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Welcome!
What
is Urban Edge?
Urban Edge is a new membership
service that provides CUBE with relevant information to
help your district become aware of education issues
around the country. We will glean news sources, blogs,
research studies, and NSBA's wide range of expertise for
timely information that guides CUBE districts in making
sound decisions.
Innovative
Solutions
Good News From
Newark
Newark, New Jersey's Newton Street School
has a history of struggling academically. Last year, a
major reform plan was put in place utilizing resources
from various entities, including Seton Hall University.
The preliminary results from the hard work of the staff
and students came back and shocked many of those who
were involved. Double-digit increases were seen in many
grades and in different subjects. The unique governance
structure is credited with much of the success, but
there is still a chance that the school will be shut
down, depending on the final results of testing due in
August.
Link to New York Times article 7/20/08 (free
registration)
Looking for New Ways to
Recruit Teachers
As many districts face
teacher shortages and seek new ways to find highly
qualified teachers, Dallas has taken a unique approach
to find good teachers and save money. Using
videoconferencing and good research, the district is
able to find teachers in faraway places such as Mexico,
India, the Philippines, and Canada.
Link to Dallas Morning News 7/29/08
Teachable Moments
A
Look at the Candidates
Less than 100 days
stands between us and election day. For months,
many education advocates have asked for details about
the presidential candidate's education plans.
National Public Radio (NPR) broke down the similarities
and differences, the key players in each campaign, and
their stance on NCLB. NPR's quick synopsis
provides a look at what may be ahead of us, if campaign
promises hold true.
Link
to NPR Story 7/28/08
San Francisco Principal Walks to
Sacramento
A San Francisco school principal,
parent, and teacher are walking more than 100 miles from
San Francisco to Sacramento to protest budget cuts to
schools. With support from the School Board, city
officials, the teachers union, and parents, they hope to
raise awareness about public education funding. After
paying salaries, the principal says she will have $32
leftover for school supplies for the entire year. They
plan to leave $32 worth of pennies on the doorstep of
Governor Schwarenegger. Two links with audio and video
tell the story.
Link to CBS radio affiliate in San
Francisco 7/28/08
Link to NBC TV affiliate in San
Francisco 7/29/08
Washington-Effect
Jefferson County--A Year
After the Supreme Court Decision
The New York
Times Magazine included a comprehensive
look at the Supreme Court's decision on race-based
student assignment plans last weekend. In it, many
experts (including CUBE presenters) weigh in on how the
decision is impacting districts. Although Jefferson
County, KY (Louisville) is where the focus remains, many
other districts are impacted by this decision. Over the
last year, CUBE has covered the issue in publications,
presentations, and at our conferences. This article
summarizes a complicated issue for public
consumption.
Link to New York Times Magazine 7/20/08 (free
registration)
Superintendents and
Mayors visit Capitol Hill
On July 17, several
mayors and superintendents testified on Capitol Hill on
the topic of partnerships in education and closing the
achievement gap. Leaders from D.C., New York, Atlanta,
and Chicago gave their thoughts on the topic to the
Education Committee. For a webcast and transcripts of
the testimony, click here.
News from the NSBA World
We need your
help! Do you know
someone who has dedicated their life to educating urban
schoolchildren through school board leadership? Was
there an inspirational person who encouraged you to get
involved in public education who happened to be a school
board member? If so, consider nominating them for CUBE's
Benjamin
Mays Lifetime Achievement Award. The
deadline is August 18th.
Are you interested
in becoming more active in CUBE? Consider joining one of CUBE's four issue
based Task Forces. For more details, check CUBE's homepage
or contact Kevin Scott (kscott@nsba.org). If
you want to apply, you can go to our on-line application
form here.
Legislative
Victory! With the support
of many CUBE and other local school board advocates,
the U.S. Senate
passed H.R. 3221, the Home Mortgage Aid Bill by a vote
of 72-13 Saturday morning, July 26. The Senate provision
that would have affected local and state tax authority
was NOT included in the final bill. The Senate provision
would have restricted taxpayers in a local jurisdiction
(such as a school district) from claiming the standard
tax deduction on their federal income tax returns if
property taxes were raised between April 2008 and
January 2009. This legislative victory was critical for
both local governing authorities and taxpayers. The
harmful Senate provision was removed by the House of
Representatives. For more information on NSBA's advocacy
efforts, click here.
Meetings Minute
Our next meeting will be the CUBE Annual
Conference in September. We head to Las Vegas to
focus on 21st Century Learning and what it means
for urban students. Registration is open now! The
deadline for hotel reservations is August
26th--For more information, click here.
Disclaimer
Links on the Urban Edge are subject
to change or become inactive after a period of time.
Please be aware that CUBE has no control over links to
other organizations or
entities. |