April 7, 2014
Local News
The News Journal
Lawmakers concerned about charter school applications
A group of New Castle County lawmakers has written a letter to top state education officials expressing “deep concerns” about proposed new charter schools, fearing the “significant hardship” they could place on traditional school districts. Red Clay School District alone stands to lose as many as 800 students and $2.6 million if all the charter applications currently under consideration are approved, the lawmakers write in the letter.
More than 1,300 state employees earned $100,000 last year
More than 1,300 state employees made more than $100,000 last year – among them judges with six-figure compensation, state troopers collecting thousands in overtime pay, and hundreds of school administrators paid some of the highest salaries in Delaware’s government. Of the 1,343 state employees who received more than $100,000 in total pay, 630, or about 47 percent, were education employees, mostly administrators at the local level whose combined pay topped $60 million.
Robotics Day targets minority students for careers
While STEM education has grabbed national attention in recent years, Delaware has long pushed to expand access to this career path. The Forum to Advance Minorities in Engineering Inc., which is known by the acronym FAME Inc., was founded in 1977 by the DuPont Company with a goal to increase the number of female and minority scientists and engineers. The FAME program is open to all, but it has a specific focus on helping under-represented groups.
Despite advancements, Delaware still has strides to make in education
A letter to the editor by State Rep. Joseph E. Miro, member of the Joint Finance Committee and the House Education Committee
We need to give our education system time to function, using one teaching approach for a sufficient period of time to evaluate the levels of progress and not changing it every two to four years just because there is a new trend that seems to be taking hold. Not everyone has a desire for or feels called to pursue higher education upon graduation. Our society needs a balanced approach in the outcome of our student body.
Dover Post
Discovery Education recognizes Modzelewski as Star Discovery Educator for technology
Wendy Modzelewski, education associate at Delaware Center for Educational Technology, has been named a STAR Discovery Educator by Discovery Education for her innovative use of technology.
Delaware Department of Education
State accepting applications for Delaware Future Ed Leaders Summer Program
A press release
The Delaware Department of Education is accepting applications for an eight-week summer program for promising future leaders who have a passion for education and want to gain hands-on exposure to policy work. The program, now in its second year, has been developed specifically for current students, recent graduates and junior teachers as they explore career paths in education and seek exposure to careers in state government. Individuals from all programs of study are welcome to apply.
National News
Education Week
Principals pressed for time to lead instructional change
A reality—that principals’ time is too often strained by other requirements of the job to make room for substantive instructional coaching—is running headlong into the increasing demand for school leaders to be inside classrooms, watching and studying teachers, and helping them improve as part of new teacher-evaluation systems. And on top of that, there is scant evidence to show that the more time principals spend inside classrooms, the better student achievement will be.
Illinois governor’s race puts unions in tough position
Powerful teachers’ unions in Illinois are faced with a vexing problem in this year’s gubernatorial race: a Democratic incumbent they’re unhappy with, and a Republican candidate they view as a threat to the rights of unionized public workers.
Washington Post
Opting out of standardized tests? Wrong answer.
An op-ed by Michelle Rhee, founder and chief executive of StudentsFirst
No, tests are not fun — but they’re necessary. Stepping on the bathroom scale can be nerve-racking, but it tells us if that exercise routine is working. Going to the dentist for a checkup every six months might be unpleasant, but it lets us know if there are cavities to address. In education, tests provide an objective measurement of how students are progressing — information that’s critical to improving public schools.
Tulsa World
Oklahoma poised to become second state to drop Common Core
The Oklahoma Senate passed a bill that would repeal the Common Core State Standards, moving a step closer to following the lead of Indiana, the first state to officially dump the standards.
The Economist
Is college worth it? It depends
There is no simple answer to the question “Is college worth it?” Some degrees pay for themselves; others don’t. American schoolkids pondering whether to take on huge student loans are constantly told that college is the gateway to the middle class. The truth is more nuanced.
Charleston Daily Mail
West Virginia governor vetoes teacher planning bill
Despite pushback from unions, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed a bill that would have given teachers autonomy over how they use their daily planning period. The bill unanimously passed the state Senate and completed legislation on March 8.