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jbdrury

America's Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War - 0 views

    • jbdrury
       
      The home page to Digital History contains links to resources for a variety of other curricular units
    • jbdrury
       
      "Eric Foner, the DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University, and Olivia Mahoney, Director of Historical Documentation at the Chicago Historical Society" are cited as the authors of the page.
  • Reconstruction, one of the most turbulent and controversial eras in American history, began during the Civil War and ended in 1877.
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    • jbdrury
       
      Its difficult to sticky note everything you find interesting on an .html site such as this one, but each of these sections has images (many culled from the Library of Congress, which is also an excellent source for images such as these) pertaining to reconstruction, which a teacher could print or make part of a powerpoint presentation to enable students to analyze them.
    • jbdrury
       
      In the "additional resources" section there is also a visual timeline of the Reconstruction period, including many of the images found throughout the rest of this website, but organized chronologically, which may be of use to those students who need to look at history in this way.
  • In time, the North abandoned its commitment to protect the rights of the former slaves, Reconstruction came to an end, and white supremacy was restored throughout the South.
  • Today, as a result of extensive new research and profound changes in American race relations, historians view Reconstruction far more favorably, as a time of genuine progress for former slaves and the South as a whole.
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    This website, while providing a fairly detailed summary of The Reconstruction, I have bookmarked because of the images it contains. I think pictures and images are a useful tool in shaping students perceptions of history; as Erin evidenced in her last lesson plan, providing students with a model for critically examining images could prove very beneficial to building on their critical thinking abilities.
Debbie Moore

BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - 0 views

  •  
    BrainPOP is an interactive instructional tool that uses animated characters, Tim & Moby to introduce and illustrate content material for social studies, math, science, English, arts, health and technology. The interactive resources include quizzes, movies, timelines, and activity pages. Other resources include lesson plans, classroom tools, curriculum calendars, research and much more. Some of what they offer is free. Unfortunately, there is an annual fee for most of their material. My practicum school uses this program extensively. The students really like using this program and actively engage in the material. At the moment, BrainPOP is featuring a segment on "American Indians" and "Digital Citizenship." If you go to this location, you will find a free movie on the civil war. http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/freemovies/civilwar/
Lindsay Andreas

Historical Tweets » Columbus Twitters Trouble on the High Seas - 0 views

  • A Young Adolf Hitler Twitters Away
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      I wouldn't use this one, for example.
  • Lincoln Asks Twitter Followers for Speechwriting Help
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      My favorite one! For example, you could use it to explain the Gettysburgh Address, I never learned what four scores and seven years ago actually meant until recently, a score is 20 years, thus 87 years, 87 years from when? The Declaration of Independence. This could be a fun transition into comparing the DOI and the G. Address, because Lincoln had the DOI in mind when he wrote it.
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    This is a bit of a comical website but I think it could be a fun way to seem cool to the students, while actually teaching them, covert learning. If your kids are into twitter, you can post these on the board or pass out copies in the beginning of class for a warm-up. I wouldn't have them view the actual site because the comments get a little inappropriate. You would certainly need to use discretion. Sometimes teachers need to seem like real people and if I was in high school, I would think a teacher that used this was cool.
Debbie Moore

Census in Schools - 0 views

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    This site is sponsored by the U.S. Government, Census Bureau. It is speicfically designed as an educational resource for students, teachers and schools. The Census Bureau will provide lesson plans, maps, worksheets and other educational material free of charge to any teacher.
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    I observed my cooperating teacher using this site (Census in Schools) for a 6th grade geography class. The students responded positively and were actively engaged in the lesson. The students were able to work with their own individual maps while exploring and answering essential questions. The site also has information and materials appropriate for all other grades. I think that this site could also be used for U.S. History since the first census orginiated for the purpose of creating a representative government.
Debbie Moore

Social Studies - Group | Diigo - 0 views

    • Debbie Moore
       
      Today's conversation starter is about the controversy developing over President Obama's plan to deliver a speach to public school students on Tuesday. This would be a great opportunity to for students to explore a variety of related topics such as (but not limited to) conservatism versus liberalism, rights of parents and families, and President's use of power.
    • Laura Wood
       
      Is this supposed to be here? If not, where is it supposed to be?
    • Debbie Moore
       
      I observed my cooperating teacher using this site (Census in Schools) for a 6th grade geography class. The students responded positively and were actively engaged in the lesson. The students were able to work with their own individual maps while exploring and answering essential questions. The site also has information and materials appropriate for all other grades. I think that this site could also be used for U.S. History since the first census orginiated for the purpose of creating a representative government.
Erin Power

