BoardBuzz is not surprised by the outpouring of support and concern for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. As of Thursday afternoon, the Red Cross had raised more than $4 million in donations via its text message campaign: Text “Haiti” to 90999, and a $10 donation is added to your cell phone bill. The mechanism is so wonderfully simple—removing the payment hurdle from the equation entirely—that donations have flooded in.

Even the Maryland State Department of Education is asking Maryland schools and school systems to reach out to the victims of the devastating earthquake that leveled Port-au-Prince through a voluntary statewide fundraising campaign.

The Maryland Kids Care Campaign: Operation Haiti is asking Maryland’s 1,600 schools to collect pennies for the earthquake victims. Five years ago Maryland schools raised more than $1.3 million through the Maryland Kids Care: Collecting Pennies (and More) for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“As we witnessed through the Hurricane Katrina campaign, Maryland children are extremely caring and compassionate and always willing to help others,” said Nancy S. Grasmick, state superintendent of schools. “The people of Haiti have experienced a tragic natural disaster and this new campaign will provide an opportunity for all Maryland school children to give what they can to help the hundreds of thousands affected by the earthquake.”

The funds for the Maryland Kids Care Campaign: Operation Haiti, which runs through Friday, February 12, 2010, will go towards the American Red Cross’s 2010 Haiti Relief and Development Fund.

For more information on the campaign visit www.MarylandPublicSchools.org.

BoardBuzz came across this Washington Post item asking for readers to help select the best education blogs of 2009. As the Post’s Jay Mathews writes:

I have put out a best education blogs list the last two years, but I wasn’t a blogger myself then, and really didn’t know what I was doing. Now that I face personally, each day, the pressures of being both interesting and true, I face this responsibility reborn, determined to make this the golly-whiz best list of the best education blogs ever. Fortunately Valerie Strauss, czarina of the Post’s The Answer Sheet blog, has agreed to be my colleague in this venture. Now we need your help.

BoardBuzz too has enjoyed seeing this list the past couple years. We’d especially enjoy being on it with a little support from our dear readers (hint, hint).

So go vote  by leaving a comment at the link above or send an e-mail to  mathewsj@washpost.com or straussv@washpost.com. They ask for the URLs of no more than three of the best education blogs you know and why you like them. We can think of dozens. Oh, where to start…

As part of their “Kid Reporter” segment on NBC’s Today Show, students from around the country applied to be the next reporter on the popular morning show.  For over a month, students between the ages of 8 and 12 who were chosen as finalists competed for the coveted spot as the first “Kid Reporter” and America voted for who they thought would be an ideal companion to Matt, Meredith, and Al on the show.  Last Thursday, the winner was announced, and she was Deidra Shores, from Memphis City Schools in Memphis, Tennessee. 

According to an article in the Memphis Commerical Appeal, she is a student who has a 3.8 grade point average and has always had a big personality.  Her mom said, “since she was itty bitty she has said she wants to be a superstar.”  Take a look at the clip below as Al Roker announces the winner…but be warned, you may want to turn your volume down first.

Last week, we talked about some new information courtesy of a Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll, titled “America Speaks Out,” which included how the public feels about NCLB, charter schools, and teacher pay, just to name a few of the findings.  A new study from Education Next was released today, and it turns out that the American public still has a lot of questions about education.

“The Persuadable Public“ study reveals that when it comes to school governance, mayoral control, and school board elections, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty.  Regarding charter schools, they asked:

“Many states permit the formation of charter schools, which are publicly funded but are not managed by the local school board. These schools are expected to meet promised objectives, but are exempt from many state regulations. Do you support or oppose the formation of charter schools?”  Nationally, 44% said they neither supported or opposed, with 25% saying they somewhat supported.

Mayoral control was another issue.  They asked:
“In some communities that have a large percentage of low-performing public school students, the mayors have taken control over the entire public school system to attempt to correct the situation. If the public schools in your community had a large percentage of low-performing students, would you favor or oppose having the mayor take control over the schools?”  The highest percentage response was “neither favor or oppose” with 32% of the responses.

The final example we’ll cherry pick was,
“Many school board elections are held at a time different from other elections; and very little information is easily available about the candidates in most school board elections. As a result, only a small fraction of the American public tends to vote in these elections. Do you remember for sure whether you voted in the last school board election?”  Nationally 38% said they voted for school board election, which was the highest response, but 35% said they did not vote, and 24% said they did not know or couldn’t remember.

