April 21, 2017

Delaware News

The News Journal
Delaware gets $7.65M early education grant
Officials say a $7.65 million, five-year grant will not only expand early childhood education in Delaware but help low-income families with young children access housing, food and job support. Gov. John Carney and Secretary of Education Susan Bunting announced the grant Thursday during a visit to the Latin American Community Center’s early childhood center in Wilmington. The preschool program is one of several funded by a similar 2015 grant.

‘Fresh Start’ scholarships now available
The Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation is currently seeking applications for the 2017-2018 academic year. Fresh Start provides financial support and mentoring to women in Delaware who are seeking to improve their lives through education. Specifically, the foundation awards scholarships to women who have had a break in their education.

Hockessin Community News
Students celebrate Earth Day at Brandywine Springs
Last week, students at Brandywine Springs School in Hockessin got an early start on their Earth Day 2017 activities by engaging their minds and bodies in a variety of earth-friendly ways. The Earth Day activities take place as part of an arrangement with the nonprofit Brandywine Red Clay Alliance, a watershed conservation and education organization based out of Chester County, Pa. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade are taking on the mantle of “Water Warriors” as they learn about water conservation efforts across the spectrum.

Cape Gazette
Pathways program empowers teens
Jawon Sivels says he was not on track to finish high school. “I actually failed my senior year,” he said. “I get emotional about it. It’s not a good feeling.” Sivels graduated in 2015. Now 21, he said he was a stubborn teenager who didn’t want to listen to advice. It was counselors from Pathways to Success who made the difference. “They were the ones who kept pressing me on and kept saying, ‘You can finish,’” he said. Now Sivels is working at Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant in Lewes while pursuing a degree in early childhood education at Delaware Technical Community College.

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.

Newark Post
Christina facing $6 million reduction in state funding; could mitigate loss with tax increase
Once again, tough decisions loom for the Christina School District. Just a year after finally finding its financial footing by passing a referendum, the district is facing a nearly $6 million cut in state funding. “We have a pretty good idea of what $6 million looks like,” new Superintendent Richard Gregg told the school board on Tuesday, his first day leading the district. “It isn’t pretty. It’s people, and it impacts kids.” Facing a $394 million shortfall in the state’s budget, Gov. John Carney is calling for an equal mix of revenue increases and budget cuts.

National News

Philadelphia Public School Notebook
Seven District principals honored with Lindback Award
Seven principals received the annual Lindback Award Tuesday night at the Prince Theater, after city officials and the first lady of Pennsylvania heaped praise on their work, and spoke about the importance of bringing more resources into the District. Each of the seven principals who won, chosen from 47 nominated by their school communities, was given a $20,000 stipend from the Lindback Foundation to spend in their school as they see fit.

U.S. News & World Report
The Effectiveness Dilemma
The most important factor in a student’s academic success is an effective teacher, most education policy experts agree. In fact, high quality instruction can counter crippling disadvantages, like those associated with low socioeconomic background. That’s why Florida’s Palm Beach County school district, where about 65 percent of its 190,000 students are poor enough to qualify for free and reduced-priced lunch, places so much emphasis on teacher preparation and professional development.

Vermont Biz
Fourteen supervisory unions, districts awarded flexible pathways expansion grants
The Agency of Education today awarded Flexible Pathways Expansion Grants to 13 supervisory unions and school districts through Vermont. These awards will be used to support 14 projects to expand SUs/SDs’ capacity to provide meaningful, personalized learning opportunities and better clarify flexible pathways for students in Vermont. These grants represent the continued effort to support schools and communities in their efforts to implement the Flexible Pathways Initiative – Act 77.

Bismark Tribune
New standards a vital step for education
North Dakota teachers have developed new math and English standards to replace the much loathed Common Core. The new standards were crafted by North Dakota educators and didn’t totally abandon Common Core. However, one of the leading critics of Common Core, Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, seems satisfied. He expects the new standards will be the first step in moving away from Common Core. Opponents of Common Core thought establishing nationwide standards took away local control and considered it federal overreach. State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler will have to select a new standardized test to replace the exam from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.

Chicago Tribune
DeVos and Weingarten, combatants on education, meet in rural Ohio district
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited an Ohio school district Thursday at the invitation of one of her chief critics, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, who used the occasion to make a case for investment in public schools. The two combatants in the nation’s education battles met for several hours, touring classrooms and hearing from teachers and students in Van Wert, a rural community of about 11,000 in northwestern Ohio.