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Washington, D.C., is home to some of the poorest areas of the country, and the problem has been exacerbated in recent months due to rising unemployment and poverty levels. Unfortunately, some of the most tragic victims of poverty are children who are left without three stable meals a day because their parents simply don't have the necessary income to put food on the table. To help combat some of those dire results of poverty, public schools in Washington D.C. are now offering dinner to needy children, bringing the total number of square meals these children receive from the public school district to three a day.

Prevalence of Poverty

According to a recent report in the , over 6,000 D.C. residents fell below the poverty line between 2008 and 2009. A adds that the poverty rate for African American children in the city is about 43%, which is up from 31% in 2007 and much higher than the national average. These children often go without meals, leaving them ill-equipped for the rigors of school and greatly hindering their ability to learn.

This video describes the free lunch program in schools nationwide. Today, more than 30 million schoolchildren benefit from the National School Lunch Act, which was signed by President Truman in 1946. For many students, it may be the only nutritional meal they get - and some kids are still being denied a hot meal because their parents can't afford it.

School board members are responsible for a variety of responsibilities during their terms of governance. They must set budgets, establish school policies, make long-range plans, and assess data to determine school performance. This governing board further decides how schools will operate and recommends strategies that will increase student achievement.

Due to these obligations, it stands to reason that elected board members should receive some type of training to assist them in conducting complex school business. However, school board member training is not without its share of controversy.

In this video, Cal Heminway, Board Chairman of Granby School District in Connecticut, talks about what makes a good school board member.

The Importance of School Board Training

In Michigan, voters seem united in their desire to see school board members properly trained for their roles. A recent survey published by the demonstrated voter discontent. As many as 30% of the 600 Michigan voters polled gave their current school board members an average grade of "C" in terms of their recent performance. In addition, the survey found the following:

• Two-thirds of the respondents believe that school board training should be mandatory.
• The vast majority support training within one hour of the local school district.
• About half oppose training on a national level, preferring local training.
• Almost two-thirds said they would be more likely to vote for a potential member who has

"We are crew, not passengers." – Expeditionary Learning philosophy

A new wave of learning is sweeping schools across the country, engaging children in meaningful learning activities that claim to prepare them more adeptly for the world of higher education. This trend, known as expeditionary learning, has been implemented in numerous K-12 public schools today, and the results in many of these institutions have been impressive. What is expeditionary learning and how does it benefit students? The information about this unique program is spelled out within this article.

What is Expeditionary Learning?

According to the website for Pathfinder K-8 School in Seattle, expeditionary learning can be defined as "learning by doing, with a particular focus on character growth, teamwork, reflection and literacy."

Instead of sitting in a traditional classroom each day, schedules are broken into projects that engage students, challenge their thinking and teach them critical problem solving skills. Work may be done inside or outside the classroom, with a particular emphasis on Outward Bound expeditions that promote teamwork and challenge students to their physical and mental limits.

The lists the 10 design principles that reflect the values and beliefs of both expeditionary learning and Outward Bound:

• The Primacy of Self Discovery – Learning happens best with challenge, emotion and proper support.
• The Having of Wonderful Ideas – Time is given to foster curiosity, experiment and make observations.
• The Responsibility of Learning – Learning takes place individually and as a group.
• Empathy

Today's students must be well versed in much more than the three traditional "Rs" that have carried public education for the past century. In order to compete in the global marketplace, students must also know their way around the most recent technology utilized in the workplace today.

To help students and teachers in achieving that goal, Google Apps is ready to bring technology into the classroom – in real-time, no less. In a recent agreement between Google Apps and a host of states across the country, more and more public schools will see the results of technology in the classroom.

Using Google Docs in the Classroom

According to a recent entry on the , Google Apps can provide a multitude of uses in today's classroom, including:

• Gmail allows students and teachers to easily communicate with one another
• Docs that give students the opportunity to turn in assignments to the teacher right from the student's own computer
• Sites that give students access to assignments, lesson plans, and research material any time of the day or night
• Groups that provide additional opportunities for students to interact with instructors and classmates online

The addition of Google Apps makes the entire classroom more interactive, as teachers have the ability to coach students throughout the course of their assignments, and students have easy access to ask questions and get feedback. The "anytime, anywhere" access allows students and teachers