We pulled a few examples that are near and dear to our hearts here at BoardBuzz, but we know you’re curious.  To see how America is easily persuaded, check out the nine page full report.

Our friends at Education Week are at it again!  BoardBuzz was excited to see a new addition to the Ed Week blogroll.  The District Dossier promises to, “to take you out of the navel-gazing worlds of Washington and state houses and into the nation’s school districts, where education policy intersects with rough-and-tumble politics and real students.”  And we can’t wait to see what they come up with! 

Bloggers Dakarai Aarons and Lesli Maxwell promise to, “highlight what school districts are doing inside and outside the classroom, whether it’s innovative, scandalous, controversial, promising or some other adjective we haven’t thought of yet,” so be sure to check it out (just be sure to check in at BoardBuzz first)!

BoardBuzz was pleased to see this story on Good Morning America today.  We all know how hard-hit everyone has been by the economic woes facing the country.  And now ABC’s Mellody Hobson is offering some spending tips for teens as they head back to school, and even prepare for college. 

Among other advise, Hobson advises

it’s important for teens to learn that you need to track your expenses, and one of the best ways to do that is by balancing your checkbook. When you pay attention to how you’re spending money on all those little items, you realize how everything adds up and you can budget wisely. You also need to make sure the bank is getting things right, or that you don’t have a big check waiting to clear and you might end up overdrawing on your account.

Check out the article and accompanying video to see all of her tips.

BoardBuzz was astounded to discover (hat tip to Boing Boing) that a Belarusian textile company (their announcement is only available in Russian) has developed a special school uniform that protects kids from—get this—electromagnetic radiation emanating from their cellphones! Now that’s innovation! Guess it’s time to toss those old tin foil hats.

The uniform sports a dedicated pocket specifically designed for students’ cell phones. We’re guessing it has some magic lining that traps the “harmful” radiation. The government is apparently very excited about it—or maybe just the Ministry of Trade official who reportedly delivered the news.

Now you may be wondering where did BoardBuzz learn Russian? Or maybe you’re worried about our coffee addiction. But in the spirit of Friday, all we have to say is Za zdarou’e!

Warning:  the following blog may contain references to partially-clothed school supporters with strategically placed props to cover personal areas. 

 The Vashon Beachcomber, which covers community happenings in Vashon-Maury Island, Wash., features several school board stories today including high school makeovers, the passage of the $15M school board budget and the new all male nude calendar to raise money for the school district. Yep, you read that right.

According to VBC, it seems 12 islands fathers and residents are wearing their birthday suits in a new 2010 calendar dubbed “the DreamBoats” that will be sold for $20 each to benefit the Vashon Island School District.  But, lest it be accused of pandering smut, the calendar reportedly strategically hides each islander’s “personal area.”  The effort aims at raising $10,000 “for a school system that has struggled mightily to forego layoffs this year and even put out a plea to parents to help keep a few teachers on staff.”  That sure does bring resourcefulness to a new level, doesn’t it?

It seems, too, the participants are motivated by the beneficence of the fund drive, although the chance of stardom may have sparked a glimmer of possibilities in some.  “It’s nice to have this as a fun way to support the schools in an otherwise dreary financial environment for the district,” said Benner, 43, a financial planner and lawyer. “It was a lot of fun, actually… I haven’t done something like that before, and probably won’t again.”  Probably?

Of course, the school district itself is staying far away from the idea, according to organizers who simply wanted to help the districts financials woes with their creative, er, assets.  According to the districts new superintendent, the calendar exhibits, “Island creativity.  If it benefits our schools and our instructional programs, without necessarily an endorsement of a particular funding strategy, I think it’s great.”

But, others, including “School board vice chair Laura Wishik [say] she’s concerned the calendar could send the wrong message to Island children.”  Children, she says, should “make good choices, including not judging others based on appearance, not obsessing about their own bodies and not taking sex lightly.”   Even though one model is described as a “a 6-foot-2, blue-eyed German-Irish-Norweigan DreamBoat,” Wishik’s concerns about appropriateness may strike some of the men on the board as Victorian.

