September 12, 2012
Local News
Office of the Governor
Governor Markell applauds Senator Kaufman for “raising the bar” for students
Governor Jack Markell announces that Dr. Teri Quinn Gray, President of the State Board of Education, will take over as the new Co-Chair of the Delaware STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Council, replacing former U.S. Senator Ted Kaufman. Judson Wagner from Brandywine School District remains as the other Co-Chair.
The News Journal
Exchange program connects cultures
A 15-year-old who until now has attended a boarding school in Beijing, China, population 20 million, it now adjusting to life in Georgetown – population 6,422 – where he’ll attend high school as an exchange student for the next four years.
National News
Education Week
Business group gauges STEM ‘vital signs’ across states
A collection of state-by-state reports on STEM learning issued today by a business coalition finds that in nearly every state elementary students are getting less instructional time for science than they did in the mid-1990s, and that many students lack access to rigorous STEM courses. In addition, only five of 37 states where data were available set the standard for science proficiency at or above the level on NAEP, the nation’s report card.
Education Week
New Tenn. coalition aims to promote, support Common Core
Tennessee’s push to implement the Common Core State Standards is getting support from a new statewide coalition announced today that includes leaders in business, education, and other sectors. The Expect More, Achieve More coalition, more than 100 strong so far, will work to build awareness across the state about the common core, and provide tools to educators, parents, and community members to help students meet the new standards, according to a press release from the nonprofit group Tennessee SCORE.
Common Core thrusts librarians into leadership role
It’s the second week of the school year, and middle school librarian Kristen Hearne is pulling outdated nonfiction books from the shelves. She is showing one teacher how to track down primary-source documents from the Vietnam War and helping a group of other teachers design a project that uses folk tales to draw students into cross-cultural comparisons.
Huffington Post
Charter school movement turns 20, amid criticism and success stories
Twenty years ago, the first public charter school, City Academy High School, opened in St. Paul, Minnesota. Now, more than 2 million—or 4.2% of—students in 41 states and D.C. attend a charter school. Despite increasing popularity, little indicates that charters are inherently better than public schools overall, according to research, prompting proponents to push for greater accountability.
Related Topics: Common Core, global competitiveness, STEM