Wednesday, January 29, 2014

NEWS RELEASE: JANUARY 14-15, 2014

January 14, 2014

20,000 expected at WalkAbout fundraiser for autism
It started out small as a fun day for youths with autism in South Florida to share with one another, their families and friends. About 1,500 people attended. But this Jan. 25, more than 20,000 people are expected at the Fourth Annual Dan Marino Foundation WalkAbout Autism & Expo at Sun Life Stadium, raising perhaps a half-million dollars for the cause.

Panel suggests only minor changes to Common Core
After listening to14 hours of public testimony and sifting through 19,000 written comments, Florida educators decided Common Core only needed some tweaks….Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie said the changes "don't seem to be reducing the standards, but adding and strengthening them." He cautioned, however, about the impact these shifts could have on teachers.
 
January 15, 2014

Weston teenager's razzle-dazzle hockey goal ranks No. 1 on ESPN
The reigning god of sports videos — at least for now — isn't some platinum-salaried basketball player or golden-armed quarterback. It's an unassuming high school kid trying out a goofy move during a hockey game played in, of all places, South Florida.

Local hockey player gets national attention
A game-winning goal during a South Florida high school hockey game made Sportcenter's "Top10", Monday night. Sixteen-year-old Jake Levy made the goal on a penalty shot for the Cypress Bay youth hockey team. "Once in a lifetime, I'll never forget that my entire life," Levy said.

Weston Hockey Player’s Sensational Goal Makes ESPN’s No. 1 Play Of The Day

Sharing Locks of Love
Students and faculty at Hallandale Beach's Gulfstream Middle School recently found a different way to give back. For the third time, the Gulfstream Student Council chose to give to Locks of Love, and both students and teachers were involved in the effort. Locks of Love is a nonprofit that provides hairpieces to children younger than 21 who have long-term medical hair loss.

Moving away from the misguided zero tolerance policy in schools
Kids will be kids, and sadly that often means bad judgment in schools. However, should such non-violent misbehaving require disciplinary action above school-related punishment? Last week the Obama Administration issued guidelines basically saying no.

Broward faces $200,000 class size fine, but it could have been worse
The Broward school district expects to pay a $200,000 penalty for not meeting class size caps at 21 of its schools, officials said Tuesday. The state this year allowed districts to calculate class size requirements for magnet schools based on schoolwide averages instead of period by period. Without changes, the district would have faced a $1.1 million fine.