August 17, 2017
Delaware News
Delaware State News
Dover High honor student recognized for volunteerism
“Time is of the essence” is a saying that doesn’t seem to resonate with Dover High School honor student and rising senior Nadeem Boggerty, as he always makes sure that he finds the time to go above and beyond to volunteer any way that he can. “You can’t always focus on yourself,” Nadeem said.
Rodel Blog
Charlottesville: An educational equity perspective
Blog post by Paul Herdman, president and ceo, and Shyanne Miller, policy associate at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
The tragic clash of white supremacists and counter protestors on the grounds of the University of Virginia was another painful reminder of America’s ongoing struggle with race and racism. Racism manifests in all sectors, from healthcare and housing to employment and education. Given our role as education advocates, we examine the events in Charlottesville through the lens of history and the implications of race since the inception of public education in the U.S.
Sussex Countian
IRSD pinches pennies for classroom supplies
The state’s budget cuts to education are evident in the Indian River School District, where many teachers will not receive money for classroom supplies this year. Jessica Dutton teaches English as a second language, or ESL, at Sussex Central High School. She, like many other teachers, is taking to social media to get the supplies her students need, asking her followers to buy items on an Amazon Wish List.
Sussex County Post
Indian River district offering tuition-based Pre-K program
Indian River School District is offering a tuition-based pre-kindergarten program for the 2017-18 school year. Children who are four years old prior to Aug. 31, 2017 are eligible for the program, which will be held at the Indian River School District Early Learning Center at the G.W. Carver Center in Frankford.
The News Journal
High school athletics help unify Delaware
Opinion by Bob Gardner, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Thomas E. Neubauer, executive director of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association
Tailgates. Pep rallies. Friday night lights. The new school year is here. And that’s exciting news for student-athletes and high school sports fans alike. Research shows that being a student-athlete is about a lot more than fun and games. It teaches important life lessons, too. In fact, high school athletes not only have higher grade point averages and fewer school absences than non-athletes, they also develop the kind of work habits and self-discipline that help them become more responsible and productive community members.
UDaily
Engineering for ability
Wielding power drills, pipe cleaners and rulers, a group of aspiring engineers re-wires the engines of toy cars. They swap the foot pedals for push buttons, pad rough edges with foam and deck out the vehicles with stickers of Minions and superheroes. Now, the vehicles are ready for their new owners — two local toddlers who can’t walk.
Helping high schoolers make career choices
High school students from across the state spent the week on the University of Delaware campus at UD’s inaugural Health Sciences Summer Camp. The six-day, college immersion camp provided a deep exploration into health sciences majors and careers. The camp was organized by UD’s Debbie Allen, Regina Wright, Alyssa Benjamin and Dante LaPenta, who set up sessions with departments and centers within the College of Health Sciences (CHS), as well as meetings with Career Services and Admissions.
National News
EdSurge
How Dallas educators rethink discipline to restore humanity in schools
The Innovation Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA) serves 330 students in grades 9 through 11. Students come to the school from 39 different Dallas neighborhoods—bringing a wide range of social-emotional experiences. Courtney Egelston, the school’s cofounder and assistant principal, learned early in her attempt to implement personalized learning that teachers had to address students’ emotional needs.
Education Week
Immigrant influxes put U.S. schools to the test
Bishar Hassan spends his days navigating the halls and classrooms of Talahi Elementary School, working to embrace and empower the dozens of Somali students who have arrived since the start of the year. Across town, his brother, Ahmed Hassan, fills a similar role at Discovery Community School, another campus that has experienced a recent surge in enrollment of Somali students.
The Hill
DeVos charges ahead on school choice
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has become an ardent foot soldier for President Trump’s deregulatory agenda while aggressively pushing her own school choice initiatives. The billionaire businesswoman was one of Trump’s most controversial Cabinet selections, with Democrats and liberal groups assailing her lack of experience in public schools and her years at the helm of an organization that promoted school privatization. The criticism hasn’t faded, but DeVos is charging ahead.
The Joplin Globe
State OKs revised teacher education programs at Cottey, MSSU
Just in time for school to begin, the Missouri State Board of Education has approved revisions to teacher education programs at 40 colleges and universities across the state, including at Missouri Southern State University and Cottey College. The approval this week comes after a statewide three-year review that required teacher education programs — both new and existing — to provide more emphasis on reading instruction and to be aligned with the Missouri Teacher Standards, a detailed set of expectations for professional teachers from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
U.S. News & World Report
Education reform isn’t in retreat
Opinion by Andy Smarick, Morgridge Fellow in education at the American Enterprise Institute
Is big, bold education reform in retreat? The Every Student Succeeds Act ended the Bush-Obama era of sweeping federal action embodied by the No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top and the School Improvement Grant program. It also severely limited the U.S. Department of Education’s ability to unilaterally exert its will on states and districts.