Top News School bullies would face mandatory suspensions under two bills in Ohio legislature The Plain Dealer Schools need to stop ignoring bullying and take real action to stop it, say two state legislators who have proposed separate new laws to curb the bad behavior. One proposes a more clear definition of bullying and a system of escalating counseling and punishments in for each offense. Read more>> Top News Clay County School Board votes to join suit over Fla. education law The Florida Times-Union The district is joining a lawsuit proposed by at least 14 school districts challenging the constitutionality of a massive education bill in Florida. At least two other districts are said to be discussing it pending a vote. Read more>> Top News San Antonio could raise tobacco age to curb high school cigarette 'pipeline' San Antonio Express-News Right now, San Antonio residents can enjoy their 18th birthday with a smoke, but if Tobacco 21 is implemented that could change. The potential new policy would apply to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes, hookahs and chewing tobacco. The city would be the first in Texas to raise the legal age for tobacco sales. Read more>> Top News Austin school district’s enrollment drops for 5th straight year Austin American-Statesman Preliminary enrollment numbers show a more than 1,600-student drop in the Texas district, which would be the biggest loss of students in a single year since the district’s attendance peaked in 2012. The 2017-18 school year enrollment losses would mark the district’s lowest point in more than a decade. Read more>> Top News New Calif. law aims to redirect school lunch waste to food banks CBS Sacramento Now food banks and charities in California have one more major resource to turn to—thousands of school districts across the state. Starting next year, public schools will have the option to donate their leftovers. Right now, state health code prohibits schools from giving away any leftover food. Read more>> Top News Mayor pledged progress for schools. For $582 million, change is slow. New York Times The clock has been ticking on the future of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s boldest education initiative. His Renewal School program has entered its fourth school year, and he has said that decisions will be made in November about shutting down or merging schools that have not sufficiently improved. Read more>> From DA Magazine How schools are solving a safety dilemma Carolyn Crist Across the country, schools are weighing the pros and cons of practicing worst-case scenario drills without unduly traumatizing students, staff and the community. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Most states plan to use student absences to measure school success NPR The fact that 36 states and the District of Columbia are paying attention to chronic absence as a measure of student success is promising. The trick will be to do it right, with realistic, consistent goals, and empower schools and districts to get kids to come to schools. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Inequality is clear early on The Washington Post Inequality in America is apparent by age 3: Most rich kids are in school, while most poor kids are not, according to a new book. Only 55 percent of America’s 3 and 4-year olds attend a formal preschool, a rate far below China, Germany and other power players on the global stage. It’s a problem for the kids left behind—and for the U.S. economy. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis NFL controversy heads to high school fields The Santa Fe New Mexican For the most part, the playing of the national anthem has merely been a familiar sound that signaled the start of another high school contest. Now, with the controversy blazing throughout the country, fanned by the weekend’s NFL games, the question arises whether the practice of kneeling will spread to high school campuses. Read more>> Industry News Preparing K12 students with digital skills Tata Consultancy Services/Discovery Education Tata Consultancy Services and Discovery Education launched Ignite My Future in School, a multi-million-dollar initiative focused on computational thinking and new teaching resources. Ten school systems—with more than 6,700 teachers and 194,000 students—joined the effort as early adopters. Read more>> Industry News New ultra short-throw presentation display works seamlessly with smartboard Epson The new Epson PowerLite 685W Ultra Short-Throw Presentation Display for SMART offers seamless integration with the SMART Extended Control Panel. It is part of Epson’s continued collaboration with SMART Technologies Inc. to bring images to classrooms using the SMART Board M685 and 885 interactive whiteboards. Read more>> Industry News Texas district using online reading and language intervention Scientific Learning Corp. Wichita Falls ISD will begin using the Fast ForWord program in all 16 elementary schools and one middle school this month. In addition to all kindergartners participating, it will also be used by struggling learners, students with disabilities, English language learners and other students in grades 1-8. Read more>> View more news at District Administration's PR Portal |