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School Board News
School Board News Today, an online publication of NSBA, provides timely and relevant stories and analysis from NSBA and other news outlets to school board members, administrators, and all others interested in K-12 education.
Articles in the Announcements category
Button: CPE Edifier
View research and analysis from NSBA’s Center for Public Education on The EDifier
Button: American School Board Journal
American School Board Journal reviews how school-based health care pays off and increases achievement.
The best education blogs of 2009
BoardBuzz came across this Washington Post item asking for readers to help select the best education blogs of 2009. As the Post’s Jay Mathews writes:
I have put out a best education blogs list the last two years, but I wasn’t a blogger myself then, and really didn’t know what I was doing. Now that I face personally, each day, the pressures of being both interesting and true, I face this responsibility reborn, determined to make this the golly-whiz best list of the best education blogs ever. Fortunately Valerie Strauss, czarina of the Post’s The Answer Sheet blog, has agreed to be my colleague in this venture. Now we need your help.
BoardBuzz too has enjoyed seeing this list the past couple years. We’d especially enjoy being on it with a little support from our dear readers (hint, hint).
So go vote by leaving a comment at the link above or send an e-mail to mathewsj@washpost.com or straussv@washpost.com. They ask for the URLs of no more than three of the best education blogs you know and why you like them. We can think of dozens. Oh, where to start…
National Day on Writing
Whether it’s tweets, texts, BoardBuzz or pick-up-a-pen writing, it has never been more important to our communication and culture. October 20th was the first annual National Day on Writing, proclaimed by Congress and celebrated nationwide by the National Council of Teachers of English and other partners.
A National Gallery of Writing continues the celebration of writing and is open for your posts: essays, email, letters, poetry, word art, videos, etc. There also are many State and Local Galleries started by schools, libraries and others. Browse and contribute to these galleries or start your own!
From the first time a prehistoric woman or man used written symbols to convey meaning, writing had the potential to keep us connected. We still ponder Mayan relics, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and Nordic Runes to help us understand our human history and experience. Technology now allows us to reach more people, more often, than ever before – by writing.
So celebrate writing and keep sharing your thoughts with BoardBuzz. It’s the “write” thing to do.
A look at your life
Have you ever stopped to assess what you’ve accomplished in your life? As we chronicle our lives via Facebook, blogs (ahem), Twitter, and other social media outlets, are we really doing anything, or are we just passing time? Sometimes it takes a special person who has accomplished a lot in life to recognize the impact one person can have in a community. John Harding Lucas, Sr., is one of those people.
At the Council of Urban Boards of Education(CUBE) Annual Conference last weekend, the Benjamin Elijah Mays Award was given to Dr. Lucas for his commitment to school children in Durham, North Carolina. A former school board member, teacher, guidance counselor, coach, principal, and university president, Dr. Lucas was also on the Board of Directors of the National Education Association. He has also been recognized by the North Carolina School Boards Association as a champion of excellence, equity, and access. The award is named after Dr. Mays, a former school board member in Atlanta, Georgia, who was a civil rights activist, teacher, minister, and author.
In his speech, Dr. Lucas celebrated his award with his family, and the pride he had in his family was evident to all in attendance. He captivated the audience as he spoke and it was easy to see how he was an effective teacher or coach, even though he was so much more than that. For more about Dr. Lucas, see NSBA’s press release. So Tweet away, but the next time you update that status, think about what you are really accomplishing.
Get involved in your school board
BoardBuzz wonders, have you ever considered running for your local school board? Many school board candidates are concerned parents who want to make a difference in their children’s classrooms. But before you throw your hat in the arena, or cast your vote for a candidate on November 3, consider the advice of Paula Campbell, a school board member from Nevada City, California and President of the California School Boards Association in this video.
You can also get more information on the 70th NSBA Annual Conference in Chicago at www.nsba.org/conference.
Atlanta wins award for Urban School Board Excellence
Three cheers for Atlanta! This past weekend Atlanta Public Schools won the CUBE Award for Urban School Board Governance. The district was recognized at the 2009 CUBE conference in Austin. This prestigious award honors urban school districts that demonstrate progress in educating children and act as role models for excellence in school board governance.
“Atlanta has shown that when a district’s governance team works together and focuses on the common goal of improving student achievement for all, progress and results will follow,” said Anne L. Bryant, executive director of NSBA. “We hope that the promise Atlanta has demonstrated will be held as an example for other large districts that may be struggling. Their gains are evidence that leadership, a strong community relationship, and high expectations are critical to a successful turnaround solution for school districts.”
Also recognized were the Broward County School District in Florida as a finalist , while Baltimore City, Md., Wake County, N. C., and Jefferson County, Kentucky were recognized for progress and leadership, respectively. Hats off to all the outstanding urban districts!
i3 funds focus on research based innovation
The U.S. Department of Education has released details of how school districts and nonprofit organizations can tap into the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (i3) which is part of the economic stimulus package.
Unlike the Race to the Top Fund and the School Improvement Grants, i3 funds will be distributed directly to school districts and their nonprofit partnerships. The official proposal will be published in the Federal Register soon, then the public will have 30 days to comment before the Department finalizes the proposal.
Although i3 is a relatively small program ($650 million) compared with the School Improvement Grant ($3 billion) and Race to the Top ($4 billion), its funding goes directly to the school districts and it has a different focus from the other two programs. i3 provides seed money to school districts and their nonprofit partners to scale up effective practices and to support existing or new promising programs on school reforms.
NSBA will be preparing comments on i3. Check out the Department’s website for more information.
From STEM to root
BoardBuzz loves online learning and here’s just one more opportunity to get yours! STEM science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is at the forefront of discussions on global competition and 21st century skills. But what does it take to strengthen these subjects for your students? Get ideas and inspiration at a webinar sponsored by American School Board Journal and NSBA.
Panelists include
- Denise Mewborn, head of mathematics education at the University of Georgia;
- David Bressoud; head of the Mathematics Association of America;
- Michele Cahill of the Carnegie math and science commission; and
- Mark Koester, math instructor at Gateway High School in Colorado.
The free webinar will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT. All you need is a phone and an Internet connection.
You can register for the webinar here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/504969265
And also be sure to check out the STEM coverage in American School Board Journal.
