August 18, 2014
Local News
The News Journal
‘Computer graveyard’ a gold mine for schools
Computer equipment is stored through Partners in Technology, or ParTech, a program in the Department of Education that takes old computers donated by companies and government agencies and refurbishes them for use in schools. During the last school year, ParTech placed 2,655 computers in state schools, along with things like mice, keyboards and monitors. All told, the equipment has a market value of almost $1 million.
Reality check: Wilmington should focus on the doable
An op-ed by John Sweeney, editorial page editor
Where are the kids in Wilmington – and elsewhere – going to work tomorrow if they are not learning the needed reading, writing and math skills today? The answer to that question will say a lot about the future of Wilmington.
School-supply drive receives and A+
There were several back-to-school drives that took place over the weekend. The New Destiny Fellowship, in Wilmington’s Brandywine Village neighborhood, held its annual Christmas Under the Tent, where area children received back-to-school supplies, including clothing.
Class Notes: Delaware school news
Volunteers needed to help with college applications; Cape targets Brittingham achievement slump on DCAS; Sussex Tech District sees no place left to cut budget
Dover Post
Capital casts second vote on teacher’s union agreement due to ethics question
The Capital Board of Education voted for a second time on Wednesday to approve a labor agreement between the district and the Capital Educators Association. At the board’s July 17 meeting when the contract was originally approved, board member Sean Christiansen, whose sister is a teacher in the district, did not recuse himself. The board decided to vote again on the issue so that the original vote could not be called into question, according to superintendent Michael Thomas.
National News
The Atlantic
The real value of online education
Only about 5 percent of online students complete a MOOC course and receive a certificate of accomplishment. Yet more than 80 percent of students who fill out a post-course survey say they met their primary objective.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Education reality worse than numbers show
It’s no secret Nevada schools are doing poorly, but that’s not the entire picture. The truth is even worse than the statistics would have you believe, according to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dale Erquiaga.
Inside Higher Ed
Failure to replicate
New analysis finds that education researchers, unlike scholars in many other disciplines, don’t check one another’s work.
Education Week
Despite training, half of teachers feel inadequately prepared for Common Core
Teachers are getting steadily more training in the Common Core, but they’re not feeling much more prepared to teach it, according to a survey.
Michigan Live
11 Michigan charter school authorizers ‘at risk’ for suspension, education department announces
More than a quarter of Michigan’s charter school authorizers are “at risk” of being suspended because of low academic performance and problems with contract transparency.
The Record
Science academies a hot trend for fall in North Jersey
With schools set to open, the hottest trend in education is the launching of special academies for STEM, aimed at training future high-tech workers and capturing the fascination of young people born to a digital age.