In the News
For Your Child's Sake, Don't Hate on Math
At a dinner out, are you relieved when
someone else offers to “do the math?”
Have you admitted to not understanding the details of your taxes, your
refinance, or even your paycheck? And yet – you probably compare prices on
groceries, cell phones, and airline tickets.
You look for sales and discounts.
You mentally inventory the contents of your refrigerator and estimate if
you need to buy that extra pack of cheese for lunches. You track your calories to lose weight. Where is this going? The question that really matters: If your
child complains about his/her math homework, have you sighed and said, “Don’t
worry – I was bad at math too…?”
Why you shouldn't 'hate on math' in
a blog by Camsie McAdams, ED's Senior Advisor on STEM >>>
 Telling the Truth on Achievement Gaps Improves Education
In education, it
sometimes takes courage to do what ought to be common sense. That’s a key lesson from several recent
national and international assessments of U.S. education. Collectively, these
assessments demonstrate extraordinary progress in the places where leaders have
worked hardest and most consistently to bring change — but also a national failure to make nearly enough progress to keep up with our
competitors. The changes
America’s children need to get a better education require political courage and
hard work. In many cases the steps are
surprisingly straightforward — and can be taken anywhere.
Read Secretary
Duncan’s recent op-ed in The Washington
Post >>>
|
Input on ED Blog, Newsletter, and Social Media
The Department is committed to providing content that is
informative, useful, and interesting. So, as we begin a new year, we want
to hear from you. What information and resources do you want to see on
our blog, newsletters, and social media? Is there something you like
about our digital communications that you are hoping we continue? What do
you feel we should be deemphasizing? Please let us know by commenting here or tell us on Twitter, including our handle @usedgov in the tweet.>>>
 Events
Go Green in 2014
The Green Schools National Conference is March 27-29th in
Sacramento, CA. This year’s keynote
speakers include Matt Bogoshian,
U.S. EPA's Senior Policy Counsel at the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention, and Yalmaz Siddiqui,
Senior Director of Environmental Strategy for Office Depot. Find out more
about the program, including Solution Summits, pre-conference excursions and a
special Student Summit.>>>
|
 International School Meals Day is March 6, 2014
The 2014 International School Meals Day is March 6th, 2014, also World Book Day. Schools around the world can celebrate the Day by promoting healthy eating and learning, using the theme Food Stories. Schools and organizations can connect across the world and share their stories about food through established online education platforms that allow students and teachers to experience learning and teaching beyond their classroom wall, including Connecting Classrooms and Skype in the Classroom. >>>
|
Globalize Your Classroom
Teachers for Global Classrooms, a professional development program funded by the U.S.
Department of State, offers middle and high school teachers an online Global
Education course, a Global Education Symposium in Washington, DC,
and a two to three-week international travel fellowship. Applications
are due March 11, 2014. >>>
ED to Announce U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon
Schools on Earth Day
On April 22nd, 2014, Secretary
Duncan will announce that the 2014 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon
Schools and District Sustainability Awardees have been selected and you will be
able to see the full list of awardees on our website. The honorees’ best practices will be detailed
in our annual Highlights report. You will be able to view the Secretary’s
announcement live here. In July, at a private ceremony, the representatives
from selected schools and districts will be invited to receive their
sustainable plaques and flags. Even as
we select and prepare to announce the 2014 honorees, ED will be working to
publish the 2014-2015 criteria for states, with an exciting new post-secondary
award category, by June. This year, states
will again be asked to indicate their non-binding intent by August 1st,
2014 to provide nominees to ED by February 1st, 2015.
School Environmental Health,
Wellness and Safety
Joint Statement of Collaboration for Local School
Wellness Policies
On Monday, January 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
released a Joint Statement of Collaboration for Local School Wellness Policies.
Numerous national associations and
organizations joined the USDA in support of local school wellness policies as part
efforts to create a healthy environment for children. >>>
Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Guide
for Schools
The Center for Disease Control
recently published Comprehensive School
Physical Activity Programs: A Guide for Schools. The guide covers all the key components of a
comprehensive school physical activity program, including physical education,
physical activity during school, physical activity before and after school,
staff involvement, and family and community engagement.>>>
 National Radon Action Month
To celebrate National Radon Action Month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encourages you to test and fix your school facilities for radon. According to an EPA survey, thousands of schools have high radon levels and nearly 20 percent of schools had at least one classroom with concentrations above EPA’s guidance. Using the Framework for Effective School Indoor Air Quality Management, you can address radon risk as part of a comprehensive indoor air quality management program. Learn more about radon testing and mitigation in your school by visiting the EPA's radon home page, or contact your state office for local information and specific recommendations.
A recent article further explains how radon remains largely unaddressed in our nation’s schools. >>>
|
State School Health Policy Matrix
As leaders across the country seek to improve student health, there is a growing need for tools to help navigate the complex world of school health policy. The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, the National Association of State Boards of Education and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance have worked together to develop a guide to state school health policies for the following topics: competitive foods and beverages, physical education and physical activity, and administration of medication in the school environment. The State School Health Policy Matrix outlines state policies, along with which entity or agency adopted the policy or issued the guidance. >>>
The School Climate and Discipline Guidance
On January 8th, the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released a School Climate and Discipline Package. The goals of this guidance package are to reduce exclusionary discipline rates to ensure students don’t lose valuable classroom time, to put an end to racial disparities in discipline, and to encourage schools and districts to create positive school climates by using research-based discipline policies and best practices. >>>
Grants,
Contests and Awards
Second Annual William K. Reilly Environmental Leadership
Awards
The Center
for Environmental Policy at American University is currently accepting nominations for the Second Annual William
K. Reilly Environmental Leadership Awards. These awards recognize
individuals in the government, private, and non-profit sectors who have
contributed to innovation in environmental solutions or policy, engaged diverse
stakeholders, and helped develop future environmental leaders, among other
criteria. Nominations close on January
31, 2014. >>>
DoSomething.org
Seed Grants
A $500 Do
Something Seed Grant is given out every week to help young people engaged in
community action projects. These grants
can be used towards project ideas and programs that are just getting started,
or to invigorate an existing project and take it to the next level. These grants are available on an ongoing
basis. >>>
Siemens We
Can Change the World Challenge
The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge provides K-12
students with tools and inspiration to improve their schools, communities and
their world, through project-based learning. Students learn about science and
conservation while creating solutions that impact their planet. Students K-12
can participate in the challenge until March 4th. >>>
Earth Day Sustainable School Food Journalism Contest
The Earth Day Network is accepting entries from
high school students for the 2014 Healthy and Sustainable School Food Journalism
Competition. The competition is designed to highlight the hard facts about
school food in the words of students, ages 13-18, who eat it. Articles and photographs must be about the
importance of healthy, sustainable food served in school; what the student's
school community is doing to combat climate change; and how the student's
school is promoting environmental education. The contest is open until February 28th. >>>
Odds
and Ends
 Climate Change Science 2013: Haiku
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released its Fifth Assessment Report which is over 2,000 pages long. Climate Change Science 2013: Haiku by Gregory C. Johnson is an example of science communication using the arts in which he attempts to distill the report down to 19 illustrated haiku. >>>
|
The Value of Environmental Education
A video from the North American Association for Environmental Education details students’ thoughts on the field of environmental education, how it builds community, enhances learning, and changes lives for future generations. >>>
| 
