August 4, 2014
Local News
The News Journal
Science classrooms could soon look very different
A separate but related effort to the Common Core State Standards for reading and math, Next Gen is an effort to build common expectations for what – and, more importantly, how – students learn in science class. Importantly, the Next Generation Science Standards are not a curriculum. They explain what students should know and how they can be expected to show that knowledge, but they do not explicitly explain how teachers and students should “get there.” Translating the broad ideas of the standards into everyday instruction is a mammoth task that Delaware will start in earnest this fall. Getting to where everyone is on the same page will be a gradual process over the next three years.
Summer STEM camp kids feed on curiosity
A camp this summer specifically targets minority students and girls, who still make up a fraction of the scientific and engineering workforce. DelTech is hosting these camps, “Energizing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education,” provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Immigrant kids trek to U.S. in search of safety, success
In July, Gov. Jack Markell said the White House disclosed that 117 unaccompanied immigrant children were placed in Delaware by federal officials from Jan. 1 to July 7. That’s more children than some larger, more populous states. Wisconsin and Oregon, for instance, each received 50 youths, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The news prompted demands from politicians in both parties for more information about where the children were placed in Delaware, who federal officials designated as their caregivers, and where they’ll go to school this fall. But Markell told lawmakers the federal government says privacy rules prevent them from disclosing information about the children.
Visually impaired Wilmington Trust lawyer offering students career advice
The Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is hosting a pre-college, work-prep summer camp to believe in themselves, follow their passions and work hard to be an expert in whatever they would like to pursue. During this camp, visually impaired students meet with visually impaired professionals to learn about and gain career-ready skills.
Stop blaming black parents for underachieving kids
An op-ed by Andre M. Perry, founding dean of urban education at Davenport University
When it comes to providing a better education for black children from low-income families, I worry less about poor folks’ abilities to wait in long lines and more about the school policies, the city halls, the newspaper columns and the barbershops that are plagued with deficit thinking.
WDEL
Markell: change teacher compensation; GOP: change the people in Leg. Hall
Governor Markell focuses on the future of education in his weekly address. Markell says we can only strengthen our schools if we attract and retain more great teachers, and to do that, Delaware must change a compensation system that offers too little financial support for those entering the profession, and only rewards teachers for years of experience and obtaining academic credits and degrees.
National News
Huffington Post
This will make some special education advocates really happy
New York students with disabilities will be held to the same academic standards and take the same standardized tests as other kids their age next school year, the U.S. Education Department said, spurning the state’s efforts to change the policy.
San Francisco Gate
Vitter describes strong support for Common Core
Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter offered definitive support for the Common Core education standards, a position that puts him at odds with Gov. Bobby Jindal but that could bolster business community backing as the senator fundraises for the 2015 governor’s race.
Hechinger Report
Huge confusion in Mississippi over Common Core
There is huge confusion in Mississippi and nationwide about what the Common Core standards are, who created them, and how they are changing instruction. In June, Gov. Phil Bryant called the Common Core “a failed program,” months before all school districts have fully transitioned to the standards.
The Plain Dealer
Ohio High School students take ACT or SAT for free, thanks to state
This fall’s Ohio high school freshmen can take the ACT or SAT for free when they’re juniors, courtesy of the state. It’s one of many changes that are coming to K-12 education, beginning with the 2014-15 school year. Those include new graduation requirements for the class of 2018.
Education Week
Select K-12 issues gained state legislative action
In a year when 46 states will hold legislative elections and 36 will select governors, state lawmakers pushed ahead on education priorities such as pre-K, teacher evaluations, and funding formulas.
Snapshot of teacher union spending on House, Senate campaigns
The homestretch of campaign season is typically marked by last-ditch fundraising efforts and massive spending on advertising, marketing, and grassroots, door-to-door types of initiatives. A couple of weeks ago, we blogged about a few competitive races that could have repercussions for education legislation in Congress. But now, in advance of lawmakers heading out on the campaign trail, we thought we’d give you a look at the top recipients of education-focused political action committee, or PAC, dollars, namely from the two national teachers’ unions.