May 1, 2017

Delaware News

The News Journal
Delaware schools struggle with proposed cuts
Educators and parents are up in arms over $37 million in budget cuts to public schools proposed by Gov. John Carney and vow a fight in the General Assembly to stop them. “At some point in time, we have to look at our future and stop robbing Peter to pay Paul,” said Jeff Day, who is running for a spot on the Christina school board and has children in the Appoquinimink district. Carney has said he would rather not be making any cuts but said “shared sacrifice” is necessary in the face of the state’s nearly $400 million budget deficit.

1,000 books before kindergarten in New Castle County
The camera zooms in. There’s a child, sitting in his father’s lap, with a book propped up in front of them. They’re reading together, bonding. It’s a precious moment, one a lot of us can picture or imagine. But how often does it actually happen? Are parents still reading to their kids? Diana Brown, community services manager for the libraries in New Castle County, at least hopes they are.

Milford Chronicle
Letter to the editor: Milford School Board candidate Mike McKain
Opinion by Sandy Naumann of Milford 
I am writing to express my support for Mike McKain for the at-large seat of the Milford School Board. I’m no fan of politics, but I believe strongly that Mr. Mckain has the right combination of experience, judgement, and passion necessary to balance the interests of teachers, students, and the community of the Milford School District.

Sussex County Post
Middle school counseling is Crooks’ educational niche
Georgetown Middle School counselor Erin Crooks began her educational career on Delmarva as an elementary math teacher in Salisbury. Passion for counseling brought her to the Indian River School District after one year. After two years as a counselor at Georgetown Elementary School, she “graduated” to her current counselor position at Georgetown Middle School in 2009.

Rodel Blog
The link between career/technical education and student success
Blog post by Jenna Bucsak, senior program officer at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Just one career and technical education course above the average can boost a student’s odds of graduating high school and enrolling in a two-year college, according to a study by the Fordham Institute. It can also lead to a higher likelihood of college enrollment, employment, and better wages.

Digging Deeper: Why graduation rates don’t tell the whole story
Blog post by Jenna Bucsak, senior program officer at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
It may be stating the obvious, but a high school diploma is not the sole determinant of student success. Instead, we usually need to examine a student’s entire academic career—from kindergarten through 12th grade—to get a picture of how well prepared they are to pursue their interests after high school.

National News

Newsworks
New Jersey considers later start times for schools
New Jersey’s Department of Education came down with recommendations this week on whether schools should delay start times. It found substantial research backing the benefits, given how sleep deprived teens are. But the report fell short of mandating schools make the switch, instead encouraging local districts to review the possibility.

Hesitating over terms, several Philly charters decline to sign renewal agreements with district
Several Philadelphia charter schools signaled their displeasure with the district’s charter office by declining to sign renewal agreements before a Friday deadline, instead holding out for better terms. The refusals highlight simmering tension between charters and the school district over how these publicly financed — but privately run — schools should be governed.

WPSD Local 6
Tennessee passes sign language bill
The Tennessee Legislature has passed a measure that allows students to take American Sign Language and get credit for their foreign language requirements. Sen. Becky Massey, a Republican from Knoxville who sponsored the Senate Bill, said Tennessee passed a law allowing kids to take ASL for credit back in the early ’90s. But Massey said lawmakers never made sure it got implemented. She said the new bill assures that it will.

Fox 2 Now 
Missouri Senate passes school choice proposal
The Missouri Senate has passed a school choice bill that would create education savings accounts for students with disabilities, foster children and children with parents in the military. The bill passed Thursday by a 20-12 vote. It now moves to the House. The legislation would create a tax credit program that parents of children with special needs could use to pay for educational expenses such as private school tuition, online classes and home schooling.

The Daily Courier
The art of blending teaching and technology
According to the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, “the only thing that is constant is change”. More than a millennium later, this principle holds true today, and nowhere is it more evident than in the field of technology.