Anne Frank book vandals in Tokyo cause concern
Copies of Anne Frank's diary have been vandalized in more than 30 Tokyo libraries. Antisemitism is suspected, but nobody knows for sure, since it's so rare in Japan.
Language Arts
Using an apostrophe for the holiday on Feb 17
Strange usage of the possessive plural abounds in writing about Presidents' Day in the media. The Washington Post offers some other anomalies about the holiday.
Elementary bilingual programs around Champaign
Bilingual classes in elementary school are catching on, making students bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural before they finish fifth grade.
Quote from a favorite poet (e e cummings)
Our wishes for a happy Valentine's Day to all, especially those who love knowing that schools are educating children in our next generation every day.
Pronoun usage and Facebook's new gender rules
Facebook will allow users to specify what pronoun—he, she, or they—is used when referring to them after a change to the gender rules.
Does the PARCC test need to be online?
We analyzed the item types on the PARCC practice tests & found that almost all could be delivered in a paper-and-pencil test. We question the need to upgrade technology at great cost.
Dunlap CUSD 323 cuts would be unpopular
A proposed cut of $2.1 million would have disastrous effects in Dunlap, Ill., say hundreds of community members. We would tend to agree.
Free books to Baltimore's kids — a LOT of them
Free children's books are coming to kids in Baltimore and more than 500 other communities, thanks to a partnership between a teacher union and First Book, a Washington-based nonprofit.
Celebrating the text at Gettysburg, 150 years later
We remember what is perhaps the most famous speech ever made on American soil, on the upcoming occasion of its 150th anniversary.
A little late, PARCC releases more sample test items
The assessment consortium to which both Maryland and Illinois belong (PARCC) has released another set of exemplar items to show teachers what's coming in terms of the tests aligned to the Common Core.