August 11, 2015

Delaware News

Cape Gazette
New elementaries offer chance for new ideas
Editorial
Far more public discussion is needed about what parents want for their children. Has the board considered year-round learning for any of the elementaries? What about bilingual education or a magnet school for arts and science at H.O. Brittingham, that would attract a more diverse population without forcing anyone to change schools? Instead of drawing new lines, redraw school programs, and let parents and students decide for themselves which school will serve them best.

Government Technology
Delaware governor signs internet privacy, safety package into law
Two of the laws are geared toward school-aged children. The Delaware Online Privacy and Protection Act prohibits the marketing of age-restrictive products to children through websites and mobile applications directed at youth. The Student Data Privacy Protection Act focuses on protecting the personal information of students who use technology to complement and enhance their education.

The News Journal
College plans: more promise than progress
Editorial
The Clinton college reform plan, like the Sanders and the O’Malley plans are political documents. They promise a lot, but fail to spell out how they will be paid for. As the race for president comes closer, be prepared for more unreal promises.

Delaware Business Times
Wilmington school redistricting moves forward under new laws
“We needed to tap into the passions of Wilmingtonians who have a valuable perspective on education in the City, but whose voices are not regularly heard. The Wilmington Education Advisory Committee did just that,” said Markell. “Our initiative to address the inequitable educational opportunities for so many Wilmington youth has turned into something bigger.”

The old plan for schools didn’t work, so let’s try something new: a Bold Plan
Opinion by Ron Russo, senior education fellow with the Caesar Rodney Institute and the founding president of the Charter School of Wilmington
In 1995, the Delaware Department of Education, with the support of the business community and the Governor’s Office, proposed a pilot project for a systemic change in the way the administration of education was conducted. The change was tested with the creation of the Charter School of Wilmington. The pilot program was based on one principle: autonomy at the school principal level and accountability at the board of director level.

National News

Chalkbeat New York
Make way for the test-score punditry: state scores coming next week
New York’s state test results will be released next week, according to state officials — an announcement likely to focus more attention on the state’s growing opt-out movement.

Chalkbeat Colorado
The not-so-secret ELL summer slide problem that no one has quantified
Some educators and parents believe English learners have a deeper learning loss during the summer than their native-English speaking peers, partially due to less practice when they’re on break. But there’s no national, statewide, or district data that proves this, which can raise several problems for students and schools

California’s EdSource
Study of brain scans may show impact of poverty on academic achievement
Less gray matter in key areas of the brain could account for as much as 20 percent of the achievement gap between children living in poverty and those who are not, according to a new study.

Education Week
Clinton unveils plan to eliminate college debt
Hillary Clinton will unveil New College Impact, a plan to overhaul the student loan system with the ultimate goal of eliminating all debt. And to be sure, Clinton is not the first Democratic candidate to roll out a detailed plan. But across the aisle, GOP presidential candidates have been somewhat moot on the topic

ABC News
Indiana schools chief Glenda Ritz ending bid for governor
Indiana schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz announced Friday she was dropping out of the 2016 Indiana governor’s race and will instead seek re-election to her current job next year.