April 4, 2016

Delaware

Cape Gazette
Hanwell brings administrative experience to school board run
Former Cape Assistant Superintendent Janis Hanwell has years of experience that she wants to bring to Cape Henlopen school board. “I think I can be helpful in making good decisions for students,” the Lewes resident said. “I have a lot of good information on how the school district works.” Hanwell is running for a five-year at-large seat vacated by Spencer Brittingham, who is not running for re-election.

Cape students win top honors at JROTC JLAB regional competition
Cape Henlopen High School’s JROTC JLAB team won first place in the recent regional JLAB competition in both the leadership and academic competitions for the third year in a row. Both of Cape’s teams secured top honors against a field of 1,500 other JLAB teams across the country. The two teams have qualified to attend the national championship Friday, June 24 to Tuesday, June 28, in Washington, D.C.

Rodel Blog
More strides forward on Pathways
This week, the Delaware Department of Education announced it had secured a $100,000 grant to develop a detailed career readiness action plan—an essential step to expanding economic opportunity for young people across the First State. The grant, which also went to 23 other states and the District of Columbia, was secured through phase one of New Skills for Youth grant opportunity.

The Milford Beacon
Making a change, one book at a time
Books are like close friends to Jocelyn Kraft. When she thinks of other kids who might not be able to get books of their very own, it makes her sad. So Kraft, an 11-year-old who attends the Sussex Academy of Arts & Sciences in Georgetown, decided to do something about it. She started “Make A Change Books,” where she receives donations and also purchases books to give to needy, abused and homeless children.

National

Deseret News
Herbert vetoes $4.5M for early childhood education, lawmakers consider override
Two programs that focus on early childhood education may not get extra funding from the Legislature after this year’s round of vetoes by Gov. Gary Herbert wrapped up late Wednesday. UPSTART, a public online preschool program, was set to receive $1.5 million in new funding, and a reading intervention program for students in kindergarten through third grade was expected to get a boost of $3 million, money that would expand both programs.

NewsOK
Oklahoma legislative leaders vow to limit education cuts
Top Oklahoma legislative leaders on Thursday said that despite a $1.3 billion budget hole, they will find a way to limit cuts to public education. The promise comes as many school districts are anticipating reductions of 10 percent or more and have announced plans for layoffs, four-day weeks and program cuts. House Speaker Jeff Hickman said no budget proposal will emerge from his chamber that would reduce funding by more than 5 percent for common education in the fiscal year starting July 1.

Tampa Bay Times
Hillsborough schools to dismantle Gates-funded system that cost millions to develop
After six years of effort, high hopes and more than $180 million spent, the Hillsborough County school system is unraveling the teacher evaluation system it developed with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The news came in an email this week from superintendent Jeff Eakins to more than 260 “peer evaluators” and mentors who form the core of the system.  It also arrived as the once-cordial relationship between the district and its teachers union imploded Thursday.

The Atlantic
White teachers expect less than black teachers from black students
In yet another sign that the lack of teacher diversity is a pressing issue, a new study suggests that white teachers expect less academic success from black students than black teachers do from the same students. The study, conducted by Johns Hopkins University, found that when a white teacher and a black teacher consider the same black student, the white teacher is 30 percent less likely to think the student will graduate from a four-year college.

The New York Times
Don’t grade schools on grit
Opinion by Angela Duckworth, founder and scientific director of the Character Lab
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once observed, “Intelligence plus character — that is the goal of true education.” Evidence has now accumulated in support of King’s proposition: Attributes like self-control predict children’s success in school and beyond. Over the past few years, I’ve seen a groundswell of popular interest in character development. As a social scientist researching the importance of character, I was heartened.