April 4, 2017
Delaware News
The News Journal
Colonial takes another shot at referendum, warns of cuts
If a second referendum — to be held June 6 — fails, Colonial School District will be forced to make massive cuts and layoffs, administrators say. A previous referendum in February was voted down. Middle school and freshman sports, field trips, concerts and summer programs are all on the line, a statement released Monday said.
Town Square Delaware
Russo on education reform: Be big, be bold or go home
Commentary by Ron Russo, founding president of the Charter School of Wilmington and senior fellow with the Caesar Rodney Institute
At the ninth annual National Summit on Education Reform sponsored by the Foundation for Excellence in Education in Washington, D.C., former Governor Jeb Bush, the keynote speaker, told the attendees that they had to, “Be big, be bold, or go home.” Tweaking has a role to play in improving education but the current situation demands boldness.
Coastal Point
It’s official: Steele permanently at the helm of IRSD
It was a unanimous vote this week as Mark Steele was officially hired as the superintendent of the Indian River School District. At their March 27 meeting, the IRSD Board of Education promoted former assistant superintendent Steele from interim superintendent, effective immediately, with a two-year contract beginning July 1. A lifelong Dagsboro resident and 36-year educator, Steel said, “It feels good to know that people support you and people trust you. It feels really good.”
Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times
Project SEARCH provides job training for students with disabilities
Many teenagers have faced this situation in trying to land a first job – being asked about your previous work experience, but not being able to get experience without a job. For teenagers with disabilities, the struggle to land that first job can be even harder. That’s where Project SEARCH helps – providing classes about job skills like how to fill out an application, compile a resumé , go through a job interview, dress appropriately and the importance of being on time.
Smyrna’s Team Dynamite qualifies for Odyssey of Mind World Finals
Smyrna Middle School’s Team Dynamite is heading to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. The international competition will be held at Michigan State University May 24-28. The team qualified for the world competition after placing second in its problem and age division at the Delaware Odyssey of the Mind Finals March 25. Team members include Emilee Lewis, Khushi Patel, Lillian Griffiths, Nathan Merrill, Alex Avila, and Patrick Crutchfield, with head coach Pam Denney -Griffiths and assistant coach Danger Morriessey.
Middletown Transcript
Schematic designs for new Appoquinimink schools to be presented April 11
Residents can get a peek April 11 at the new schools that will be built in the Appoquinimink School District. The presentation of the schematic designs for the new Fairview Campus middle and high schools and the new elementary school in the Whitehall development will be presented at the Board of Education meeting in Odessa at 7 p.m.
Sussex County Post
Georgetown Elementary robotics team gears up for world event
Crunch time was fast approaching and trouble arose for one of Georgetown Elementary School’s robotics teams. The week before March 11 state competition at Wesley College the all-important claw arm on their robot was not functioning properly. “It was not strong enough,” said math instructor Nicole Morey, one of the coaches of GES’s after-school robotics program.
National News
The Exponent Telegram
A-F accountability grades to be waived for 2016-17, area officials pleased
Since the West Virginia Board of Education voted recently to no longer hand out A-F letter grades to public schools, area education officials are relieved to see the state moving toward adopting a new accountability system that will use multiple measures. “We will not be issuing accountability ratings for schools this fall,” state Department of Education communication director Kristin Anderson said.
Chalkbeat
New York City offers SAT to all high school juniors, hoping to clear a path to college
For the first time, every New York City junior will have the chance Wednesday to take the SAT for free during the regular school day. Typically, the SAT costs $45 and the test is administered on a Saturday at sites across the city — all of which can present barriers for students who lack internet access to register, can’t pay for transportation to the testing site or have other obligations, such as work, on weekends.
Education Week
Every Student Succeeds Act: Six questions to ask about state plans
Break out the balloons and the bubbly drinks, it’s April 3! That’s right, it’s the first official deadline for states to turn in their plans for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act to either the U.S. Department of Education or to their governors for review. (States that go that second route officially get to turn in their plans, to the department on May 3.) Late last year, 17 states and the District of Columbia said they were shooting to turn in their plans on April 3, although a couple, including Ohio, have decided to sit tight and keep working.
The New York Times
Learning to think like a computer
In “The Beauty and Joy of Computing,” the course he helped conceive for nonmajors at the University of California, Berkeley, Daniel Garcia explains an all-important concept in computer science — abstraction — in terms of milkshakes. “There is a reason when you go to the ‘Joy of Cooking’ and you want to make a strawberry milkshake, you don’t look under ‘strawberry milkshake,’ ” he said. Rather, there is a recipe for milkshakes that instructs you to add ice cream, milk, and fruit of your choice.
The Washington Post
Nonprofit wants 25 new or revamped D.C. city or charter schools in five years
A local philanthropic group wants to revamp low-performing public schools and open others, 25 in all over the next five years. There are 233 public schools in the District with 90,000 students, counting city and charter schools. But Mieka Wick, chief executive of CityBridge Education, said last week that there are not enough schools with “high-quality” seats where students are meeting or exceeding academic standards.