A weekly report on education news and commentary you won’t find anywhere else — from the nation’s leading voice on education innovation and opportunity.
A MESSAGE TO THE NATION’S EDUCATORS. We commend you on your journey and thank you for your commitment. Know we stand ready to help you challenge the conventional wisdom, to reach for the stars and to innovate. We share some more thoughts, and just a few of the thousands of resources in this important letter from our CEO.
IT’S PRIMARY DAY AGAIN. The super-hot innovation states of Arizona and Florida will see lawmakers at all levels battling it out. Education funding is on the ballot in Arizona, even though lawmakers did increase the budget. And news is out that achievement is rising and that charters have helped close the achievement gap. In Florida, not only is school safety justifiably an issue, but school board term limits and opportunities for new state authorization for charters almost made it to the voters, but the mis-named League of Woman Voters and teachers unions filed suit to get it removed on procedural grounds. Sadly, they won. The state has appealed however, and the initiative may yet be on the ballot in November.
NOT SURE HOW TO VOTE NOW OR IN THE FUTURE? This evergreen guide can help you understand whether candidates—for governor in particular—will make a difference for kids. Updates for 2018 will be ready post-primary season.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO UTAH EDREFORM LAW. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Utah’s charter school law. And although the state ranks in the Top 10 on CER’s Parent Power! Index, partially because of expanded options for parents throughout the state, let’s see what more innovation in education can be done in the next few years. Here’s more from the PPI.
ANOTHER TEACHERS STRIKE …IN LOS ANGELES? School’s in; kids need an education; most lack basic skills and teachers want to strike? There are simply no words.
MODERN SCHOOLS ARE COMING. What exactly does it mean to create a “modern school?” Chris Whittle, Chairman and CEO of the Whittle Schools and Studios, talks about how his schools are challenging and changing the status quo of education delivery systems by creating the first global school network. More on this week’s episode of Reality Check with Jeanne Allen.
NATIONAL SUMMIT ON EDUCATION REFORM. It’s that time again and you’ll want to make a point to join ExcelinEd for its annual summit in Washington, DC, featuring speakers like Eva Moskowitz and Howard Fuller. Only three more days until prices go up. We love these folks – you will too. More info here.
SPEAKING OF SUMMITS. You won’t want to miss CER’s 25th Anniversary (yes, you can come to that too!) featuring pioneers and visionaries such as Governor Jeb Bush, Chris Whittle, Lisa Graham Keegan, Brian Jones, Andy Rosen, Deborah Quazzo, Kevin Chavous, Deborah McGriff and many more, in Miami, FL on October 26th! Register today!
CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY! CER wants to bring the discussion around revolutionizing the EdReform Movement to #SXSWEdu 2019! Voting ends Thursday, so vote today!
IN MEMORIAM. Speaking of Civics, a true living lesson in civics just left this earth. Senator John McCain, a real maverick, challenged us all to act our conscious and pushed the envelope on every issue. For our part, we’re most grateful to him for his legacy of bravely supporting educational choice, and for fighting to put rank and file parents and teachers in the driver’s seat. He was a mentor to many we know and love, including Arizona education pioneer Lisa Graham Keegan. Privileged to have met him and more so to have lived in his Washington, may God Bless and keep him. – Jeanne Allen, Founder & CEO
Founded in 1993, the Center for Education Reform aims to expand educational opportunities that lead to improved economic outcomes for all Americans — particularly our youth — ensuring that conditions are ripe for innovation, freedom and flexibility throughout U.S. education.
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Overcome By Life’s Challenges?
Declutter Your ‘Emotional Closet’ In 3 Easy Steps!
The way you face your challenges – both large and small – can either lead you to true happiness or block you from ever attaining it.
“It is sometimes difficult to surmount life’s challenges with a hidden build-up of emotional baggage in our way,” says Sheri D. Engler, author of The Pearls of Wisdom: A Fairy Tale Guide to Life’s Magic Secrets for All Ages (www.thepearlsofwisdombook.com).
Engler, who has a background in psychology, counseling and research, says “We take time to go through our clothes closets and toss out what is outdated or no longer fits—but do we do that with our emotions? Clearing out your emotional closet will likely improve all aspects of your life. But more importantly, it’ll offer you the opportunity to discover your present self, which is frequently lost in the shadowy maze of your past self’s memories and experiences”.
In her work as an intuitive/life-coach, Engler says she sees encouraging success with her simple 3-step technique, which she designed to bring change through mere mindfulness and common sense. She says, “It’s a matter of being conscious of the critical difference between who you’ve been and who you are now. Without the extra baggage of outdated beliefs, you can move more easily through the open door of who you want to be, who you were meant to be. This technique is easy. It’s like shampooing your psyche—wash, rinse, repeat.”
The 3 steps are as follows:
Step 1) The Self Quiz - Write down on separate slips of paper the emotional issues you’d like to overcome, particularly targeting experiences you feel have damaged you. Note when it first began and the undesirable conditions that developed as a result. Lay out all the slips on a table with a wastebasket nearby. Read one issue at a time, and then ask yourself these questions: “Does this past experience have anything to do with the person I am now? Does it truly still bother me? Is it possible I overcame this long ago, or do I need to keep carrying it with me? Am I okay right now and going forward?”
