| Top News Illinois state lawmaker will sponsor concussion legislation Chicago Tribune A local state representative will help draft a bill that better defines the procedures schools take to identify, confirm and reintegrate students with traumatic brain injuries back into an academic environment. Read more>> Top News N.C. board of education approves first school for innovative school district WUNC A Robeson County elementary school has been approved to be in the state's new innovative school district. The initiative was created under state law to bring together low-performing schools and turn over their operations to charter school management companies. Read more>> Top News Mayor announces timeline to take back Philadelphia schools The Inquirer Pitching local control of the city's schools as the linchpin to the city’s future, Mayor Kenney called for the School Reform Commission to disband itself in favor of a board he will choose himself. But seizing back governance of the schools will come with a hefty pricetag. Read more>> Top News Georgia schools did better on report card, but there are caveats The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Results on the latest Georgia school report card show slight gains statewide, but parents should read the results for their schools with caution. This year’s scores aren’t necessarily comparable with the past, especially at smaller schools, because a 2016 state law mandated a reduction in the number of tests. Read more>> Top News Showdown looming between LAUSD and charter schools Los Angeles Times Los Angeles school district officials plan to recommend at the next school board meeting that 10 charter schools be shut down because they refuse to comply with district rules. But charter school leaders won't back down and will leave it to board members to decide their schools' fates. Read more>> Top News Despite missed time after Harvey, Texas city schools cancel classes Houston Press The Houston ISD has announced a districtwide closing of schools on Friday to allow students and staff to attend Astros World Series championship celebrations. The decision raises some questions as to how schools that are already making up time lost to Hurricane Harvey will be able to meet the state’s minutes requirement. Read more>> From DA Magazine Los Angeles USD builds the Maywood Center for Enriched Studies Steven Wyman-Blackburn The completion of the Maywood Center for Enriched Studies, a grade 6 through 12 magnet school, marks the end of Los Angeles USD’s 14-year effort to add 131 new schools. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Hurricane-hit schools are having to crowdfund replacement textbooks The Dallas Morning News Thousands of schoolchildren in Texas still don't have replacements for basic instructional materials. Austin has created a gift registry of sorts, and 14 districts have registered for more than $1 million worth of needs. While we give the state credit for creativity, these kids can't afford to wait for donations to roll in. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Putting school vouchers into Florida state constitution? TCPalm While the proposal is nowhere near a reality as it would need a constitution revision review and voter support, public school advocates already are crying foul. They worry that the measure would allow the Legislature to directly allocate more tax revenue to private schools, starving public schools of needed funds. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis N.Y. courts should prod state on school funding Poughkeepsie Journal School funding lawsuits have confounded New York for years and likely will well into the future unless elected officials take notice and actually fix certain problems. While court rulings can and have set financial benchmarks in school funding cases before, there is a danger here in having the courts going too far and micromanaging the issue. Read more>> Industry News Partnership creates STEM mentoring program Cricket Media/IEEE TryEngineering Together is an e-mentorship platform giving companies and their employees volunteer opportunities to engage online with students and teachers in grades 3-5, particularly with those in economically underserved communities. Read more>> Industry News Tenn. district rejects state's order to share student information with charters Commercial Appeal Shelby County Schools will join its Nashville counterparts in standing firm against the Tennessee Department of Education in its insistence the districts release student information to be given to charter schools. The decision could trigger legal action from the state. Read more>> Industry News Adopting new resource to reach assessment goals Defined Learning Defined Learning is partnering with School District U-46 in northern Illinois for a districtwide implementation of Defined STEM, a web-based curriculum resource that supports project-based learning. The partnership will begin in 2018. Read more>> View more news at District Administration's PR Portal People Watch Michigan superintendent gets new job farther north WOOD TV8 Nicholas Ceglarek, currently the superintendent of Hudsonville Public Schools, will be the new leader for the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District. He has been with Hudsonville for eight years. Read more>> People Watch In Illinois, superintendent hired to lead neighboring schools The State Journal-Register Riverton school superintendent Lance Thurman has been hired as the next superintendent for Rochester School District. He will replace Thomas Bertrand, who is retiring. Read more>> People Watch Permanent leader named for Wisconsin district Waupaca County News David Dyb had his interim tag removed and agreed to a two-year contract as the permanent Clintonville Public School District superintendent. He was hired in the temporary role when Tom O’Toole resigned. Read more>> | 