New Government Report: K-12 Education

K-12 Education: Many Challenges Arise in Educating Students Who Change Schools Frequently

by Cornelia M. Ashby
Paperback, 52 pages, 2010, $25.00
ISBN: 9781437944129

“Educational achievement of students can be negatively affected by their changing schools often. The recent economic downturn, with foreclosures and homelessness, may be increasing student mobility. This report asked: (1) What are the numbers and characteristics of students who change schools, and what are the reasons students change schools? (2) What is known about the effects of mobility on student outcomes, including academic achievement, behavior, and other outcomes? (3) What challenges does student mobility present for schools in meeting the educational needs of students who change schools? (4) What federal programs are schools using to address the needs of mobile students? Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.”

Purchase this print-on-demand publication for $25.00:

Weekly Book Special: Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln, by Mike Reiss and David Catrow

February 15th-21st Weekly Book Special

To commemorate President’s Day, we are offering a wonderful children’s book about a boy who bore a close resemblance to our 16th President. This week’s special is:

The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln
Written by Mike Reiss, Illustrated by David Catrow
(Hardcover, 29 pages, 2003, $11.00)

Life isn’t easy for Benjy. He looks just like Abraham Lincoln — right down to the wart and beard. He receives stovepipe hats for every birthday and has to play Lincoln in every school play — whether he’s part of the story or not. The teasing never stops.

But then he spends a summer at Camp What-cha-ma-call-it — for Kids Who Look Like Things! There, among kids who look like frogs, toasters and even the backside of a horse, Benjy learns some important lessons about himself — and the things that truly make a person special.

My favorite scene is when Benjy has to play Lincoln in every school play:

Author Mike Reiss, who writes for The Simpsons and illustrator David Catrow have created a wonderfully hysterical fable that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt a little different.

This book is a staff favorite at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington D.C. Venus Musgrove, a grad student in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Hamline University, recently named David Catrow her “Illustrator of the Week.”

Educator Kim Taylor writes on her blog: “This would be a great book to read aloud. The pictures are very colorful and full of lots of detail. This would be a great way to teach students a lesson about being proud of who they are and knowing what makes them special.”

Purchase this book for $11: