[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Back to School, Civics, and The Lorax

No one knows better than educators about the importance of staying up-to-date. In Edmentum’s Weekly News Round Up, you’ll find the latest and most interesting education news, all in one place.

For principals, it’s never too early to get ready for the new school year. Check out what two Missouri principals do during summer break to prepare for back to school, along with other interesting reads about how states are beefing up civics in education, the real-life inspiration behind Dr. Suess’ The Lorax, and more in this week’s EdNews Round Up!

4 Things Principals Can Do This Summer to Get Ready for the School Year
EdWeek
Principals can get a jump on the upcoming school year by taking these steps during summer break. Two Missouri principals share some of what works for them.

What Your State Is Doing To Beef Up Civics Education
npr
Not enough people know how a bill becomes a law and other aspects of civic life. More than half the states are trying to fix that. See how your state is doing and take NPR’s quiz.

Who Was the Real Lorax? Seeking the Inspiration for Dr. Seuss
The New York Times
A new essay explores the possible real-life examples for the Lorax character and Truffula trees.

When School Dress Codes Discriminate
neaToday
Student dress codes continue to unfairly target girls and students of color. Experts and educators weigh in on how to make them more equitable.

Teacher Collects $530 on Southwest Flight After Opening Up to Stranger about Students in Need
Yahoo! Entertainment
While traveling to visit her parents in Florida earlier this month on a Southwest Airlines flight, Chicago school teacher Kimber Bermudez received $530 from three complete strangers after opening up to her seat mate about the hardships some of the students at her “low income school” face.

Florida Risks Losing $1.1 Billion in Federal Funds Over ESSA Spat
EdWeek
Florida, now the only state without an approved ESSA plan, could be trouble. Advocacy groups have gawked as Florida officials have remained mum over a months-long negotiation process that could result in Florida losing funds for failure to comply with key components of ESSA.

Starting a Heritage Language Book Club
Edutopia
A book club can help students who mainly use English but speak another language at home gain valuable literacy skills in the home language.