August 22, 2017
Delaware News
Delaware Public Media
Homeless kids learn resiliency through Highmark grant
Hundreds of low-income children in Wilmington have better coping skills thanks in part to a grant from Highmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Delaware. The Ministry of Caring has three child care centers in Wilmington for kids between the ages of six weeks and five years old. Lauren McLoughlin with Ministry of Caring said the grant funded a program focused teaching resiliency to homeless or recently homeless children.
Rodel Blog
Digging Deeper: Early childhood educators are woefully underpaid
More young Delawareans and their families are accessing high-quality early learning today than ever before, thanks to some key investments, collaboration, and leadership over the past several years. Today, more than 1,200 programs participate in the Star rating system. Eighty-three percent of low-income children—that’s more than 15,000 kids—are participating in highly rated Stars programs, up from five percent in 2011.
Technical.ly Delaware
Meet Miracle Olatunji, high-school entrepreneur extraordinaire
As 17-year-old Miracle Olatunji returns to the Charter School of Wilmington for her senior year, her sight is set on a bright future. If her forthcoming accomplishments are anything like what she’s already accomplished — including being named one of Mogul, Inc.’s “50 High School Students You Need to Know About“ — the future is bright indeed.
National News
Gallup
Private schools first, public schools last in K-12 ratings
As another school year begins, Americans believe private schools provide students with the best K-12 education of five different types of schools in the U.S. The 71% who rate the quality of private school education as excellent or good exceeds the ratings for parochial, charter, home and public schooling, in that order.
New America
Pioneering change: Leveraging data to reform English learner education in Oregon
In June 2015, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill 3499 for English learner (EL) students into law, describing it as a “watershed moment” in the state’s educational system. The law broke new ground for how to use data to identify and support the lowest-performing districts for ELs across the state. Critically, it came with a dedicated, permanent funding stream: $12.5 million every two years.
Politico
How free eyeglasses are boosting test scores in Baltimore
Three years ago, Johns Hopkins University researchers in Baltimore asked a seemingly simple straightforward question: Could the persistent gap in reading performance between poor students and wealthier ones be closed if they gave the poor students eyeglasses? They knew that poorer students were less likely to have glasses than wealthier white children, but data were limited on whether simply helping children better focus on the page in front of them might improve their ability to master a skill essential for early learning.
San Francisco Chronicle
Oakland launches new public school in effort to prevent families from fleeing
For the first time in more than a decade, Oakland Unified is opening a new public school in a bid to keep families from fleeing the district to attend charters they see as innovative or private schools they view as superior. The Oakland School of Language, or Oakland SOL, will be the district’s first dual-immersion middle school when it opens its doors to nearly 75 sixth-grade students Monday, offering academic subjects in Spanish and English.
The 74 Million
As immigrant students worry about a new school year, districts & educators unveil plans to protect their safety (and privacy)
If federal immigration agents come knocking, don’t open the door. You have the right to plead the Fifth Amendment and refuse to speak. Consult an attorney before signing any papers. Designate a trusted adult who can care for your child if you cannot. Develop a family preparedness plan, in case an emergency arises. These are among recommendations to families that the Los Angeles Unified School District rolled out Aug. 8, a week before the start of school, to address concerns among its large immigrant population.