THE Journal: News Update: CA's Top Superintendent Leaves for Ed Tech Startup AltSchool

News

CA's Top Superintendent Leaves for Ed Tech Startup AltSchool
Devin Vodicka, who has been named California's top superintendent for two years running, is moving on to work for AltSchool, a four-year-old ed tech startup that's well funded but currently works with only a dozen schools.
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Amazon to Refund $70 Million for In-App Purchases Made by Kids
Amazon Inc. will refund millions of unauthorized in-app purchases made by kids on mobile devices. According an announcement from the Federal Trade Commission this week, more than $70 million in-app purchases made between November 2011 and May 2016 may be eligible for refund.
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Hackers are Attacking Word Users with Microsoft Office Zero-Day Vulnerability
Hackers are exploiting a previously undisclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Word, which security researchers say can be used to quietly install different kinds of malware — even on fully patched computers, according to tech news and analysis site ZDNet.
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April 13 is Deadline to Seek Competitive Bids for E-Rate Discounts
Thursday, April 13 is the deadline to seek competitive bids for products and services and receive E-rate discounts. Schools and libraries requesting E-rate discounts must seek competitive bids using FCC Form 470, as required by Federal Communications Commission rules.
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McGraw-Hill Connect Gets D2L Brightspace Integration
D2L's Brightspace LMS now has direct integration with McGraw-Hill's homework management and e-learning tool, Connect.
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Students Compete in Finals of Worlds Largest Rocket Contest
This May, 100 teams of middle and high school students will compete in the 15th annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) National Finals outside Washington, D.C. The Final Fly-Offs will be Saturday, May 13.
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Students Challenged to Test Computer Security Skills
Middle and high schoolers have a chance to get some hands-on experience in hacking, decrypting and reverse engineering a network in a competition running through April 14 hosted by Carnegie Mellon.
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Scorecard: Onerous State Regs Inhibit Public Charter School Growth
Currently, the country has 7,000 charter schools, serving about 6 percent of the total number of students in public education.
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Upcoming K–12 Grants
- SparkFun Community Partner Program
  Sponsor: SparkFun
  Award: STEM/STEAM-releated prize packages, event and team sponsorships and other types of support
  Number of Awards: Varies
  Application Deadline: Third Thursday of each month; awards announced on the last business day of each month
- Magnet Schools Assistance Program Competition
  Sponsor: United States Department of Education
  Award: $12 million to $15 million over a period of three to five years
  Number of Awards: 23 to 30
  Application Deadline: April 11
- Academic Enrichment Grants
  Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
  Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
  Number of Awards: Not specified (five awarded last year)
  Application Deadline: April 15
- Teacher Development Grants
  Sponsor: McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation
  Award: $30,000 maximum ($10,000 over three years)
  Number of Awards: Not specified (two awarded last year)
  Application Deadline: April 15 (submissions open Jan. 15)
- Siemens Possibility Grant (2017 Siemens STEM Day Sweepstakes)
  Sponsor: Siemens Foundation
  Award: $10,000
  Number of Awards: 1
  Application Deadline: April 28, 5 p.m. ET
- Champion Creatively Alive Children Grant Program
  Sponsor: Crayola and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
  Award: $2,500 plus $1,000 in Crayola gear
  Number of Awards: Up to 20 major prizes, plus one Crayola Classpack for every applicant submitting by the early bird deadline
  Application Deadline: June 23 (June 5 for early bird prize)
- TAF Project-Based Learning Grants for Grades 6–12
  Sponsor: Toshiba America Foundation
  Award: Two categories: Up to $5,000 and more than $5,000
  Number of Awards: Not specified
  Application Deadline: Up to $5,000 awarded on a rolling basis; Aug. 1 deadline for applications for more than $5,000
- Adopt a Classroom
  Deadline: Ongoing
- Brinker International Grants
  Deadline: Ongoing
- Brown Rudnick Community Grants
  Deadline: Ongoing
- Corning Foundation Grants
  Deadline: Ongoing
- DonorsChoose.org
  Deadline: Ongoing
- Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants
  
  Deadline: Ongoing
  Award: No more than 10 percent of an organization's annual operating expenses or 25 percent of the total budget for the project being funded; awards have ranged from the hundreds to the millions of dollars.
  Number of Awards: Varies
  Qualification: Project should "directly serve or impact children living in urban poverty, particularly in the areas of education, family economic stability (including microfinance) and childhood health."
- Naiku Innovative Teacher Grant
  Deadline: Ongoing (approx. 10 awards per month)
- Sony Grants for Education
  Deadline: Ongoing (grants awarded on a rolling basis)
Call for Papers & Proposals
- Submit calls for papers/proposals to [email protected].
Upcoming Events
- ICEEEL 2017 : 19th International Conference on e-Education and e-Learning
  April 24-25
  Boston, MA
- More events at thejournal.com
- Construct3D 2017
  May 5–7
  Duke University (Durham, NC)
- ISTE 2017
  June 25–28
  San Antonio, TX
- More events at thejournal.com
- 2017 Clute International Conference on Education (ICE)
  July 30–Aug. 3
  New York
- More events at thejournal.com
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Professional Resources

THE News Update is a thrice-weekly newsletter covering the latest in technology trends, tools, and usage for K-12 instruction and administration. Opinion pieces by leading technology experts and visionaries provide insight on a variety of critical issues. News, announcements, and need-to-know statistics give readers a quick look at timely news and events affecting the education community. Please direct any questions or comments about THE News Update to [email protected]

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News

Upcoming K–12 Grants

Call for Papers & Proposals

Upcoming Events

Professional Resources