May 13, 2016

Delaware

Coastal Point
SMS teacher explains future of science education in Delaware
At Selbyville Middle School, inside Jennifer Hitchens’ sixth-grade classroom, the learning experience is flipped. That’s because she’s piloting the new Next Generation Science Standards for the State of Delaware. She was also recently named the SMS Teacher of the Year for 2015-2016. Hitchens is helping Delaware to shift from traditional teaching, where the teacher is a “master” who passes along knowledge. Instead, under the new model, the teacher is a guide, walking the educational path with children.

Delaware State News
Poll reveals: Markell most popular Democratic governor in the nation
Gov. Jack Markell is the most popular Democratic governor in the nation, a new poll reveals.  “He remains committed to the priorities that have guided his administration from day one and what he hears about most from Delawareans: fostering innovation and growth of Delaware businesses, supporting a 21st century workforce and providing access to a great education for all Delawareans,” spokesman Jonathon Dworkin wrote in an email.

Delmarva Now
Melissa Dawson named Cape Henlopen Teacher of the Year
Melissa Dawson was named Cape Henlopen School District’s Teacher of the Year for 2016. Dawson, who began her teaching career 20 years ago in the Christiana School District, was selected from a field of eight nominees. Dawson, a first-grade teacher at Rehoboth Elementary, was humbled by the award.

Education Week
Tracking ed-market deals: Delaware wants detailed review of course offerings
Delaware is looking for an organization to help it conduct a detailed study of the courses and programs, offered by schools and districts focused different academic subjects and skills, in areas that include “STEM,” the arts, and career-and-technical education.

Smyna-Clayton Sun-Times
McCutchan wins Smyrna School District Teacher of the Year award
Smyrna Middle School band and chorus instructor Jennifer McCutchan was honored as the Smyrna School District Teacher of the Year on Wednesday night at the Board of Education meeting. Now McCutchan will represent the district at the Delaware Teacher of the Year awards.

WDEL
Brandywine residents take part in Town Hall ahead of upcoming referendum vote
Brandywine School District is staring down the unknown ahead of Tuesday’s referendum vote. Among various positions at stake are 18 teaching jobs, as well as a number of programs and after-school activities facing the chopping block should the second referendum vote fail to garner enough ‘yes’ votes.

Conrad’s controversial Redskins mascot taken to task again
People on both sides of the Redskins name and mascot issue at Conrad Schools of Science got another chance to voice their opinions before the Red Clay Consolidated School Board. It was almost an even split at Wednesday night’s among the speakers for and against changing the school’s controversial mascot.

National

Associated Press
Enrollment in state-funded preschool inched up in 2014-15
The number of 3- and 4-year-olds in state-funded classrooms rose slightly during the 2014-15 school year to almost 1.4 million, according to a national preschool report released Thursday. The report from the National Institute for Early Education Research found a wide range in per-pupil spending and quality of programs, with New Jersey spending $12,149 for each child enrolled in pre-K compared with $2,304 in Florida and $1,981 in South Carolina.

EdSource
CA state board adds school climate to potential list of metrics
The California State Board of Education approved a historic policy shift in how it will evaluate schools, moving from a system based solely on standardized test scores toward one taking a broader look at school improvement, academic achievement and student well-being.

EdSurge
Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative announces finalists in career app challenge
Last fall the First Lady’s Reach Higher Initiative challenged mobile app developers to build a tool to help students navigate education and career opportunities. Today the White House and the Department of Education announced five finalists in the “Career App Challenge,” chosen by a panel of judges with backgrounds in career counseling, workforce development, CTE, educational technology and business scaling.

Education Week
Building ELLs’ literacy early is crucial
More states and school districts are aiming to reach ELLs early as mounting evidence shows that exposure to language instruction boosts young children’s odds of stronger academic achievement later on.

The Kansas City Star
Kansas City area urban schools get a new teacher-in-residency program
Last week during a celebration at the Kauffman Foundation, 39 men and women were named as the first class for the Kansas City Teacher Residency, a private, nonprofit organization launched this year with a $1.2 million federal seed grant. Kauffman Foundation, in a statement about the group, described the Kansas City Teacher Residency as “an innovative program modeled from medical residencies” but designed to prepare aspiring teachers to become effective urban educators.