TOP NEWS Star Tribune After-school and summer programs for kids and teens across Minnesota are closing or paring back their offerings, leaving thousands of kids without somewhere to go when they aren’t in the classroom. The decline comes after years of dwindling funds for such programs from federal, state and philanthropic sources. Read more>> Sponsored Sponsored by Smart Ed Tech With over 1 million education apps available, educators are overwhelmed with how to leverage content in a way that supports the individual needs of diverse learners. SmartEdTech is a mobile learning platform and content aggregator that provides an easy path to an individualized, effective mobile learning experience. Read more>> WFMZ A panel of appeals court judges in Philadelphia unanimously affirmed a lower court's ruling, upholding Boyertown Area School District's practice of allowing transgender boys and girls to use the same restrooms and locker rooms as other boys and girls. Read more>> ABC News Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos set off a furor over comments she made to members of Congress suggesting that schools should decide whether or not to report undocumented students and their families to federal immigration authorities. Read more>> Times Union A civil jury concluded that the South Glens Falls school district was negligent in the way it handled the bullying that Jacobe Taras suffered, but that the school's failure to handle the matter was not a significant factor in the 13-year-old's suicide three years ago. Read more>> NorthJersey.com Instant replay is coming to selected games this year in New Jersey high school football. The NJSIAA revealed the 24-page manual, detailing for the first time the exact process, and what plays can and can’t be reviewed. New Jersey will be the first state to use replay extensively for regular season games. Read more>> Tallahassee Democrat Deemed a "best practice" and a precautionary measure by the Leon County Sheriff's Office and Department of Safety and Security, students will have to carry their books and supplies to school without backpacks. Several other counties in the state have decided not to allow backpacks as well. Read more>> From DA Magazine Ray Bendici School libraries increasingly use “genrefication”—the reorganization of collections by genre as opposed to the traditional Dewey Decimal System—to boost circulation. Read more>> OPINION KQED Multiple forms of storytelling—such as videos, plays, podcasts, picture books—allow us to enjoy tales in several ways. From those stories, we develop empathy and a deeper understanding of the world around us. But what’s going on in a child’s brain as they take in different types of stories? Read more>> Corpus Christi Caller-Times Experts say biological, social, and psychological factors are all relevant to what leads up to a mass shooting. A complex interaction of turmoil, psychopathology, traumatic life events, among other factors unique to each case, can serve as catalysts for acts of violence. Read more>> The Hechinger Report It seems that the ostensible benefits of specialization of elementary school teachers are outweighed by the fact teachers have fewer interactions with each student. No one is minding the whole student throughout the whole day or providing continuous emotional support. Read more>> District Administration Survey District Administration DA wants to hear from district tech leaders about their roles in setting up and operating personalized learning in their schools. What does the process entail in terms of time, expertise and funding? http://damag.me/queries Contact us>> INDUSTRY NEWS Destinations Career Academy of Oregon A new career and technical education-focused online public high school is now enrolling students from across the state for the upcoming 2018-19 school year. Destinations Career Academy of Oregon will initially serve students in grades 9-11 in 2018-19 and will add 12th grade for the 2019-20 school year. Read more>> Ogment/EvoText/CESA Purchasing Ogment has signed an agreement with CESA Purchasing, a Wisconsin cooperative, to offer integrated digital curriculum mapping program to K12 districts and other educational organizations across the state. Read more>> ✭ Visit the District Administration's PR Portal ✭ PEOPLE WATCH NJ Advance Media For the first time in 22 years, the Newark School Board selected its own schools chief, choosing longtime district administrator Roger Leon to be the new superintendent. A 25-year veteran of the district, he will lead only months after the state returned the reins of New Jersey's largest school district to the local board. Read more>> The Park Record The Utah district named Jill Gildea as superintendent. Currently the superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools in Connecticut, she will replace former Superintendent Ember Conley, who accepted a position in Arizona. Read more>> This Week Community News The Groveport Madison Board of Education picked Garilee Speer Ogden to be its next superintendent. She has been director of curriculum and instruction as well as director of accountability and professional development for the district. Ogden will succeed former superintendent Bruce Hoover, who resigned in February. Read more>> | 