August 19, 2015
Delaware News
Delaware Public Media
Wilmington education commission announces membership
The membership of newly-created Wilmington Education Improvement Commission was announced Tuesday, just weeks after Gov. Jack Markell (D-Delaware) signed legislation to create the committee and redraw district lines in the state’s largest city earlier this month.
The News Journal
Wilmington school redistricting group picked
A coalition of 23 teachers, students, parents, school leaders, advocates, and state and city officials has been given the monumental task of mapping out how the Red Clay Consolidated School District can smoothly take over most of Wilmington’s schools.
Newsworks
A closer look at the “success” of Mark Murphy under Governor Markell
The announcement began with a sterling list of accomplishments: “a term marked by record-high graduation rates, more students enrolling in college, and better opportunities than ever for Delaware students to successfully prepare for the workplace.” Surely, the person responsible for such achievements was due for a promotion.
Delaware organizations prep parents and children for the new school year
As the school year fast approaches, The Complexities of Color Coalition and Tabernacle Community Development Corporation partnered up on Saturday to give away approximately 500 book bags and school supplies to make sure students sure get off to a great start. They called the event “School Daze 2015”.
Dover Post
Educators respond to Murphy’s departure, successor
The tenure of recently resigned Delaware Education Secretary Mark Murphy has been met with mixed reviews from Delaware educators. While his supporters value his time and dedication to the state, others feel he was out of touch with parents and teachers. The one thing they do agree on is that his replacement, Steve Godowsky, should move Delaware in the right direction.
Lake Forest schools upgrades planned despite tight budget
District using funds from last year’s referendum to support construction projects
Middletown Transcript
Appoquinimink school board responds after FOIA violations report
The Appoquinimink Board of Education president said steps have been taken to prevent violations of state open meeting laws after a report by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office.
Smyrna-Clayton Sun Times
New principal at Clayton Elementary School talks about plans, challenges
As the start of the school year approaches, new Clayton Elementary Principal Stephanie McGuire is preparing for her first year at the helm, replacing Debbie Chadwick who has retired.
National News
NPR
Teacher shortage? Or Teacher pipeline problem?
Ahh, back to school in America. Time for annoyingly aggressive marketing of clothes and the annual warnings of a national teacher shortage. But this year the cyclical problem is more real and less a media creation. There are serious shortages of teachers from California to Oklahoma and Kentucky and places in between.
Chalkbeat New York
Why is there no teacher shortage in New York City?
Even as enrollment in the state’s teacher prep programs drop, just one in three graduates is able to land a job in New York.
Concord Monitor
New Hampshire makes SAT the statewide assessment for high school juniors
This year, when 11th-grade students in public schools sit down to take New Hampshire’s statewide assessment tests, they won’t be taking Smarter Balanced exams; they’ll be taking the SAT.
The Boston Globe
The changing politics of charter schools
Opinion by Scot Lehigh, Globe columnist
Sad news for the cautious, quiescent, and status quo-inclined: Inertia and inaction are no longer effective options on charter schools.
The News & Observer
Weakening public education huge risk to NC business climate
On North Carolina’s current path, businesses that need a highly educated workforce will lose top talent to other states. When they go, the jobs they provide – high paying, with good benefits and lots of stability – will go with them.
The Hechinger Report
What does it mean to have your whole middle-school curriculum designed around games?
While blended learning — a mix of teacher-led and computerized instruction — is proliferating across the country, schools that wholeheartedly embrace games-based learning remain rare.