February 7, 2017

Delaware News

Coastal Point
Steele tapped to fill superintendent role
With Indian River School District superintendent Susan Bunting having been confirmed this week as the new Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education, the district was facing a vacancy in a vital post during a tense time at one of the fastest-growing districts in the state. But as the IRSD begins advertising for a permanent replacement, Mark Steele will step up as acting superintendent until June 30.

Delaware Division of Energy and Climate
Delaware middle school students invited to build and race solar-powered cars in annual Junior Solar Sprint competition
Delaware middle school students are encouraged to test their model car engineering skills and power up their solar panels for the 23rd annual Junior Solar Sprint race – a statewide challenge of creativity, engineering and speed that will culminate Thursday, April 27 with a day of racing at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington.

Delaware Public Media
JFC talks potential education cuts
Even popular education programs may not be safe from budget cuts as state lawmakers seek to send more cash to high-poverty schools. For instance, school districts wanting to offer the state’s successful language immersion program in new schools may have to wait. The Joint Finance Committee is trying to scrape together enough money to invest in schools boasting a high number of students coming from low-income families and those learning English as a second language.

Delaware State News
Lawmakers push for more spending on education
Despite a large spending gap several budget-writing lawmakers on Monday advanced the idea of allocating more money for education in the state. They want to allocate additional money for English language learners, special-needs children and students from impoverished areas. The Joint Finance Committee, meeting with top Department of Education officials for the third day, spent about five hours Monday discussing standardized testing and funding for a variety of programs

Dover Post
Capital talks future of buildings
A modest crowd listened to Capital School District officials yesterday at William Henry Middle School as they laid the groundwork for long term building and facilities planning. The public forum was another step in the district’s strategic planning process. It informed residents how useful buildings will be 10 to 20 years from now. Following a brief introduction from Superintendent Dan Shelton representatives from ABHA Architects explained the ranking they gave each building.

The News Journal
An open letter to the Indian River School District community
Opinion by Mark Steele, interim superintendent of the Indian River School District
Let me begin by thanking our district staff and our community for the support that I have had in the short time I have been the interim superintendent. The Indian River School District has a long-standing reputation throughout the state as being leaders in the field of education. As your superintendent, I will be committed to sustaining, supporting, and building upon an already strong reputation.

National News

Education Dive
Leveraging ed tech to better serve ELLs and students with disabilities
Karen Janowski visited a school recently to assess a middle school student who she was told in advance would probably be resistant to working with her. Janowski is an assistive and educational technology consultant and an adjunct instructor at Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston. She pulled out her iPhone, showing him predictive text tools and a function that reads text for him — easily accessible tools that exist on iPhones anyone might have.

Education Week
Trump orders on immigration rattle some educators
President Donald Trump’s sweeping order that halted residents of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States sent shock waves through some of the nation’s schools, leaving educators scrambling to assure frightened refugee and immigrant students that their schools should be safe places.

Idaho Ed News
House Education approves new school accountability system
Even those listening closely might have missed it, but the House Education Committee voted to approve the state’s proposed new school accountability system on Friday. Education leaders from the State Department of Education and State Board of Education’s Accountability Oversight Subcommittee spent 2016 developing a new accountability system that would satisfy requirements from the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

The Huffington Post
Personalized mentoring is the best teacher succession plan
Commentary by Julie Silard Kantor, president and ceo of Twomentor, LLC
Today we caught up with Heather Lageman, Executive Director of Leadership Development at Baltimore County Public Schools on mentoring and our multi-generational teaching workforce… We were so taken by her thought process and observations, we wanted to share them with you!

The New York Times
Confirmation of Betsy DeVos for education post stalls as both sides dig in
Tensions over President Trump’s nominations turned into a parliamentary game of chicken on Monday, with Republican leaders vowing to keep the Senate in session, day and night, until lawmakers confirm four of his cabinet picks. After days of grasping at procedural hurdles, Democrats held vigil against Betsy DeVos, Mr. Trump’s polarizing nominee for education secretary, and promised to spend the final 24 hours before her confirmation vote Tuesday reiterating their objections.