The school board chair, a man and father of three,  disagrees with Wishik, claiming, ‘ “The objectification of middle-aged men is not a problem in our society.” ‘ The chair takes a lighthearted view of it all, saying ‘ “The only message I perceive here is that we have a group of people who care about our schools and don’t take themselves too seriously.” ‘

Another Board member, ‘John “Oz” Osborne,’ agreed with the Board Chair.  ‘ “It’s not a full monty kind of thing,” he said. “I just find the whole thing so funny, and if they want to donate us money based on the proceeds from that, I don’t have a problem with it.” Likewise, ‘ “Board member Dan Chasan… said he’d gladly accept the money.”"

The whole thing will probably come to a head when the calendar people actually try to give the money to the school district.  What?  Someone’s giving away free money?  Say it ain’t so!  Wishik says she may “vote against the school board taking funds raised by the effort.”

In BoardBuzz’s view it’s all much ado about nothing.  Student achievement, racial isolation, school financing, teacher salaries.  Those are the issues about which parents and communities care.  The real issue isn’t that someone made a beefcake calendar to raise money for public schools.  It’s that somebody had to. As one local photographer who helped with the project said “[I]t’s a sad commentary on our society – that we have to have bake sales and car washes and beefcake calendars to raise money for our children.  We shouldn’t have to do that.”  Hear, hear.

As millions of students wrap up their school year in mid-June, summer reading lists are doled out by language arts and English teachers to keep everyone focused so everyone has something to discuss in September (BoardBuzz has covered before, here and here) .  But most students dread the list, procrastinating until about three days before school starts again to begin reading the books, and complain incessintly about how boring the books are.  Sound familiar?  Perhaps we’re a bit jaded, but the former teachers here at BoardBuzz remember too well the reality of the summer reading list.  Perhaps that’s why this story coming out of the Milwaukee area caught our attention. 

The philosophy is that reading should be fun.  The librarians tell students that if they don’t like a book, to abandon it, put it back, and find another.  Enjoy what you read, and keep reading.  “You want them to look at reading the same way you look at going swimming or playing sports…you don’t want it to be a chore like making the bed or cleaning the garage,” one librarian said.  There’s certainly no shortage of books out there that appeal to teens and younger students.  Sure, Harry Potter has waved his wand for the last time, but the world of young adult books has plenty to offer.  Among the advice from librarians on how adults can help, listen to an audio book on a summer road trip, have material to read available in high traffic areas, and be a good role model.  What novel ideas (pun intended).

In an ABCNews.com article that highlights stories of misbehaving teachers that have recently made headlines, NSBA General Counsel Francisco Negron points out what BoardBuzz already knew: that these stories are the exception, not the rule. “There will always be cases, as in every part of society, where there are a few bad apples,” Negron said. “Those bad apples are not representative of the profession as a whole.

Negron believes that the public understands the difference between these few poor teachers and the remaining majority.

“The parents love their kids’ teachers,” he said. “We know that really good teachers make the difference in a student’s education.”

In fact, BoardBuzz has come across an example of some Texas teachers who are willing to go to great heights for their students- literally! The Tyler Morning Telegraph reports that nine teachers and three administrators at Jack Elementary, including Principal Shauna Hittle, promised their students that if they “raised the roof” and brought up their scores on their Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) tests, the teachers would actually sleep on the roof.

The students, who say their bargain motivated them to work harder on the test, raised their scores to more than 90 percent passing in every subject. In response, the administrators climbed to the roof on Tuesday night, armed with sleeping bags, pillows, and chairs. Students and parents stopped by to visit, bringing along snacks, drinks, and even glow sticks for their dedicated teachers. The teachers retrieved the goodies by lowering a bucket on a string and hoisting it to their perch on the roof.

Hittle said that the teachers were excited to sleep on the roof since the students were so enthusiastic about the deal. “It’s just fun and is to show the kids we’re willing to go the extra mile for them because we’ve asked them to go the extra mile all year long,” she said.

Students not only appreciated this extra effort that one fifth grader called “the best gift,” but also learned an important lesson from the bargain. Fifth-grader Hudson Hill said he learned that, “If you try really hard, you can succeed and you can get something in return.”

BoardBuzz loves to see the creative ways that teachers are inspiring students.  What are teachers doing in your district to inspire their students?