WHO'S AT THE TOP?

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/nine-states-and-district-columbia-win-second-round-race-top-grants

The District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Island can all celebrate; they're all winners in the controversial federal Race to the Top education program. But as U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan reported, there just aren't enough funds for all 46 states who applied. 

Preschool Depression?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29preschool-t.html

It's not just that Johnny might be having a bad day at school, or that perhaps he has ADHD tendencies; new reports suggest depression - at preschool age...

Enough of NCLB!

http://capwiz.com/nea/issues/alert/?alertid=14808856
NEA is proposing legislative action, saying it's time to change NCLB and to craft a new bill that offers the appropriate resources to help all students succeed. Want to help demand that new legislation? NEA has formulated an interactive letter: you simply enter your name, choose the elements you wish to include in your letter, and submit.

L.A. Times Releases Teacher Ratings

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129456212&f=1002&sc=igg2
Transparency, or humiliation?

School Tours

Here's a great idea for sometime during your first few days back at school. Introduce your younger students to the different functions and offices at school on a guided student tour, making your students more comfortable with their new surroundings at the same time as informing them where everything is.

Click to Give Literacy Site

http://www.theliteracysite.com/
You need do nothing more than click at this site to help them donate books to kids in need (daily clicking helps even more!).

Interactive Book Report Station

http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/sandwich.asp

Sandwich layers are used to visually teach about book reports and make the experience an easy one. Students enter in the requested information for each layer, building their book reports with title, author, plot summaries, climax, main characters, etc. according to the ingredients used to also build a sandwich - interactive and very creative.

Classroom Management Mistakes

http://www.adprima.com/managemistakes.htm

Oops! We all make mistakes, but here are some to avoid in your own classroom management practices, from overpraising, to starting class activities before attaining full student attention.

Fun (& Yucky!) Art Recipes

http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/artrecipes3.html

Gunk, goop, flubber, and slime... Find a number of art recipes to keep handy throughout the school year - your students will enjoy making them with you!

Money for Grades: A Good Idea?

Is paying students to get good grades taking the reward system too far?

Classroom Management Quickies

Oops! We all make mistakes, but here are some to avoid in your own classroom management practices, from overpraising, to starting class activities before attaining full student attention.

A No-D Policy

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/education/08grades.html
At this New Jersey High School, a policy has been adopted to get rid of "D" grades entirely. It's either A, B, C, or Fail. Teachers and students are worried, while the high school feels it's helping raise standards.

Soundtrack for My Life

http://www.readwritethink.org/beyondtheclassroom/summer/grades9_12/Autobiography/

Want a unique back-to-school project for middle and high school students? Try this idea, where they can create and share an "all about me"  exercise in a more sophisticated endeavor, by creating a unique soundtrack of their favorite music pieces, perhaps, as suggested here, also representing major events in their lives.

Senate Passes $26 Billion Aid to Schools, States

Tax "Holidays" on Back to School Supplies

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128983150&f=1002&sc=igg2
Several states are initiating a "tax holiday" on back to school supplies, hoping that shoppers coming in to take advantage of the tax removal will also shop for other items, which will remain taxable. Will the idea boost sales and state revenues? Many analysts don't believe so...

Plan an End of Summer Kids' Carnival!

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/how-to-throw-a-kids-carnival-party

We had so much fun planning our own front yard carnivals as kids - front yard so everyone passing by could see it and drop by! We kept most games at a penny - way back when - I suppose inflation might call for at least a nickel! And prizes were simple. Make your own tickets and celebrate the last days of summer with your own carnival, whether at school as a welcome back before you begin, or in your own neighborhood.