April 20, 2017

Delaware News

The News Journal
UD program promotes music among low-income students
For Xiang Gao, a violinist, the power of music is incomparable — it can illuminate, transform and heal, he says. Music makes the world a better place, Gao believes, and can turn lives around. For kids, it can represent opportunity and solace. It gives them an outlet for their creativity and stress and can also help keep them off the streets. “It helps with math, problem-solving, developing a healthy youth and childhood,” Gao said, listing off the benefits of learning to play an instrument.

Symrna-Clayton Sun-Times
Autistic struggle in Delaware school
For the Schroeters it was seeing their autistic son get booked for assaulting his teacher. For Jessica Badner, it was seeing her autistic son afraid to go to school for fear he’d be bullied again. Parents shared their heartbreak at Autism Delaware’s April 10 Parent’s Coffee Hour, where they discussed concerns and new autism topics. The aroma of fresh coffee filled the room as parents of autistic children vented about the horrors their kids faced in public schools.

Cape Gazette
Absent art of cursive may return
Teaching cursive writing may stage a comeback to schools in Delaware. House Bill 70, introduced last month by Rep. Andria Bennett, D-Dover, would require that all Delaware public schools teach cursive writing by the end of fourth grade. The bill proposes handwriting be taught during English class beginning in fall 2017. A similar bill introduced by Rep. Deborah Hudson, R-North Wilmington, died in 2016 after the General Assembly failed to take action on it.

Milford Live
Miller Runs for Milford School Board
Milford will see five candidates running for the Milford School Board in the upcoming election, to be held on Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Ronald T. Evans, Michael Firch, Jason M. Miller, Michael D McKain and Michael Wells are vying for the At Large seat, which serves for five years.

Rodel Blog
The link between career/technical education and student success
Blog by Jenna Bucsak
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.

National News

Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Charter reform law voted out of House committee, more revisions likely
The Pennsylvania House Education Committee voted out of committee Tuesday a charter school reform bill that makes significant changes in what the state’s Auditor General called “the worst charter school law in the United States.” The bill, HB 97, the subject of fierce lobbying, is likely to be further revised as it moves forward.  Legislators, including its sponsor, Rep. Mike Reese (R-Westmoreland), called it “a work in progress” as they continue to face detailed concerns from both charter proponents and skeptics about different parts of the legislation.

Blunt talk, from personal experience
Carl Antisell, 29, walked into Terry Wildman’s classroom at McClure Elementary School in the Hunting Park section of Philadelphia ready to talk about some serious issues in his life: anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, and the ups and downs of his mental health. The 4th graders, all about 10 years old, were ready to listen. And to ask some pointed questions. “When you had anxiety, what did you worry most about?” “Why did no one stop you from drinking alcohol?” “What was your experience like when you stopped breathing?” Antisell answered every question about the issues he struggled with in his youth.

The Brown and White
Sir Ken Robinson discusses creativity in the classroom
A revolution is occurring in education. The importance of the humanities, science, technology, engineering and mathematics is a never-ending debate among educators. Finding a creative balance between moving students’ feet and solving algorithms is commonly dismissed in the classroom. Sir Ken Robinson, a world-renowned speaker on creativity in education, spoke at Lehigh on Tuesday as a part of the College of Education’s Distinguished Lecture Series: Leaders of Practice.

Los Angeles Times
Obama’s former Education secretary ticks off how Trump is changing the department
It’s been a long few months for John B. King Jr.  Since finishing his tenure as President Obama’s second Education secretary, King has watched a new administration implement policies diametrically opposed to his own.  “As a teacher, as a parent and as a citizen, it’s distressing to see the department walking away from its core responsibility of advancing equity,” he said Wednesday. King is starting a new job as president and chief executive of the Education Trust, a Washington-based nonprofit focused on educational equity.

Mountain Lake PBS
Make It Matter – Young Montrealers with a Passion for Education and Equal Access for All
Make It Matter is a new non-profit organization in Montreal started by the enthusiastic team of Deborah Athanosopoulos and Olivia Sheehy-Gennarelli – 2 young Montrealers who have a vision of creating a system that enhances the quality of education here in Montreal.  Make It Matter (MIM) believes that all students, regardless of their challenges, strengths and economic backgrounds, are entitled to a great education.