Chances are strong that you will answer: “I’m not that person anymore. I’ve already gotten over that, and I see now that it’s not worth holding onto.” At this point, you joyfully wad up that outdated version of yourself, shoot it into the wastebasket and go to the next paper and repeat the process until the table is clear. It's then that you realize that you need to update your emotional operating system at least as often your phone’s! It’s a simple matter of mindfulness. By asking yourself the right questions, you can proactively change the course of your life through the, sometimes eye-opening, answers you get. This brings us to the next step.
Step 2) Create Your F.A.T.E. – Engler says, “In order to effect true change in your life, I suggest using the quantum law of attraction. In The Pearls of Wisdom, the angel’s note says, ‘When spirit joins with heart, mind, and body—as One and of One—only then shall you truly see that ALL things are a possibility.’ It’s easiest to remember this magical secret by using the acronym ‘F.A.T.E.’ To manifest whatever you desire in your life, the simple key is to align your Feelings, Actions, and Thoughts to create your desired Experience. To put it even simpler, if you can pretend to the extent that every part of you believes that your wish has already happened, then the quantum field of manifestation will match that state and make it so. Ultimately, the universe cannot decide things for you, it can only give you more of what you already believe to be true. So, choose your feelings, thoughts, and actions consciously—and by law of the Universe—it will appear like Magic!”
Moving on, after you have become conscious of your current feelings and decluttered your emotional closet; and after you’ve become mindful of what you truly want in your life and understand how to “create your fate”, you are then ready for your final step.
Step 3) Forgiveness and Gratitude – Forgive yourself and others for all harm and damage and never look back. Engler says, “When you look back, you re-engage your past self and abandon your freshly de-cluttered present self… To anchor your positive life changes, you must try to stay in gratitude by focusing upon that which is good about yourself, about others, and about your life overall. Like attracts like. Whatever you project is what the Universe will assume you have chosen for yourself, and it will give you more of the same. So stay mindful of who you are and the choices you make, and you’ll give both the Universe and yourself something to smile about!”
About Sheri D. Engler
Sheri D. Engler is the author/illustrator of The Pearls of Wisdom: A Fairy Tale Guide to Life’s Magic Secrets for All Ages (www.ThePearlsOfWisdomBook.com). She is an experienced mentor, medium, and metaphysicist with a background in psychology, counseling and research. She received a BA in Clinical Psychology at San Francisco State University. (All proceeds from the book go to Angel Whispers Foundation, a female empowerment organization.)
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Secretary Perdue in Iowa TOMORROW and Thursday
(Washington, DC, August 28, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will travel to Boone, Iowa TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 29th, to attend the Farm Progress Show with Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Undersecretary Bill Northey. Following the Farm Progress Show, the Secretary will join Congressman Rod Blum for a tour of LICA Farm and a town hall meeting. On Thursday, August 30th, Secretary Perdue will join Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig for a breakfast roundtable and Congressman David Young for a tour of the Raccoon River Watershed and a trade town hall meeting.
Wednesday August 29th
Secretary Perdue Tours Farm Progress Show with Undersecretary Northey
WHEN: TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 29th from 9:30-10:30am CT
WHERE: The tour will start at the John Deere Tent of the Farm Progress Show: 1827 217th St, Boone, IA
*NOTE: Media may tag along with the Secretary and Undersecretary for b-roll opportunities only throughout the tour.
Secretary Perdue Hosts a Media Gaggle Following Live TV/Radio Interview with Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong
WHEN: TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 29th at 12:15pm CT
WHERE: Farm Progress Show Hospitality Tent, 1827 217th St, Boone, IA
*NOTE: Following the interview, Secretary Perdue will be available for a media gaggle directly outside of the hospitality tent.
Secretary Perdue and Congressman Blum Tour LICA Farm and Participate in a Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: TOMORROW, Wednesday, August 29th at 4:00pm CT
WHERE: LICA Farm, 1749 290TH St, Melbourne, IA
*NOTE: Following the town hall, the Secretary and Congressman will be available for media.
Thursday, August 30th
Secretary Perdue, Governor Reynolds, and Secretary Naig Participate in a Breakfast Roundtable
WHEN: Thursday, August 30th at 8:25am CT
WHERE: Landus Cooperative, 2321 N Loop Dr, Ames, IA
*NOTE: Following the roundtable, Secretary Perdue, Governor Reynolds, and Secretary Naig will be available for media.
Secretary Perdue and Congressman Young Tour Conservation Sites Within the Raccoon River Watershed with Representatives from Ducks Unlimited
WHEN: Thursday, August 30th at 12:00pm CT
WHERE: Sage Trail, 1952 Sage Trail, Panora, IA- The CREP site is .7 miles north on Sage Trail.
*NOTE: Following the tour and a lunch meeting, Secretary Perdue and Congressman Young will be available for media at 1:30pm CT. Both the lunch and the media availability will occur from the Lake Panorama Association Conference Center located at 5071 Clover Ridge Road, Panora, IA.
Secretary Perdue and Congressman Young Participate in a Trade Town Hall Meeting at Cass County Community Center
WHEN: Thursday, August 30th at 2:45pm CT
WHERE: Cass County Community Center, 805 W 10th Street, Atlantic, IA
*NOTE: Following the trade town hall meeting, Secretary Perdue and Congressman Young will be available for media.
