July 6, 2016

Delaware News

Cape Gazette
Finalists named for 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year
Twenty Delaware teachers are finalists for Delaware’s 2017 Teacher of the Year. Selected from among the 9,000 public school teachers in the state, the candidates were nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter School Network because of their ability to inspire students with a love of learning, demonstration of professional traits and devotion to teaching.

Delaware PTA awards scholarships to two Delaware high school graduates
Delaware PTA announced the 2016 recipients of the Delaware PTA Betty Lewis and Debbie King scholarships. Each year Delaware PTA offers scholarships to graduating Delaware high school students planning to enter an education or early childhood education postsecondary program.

Delaware State News
Capital district moves forward with strategic plan
A vision for Capital School District’s future is emerging on the horizon and officials think they have the beginnings of a road map on how to get there. The district’s strategic plan officially debuted at a June 15 board meeting with the development of a course of action to carry out the ideas.

The Newark Post
How families and teachers are prepping for school this summer
It may be summertime, but parents and educators alike are beginning to look ahead towards the 2016-2017 school year. Here are three ways they are getting prepared.

National News

Chalkbeat
Pearson CEO: Company has a ‘wider responsibility’ to help end educational inequities
When it comes to this country’s greatest debates about public education — standards, testing, technology — Pearson is in the middle of it all. The British company is the world’s largest textbook publisher, a testing giant, and increasingly a player in digital curriculum.

Education Week
Is the five-paragraph essay history?
Has the five-paragraph essay, long a staple in school writing curricula, outlived its usefulness? The venerable writing tool has largely fallen out of favor among influential English/language arts researchers and professional associations.

The New York Times
Small steps, but no major push to integrate New York’s schools
For all its kaleidoscopic diversity, New York City has one of the most segregated school systems in the country, with divisions created and reinforced by decades of policy decisions. But over the past year, some areas of the system have begun experimenting with ways to desegregate, if not by the color of children’s skin, at least by their families’ wealth.

NPR
How teachers can help ‘quiet kids’ tap their superpowers
With shy kids, says Erica Corbin, it’s not just about paying attention to them. Teachers need to think about why they’re quiet. Shutting down for all kinds of reasons, she adds. Stereotypes. Biases. Trouble at home.

The Washington Post
Is it becoming too hard to fail? Schools shifting toward no-zero grading policies
School districts in the Washington area and across the country are adopting grading practices that make it more difficult for students to flunk classes, that give students opportunities to retake exams or turn in late work, and that discourage or prohibit teachers from giving out zeroes.