Social Studies Music - 0 views

    • Erin Power
       
      This website uses music from a variety of artists to encourage teaching social studies. The songs on this site are a little cheesy for me, but they are impossible to get out of your head. I think that they could be great to incorporate multiple intelligences into a lesson. This site is valuable for social studies teachers because it provides an alternate way to introduce materials.
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    This site provides songs that can be included in history teaching units.
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    This is unbelievable! I still remember the song we did in elementary school called "Fifty Nifty United States." I am definitely going to use this. They are totally silly but that is why they will remember them.
Lindsay Andreas

National Governors Association - 0 views

  • increase student participation in rigorous college preparatory courses, better align expectations between high school and postsecondary education, hold these systems accountable, and ensure students graduate from high school ready for college or the workplace in the global economy.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      An important part of our mission as secondary educators is to prepare students for either post-secondary work and the workplace.
  • While states invest significant resources in education programs, governors also recognize and appreciate the federal government’s contribution to provide additional resources or assistance for those most in need.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      It is important to remember the break-down in financing, and therefore, where real power lies. If we want policy change, we need to know the most effective avenues for lobbying. We may think Obama sets the education policy agenda but the reality is, governors have a lot of power and persuasion in the field. For example, it always amazes me how different public higher education systems are, and this is because certain states have made it a priority to fund higher education greatly.
  • In this new economy and era of education reform, now is the time to reform postsecondary education by increasing relevance and rigor, accountability, and linkages with kindergarten-12th grade (K-12) education and the workplace, and by expanding financial aid to students of all ages.
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  • Provide capacity-building incentives to states to increase teacher supply and retention, as well as education research.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      On the national level, you only seem to hear about accountability but it is refreshing to see that the NGA takes a lot more into account. I really feel like they are better in touch with the realities of education policy.
  • Authorize states to provide diverse learning options and assessment options, including the option for growth models, determined at the state level.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      Again, they are concerned with other models of assessment for accountability. I think it is safe to say no one disagrees that there should be accountability but the approach varies greatly and I am more aligned with NGA approaches.
  • Congress should refrain from establishing any federal mandates to ensure maximum state and local flexibility to create aligned systems.
  • A one-size-fits all approach to high school learning is outdated and does not support the diverse needs of students. Governors encourage Congress to support state and local policies and programs that expand the availability of learning opportunities for students of all ages including, but not limited to, virtual school options, service learning, internships, apprenticeships, programs addressing out-of-school-youth, alternative learning programs, and the availability of financial aid.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      Thank you! School choices and meeting diverse needs. I really like their recommendations, they want to leave room for discretion.
  • Maximum flexibility in designing state accountability systems, including testing and other indicators of achievement, is critical to preserve the unique balance involving federal funding, local control of education, and state responsibility for system-wide reform. Maximum flexibility in state testing will help improve how students are assessed for academic proficiency and postsecondary readiness. Flexibility should include the option for states to utilize growth measures to assess student performance.
  • Teachers and school leaders must receive the professional support and training needed to provide students with the skills necessary to compete in a global society, particularly in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), literacy, and international and language studies.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      I think the support issue is very relevant because of my experience at McKinley. They are in the process of introducing AP and a STEM program but the teachers are confused about how it should work, I think if they were given more support and guidance, things would run much more smoothly.
  • High schools must compete with other more highly compensated professions for teachers and school leaders, especially in the areas of mathematics and science. Congress should continue to support and expand state-administered pilot projects on performance pay, especially in critical shortage areas or hard-to-staff schools.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      There are a lot of bright young people that don't think about getting into the education profession because it doesn't pay enough and doesn't get enough respect. I really do believe we must make the profession more attractive in order to get the best pool of professionals.
  • Federal policies should encourage—not discourage—promising state efforts in dual enrollment programs that permit students to obtain high quality college-level credits or provide the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized credential while still in secondary school.
  • Congress also should support state efforts that encourage more students to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework and pay for student AP testing.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      I don't necessarily know if I believe in these programs, I'm undecided. I did AP in H.S. and I don't know if I get the point exactly, however, if you are going to do these programs, make sure it is clear the goal of having such programs.
  • The use of a high school graduation rate in any accountability framework must serve as an incentive to promote state and local innovation to better engage and educate every student, and count all students who graduate from high school. Congress and the Administration should work closely with governors to ensure the proper use and application of the NGA Voluntary High School Graduation Rate.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      I think this is so on point, sometimes we do all this testing and numbers/stats but don't even know why we are using them. If we use them to better innovate, that seems like a good thing to me.
  • Governors believe that career and technical education programs and career and technical education teacher certification requirements should reflect the need to better integrate career and academic curriculum and integrate career professionals into the career and technical education teaching corps.
    • Lindsay Andreas
       
