October 6, 2016
Delaware News
Coastal Point
The 49-cent question: IRSD plans referendum for expenses
The Indian River School District has its number. In a Nov. 22 current-expense referendum, the IRSD will request an additional 49 cents per $100 of assessed property value. If the majority of the public approves, the IRSD could add another $7.35 million to its coffers one year from now. The district is one of the most steadily growing districts in Delaware.
Delaware 105.9
Indian River School District to hold school choice Information Session
Sussex Central High School will host a special public information session for the Indian River School District on school choice. The session will take place Monday, October 24 at 6 p.m. prior to the regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting. Representatives from each district school will be on hand to answer questions and provide information.
IRSD hosting series of public referendum meetings
The Indian River School District will host a series of public meetings in the coming weeks to highlight the current expense referendum scheduled for Tuesday, November 22. You can see the meeting schedule on our website at delaware1059.com. At each meeting, district officials will give a presentation outlining the referendum initiative.
The News Journal
Charter schools sue state, Christina
Fifteen charter schools have filed suit against the state Department of Education and Christina School District to get what they claim is their fair share of funding. Christina has been withholding millions of dollars in local tax revenue from charter schools for years and the Department of Education has been complicit, the lawsuit says.
National News
Education Week
Appraising Trump’s school choice, child-care plans
Advocates and researchers dealing with school choice and early childhood are pleased that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has released plans addressing those issues after having had little specific to say about K-12 for most of his campaign—but not necessarily for his proposals’ level of detail, or what those details actually are.
NPR
Questions of race and charter schools divide education reformers
What does it mean to declare that #blacklivesmatter in education? Last month the Movement for Black Lives, representing elements of the Black Lives Matter movement and related groups, issued a detailed policy platform denouncing what it called “corporate-backed,” “market driven” “privatization” in school reform, and helped set off a furor over this question.
Philly.com
Former U.S. education secretary rips teacher-prep programs
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, in an open letter to college presidents and education school deans, says the system for training teachers “lacks rigor, is out of step with the times,” and leaves them “unprepared and their future students at risk.”
The Wall Street Journal
Soft skills give workers a big edge. It’s time to start focusing on them in school, report says
Teaching and improving soft skills—such as conscientiousness, adaptability and perseverance—can provide huge economic gains for young people, and should receive more attention from education policy makers, according to a new report from the Hamilton Project.