LAPD High School?

Six police-affiliated magnet schools in Los Angeles are seeing high graduation rates.

Excerpt:

The idea for “LAPD High” can trace its origins to the 1991 Rodney King arrest and subsequent 1992 riots, which left 53 people dead and over $1 billion in property destroyed. Following the violence, the LAPD began a major push to diversify its ranks, seeking to burnish its image among the city’s minorities. The proportion of minority officers rose from 37 percent in 1990 to about 46 percent in 1996. But the force was still “having a heck of a time recruiting homegrown cops,” remembers Roberta Weintraub, a member of the LAUSD school board at the time. LAPD recruiters were traveling “not only all over the U.S. but all over the world to find officers”; many of the new cops were good, but some struggled to grasp the city’s local dynamics.

Read more about it here!

Charter school to pay teachers $125K per year!

A charter middle school opening up in New York City, targeting Hispanic children in a low-performing area, is going to pay teachers $125,000 per year. Understandably, 600 teachers applied for the 8 positions with The Equity Project. The middle school will serve 480 students from the Washington Heights neighborhood.

They bill themselves as "uniquely focused on attracting and retaining master teachers."

The school plans to accomplish this by what they term as the "Three R's: Rigorous Qualifications, Redefined Expectations, & Revolutionary Compensation."

Of course, these master teachers will have to work longer hours and take on some administrative duties (there will be no assistant principal). As was pointed out in the comments section of Joanne Jacobs blog by "patricia", a high-paying profession usually demands longer hours.

It will be exciting to see what the results are from this school!

(H/T Joanne Jacobs)

Feed your child's mind!

Barb at Harmony Art Mom has posted some thoughts on Charlotte Mason's ideas about self-education through reading good books - nourishing your child's mind just like you nourish their bodies.

Check it out!

Barb contributes to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival every other Tuesday.

For some really good classic books for your children - or yourself - check out Lamplighter Books.

Printable mazes for kids...

Animal Jr. has printable mazes for kids for each month of the year.

At Printable Mazes for Kids there are all kinds of mazes and different printable puzzles to keep kids occupied on a rainy day.

Print Activities akso has printable mazes and other printables for kids!