April 8, 2014
Local News
Delaware State News
Delaware officials review Race to the Top progress
Delaware should be proud of the progress it has made under the federal Race to the Top education reform program, but much work remains to be done to help ensure that the state’s schools give students the best preparation possible for life after high school, Gov. Jack Markell said Monday.
The News Journal
Markell: Race to the Top laid groundwork
With the country’s top education official set on Wednesday to commemorate Delaware winning the first round of federal money for Race to the Top four years ago, Gov. Jack Markell told top educational officials Monday the program has laid the groundwork for big academic gains, but much work remains.
State, Food Bank boost school breakfasts
Delaware officials and the Delaware Food Bank are aiming to increase the number of students who eat breakfast at school, with the Food Bank saying it will keep track of how many children schools provide breakfasts to and give grants to schools that boost those numbers.
National News
The Associated Press
Georgia adopts new teacher, principal evaluation system
Student test scores are part of a new teacher and principal evaluation system that has won final approval from Georgia’s Board of Education.
South Carolina bill says teacher layoffs can’t be seniority-based
Teachers’ seniority must be downplayed in layoff decisions during budget cuts under a bill advancing in the South Carolina Senate. The bill requires the guidelines to be part of districts’ policies beginning in 2016-17.
Education Week
National board may pull plus on principal certification
A years-long endeavor to create national certification for principals is in peril of being scrapped, a move that could leave in the lurch more than 100 school leaders who invested 18 months of time and effort to take part in the program’s rigorous pilot.
Common Core backlash in Fla. prompts changes
Fueled by parents angry over contentious new national education standards called Common Core, the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature is pushing through a series of sweeping changes.
NY budget includes Common Core delay for students
As New York students begin taking English language arts assessments on Tuesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said parents and students should be relieved knowing that the second round of Common Core-aligned test scores will not be included on students’ permanent transcripts under the new budget deal.
Tampa Bay Times
Federal policy group issues waiver warning for Florida
A group of federal education policy experts say Florida could lose its waiver from No Child Left Behind over proposed changes to the Sunshine State’s school grading and accountability laws.