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Welcome!
What is Urban Edge?
Urban Edge is a service that provides CUBE districts with relevant information to help your awareness 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.
Around the nation
Charter talk is heating up
On the heels of a new study from Stanford University, charter schools are once again gaining a lot of media attention lately, and CUBE districts are at the center of many of the debates. In Nashville, the president of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce argues that charter schools should be expanded in Tennessee. In the L.A. Times, a spirited debate outlines many of the arguments for and against charter schools in California, but also has important points that could impact schools nationwide. And finally, last week Secretary Arne Duncan spoke to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' annual conference where he said, according to EdWeek's blog, "The charter movement is putting itself at risk by allowing too many second-rate, and in some cases, third-rate charter schools to exist. Your goal should be quality, not quantity."
Stanford University study 6/15/09
Supreme Court rules three times
The Supreme Court made several important rulings last week that impact schools nationwide, including CUBE districts. The first ruled that special education students may go to private schools without first trying public schools under the IDEA law. In a second ruling, the Court ruled 8-1 that a strip search of a student is unconstitutional, but school officials are immune from legal action. And finally, the Court ruled 5-4 on a decision that sends a case back to the lower court on how students in Arizona are taught and how much money is spent on educating English Language Learners (ELL). For more information on these three cases, the following links cover the cases thoroughly.
Link to New York Times (Case 1) 6/23/09
Link to USA Today (Case 2) 6/25/09
Link to Arizona Republic (Case 3) 6/26/09
"Do school differently"
A new report from the Carnegie Corporation urges school leaders, both on a national and local level, to "do school differently," especially when it comes to teaching science and math to American's students. The report, titled, "The Opportunity Equation: Transforming Mathematics and Science Education for Citizenship and the Global Economy," asks for common standards in math and science, more clear guidelines and assessments that line up with curriculum, and better teacher preparation, among other recommendations.
Link to eschool News 6/24/09
North Carolina districts make gains
Both Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Wake County, North Carolina school districts made large strides in assessments given this school year, and some schools that had been failing for a number of years also made large improvements. The credit is being given to focused principals and teachers, and also to a new plan to allow students to be re-tested if they do not do well on the first round. But even before being re-tested, many schools saw big jumps in achievement, especially in reading and math.
Link to Charlotte Observer 6/25/09
Chicago Public Schools gives power to principals
In Chicago, the principal will have another tool to assess what works well for students and what teachers can do to get the very best from their students. Superintendent Ron Huberman recently outlined a plan so that principals will rely on data from assessments to pinpoint what areas students need more time or more instruction. He told the principals, "you're given the freedom, but you can't make those decisions based on hunches." Assessments will be given on-line for quick results, and the district plans to invest money into technology to assist the process.
Link to Chicago Sun Times story 6/17/09
Blog Watch
The Leading Source, American School Board Journal's Daily Blog, posts "The Week in Blogs" every Friday. As we know, the Education Blogs can be active and engaging, but can also be overwhelming. If you're looking for a good summary of what's happening in the edu-blogosphere, it's worth a look.
NSBA Update
NSBA's advocacy department is seeking your input! Help them shape the direction of NSBA's efforts on Capitol Hill by completing the following survey. But hurry, the cutoff for the survey is July 1 (yes, that's today!).
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius announced Monday that the Department is reversing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rulemaking that would have virtually eliminated school-based Medicaid reimbursement for transportation and administrative healthcare services for students. NSBA greatly appreciates the years of coordinated advocacy efforts from school districts and state school boards associations to reverse the CMS Rulemaking. Even though the rule was issued in December 2007, its implementation had been delayed numerous times through congressional action because of our joint advocacy efforts. On May 6, the Department posted a proposal in the Federal Register to rescind CMS Rule 2287. Secretary Sibelius’ announcement confirms the rescission.
The Center for Public Education (CPE) looks closely at a new report that examines how American 8th grade math students rank internationally. CPE also looks at urban districts in selected cities and has short summaries on the highlights of the study. For more information, click here.
Meetings Minute
CUBE recently wrapped up the Issues Seminar in Chicago, IL. Check CUBE's Conferences and Meetings page for more information, including all available presentations.
NSBA's Technology and Learning Conference (T+L) takes place in Denver, Colorado October 28-30, 2009. Among the presentations and honors, three districts are recognized with a video salute showcasing technology initiatives across their districts during the T+L Conference General Sessions, including a CUBE district, Newport News, Virginia. Join thousands of educators at T+L to learn more about what Newport News has done to make technology work well for students.
Program Note
Did you know that all previous editions of the Urban Edge are available on CUBE's web site? If you missed an issue, wanted to go back to find a link to a research study we referenced, or need some information about what other districts are doing, 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.
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