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Gates Foundation pours millions more into Common Core
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Bill Gates famously spent hundreds of millions of dollars to develop, implement and promote the now controversial Common Core State Standards. He hasn't stopped giving.
In the last seven months, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has poured more than $10 million into implementation and parent support for the Core, according to grant details on the foundation website (see below). That includes $3.7 million to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to support the Core at a time when it has come under increasing attack across the country, for both educational and political reasons.
Gates is the leader of education philanthropy in the United States, spending a few billion dollars over more than a decade to promote school reforms that he championed, including the Common Core, a small-schools initiative in New York City that he abandoned after deciding it wasn't working, and efforts to create new teacher evaluation systems that in part use a controversial method of assessment that uses student standardized test scores to determine the "effectiveness" of educators. >>READ MORE
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How to Choose The Right Summer Camp
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Summer vacation has started for many schools, and others will be ending soon. It's not too late to sign your child up for summer camp!
There are many benefits of attending summer camp. Your child will not only have the opportunity to make new friends and practice social skills, but he may also gain confidence and independence while being away from you and in a new environment. Not to mention, summer camps can help prevent summer learning loss; depending on the camp, your child may be using math, science, history, writing and geography skills while also having a fun time with new friends.
If your child is lucky enough to be able to go to camp over the summer, here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a camp.
1. Include your child in the process of choosing a camp. Ask him what type of camp he might like to go to, then give him the option of choosing from two different camps in that category. This helps invest your child in the camp adventure.
2. Try to find a camp that combines your child's interest with an educational component. Most camps do come with some sort of educational component built in; even sports camps include learning the rules of the game, mathematics and good sportsmanship. But, if you can find a camp that your child will enjoy, that also helps him with an aspect of school that he may have trouble with, then the camp will be doing double duty and may help your child have an easier transition back to school in the fall. >>READ MORE
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Elementary students exposed to economics
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 Teaching economics to fifth-graders might seem to be a novel idea, but the lessons could pay off considering the real-world financial tests they'll face later in life. That's part of the logic behind Hillsborough County School District's E-Team competition, an academic contest that quizzes the economics knowledge of elementary students representing 16 schools. The annual event takes place over two days, with eight teams matching wits in separate competitions each day. It is held at the Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education at the University of South Florida. Daryl Saunders is in charge of elementary social studies education for the school district. She says E-Team participants gain experience with long-lasting benefits as they solve problems like figuring the cost of a family vacation. "It builds their financial literacy," she said. "We know that most adults do not have a strong background in economics and that a lot of decisions they make are about satisfying wants without understanding the economics behind them." The competition works much like a televised game show, with contesting teams getting a chance to answer questions about economics by pressing a buzzer. Points are awarded for correct answers and deducted for wrong answers. The problems given to the students to solve require using language, analytical and math skills as a team. >>READ MORE |
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New Data Show a Decline in School-based Bullying
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 New data indicate the first significant decrease in school-based bullying since the federal government began collecting that data in 2005, suggesting that efforts at the federal, state and local levels to prevent bullying may be paying off. According to new data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the reported prevalence of bullying among students ages 12 to 18 dropped to 22 percent after remaining stubbornly around 28 percent for the past decade. "As schools become safer, students are better able to thrive academically and socially," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "The Department, along with our federal partners and others, has been deeply involved in the fight against bullying in our nation's schools. Even though we've come a long way over the past few years in educating the public about the health and educational impacts that bullying can have on students, we still have more work to do to ensure the safety of our nation's children." "The report brings welcome news," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said. "Parents, teachers, health providers, community members and young people are clearly making a difference by taking action and sending the message that bullying is not acceptable. We will continue to do our part at HHS to help ensure every child has the opportunity to live, learn and grow in a community free of bullying." >>READ MORE |
Research Says Teens Need to Be as Active as Younger Kids
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Research has found that adolescents need to exercise just like their younger counterparts in order to improve their health outcomes.
University of Exeter researchers discovered that even two minutes of high-intensity exercise four times a day can improve health outcomes for adolescents, while the same amount of moderate exercise does not. The University Herald reports that short bursts of exercise spread out over the course of the day, which is what young children tend to do naturally, must be high-intensity to improve blood sugar levels, fat metabolism, and blood pressure in adolescents after eating a fatty meal.
During the study, researchers measured blood sugar, blood pressure, and fat metabolism at regular intervals over eight hours. Some participants were asked to execute four sessions of high- or moderate-intensity movement. The sessions were the same with the only difference was the intensity-level. From this, it became apparent that high-intensity exercise is the key factor in receiving maximum benefits from the movement an adolescent accumulates in a day.
>>READ MORE
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I saw Susie sitting in a shoe shine shop.
Where she sits she shines, and where she shines she sits.
Wayne went to Wales to watch walruses.
Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.
How many cookies could a good cook cook If a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as much cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.
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Our suite of education programs, our experience and our innovation are never on vacation. Give the M. H. West & Co., Inc. education team a call and learn how we can help your school this summer, next academic year and beyond!
Phone: 888.937.8904
Email:
[email protected]
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it is not too late to implement our Award-winning...
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IN YOUR SCHOOL
THIS SUMMER
Your students will learn about business concepts and sharpen their skills in:
- Reading
- Math
- Critical Thinking
- Decision-Making
- Goal Setting
- Teamwork
- Time Management
The Young Entrepreneur Program can be adapted
for elementary, middle and high school students.
CONTACT A PROGRAM COORDINATOR TO LEARN MORE
Julian House,
[email protected]
Meaghan West,
[email protected]
Justin House,
[email protected]
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M.H.West & Co., Inc. | Management & Education Consultants
919 E MAIN ST, STE 1302 | RICHMOND, VA 23219
804.782.1938 |
[email protected] |
mhwest.com
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