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The evolution of the school lunch menu
Brian Stack EducationFor anyone in their 30s or older, it comes as no surprise that over the past two decades, America’s palate has evolved and diversified. Tuna casserole and meatloaf dinners have been replaced with meals that have much bolder flavors and are influenced by many ethnic backgrounds. As you might expect, the changing palate for adults also means a new palate for kids, and that has had a big impact on school lunch programs from coast to coast.
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Common Core creator’s breach-of-contract case continues
Seth Sandronsky EducationWho knew that parties involved in the business of school assessment could end up in federal court? Consider a U.S. magistrate who ruled against an education entrepreneur and plaintiff in a breach-of-contract case with a global education and information firm over the amount of bonus payments tied to an employment agreement. Dr. Judy Codding is the plaintiff, and there is a history here. She took part in the writing of the Common Core State Standards in English language arts and math that California, the U.S.' most populous state with over 6 million K-12 public school pupils, has adopted along with 41 other states.
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Simple ways to connect and build relationships with your students
Erick Herrmann EducationTeachers get into the profession of teaching because they care about young people and want to help them be successful in life, and ultimately to make the world a better place. We all know that relationships are at the core of our work, and that this critical aspect of education and the classroom makes our job of educating children more effective and fulfilling for everyone. Yes, building relationships with students takes time, a commodity that is in limited supply in the classroom. The following list of activities and ideas can be used in virtually any context, but may need to be adapted slightly depending on the grade level and make up of your classroom.
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Puerto Rico’s recovery faces ongoing privatization challenges
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentOn July 9, Puerto Rican officials submitted a 411-page draft recovery plan to the U.S. Congress that outlines Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s vision for the island’s future as it acknowledges that the death toll from Hurricane Maria may be much larger than originally admitted. This plan states that prior to September’s storm, the island already struggled "with an economic crisis spanning more than a decade." That crisis led a federal oversight board to take over Puerto Rico’s finances in 2016.
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Florida database integration law aims to stop school shootings
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityIn Florida, database integration will be the new tool to combat school shootings. Following the Parkland tragedy, state authorities convened and passed a law to this effect. A centralized database will be created to help officers and school authorities prevent such shootings in future. One of the significant catalysts for this move was the fact that the Parkland shooter had left many warning signs in his social media posts that were overlooked.
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Flexible learning starts with flexible classroom spaces
Brian Stack EducationThe latest craze with my New Hampshire high school teachers is to supplement, or in some cases replace, their institutional, inflexible classroom furniture with more student-friendly options. In a school with a very tiny furniture budget, my staff has accomplished this task by soliciting donations, applying for grants, and in some cases, building their own furniture. A walk through the few re-imagined spaces that we have completed thus far is reminiscent of a trip through a trendy Ikea showroom.
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Fun with task-based language learning
Sheilamary Koch EducationIf you’ve studied a new language, you probably remember the moment you learned certain words. For me, it was a day about 20 years ago when I learned the difference between wallet and highway in Spanish. At a bus station in Oaxaca, Mexico, the ticket counter agent explained that my bus was behind schedule and recommended not travelling that day due to something about my wallet, or so I thought. If I’d had a teacher or the right dictionary along, my mistaken assumption would’ve been clear right then.
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My child doesn’t get enough sleep: Dangers and remedies
Howard Margolis EducationMany special and general education students of all ages and achievement levels don’t get enough sleep. They suffer from sleep deprivation. They routinely get far less than the roughly eight to 10 hours of sleep they need. The long-term consequences of sleep deprivation put them at serious risk for obesity, diabetes, accidents, heart disease, and premature death. In school, at home, and with friends, the consequences are immediate.
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The radical idea of the healthcare sabbatical
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareIn the stressful world of healthcare, nursing, and medicine, worthy staff members work themselves to the bone in service to the common cause. Nurses, doctors, physical and occupational therapists, radiologists, and others put out enormous amounts of energy day in and day out in a wide variety of healthcare milieus. With burnout widely prevalent, why don’t healthcare organizations offer sabbaticals for their most valued employees?
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Lead contamination in schools’ drinking water worse than previously…
Scott E. Rupp Facilities & GroundsLead contamination in U.S. schools is more pervasive than previously thought, new water testing results from 20 states say. The data was published in an interactive map by Environment America and U.S. PIRG in June. The map shows several other states where more than half of schools tested found some level of lead. These confirmed cases of contamination are likely only the tip of the iceberg, Environment America said in a statement.
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