Mass. Senate unveils new charter school bill

A working group of senators unveiled a new charter school reform bill that they say will improve transparency, feature more equitable funding, and provide more choice for parents. The new act, which costs $1 billion, creates a new class of charter schools that will not have a limit on the number of enrollment seats for those serving high-risk populations. Read more>>

Under new legislation introduced in the Ohio Senate, students who make threats could be expelled for up to 60 days and school officials could require students to undergo an evaluation before returning to class. Read more>>

Debate on a bill aimed at forcing changes in high school football and other playoffs was delayed. The measure would prohibit public and private schools that receive public funds from belonging to an athletic organization that splits its playoffs into separate divisions. Read more>>

District Administration

If your school system is leading the way with an innovative project that is improving student outcomes, streamlining operations or meeting community needs, it could be a District of Distinction. Dozens of school systems have been honored by Districts of Distinction, a national recognition program that highlights new ideas that work. Read more>>

A bill that would establish a "Virginia Virtual School" would allow up to 5,000 students across the state to take all classes online from state-contracted providers. The state virtual school would take control of the students out of the hands of local school districts, Read more>>

A computer hacker or hackers posing as a district’s school superintendent have tried to trick at least three Maine school departments into handing over sensitive personal information contained on employees’ W-2 forms—and succeeded at least partially with one of them. Read more>>

The number of city students getting suspended is dropping, according to data released by New York City Department of Education. From July to December 2015, the number of suspensions fell 31.7 percent compared to the same period the year before. Read more>>

Angela Pascopella

Mesquite ISD Superintendent David Vroonland says his own atypical childhood has driven his focus on teachers and improving the culture for students in need. Read more>>

When discussing metacognition with students, some teachers are just trying to get students to slow down and take note of how and why they are thinking and to see thinking as an action they are taking. But two other core components of metacognition, monitoring thinking and directing thinking, are often get left out of these discussions. Read more>>

Does character matter, and can character be developed? Science and experience say yes. Can the practice of giving feedback to students on character be improved? Absolutely. Should we turn measures of character intended for research and self-discovery into high-stakes metrics for accountability? No. Read more>>

Though the vast majority are hoaxes, threats of all kinds force school administrators and public safety officials to weigh safety against the disruption caused when the school day is interrupted. It is imperative that schools be prepared to accurately assess threats so that disruption is kept to a minimum. Read more>>

Designed to expand classroom opportunities for 3D printing technology, the Dremel Idea Builder 3D40 features multiple access points and new software, plus WiFi- and USB-enabled capabilities. Read more>>

ProQuest is supporting libraries specializing in Asian Studies or interested in building their Chinese-language collection with scholarly titles from renowned Chinese publishers and university presses, including Peking University Press, China Intercontinental Press and others. Read more>>

Follett Corporation has acquired Wobo, Inc., a service for independent managed campus stores to find and purchase books online in volume. The acquisition includes Wobo, Inc. assets such as the BookVolume tool. Read more>>

The Fulton County School Board offered the position of superintendent to Jeff Rose, who is currently leading Beaverton School District, Oregon's third largest school district. Read more>>

Sean M. Croft has been promoted to superintendent of Starpoint Central School. He has worked at Starpoint since 2000, when he was hired as a school psychologist. For the past nine years, Croft has been director of instruction, a title which became assistant superintendent for instruction, assessment and staff development in 2013. Read more>>

James F. Lane, head of Goochland County Public Schools, will be the next superintendent of the larger Chesterfield County school system. Lane will take over from Marcus Newsome, who is retiring after 10 years of leading the Chesterfield school division. Read more>>