportunities	Mastery Charter Schools	Philadelphia
Director of English for Speakers of Other Languages	Manassas City Public Schools	Manassas, Virginia