On Superman, Oprah, and Dinner � Whole Child Blog - Whole Child Education

On Superman, Oprah, and Dinner � Whole Child Blog - Whole Child Education

• On Superman, Oprah, and Dinner

  September 23, 2010 by Molly McCloskey

  I believe movies should be rated based on how many dinner conversations you get out of them. A top notch film will provoke at least five conversations, the dregs produce zero, etc. And it’s not always the quality of the film itself (or song, or photograph, or piece of art), but the impact it has [...]

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  Free Webinar: The Well-Balanced Teacher

  September 22, 2010 by Klea Scharberg

  Join Mike Anderson, author of The Well-Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and Out, for a free webinar on on staying healthy and well-balanced as a teacher. A former elementary school teacher, Anderson now works to strengthen on-site professional development for schools that are working with the Responsive Classroom [...]

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  Creating Cultures of Peace Starting with Schools

  September 21, 2010 by Alseta Gholston

  The

HISD chief academic officer to retire in December | School Zone | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD chief academic officer to retire in December | School Zone | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

HISD chief academic officer to retire in December

Chuck Morris, who has served as chief academic officer of the Houston Independent School District since November, will retire this December. Shortly after taking over HISD, Superintendent Terry Grier recruited Morris to be his No. 2 her — the men had worked together in Guilford County, N.C., and in San Diego.

Morris, in confirming today that he planned to retire, said he had never intended to stay in Houston "real long term."

"I did what I was supposed to do in terms of helping with the reorganization and building the team," Morris said, referring to his oversight of switching HISD from a regional structure to one organized by grade level. "I've been in this business a long time, and we've put together the best team I've ever seen."

Grier has lost two other senior staff members: his first chief high school officer, David Simmons, who stepped down citing family issues, and his first pick for chief middle school

The Answer Sheet - Should colleges stop legacy preference in admissions?

The Answer Sheet - Should colleges stop legacy preference in admissions?

Should colleges stop legacy preference in admissions?

A new book on legacy preference in college admissions says that almost three-quarters of elite national institutions grant legacy preferences in admissions and that the advantage children of alumni can receive is often significant -- even if schools say otherwise.

The book, “Affirmative Action for the Rich: Legacy Preferences in College Admissions,” also says that legacy preferences do not result in

Texas State Board of Education resolution targets lessons it claims favor Islam in textbooks

Texas State Board of Education resolution targets lessons it claims favor Islam in textbooks

BY MICHAEL SHERIDAN
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, September 23rd 2010, 1:03 PM

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Schoolboy (9-12) reading text book in class, close-up. (Ableimages/Getty Images)Getty CreativeOriginal Filename: 200411987-001.jpg

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Religion in Textbooks

Do you think textbooks are too favorable towards in its treatment of Islam?

	Fewer people in U.S. understand Islam, so it needs more attention.
	Lessons on the Muslim faith are too politically correct.
	Religion has no place in school, period.

RELATED NEWS

• Texas sect standoff intensifies

Children are being taught to like Islam and hate Christianity, according to elected officials in Texas, who say they're hellbent on stopping it.

And what these 14 people decide could influence textbooks for the entire nation.

Members of the state's Board of Education will vote on a new resolution on Friday that argues textbooks dedicate more time to

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/09/23/2010-09-23_texas_state_board_of_education_resolution_targets_lessons_it_claims_favor_islam_.html#ixzz10NRQH7q8

Education Research Report: Beginning Reading, High School Math, Study of Knowledge is Power Program, and Charter School Evaluation

Education Research Report: Beginning Reading, High School Math, Study of Knowledge is Power Program, and Charter School Evaluation

Beginning Reading, High School Math, Study of Knowledge is Power Program, and Charter School Evaluation

by Jonathan Kantrowitz

Ω

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) has released four new reports this week that review the research on education programs, curriculums, and strategies.

