District Administration - April 2010 - (Page 12)

Br iefings Newsupdate PeoPle Watch PUBLIC SERVICE On March 2, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) awarded Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) its 2010 Award for Excellence in Public Service for her great efforts to champion education technology legislation. RESIGNED FROM BOARD Ramon C. Cortines, Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, has resigned from the board of the Scholastic publishing company. The position was scrutinized, although Cortines states he avoided any conflict of interest. ABOUt FACE Educational scholar and former advocate for accountability and testing Diane Ravitch has dramatically changed her stance regarding school reform and is now outspoken and critical about policies such as No Child Left behind. HEALtHY SCHOOLS First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign is encouraging schools to improve their nutrition programs and increase time for physical activity in hopes of reversing childhood obesity within one generation. OUStED Don McLeroy, a prominent Republican, lost his seat on the Texas board of Education to a moderate Republican, Thomas Ratliff. The board has maintained their conservative majority and approved new social studies curriculum standards. by Marion Herbert For THoSE diSTricTS SEEking must be spent on construction, repairs or to construct, renovate, rehabilitate or ac- land for public school property. “These things are complicated finanquire land, the national Education Technology Funding corporation, or “Eddie cial instruments,” says Mandel. “We’ve made it a plug-andTech,” has made an play product. now innovative program districts, especially to simplify the prosmaller districts, can cess of accessing lowjust plug into the deal cost financing. Eddie and get their money Tech’s School investcheaper and easier.” ment Pooled-SecuriThe national Edties (SiPS) Program ucation Association is bringing together (nEA), the Ameritax-credit Qualified “Now districts can just plug into can Association of School construction the deal and get their money School AdministraBonds (QScBs) and cheaper and easier.” creating larger and —Brett Mandel, executive director of Eddie Tech tors (AASA), and the national School more marketable collections that are more desirable for inves- Boards Association (nSBA) partnered in tors. Eddie Tech is a nonprofit organiza- February 2010 to show their support for tion that was recognized legislatively by Eddie Tech’s efforts. “The nEA has estimated that moderncongress in 1996 principally to improve izing the nation’s schools will cost billions, education- technology infrastructure. QScBs were introduced in February so we are very excited to promote Eddie 2009 as part of the American recovery Tech’s program to help school districts fiand reinvestment Act (ArrA). These nance construction and renovation,” said bonds offer a tax-credit and therefore re- John Wilson, the nEA’s executive direcquire an investor who isn’t interested in a tor, in a statement responding to the partcash return. Throughout 2009, it became nership between the organizations. Anne Bryant, executive director of apparent there was a small market for such investments. districts often had to pay nSBA, supported the partnership as well. lenders supplemental interest, which raised “While we were very pleased to see the dramatic expansion of the tax-credit-bond the cost and complicated the process. “it’s the law of supply and demand,” programs, we were disappointed to hear says Brett Mandel, executive director of that many school districts have not been Eddie Tech. “People interested in tax- able to take full advantage of cost savcredit bonds are interested in lots of them. ings,” said Bryant. “We fully support Ednow we can get their attention because die Tech’s efforts and believe they will reduce borrowing costs and help our school we’ll have pools of millions of dollars.” QScBs have a national limit of $11 boards meet their ongoing challenge to billion in each of 2009 and 2010. Forty invest in schools.” Eddie Tech is finalizing program depercent are given to the top 100 largest local education agencies based on the tails and anticipates issuing the first bond number of children below poverty level, pool in the first quarter of 2010. For more and the remaining 60 percent are given to details on Eddie Tech’s SiPS program, visit the states to be allocated to districts. They www.eddietech.org. Bond-Pooling Program Provides Low-Cost Financing 12 April 2010 District Administration http://www.eddietech.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2010

District Administration - April 2010
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Health
Standards
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Conversations
Sports for Life
Reaching Digital Natives on Their Terms
RTI Goes Mainstream
Double Duty: Schools as Community Centers
Online Edge
Tech Disruptions
Product Focus
New Products
Student Counsel

District Administration - April 2010