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Yesterday's on-line edition of Education Week includes a story about The Tom Mooney Institute for Teacher & Union Leadership, which "is a new effort by seasoned leaders within the teacher union movement to develop the leadership skills and organizational capacity of emerging progressive teacher unionists."

Named for a former Ohio Federation of Teachers president who passed away unexpectedly in 2006, the Institute aims, in the words of co-directors Mark Simon and Naomi Baden, to make unions "constructive partners in education reform." You can learn more about the Insitute in a January Education Week commentary published by Simon and Baden.) ...

Richard Simmons should feel vindicated by a new studies that demonstrate the importance of health and physical education. 

Today's on-line edition of Education Week reports that five elementary schools in Philadelphia have managed to control obesity rates among their students by keeping sodas and candy out of vending machines, trimming back snack foods, encouraging physical education and educating parents, teachers and children about healthy nutrition.

According to a study of these schools published today in Pediatrics, students in schools that followed these steps for two years were half as likely to become fat as students in schools that did not. ...

Hot off the presses is the news that the American Association of School Administators has named Daniel Domenech as its new executive director. Domenech, a celebrated former superintendent of gargantuan Fairfax County Public School district in Virginia, will succeed retiring AASA executive director Paul Houston on July 1st. Throughout his tenure in Farifax, Domenech enjoyed a national reputation as one of the nation's most innovative education leaders. 

If you happen to be a member of the press, please note that ""AASA will host an opportunity for reporters to meet Domenech on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at AASA headquarters, 801 N. Quincy St., Arlington, Va., 22203. To schedule an in-person or phone interview with Domenech for Tuesday, April 8, 2008, please call Amy Vogt at 703-875-0723." ...

Documentary filmmaker Robin Smith has produced an award-winning film, Come Walk in my Shoes, that "follows the Honorable John Lewis on an emotional pilgrimage to the churches, parks and bridges where young people played a pivotal role in the struggle for equality and voting rights."

In observance of the 40^th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination, I spoke with Smith about her film, its reception in middle and high schools around the country, and the importance of teaching American youth about the struggle for civil rights.  At a time when we commonly describe American youth as disaffected and disengaged from their communities, Smith argues, the history of the civil rights movement offers a powerful reminder to young people that they can change the world. ...

Yesterday's edition of USA Today profiles the success of Oak Ridge High School in Tennessee, where three students recently won the prestigious Siemens high school research competition for a "supercomputing tool aimed at helping scientists develop bioethanol."  Their work reportedly helped the neighboring Oak Ridge National Laboratory secure an $800,000 grant to do similar work.

These extraordinary students--and the extraordinary teacher who helped them--deserve high praise.  Their story should warm the hearts of those who fret about the nation's future economic competitiveness. ...

The April 1st edition of Education Week includes an excellent article on the success of professional learning communities (PLC's) at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois.

The article frequently quotes National Staff Development Council executive director (and Learning First Alliance Board member) Stephanie Hirsh. Hirsh goes so far as to argue that when "you find any high-performing high-poverty school... you will find elements of PLC's.” Many of the success stories on this site bear out her observation.

For more information about Stevenson High School, see this detailed case study. ...

As part of our week-long examination of student health and safety, we have gathered together descriptions of our member associations' work to keep students safe.  Keep reading for an extensive list of resources from Learning First Alliance member associations.

• School Crisis Guide: National Education Association Health Information Network
  This new manual offers step-by-step advice to help schools and districts prepare for, respond appropriately to, and help students and teachers recover after a crisis. Created by educators for educators, this guide aims to keep schools safe and help students return to learning after a crisis.
• School and Community Safety Site: National Education Association
  

New success stories keep coming in from districts across the country--Many thanks to Public School Insights readers who have taken time to submit news about what's working in their schools.

Many of the stories we have posted over the past two weeks focus on community connections.  Here's a sample: ...

It seems more and more people are perceiving the connections among arts education, creativity and economic competitiveness. (Public School Insights, for one, has cogitated on the subject here, here and here.) ...

An Exclusive Interview with Richard Simmons about His Campaign for P.E. in Schools

Tank top, striped shorts and all, Richard Simmons is becoming a force to be reckoned with in Washington's education policy debate.  He has mounted a major campaign to get physical education into the schools and has caught the attention of key policymakers on Capitol Hill.

Amidst all this activity, he recently found time to talk me about his goals, the dire need for physical education and his frustration with the glacial pace of reform in Washington during an election year.

Richard told me about his advocacy for the FIT Kids Act, which would establish a framework for schools to closely look at the quality and quantity of PE they are providing, and to supply parents with that information to better understand the PE their kids are receiving. ...