ADE Briefs

The recent heavy rains have forced several districts to close today due to high water or treachorous driving conditions, so this is a good time to remind superintentdents to notify ADE when the decision is made to close schools. Closing Notifications
Superintendents should include the full seven-digit LEA number of the school(s) in the e-mail message body, along with the reason for closing and any other necessary information. E-mail should be sent each day the school is closed.
This allows ADE to dissiminate more accurate information as well as know when there may be a need to assist school districts with facility or other needs.
Posted by JJT.

Economics Arkansas and Dr. Curt Anderson from the University of Minnesota showed a group of school administrators that economics lessons could be fun. Anderson led the group at the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators conference yesterday through an interactive exercise on price setting in various market situtations.
Through sponsorship of Economics Arkansas, Anderson will be offering a lot more of that type of training next spring and summer as Arkansas schools gear up to offer a semester course in economics in all public high schools. The course will be required for graduation beginning with the class of 2013-2014 and may be taken as a half unit credit in either social studies or career focus tracks (the latter must be taught by a licensed business education teacher.)
Posted by JJT.

Governor Mike Beebe’s radio address this weekend spotlighted the problem of overweight and obese children. These youngsters are at higher risk for developing chronic health conditions including diabetes and hypertension. Obesity can lead to other serious health problems as well, among them heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, respiratory issues, reproductive complications, skeletal and joint problems and decreased endurance.
The governor lauded the Arkansas Department of Education’s Coordinated School Health program along with the Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Commission and Arkansas Children’s Hospital for partnering to launch a $700,000 grant program to tackle childhood obesity and promote health and wellness in schools. The Child Wellness Intervention Program is designed to promote high-quality physical education in our public elementary and middle schools.
Posted by JJT.

Anthony Mullen was a member of the New York Police Department who dealt with teens once they crossed to the wrong side of the law. Those experiences convinced him to try to reach young people before they got into trouble, so he decided to become a teacher. And in 2009, he was named National Teacher of the Year.
On November 6, Mullen will deliver the keynote address at the Arkansas Teacher of the Year Awards Gala. The gala, which will be from 6 p.m to 8 p.m at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion, will feature the 15 finalists for 2010 Arkansas Teacher of the Year and the announcement of the winner.
Tickets are available to the public at $50 each and may be ordered by completing the form at this link.
Posted by JJT.

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) reports today that anticipated supplies of the H1N1 Influenza A (Swine Flu) vaccine have been arriving in the state but in limited quantities. At the Mass Flu Clinics occurring around the state on October 29, 30, 31, health officials will have seasonal vaccine available for the general public; however, the H1N1 vaccine will be available only for pregnant women and children ages 6 months to 4 years until supplies run out.

Previously scheduled school clinics statewide will continue to give seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccine as supplies allow to students whose parents request the vaccine for their children.
Posted by JJT.

John Krupa has a good story in Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette about the success of a three-year-old literacy project in Augusta. The whole community was encouraged to read more: the local literacy council provided tutors for people of all ages, young mothers were given training on creating literacy-friendly homes and churches cooperated with a writing project to record oral histories of older members, giving practice to students before taking the ACT. Among the results — this year 23 of 29 Augusta high school seniors were accepted to college and earned $202,000 in scholarships. In 2006, only six went to college. Good job, Augusta! Keep up the good work.

The Office of the Governor announced today that Governor Mike Beebe has accepted a recommendation by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to cut the state budget by $100 million for the current fiscal year. The revised budget forecast comes after revenues fell below those predicted for the first three months of the fiscal year.
The revised cut means a 2.2 percent reduction of the overall budget, with the Departments of Correction, Community Correction and Health and the Arkansas State Police seeing the largest reductions. Existing fund balances will ensure continued adequacy for public education, the governor’s news release said.
Posted by JJT.

Green Education Foundation is launching the largest gardening initiative in history, calling on Pre K-12 schools to plant 10,000 indoor or outdoor gardens. GEF’s website will provide everything that a novice would need to plant gardens, including checklists for school approvals, plot location guidelines; indoor container garden suggestions, funding sources (including grant templates) garden plans, vegetable and flower suggestions and much more.
GEF also provides a multitude of standards-based lessons linking gardening to science, math, language arts, creative arts and technology. Summer internships and community service programs will be available to middle and high school students. Register by Oct. 30, 2009, and be entered into a raffle for free garden kits (gloves, tools, seeds, etc.) or cash prizes to jump start and/or fund your gardens, enroll today at www.GreenEducationFoundation.org.
Green Education Foundation (GEF) is a non-profit organization that provides educational resources that promote sustainable, impactful pro-green behaviors in children, families, and communities.
Posted by JJT.

Libraries, schools and bookstores across the country (and ADE!) are encouraging teens to pick up a book, magazine or a newspaper and read during Teen Read Week™, October 18 – 24. The event is the national adolescent literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association.

Parents of teens are encouraged to celebrate Teen Read Week™ at home. The association offers these ideas:
1. Visit the public or school library with your teen to attend a program or to check out books.
2. Set aside time each night for the family to read.
3. Give books or magazine subscriptions to your teen as a gift or reward.
4. Share your favorite book with your teen.
5. Surf the web with your teen to learn about new books or authors. A good place to start is the Principal’s Booklist.
6. Join a book discussion group at the school or public library.
Posted by JJT.

Michelle Rhee at the Clinton School of Public Service
Here’s a snippet of Washington, D.C., school chancellor Michelle Rhee’s remarks at the Clinton School of Public Service this week, in which she recounts advice from Warren Buffet for solving public schools woes in the district. You may need to link twice to see it.
Posted by JJT.