      Amen! I believe in a balance between theory and practice, you need both! Let's invest in prep, it's not the most popular thing because it takes time to see the results but I think it is important and worth the wait.
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    This is the National Governors Association, education policy website, specifically, I have selected the policy position on High School Reform, as it is most pertinent to us, the end goes into higher education but that is for another time. The NGA is one of the best education policy sites. As we know, the states are the primary forces in setting education agendas and it is important to see what bi-partisan work they are doing. Governors are usually very influential in education politics.
Erin Power

BBC - History - Bloodlines - 1 views

    • Erin Power
       
      This website uses research sources gathered by the BBC. I would use this website to create a family tree - it makes the process interesting and creates an interest in history by making it relatable. This is valuable to social studies teachers, because if this was employed in the classroom it would help students build research skills in a way that interests them.
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    This BBC page assists the user in creating a family tree with additional historical research (such as military history, working conditions, and migration)
Joellen Kriss

TeacherTube - Teach the World | Teacher Videos | Lesson Plan Videos | Student Video Les... - 0 views

    • Joellen Kriss
       
      Educational videos!
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    So there aren't a whole lot of floating sticky notes on the page but this site is really cool. It's you tube...for teachers! It allows you to upload your own video's and use other teachers for your classroom. It's got educational videos, how to videos, audio files and a lot more. I think this could be a really valuable resource.
James Leslie

TCI Launches Ground-Breaking, Online Technology for Social Studies Teachers and Their S... - 0 views

  • TCI, a leading publisher of innovative K-12 social studies curriculum, recently launched TeachTCI and LearnTCI, online instructional technologies for teachers and students.
  • When teachers sign in to their TeachTCI account online, they have access to all the resources found in TCI's print materials, plus links to lesson-specific discussion groups that facilitate professional exchange, an assessment creator, and a Classroom Presenter tool that translates the printed lesson guide into a visual format that enables teachers to lead dynamic classroom activities.
  • "TeachTCI turns the countless hours I would usually spend on lesson planning and activity development into a one-stop, shopping-like experience for everything I need for class. The fact that it is online makes it easy for me access these resources from any computer and allows me to work as easily from home as from school," said Steve Innamarato, a social studies teacher at Central High School in Philadelphia.
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  • Making the content of both TeachTCI and LearnTCI web-based was a strategic decision by TCI. "We can ensure that our content remains cutting-edge," said TCI's founder and CEO, Bert Bower. "With print publishing, we weren't able to make updates as often because of long printing cycles. Updating digital content is a snap. Another advantage is that teachers can prepare and plan lessons from anywhere, and students can interact with their text at home, from the library, or anywhere they can get online."
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    This web site has information on an online teaching resource for teachers. The program allows teachers and students to work from anywhere via the internet.
Maria Mahon

Initiative Focuses on Early Learning Programs - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • A result is that poor children, even many who have access to government-financed early care or learning programs, tend to enter kindergarten less prepared for school than those with wealthier parents.
    • Maria Mahon
       
      I was especially struck by this line when I thought back to Ch. 5 in Mathison - Defining the Social Studies Curriculum. It lists the goals of Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The first thing listed is "All children in America will start school ready to learn". The reality is that not all students start school ready to learn or at least at the same place. As this newspaper article acknowledges, many poor children enter less prepared for school than those with wealthier parents and this is, in some cases, despite some having access to learning programs. Would an influx of new funds from such a bill create a more organized and directed early learning strategy? And if so, I wonder how educators can really help parents take advantage of the available services.
  • ; a plan for reaching out to parents;
    • Maria Mahon
       
      I think a plan for reaching out to parenst will be a crucial step in making this worthwhile. Communities need to provide the structures that would enable to parents to take advantage of these options and that might include adult education or parenting classes, too.
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    This article provides a look at a bill that proposes to raise the quality of early learning and care programs that serve children from brith through age 5.
Maria Mahon

Study Shows New York Charter School Students Score Better - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • The study’s methodology addresses that issue by comparing charter school students with students of traditional schools who applied for charter spots but did not get them.
    • Maria Mahon
       
      I find this to be an effective way to measure the success of charter schools. By comparing students to students who wished to attend charter schools but were not admitted, the study deals with the issue of student and parent motivation.
  • Ms. Hoxby did not reach any conclusions about what practices at the schools caused the jump, but she noted that many charter schools had extended school days and school years, many required students to attend classes on Saturdays and most paid teachers based on their performance and responsibility, rather than the traditional teachers’ union salary scales.
  • Ms. Hoxby did not reach any conclusions about what practices at the schools caused the jump, but she noted that many charter schools had extended school days and school years, many required students to attend classes on Saturdays and most paid teachers based on their performance and responsibility, rather than the traditional teachers’ union salary scales.
    • Maria Mahon
       
