June 24, 2014
Local News
The News Journal
What will Delaware’s children need to know in 2025?
An op-ed by Ernie Dianastasis
Eight years ago, a coalition of state education, government, business and civic leaders came together to create the Vision 2015 plan to put us on a path toward providing a world-class education to all public-school students in Delaware. Since the launch of that initial plan, we’ve kept together, continuing our collective efforts to ensure every child receives a world-class education.
Milford Beacon
Milford School District employees to get 2-percent raise while board cuts budget
The Milford school board will have to make some difficult budget cuts on June 23, but proposed cuts will not affect staff salaries, which are slated to increase by 2 percent in fiscal year 2015, as per the district’s previously negotiated labor contracts.
Delaware Department of Education
Free and reduced price meals available for income-eligible students
A press release
The Delaware Department of Education today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture policy for free and reduced price meals for children unable to pay the full price for meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program and After School Snack Program. Participating schools and their administrative offices have a copy of the policy, which may be reviewed by any interested party.
National News
Chalkbeat New York
Statewide graduation rates tick up for most students, but not English learners
Fewer than one-quarter of the city’s 2013 high school graduates scored high enough on their Regents exams to be considered ready for college or a career. Across the state, nearly 75 percent of students who entered high school in 2009 graduated four years later, an improvement of almost one percentage point over last year. That improvement mirrored New York City’s, which saw its graduation rate increase from 60.4 percent to 61.3 percent—numbers that were first released by the Bloomberg administration last year.
Clarion-Ledger
Ed chief: Bryant made ‘gross mischaracterization’ on Common Core
State superintendent of education Carey Wright and board of education chairman Wayne Gann have fired back at Gov. Phil Bryant for signaling that he would be in favor of repealing Common Core. “It is a gross mischaracterization to call the standards a ‘failed program’ when Mississippi and other states have yet to give the first test aligned to the standards,” she said in a press release. “The state is still in the implementation phase, and to remove the standards now would be disheartening to the district and school leaders and teachers who have invested time and resources in this effort.”
Detroit Free Press
State of charter schools: How Michigan spends $1 billion but fails to hold schools accountable
A yearlong newspaper investigation of Michigan’s charter schools found wasteful spending, conflicts of interest, poor-performing schools and a failure to close the worst of the worst. The report cites lax oversight, including a lack of state guidelines for shutting down charter schools or screening applicants for new ones.
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Who pays for an iPad for every student? Districts scrambling
School leaders across the Twin Cities metro area are scrambling to put 21st-century technology in the hands of students, but finding a way to fund the classroom of the future isn’t easy. Educators have lobbied state lawmakers for new funding to purchase things such as laptop computers, iPads and Chromebooks. But so far, those requests haven’t been addressed. That leaves most districts finding room in already tight budgets or turning to voters for support of technology tax levies.
Education Week
State lawmakers assert influence over standards
Resentful that a massive wave of common-standards adoptions four years ago bypassed their chambers and subjected them to intense political heat, state lawmakers are taking steps to claim some of the authority that state boards of education have traditionally held over academic standards.
New York Times
School chief vows to preserve number of gifted programs and their exams
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña plans to preserve the hallmarks of New York City’s gifted programs, the immensely popular classes and schools that draw high achievers but have been criticized as shutting out low-income children. Ms. Fariña, in an interview this week covering a variety of issues, pledged to continue using a contentious gifted admissions exam for 4- and 5-year-olds that was put in place under former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. She also promised to preserve the number of gifted programs citywide.