Beginning Reading

Sound Partners is a phonics-based tutoring program that provides supplemental reading instruction to elementary school students in grades K–3 with below average reading skills. The WWC reviewed 18 studies that investigated the effects of Sound Partners on beginning readers. Based on seven studies that meet WWC

GOP Pledges to Reign in Spending, But Offers No New K-12 Ideas - Politics K-12 - Education Week

GOP Pledges to Reign in Spending, But Offers No New K-12 Ideas - Politics K-12 - Education Week

GOP Pledges to Reign in Spending, But Offers No New K-12 Ideas

by Alyson Klein

Republicans say they'll crack down on spending, possibly even taking back unspent stimulus funds, if they're able to take over the U.S House of Representatives after the October midterm elections. That's according to a widely circulated draft of the GOP's Pledge to America, a sort of to-do list for Republican leaders being officially released today.

Here are some important graphs:

Act Immediately to Reduce Spending:There is no reason to wait to reduce wasteful and unnecessary spending. Congress should move immediately to cancel unspent "stimulus" funds, and block any attempts to extend the timeline for spending "stimulus" funds. Throwing more money at a stimulus plan that is not working only wastes taxpayer money and puts us further in

This Week In Education: Month In Review: Journos Discuss Education News Tomorrow

This Week In Education: Month In Review: Journos Discuss Education News Tomorrow

Month In Review: Journos Discuss Education News Tomorrow

by Alexander Russo

Tune in tomorrow at noon Eastern to hear NPR's Larry Abramson, the WSJ's Stephanie Banchero, the Washington Post's Valerie Strauss, and the LA Times' Howard Blume discuss the big education stories of the month, the month's winners and losers, and more. It's all happening here:Month In Review - Education News September 2010 on Blogtalk Radio. You'll be able to listen in live online or check it out afterwards as a podcast or download. You can Tweet us or email in questions or comments, or even call in and ask your question live (323) 417-6754). In the meantime, beat them all to the punch and share your own views on the topic here or on Twitter (I'm at @alexanderrusso).

Labor Beat: Karen Lewis at Daley Plaza Rally for Public Education

On Sept. 21, 2010 a spirited rally of some 500 teachers, community organizations and students was held in Daley Plaza, just across the street from Chicago's City Hall. The rally protested the ongoing plundering of public education being led by City Hall, CPS head Ron Huberman, and corporate Chicago which gives them their orders. "Our communities are not for sale," Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis told the crowd. "You cannot destroy communities one by one through neglect, through under-funding, under-resourcing and then punish those very communities and say 'you're not living up to standards'. No, you're [pointing to City Hall] not living up to standards!" Referring to the ongoing occupation by parents of a school in the Pilsen area of the city, President Lewis said: "We have parents right now at Whittier demanding a library for their kids. Across this city the Board of Education has said our students do not need libraries. They have said not only do we not need a library, we do not need librarians. How do you learn to read, how do you learn to read for pleasure without a library in your school? How do you learn to do research without a library in your school? They don't want our children to do research, they don't want our children to know what they are doing in the name of business." Length - 5:40. Produced by Labor Beat. Labor Beat is a CAN TV Community Partner. Labor Beat is a non-profit 501(c)(3) member of IBEW 1220. Views are those of the producer Labor Beat. For info: mail@laborbeat.org, www.laborbeat.org. 312-226-3330. For other Labor Beat videos, visit Google Video, YouTube, or blip.tv and search "Labor Beat".

This Week In Education: TV Interlude: "Community" Makes "Glee" Second Best School Show

This Week In Education: TV Interlude: "Community" Makes "Glee" Second Best School Show

TV Interlude: "Community" Makes "Glee" Second Best School Show

by Alexander Russo

"Glee" is fine and all but you really should be watching "Community" (or "The Big C") if you're into education-themed TV shows. It's witty and absurd and stretches the sitcom genre as much or more than Buffy or The Simpsons -- plus it's about community colleges.

Brokers of Expertise

Brokers of Expertise

Brokers of Expertise Teachers website. -

Schools Ready for Flu Season, H1N1 | NEA Today

Schools Ready for Flu Season, H1N1 | NEA Today

Schools Ready for Flu Season, H1N1

September 23, 2010 by Cynthia McCabe
Filed under Featured News, Health, NEA, Top Stories

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By Meredith Barnett

Sneezes and sniffles are starting to infiltrate classrooms and flu season is on its way. But schools and health organizations, armed with lessons learned from 2009’s pandemic flu outbreak, are preparing early.

