TOP NEWS Portland Press Herald School-based health clinics that were forced to slash programs after having their funding unexpectedly cut in last year’s budget deal may get a one-time infusion of unspent state funds to restore services that are often a critical source of health care for some of the state’s lower-income students and families. Read more>> From DA Magazine Steven Wyman-Blackburn Schools and districts in nearly 30 states—including Lyon County School District (Nevada)—use the Edthena platform to video coach educators. Read more>> Ars Technica Regardless of their economic status, teenagers who were forced to stay in school a bit longer because of a legal age change and an additional year of schooling were healthier in later life than similar teenagers who only just missed the new regulations, a new U.K-published paper found. Read more>> Huffington Post American students are being taught an inadequate and often sanitized version of history when it comes to slavery, according to a new report. It found that students learn inspirational stories before they learn about the horrors of enslavement. Read more>> Des Moines Register Iowa Senate Republicans matched their House counterparts by supporting a 1 percent increase in basic state aid to Iowa's school districts, assuring a $3.2 billion education appropriation bill will be headed soon to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk. Read more>> The Seattle Times Under Washington’s new school funding formula—designed to lower local reliance on property taxes to pay for market wages—has created anxiety among district leaders worried about whether they’ll be able to compete with their neighbors for high-quality teachers. Read more>> The Economist The real reason why so many school districts are resorting to a tighter, four-day weekly calendar is that it is the only true perk they can offer to poorly paid teachers. To make matters worse, the expensive health insurance offered to teachers eats into already meager pay. Read more>> District Administration Survey District Administration Schools have turned to self-paced learning as a way to further personalize instruction and give some autonomy to students who progress at different rates. To provide some guidance to districts around the country, DA would like to interview educators who can share successes and challenges of this approach. Contact us>> OPINION U.S. News & World Report For many parents, the power they need more than anything is to ensure their child enters kindergarten ready to succeed. Only when we empower them to advance their children's healthy learning and development during the most crucial period of human development will we give them the choice that matters most. Read more>> Belleville News-Democrat Illinois schools just got results from the 2016 Illinois Science Assessment tests. Blame the two-year lag on state financials. But because schools did not have the results and were unable to adjust teaching methods or curriculum to fix problems, two million students are just that much further behind in science than they might have been. Read more>> The Free Lance-Star Virginia's schools may have enough teachers according to the law, but they are hiring the teachers they can get. Ans teachers are being called on to teach subjects with which they are unfamiliar or don’t have training. In order to attract and retain qualified teachers, the state needs to do a better job of compensating them. Read more>> INDUSTRY NEWS iCivics iCivics and the Library of Congress are launching a new tool designed to teach history and civics through the use of primary sources. DBQuest is an interactive primary-source analysis platform that enables students to learn about historical events directly from the source, including founding documents, letters, photographs, interview transcripts and films. Read more>> Discovery Education Orcutt USD’s new six-year collaboration with Discovery Education will include the integration of Discovery Education Streaming Plus into learning environments and the use of STEM Leader Corp's professional development services. Read more>> bulb Digital Portfolios/Future Ready Schools bulb Digital Portfolios, a digital portfolio software for students and educators, has formed a partnership with Future Ready Schools, a national initiative to maximize digital learning strategies and opportunities in school districts. Read more>> ✭ Visit the District Administration's PR Portal ✭ PEOPLE WATCH WSAW Keith Hilts, Jr., currently superintendent of the School District of Ashland, has been named as superintendent of schools for Wausau School District. Michael Schwei is serving as interim superintendent for the 2017-18 school year. Read more>> Grand Forks Herald The Minnesota district's school board voted to offer the job of superintendent of Crookston Public Schools to Jeremy Olson. He is currently superintendent of Minnesota's Underwood and Henning school districts. Olson replaces Chris Bates, who is retiring after his six years as superintendent, Read more>> AL.com Vestavia Hills City Schools' board of education selected Todd Freeman to the next superintendent. He is currently the leader of Sylacauga City Schools. Former Superintendent Sheila Phillips announced her retirement in July. Read more>> | 