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December 11, 2007

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News for the Education Profession

Eye on Curriculum

Aiding families with life essentials may keep students in school
As a Communities in Schools dropout-prevention coordinator, Andrill Harris helps poor D.C. families find food, housing and other basic necessities that allow students to focus on school. Nationwide, the nonprofit operates in 3,400 schools, eight of which are in the District. The Washington Post (12/10)

Texas biologists advocate for the teaching of evolution
More than 100 Texas biology professors have written a joint letter to the state's education department emphasizing the importance of educating students about evolution and allowing the agency's employees to speak their minds on the topic. "It is extraordinarily unfortunate and inappropriate that religious views are dictating hiring and firing decisions at the Texas Education Agency," said University of Texas biology professor David Hillis. "This is an enormous black eye in terms of our competitiveness." Houston Chronicle/Associated Press (12/11)

High mobility rates challenge schools
With about 21% of Milwaukee students ending the school year in a different school from which they started, educators and policymakers are trying to find ways to curb mobility and lessen its academic effects. "There are always going to problems outside of school that take kids away," said David Coyle, the lead teacher at the Milwaukee Learning Laboratory & Institute. "But the key is to have the kids want to be in school." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (12/9)

Other News

Will commission to review reading research ever get off the ground?
Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/10)

Improving Performance – one student at a time. CompassLearning's innovative software solutions support differentiated instruction, formative assessment, and targeted intervention. CompassLearning Odyssey reflects the latest current and confirmed research about how students engage, think, and learn. Get your free effectiveness report today.

Professional Leadership

Aspiring principals gain experience working beside top school leaders
As a trainee in the nonprofit New Leaders for New Schools program, Chandra Brown is learning alongside a mentor. "I'm going to feel equipped, because I'm really learning a lot," said Brown, a former second- and fourth-grade teacher who is now in training to become a principal. The Washington Post (12/11)

Opinion: Principal accountability would strengthen leadership
Setting new "highly qualified" standards for principals based on skills and a demonstration of effectiveness would clarify what sets top leaders apart, write National Board for Professional Teaching Standards President and CEO Joseph A. Aguerrebere Jr., American Association of School Administrators executive director Paul D. Houston and National Association of Secondary School Principals executive director Gerald N. Tirozzi. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/10)

Chicago public schools add more than 200 master teachers
Two hundred and eight teachers in Chicago Public Schools were certified this year as "master teachers" by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the city's mayor announced. Chicago Sun-Times (12/11)

The new Modification Wheel has arrived!
The Mod Wheel provides quick and easy access to behavioral and academic accommodations to improve students' behavior and increase learning. A must for all teachers! Administrators call for a free sample: 800-975-0054. View the Mod Wheel at www.firelightbooks.com.

Technology Solutions

New U.K. Google site offers lesson plans, search tutorials
A new Google site offers news and free resources to British educators, including history, geography and citizenship lesson plans that incorporate Google Maps and Google Earth. BBC (12/10)

This Differentiated Instruction reference card from DayOne is jam-packed with strategies, techniques and other best practices. Ideal for any K-12 educator who has mixed-ability classes, this card is also a great resource and training tool for all staff developers and in-service planners. Summarizing the very best of differentiation, this card is an invaluable addition to any professional's plan book! More information.

Policy Watch

Pregnant teacher's ouster costs district $1 million
A San Diego-area third-grade probationary teacher whose contract was not renewed after she became pregnant won a $1 million judgment against her district. A jury decided that Danielle Coziahr had been discriminated against based on her gender and that she otherwise would have become a tenured teacher. San Diego Union-Tribune (12/11)

Opinion: Deeply flawed NCLB needs improvements now
Allowing NCLB reauthorization to languish until the next administration is unfair both to students and schools, writes John Pennycuff, president of a Cincinnati school board. The law will continue to label improving schools as failures, trapping them in a vicious cycle of sanctions and flagging public support. The Cincinnati Enquirer (12/11)

Editorial: Lax charter oversight hurts Florida children
Because of weak oversight of Florida charter schools, parents who chose charters are essentially gambling on their children's future since roughly 40% are exempt from the state's grading system, writes the Orlando Sentinel editorial board. Charters must be accountable for their performance through the same grading system that covers all other public schools and for their finances, via more frequent audits and quicker state intervention if a financial red flag crops up. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.) (12/9)

The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)

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CORE Annual Literacy Leadership Summit February 28 - 29, 2008
Promoting Literacy Equity summit brings together state & district literacy leaders, principals, literacy leadership teams, & K-12 reading specialists. All sessions deliver practical, up-to-date information from leaders within the literacy community. Click here for more information.

Classroom Instruction that Works with ELLs workshop, Jan. 17-18, 2008. Come to McREL in Denver, Colorado for a two-day seminar with Jane Hill, co-author of this popular ASCD book. You'll learn practical, research-based strategies for helping ELL students succeed in mainstream classrooms. To view a calendar of other McREL professional development events in 2008, click here.

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

Association News

Most-Clicked: T.J. Ranks Tops
Last week's most-clicked SmartBrief story focused on the selection of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Virginia's Fairfax County, as the number one U.S. high school according to the U.S. News & World Report's first-ever list of America's Best High Schools. An ASCD Blog post highlights this article and seeks feedback from readers. View the post

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Elementary/Secondary Principals	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools	Charlotte, NC
Lecturer, Assistant, Associate or Full Professor - Special Education	CUNY City College	New York, NY
Online Adjunct Faculty	Wilkes University	Online Position
Director Of Elementary Education	Fairfield Public Schools/Fairfield, Connecticut	Central Office/Fairfield Public Schools
Lecturer, Asst, Assoc or Full Professor - Educational Foundations	CUNY City College	New York, NY
Chief Academic Officer	St. Louis Public Schools	St. Louis, Missouri
Lecturer - Secondary Science Education	CUNY City College	New York, NY
Principal	National Heritage Academies	Cincinnati, Oh; Metro-Detroit, MI; Denver, Co; Washington D.C.; Raleigh, NC; Cincinnati, OH
System Administrator	Friendship Public Charter Schools	District Office
Technology Support Specialist	Friendship Public Charter School	District Office
Exceptional Education Teacher	Lee County Schools	Sanford, North Carolina
Principal for Middle School	Lee County Schools	Sanford, North Carolina
Assistant Superintendent of Schools	School District of Clayton	Clayton, Missouri
High School Principal	Propel Charter School	Munhall PA