This year, H1N1 poses less of a threat, and schools are better equipped to hold vaccination clinics and continue “sickness etiquette” education with students.

One major change from 2009 to this year is that the seasonal flu vaccine now protects against both seasonal flu and H1N1.

“H1N1 is still an issue, it’s still around but not at pandemic levels anymore,” said Edeanna Chebbi, Program Coordinator for Disease Prevention and Management at NEA’s Health Information Network (HIN).

She stressed the importance of vaccination, and the Center for Disease Control recommends everyone ages six months and older receive either the injected or nasal spray vaccine before flu season’s peak in January and February. Children under five are most vulnerable, and flu spreads rapidly in schools, with the close proximity of students and their tendency to have trouble controlling their germ-spraying sneezes.

Many schools are continuing the practices they initiated while weathering last year’s H1N1 storm, including offering school-located vaccination clinics. Health organizations are encouraging the extended use

Cheers Greet Zuckerberg's $100 Million Gift to Newark Schools | The Atlantic Wire

Cheers Greet Zuckerberg's $100 Million Gift to Newark Schools

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By HEATHER HORN | September 23, 2010 10:03am

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News broke Wednesday that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be donating $100 million to the Newark public schools this week. The Newark school system is famously hard-up, having been taken over by the state of New Jersey back in the '90s. Zuckerberg himself "attended public high school in Ardsley, N.Y., before transferring to the private Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H.," the Wall Street Journal notes.

Of course, many point out that the gift comes close to the release of The Social Network, a movie said to portray Zuckerberg as something of a back-stabber extraordinaire, which comes out October 1. As Sam Gustin of Daily Finance explains that the timing is bound to draw some skepticism:

Zuckerberg's donation is huge and generous, but due to the timing, the gift will inevitably 

Gates R&D Chief Tom Kane on the Nashville Merit Pay Study :: Frederick M. Hess

Gates R&D Chief Tom Kane on the Nashville Merit Pay Study :: Frederick M. Hess

Gates R&D Chief Tom Kane on the Nashville Merit Pay Study

by Frederick M. Hess • Sep 23, 2010 at 10:56 am
Cross-posted from Education Week

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In response to Monday's post on the Nashville merit pay study, Gates Foundation research honcho and Harvard professor Tom Kane sent me a really thoughtful, incisive take on the study's limitations. Tom, a good friend and one of the smartest folks in the business, is currently heading up the massive Gates research effort into teacher performance, evaluation, and pay.

Tom and I sometimes agree and sometimes have spirited disagreements on these issues, but on this one we're reading from a shared hymnal. In fact, I thought his take so razor-sharp and succinct that I asked if I

UC Davis professor tapped for Playboy honor roll http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=96895

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=96895

UC Davis professor tapped for Playboy honor roll

Karen Massie Last updated 12 hrs ago Posted: 9/22/2010

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DAVIS, CA - When Playboy magazine hits newsstands Wednesday, University of California, Davis Professor Charles Bamforth will appear in a spread on the top 20 U.S. college instructors.

"I'm very flattered and very honored," Bamforth said. "At first I was a little bit nervous wondering what would be on the next page, but I'm fully clothed so it's okay."

The 58-year-old native of Great Britain is king over anything that has to do with beer at UC Davis. Since 1999 he has taught the art of brewing and malting and believes he was tapped for Playboy because he educates students responsibly.

For 20 years before landing at Davis, Bamforth did research for a brewing foundation in England and Bass Brewery, a British company dating back to the 18th century.

Now he conducts major research on how to improve brewing at UC Davis. He points to dozens of bottle beers in his lab and explained, "What you're looking at here is an experiment to test an ingredient which might improve the foam on the head of different beers."

Bamforth said the best way to pour a beer is in the middle of a glass, not down the side as many bartenders do. "You actually want a pristine clean glass with a slight scratch in the bottom," he sai