August 31, 2016
Delaware News
Cape Gazette
Cape schools show mixed results in statewide testing
In the first year of using the SAT as the statewide test for Delaware juniors, just over half of Cape juniors scored proficient in English while only a third were proficient in math. The Delaware State Board of Education set a score of at least 480 for English and 530 for math to be considered proficient on the revised SAT, used for the first time in 2016.
Delaware 105.9
Indian River School District tightens discretionary spending
Heading into a new school year, the Indian River School District is already making what are termed “discretionary” spending cuts from its annual budget of $47-million. Superintendent Dr. Susan Bunting told Delaware1059 News that the three-million dollar reduction will not impact classroom instruction or any salaries in the Indian River district.
Department of Education
Markell creates group to support implementation of new federal education law
Press Release
Calling a new federal education law an opportunity for teachers, school leaders, parents, and others to build on record graduation rates and other progress happening in Delaware schools, Governor Jack Markell today signed Executive Order 62, which brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to provide input for the state plan required by the federal Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA).
The News Journal
Delaware education initiatives are consistent with international best practices
Opinion by David Sokola, Delaware State Senator – 8th District
Since 2014, I’ve participated in a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Study Group charged with reviewing the best education systems in the United States and around the world. The study group interacted both directly and through remote presentations with educators and experts from many countries.
Inventive education: The next generation
Opinion by Ron Russo, senior education fellow at the Caesar Rodney Institute and founding president, Charter School of Wilmington
It’s interesting that last Sunday’s “Dialogue Delaware” article, focused on improving Delaware’s public schools, was written by Ken Hilk, a former senior-level DuPont executive. In 1995 the same objective was targeted by a consortium of businesses headed up by Ed Woolard, the President and CEO of the DuPont Company.
Jitters, fears, secret handshakes as school year starts
Pastor Mason McGill stopped a girl outside West Seaford Elementary to deliver the day’s first lesson, a nine-step handshake, leading her in its tap-tap-slap-bump rhythm for a few seconds before sending her on with a “have a great day!” “Gotta show ’em the secret handshake,” he said chuckling. “We’ve got a secret handshake at our church we don’t tell anyone about.”
WDEL
Back-to-school in Delaware prompts refresher course for school-safe driving
The start of school can be a fresh start for you, the driver, as well. With more than 136,000 Delaware students headed back to school in the next two weeks, AAA Mid-Atlantic and the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education has urged parents, students, and all motorists sharing the roads to put safety first.
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Governor Markell creates group to support new federal education law
Governor Jack Markell is apparently calling a new federal education law an opportunity for teachers, school leaders, parents, and others to build on record graduation rates and other progress happening in Delaware schools. On Tuesday, Governor Markell signed Executive Order 62, which reportedly brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to provide input for the state plan required by the federal Every Students Succeeds Act, or ESSA.
National News
Chalkbeat
Access to after-school programs remains a problem in low-income communities, report finds
The hours between 3 and 6 p.m. — when students are out of class but most parents are still working — are critically important to a child’s well-being. But despite national efforts to improve access to after-school programs, many children, particularly in poor neighborhoods, still don’t have seats.
Chicago Magazine
Principal at top CPS elementary school, a staunch Rahm critic, resigns
A top Chicago Public Schools principal who has publicly sparred with CPS administration and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, used a blog post today to announce his resignation. Troy LaRaviere, formerly principal of Blaine Elementary and now the president of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, has faced scrutiny due to his outspoken criticism of CPS policies and the Emanuel administration.
NPR
Mental health in schools: A hidden crisis affecting millions of students
You might call it a silent epidemic. Up to one in five kids living in the U.S. show signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder in a given year. So in a school classroom of 25 students, five of them may be struggling with the same issues many adults deal with: depression, anxiety, substance abuse. And yet most children — nearly 80 percent — who need mental health services won’t get them.
The Des Moines Register
‘Future Ready Alliance’ to help develop Iowa workforce
A state-sponsored goal of having 70 percent of Iowa’s workforce obtaining education or training beyond high school will receive support from a broad-based group appointed by Gov. Terry Branstad that will develop a strategic plan over the next 14 months. Branstad signed an executive order Monday at the Career Academy of Pella to help accomplish the workforce goal.
The Hechinger Report
A virtual tour of blended-learning schools, so others can see how it’s done
When teachers want to try something new in the classroom, it helps if they can see what it looks like in action. They could ask another teacher down the hall. Or they might try to talk to other teachers on social media, perhaps in an education technology Twitter chat. But too often, these aspiring innovators are left to solve problems alone.