      While I find the practices of charter schools to be exciting (in that the requirements do seem to be making a difference), this still leaves the disturbing issue of the gap between charter schools and traditional schools. While Bloomberg and Klein can praise the charter schools, the reality is that most students are still in traditional schools and are not helped by these improvements. I would like to know if there is a way for these practices to be implemented on a more wide-spread scale.
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    Students who entered charter schools performed better on state exams compared to students who wished to attend charter schools but were not admitted based on a lottery.
Laura Wood

Even Babies Discriminate: A NurtureShock Excerpt. | Newsweek Life | Newsweek.com - 1 views

  • Kids as young as 6 months judge others based on skin color. What's a parent to do?
    • Laura Wood
       
      I find this particularly important after seeing how some race dynamics play out in my practicum. Specifically I find myself asking "Why are all the White kids sitting together in the classroom?" This article might give one reason.
  • Prior research had shown that multicultural curricula in schools have far less impact than we intend them to—largely because the implicit message "We're all friends" is too vague for young children to understand that it refers to skin color.
    • Laura Wood
       
      Highlights the importance of being specific with kids. I'm not sure why our modesty makes us, as teachers, code and shy away from just being real with our students. One of the goals that I have set for myself this semester is to get real with students, just tell them the truth (for example saying, "That's disrespectful. Stop.") instead of playing games (for example feeling flustered and walking away or saying something vague like, "behave").
  • They wanted their children to grow up colorblind. But Vittrup's first test of the kids revealed they weren't colorblind at all. Asked how many white people are mean, these children commonly answered, "Almost none." Asked how many blacks are mean, many answered, "Some," or "A lot." Even kids who attended diverse schools answered the questions this way.
    • Laura Wood
       
      And here's the gold. Kids are not color blind. Adult embarrassment to speak about race does not mean we're not communicating messages to our children about race and prejudice, it just means that we're also communicating that it's something to be embarrassed about and/or hush up. I really recommend reading this article in full. It's fantastic.
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  • Vittrup was taken aback—these families volunteered knowing full well it was a study of children's racial attitudes. Yet once they were aware that the study required talking openly about race, they started dropping out.
    • Laura Wood
       
      Parents are so uncomfortable talking about race with their children, they drop out of the study. Why is this conversation So hard to have???
  • hardly any of these white parents had ever talked to their children directly about race.
    • Laura Wood
       
      To quote Zinn "you can't be neutral on a moving train" (i.e. you can't fail to proactively oppose a racist infrastructure/social order without perpetuating that racist infrastructure/social order. i.e. If you don't teach your kids explicitly anti-racist behavior, language and attitudes, you tacitly support and perpetuate a racist system - whether you are racist or not)
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    An article that summarizes some incredibly important findings on race and racism. Specifically, if you don't talk about racism with kids, you support the status quo. Even very young kids.
Laura Wood

FBI Youth - Home - 0 views

    • Laura Wood
       
      So clearly the coolest link on this webpage is the "History" link. This will link you to the history of the FBI which is interesting in and of itself BUT also contains some links to primary documents. For example there is a link in 1966 called "six civil rights activists murdered" that takes you to the FBI file of the murder investigation. It might be really neat to have students look at this file and look at other accounts of this incident to understand how police/FBI officers interact with communities and crime. There's another neat account under June 1933 of the Kansas City Massacre!
    • Laura Wood
       
      The "FBI Investigates" tab is a little like the spy museum. It takes you through two cases, what happened and how investigators solved the crime. For any CSI - philes this might be some great info.
    • Laura Wood
       
      "FBI Adventures" is a little not as cool as I'd hoped. While they do give brief snapshots of country profiles, students don't get to actually investigate anything on their own. What they Could do is begin to see how even crime is globalized and how countries now have to work together to protect citizens - an interesting angle on globalization/global studies.
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    • Laura Wood
       
      The "SA Challenge" is tragically lame. It's basically a cyber scavenger hunt to find the answers to questions about the website. Then you self check. If you find all the answers you get to be the director of the FBI - at least that's what the website says. Lame.
    • Laura Wood
       
      Again, "Games" are tragically low tech and pretty lame. Word hunt, etc.
    • Laura Wood
       
      "A day in the life" would be good for any students who were thinking about becoming FBI agents. Always good to give students career choices.
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    FBI's youth website. Probably designed to entice kids to want to be in, support and trust the FBI. Some very cool stuff (no lesson plans). Check out the super rad "History" link!
Laura Wood

