Tuesday Open Thread

Happy Birthday, to space hero Sally Ride.  Today would have been her 64th birthday.

I sent this story - via the Washington Post,  along to the Board - Six of the nation's largest school districts dump polystyrene trays.  These districts are banding together for volume savings to do better for their districts. 

Great new area at the Fordham Institute for Advancing Educational Excellence - Eduwatch 2016 - with quotes from presidential candidates on education (which I believe they will be keeping updated).

Rand Paul has an interesting idea about student loans for higher ed:

Let’s let college students deduct the entire cost of their educations over their working careers. Let’s make college tuition entirely deductible.

 Bernie Sanders:

Promote creative learning by doing away with 'fill-in-the-bubble' standardized tests, and instead evaluate students based their understanding of the curriculum and their ability to use it creatively.

It's 2015 but apparently some people didn't get that memo.  A story from Indian Country about a song being used in a school district in California (written in 2000!) as part of teaching California history that is fairly offensive to Native American students.   One 10-year boy decided he wouldn't sing it and got it pulled from the curriculum. You should read the lyrics - I think the song's authors were trying to do something good but failed fairly miserably.

The district is starting the School Climate survey this week, "asking families for feedback on their schools."  You will get a call or e-mail with a second round in June.   

Good news from the district: Roosevelt teacher Karl Ruff was named K-12 STEM Engineering Teacher of the Year from the Puget Sound Engineering Council.  Mr. Ruff worked for Boeing for 16 years before becoming a teacher.

In any given period and in the same room, students may be enrolled in beginning or advanced levels of Aerospace Engineering, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Digital Electronics, Engineering Design or Project Management.

Now any Roosevelt student in grade 9-12 can take any of his courses almost any period of the day. Ruff also advises four student clubs: the Iron Riders First Robotics team, the Girls Rocket Club, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers student chapter, and the Technology Student Association.

 When I used to do tours for prospective students and their parents, I was always happy to stop by Mr. Ruff's lab.  He has such a huge enthusiasm to teach and share what he has learned and give students the chance to create work based around their interests.  He is also very encouraging to girls to please come and try his classes.