In Search of Tocqueville's Democracy in America - 0 views

    • Laura Wood
       
      "American Journey", has a link to the dates of Tocqueville's trip to the States. Some of the dates are hyperlinked to his actual journal entries. Very simple and student friendly.
    • Laura Wood
       
      "All About Alexis de Tocqueville" has quick facts and a timeline. Very simple for a superficial report or introductory/cursory outline.
    • Laura Wood
       
      "Democracy in America" has very very very basic quotes from this text. I'm not sure that it would be useful for anything academic.
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    • Laura Wood
       
      "Democracy in America Teaching Modules" links to C-SPANs Tocqueville lesson plans which are really just lesson plan ideas that we could develop as teachers. There are some good quotes in some of them but mostly they seem to just tell us what other (primary) sources to read.
    • Laura Wood
       
      "Journal Entries From Tocqueville's Trip" has a hyperlinked map that you can click on to see his journal entries in any specific state. This might be great if you were having different student groups talk about different areas during the antebellum period. Just a resource.
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    C-SPAN's Tocquville page (as promised). Passages from "Democracy in America," a map of the route he traveled, references to his work, lesson plans and more!!
Maria Mahon

Teaching Cops to See | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian Magazine - 0 views

  • Suspecting that some of the cops were first-timers to the Met, she tried to ease the pressure. "Remember," she said, "there are no judgments and no wrong answers."
    • Maria Mahon
       
      As we talked about in class, making students feel comfortable to start exploring works of art is a crucial step if teachers are going to use them in their lessons. In much the same vein, Herman had to make sure the policemen felt comfortable in this new environment and did not feel inhibited from sharing their ideas or observations just because it was a new medium.
Maria Mahon

Teaching Cops to See | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian Magazine - 0 views

  • Herman has taken her lessons to heart. When her 7-year-old son, Ian, was in preschool, his teacher worried that he wasn't verbal enough and suggested that Herman try some of her exercises on the boy. Herman pressed him to describe in detail what he saw when they were at home or on the street. "It worked!" Herman says.
    • Maria Mahon
       
      Here we are offered a much more personal way in which practicing descriptive techniques can help students/children. Herman worked with her own son and asked him to describe in great detail what he saw and this helped him become more verbal.
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    I just came across this article in the most recent issue of the Smithsonian Magazine. While it describes law enforcement officials being taught the skills of describing in great detail what they see, I thought it provided an interesting example of how helpful looking at works of art can be. While many students might at first not feel confident in describing works of art in the classroom, I think this shows how applicable the skills can be.... not only to use them as a starting point for a history discussion but for other things as well.
Joellen Kriss

Several of Region's High-Profile Private Schools Are Changing Leadership - washingtonpo... - 0 views

    • Joellen Kriss
       
      This notes the shift and commercialization of schooling. "Heads of School" in any situation, private or public, have to be super human in their ability to do everything. They have to please everyone, and do it all with a smile.
  • In the past, school heads could luxuriate in a Mr. Chips-like existence, focusing primarily on education. Today, they have to be schmoozers who raise funds to pay for costly programs, construction titans who dream up new facilities, and managerial stars who keep students, parents, alumni and teachers mixing smoothly.
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      These are the people that hire the teachers that teach the chilrden. It's an interesting cause and effect kind of relationship: people are less willing to leave their old jobs because they can't hire their own kind of people in the next position, meaning the job will be harder and less of their own. It adds a whole additional dynamic.
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  • One of the fastest ways that heads put their mark on a school is with the people they hire,
  • making teachers slower to retire and less likely to shift jobs, and also making it harder to lead a school than in the past.
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      See previous Sticky Note
  • candidates who have already headed other schools remain in short supply
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      This is a really interesting statement and 100% true. School culture after a while becomes a given, so when a new head of school, whether they be of a private school or the superintendent of a public school district, comes in, that hiring board (of directors or of education) needs to now put it out on the table and naturally, things are reassessed in some way. It's kind of a thought provolking idea.
  • "A lot of what has been implicit in school culture has to become explicit" when the schools start meeting candidates,
    • Joellen Kriss
       
      Holy Moly.
  • Branch's total compensation from Georgetown Day, including benefits and expenses, was $442,097 for the year that ended in June 2008. At Bullis, Farquhar's total compensation including benefits and expenses was $336,222. Total compensation for public school superintendents in the Washington region, including benefits and perks, averaged $350,078 in fiscal 2007-08, according to a 2007 Washington Post analysis.
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    This Washington Post article talks about the competative hiring market for heads of private schools in the DC area, but also raises some interesting points about school culture in the process.
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