May 28, 2013
Local News
WDDE
Governor’s council offers update on STEM progress in Delaware schools
Governor Jack Markell’s STEM Council releases its second annual report on efforts to get more students to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math Tuesday. STEM Council co-chair Teri Quinn Gray, a chemist for DuPont, says one key development is the creation of a new resources to help bring the key players in STEM education closer together. “We launched the STEM business network. It’s whole purpose is to connect educators with business leaders to really drive that school to work structure.
The News Journal
Kuumba Academy’s success cheered at festival
This year, Kuumba had even more to celebrate than usual: It announced it is expanding with a new middle school and that it again won a prestigious award from the state. “This is a very, very busy and a very hectic time for us,” Principal Sally Maldonado said. “But it’s a very good time.”
The Cape Gazette
Milton schools: Opposing views
Two days of community meetings on the future of Cape Henlopen’s elementary schools brought out more than 100 – people mostly concerned about a proposed change at Milton and H.O. Brittingham elementaries. The Cape school board called the meetings to gather input from the community on how the district should proceed to improve the district’s elementary schools.
The Dover Post
Caesar Rodney teachers unveil tailor-made Common Core teaching materials
The new Common Core State Standards, which were adopted by the state Department of Education in August 2010, are in their first year of implementation in classrooms. Teachers are now beginning to prepare their students for the Smarter Balance Assessment, the standardized test associated with common core, which the state proposes to implement in the 2014-2015 school year.
National News
Education Week
Teachers gear up for science standards
Well before the Next Generation Science Standards became final last month, teachers in pockets around the country were already exploring the vision for science education espoused by the document and bringing elements of that approach to the classroom. The new standards call for bringing greater depth to K-12 students’ understanding of the subject and asking them to apply knowledge through the practices of scientific inquiry and engineering design, among other elements.
The New York Times
Caution and the Common Core
An editorial
The rigorous Common Core learning standards that have been adopted by 45 states represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the United States to improve public schools nationally, bringing math, science and literacy education up to levels achieved by high-performing nations abroad. The Department of Education has rightly pushed the states to jettison outmoded systems in exchange for a challenging, writing-intensive approach. But the department, which has set a rapid timetable for this transformation, will need to give the states some flexibility so that teachers — who themselves are under pressure to meet evaluation standards — can adjust to the new curriculum.
Related Topics: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Caesar Rodney School District, Cape Henlopen School District, charter schools, Community Education Building, Council of Chief State School Officers, Delaware Department of Education, Delaware STEM Council, differentiated instruction, diversity, Educurious, family engagement, gates foundation, Governor Markell, H.O. Brittingham Elementary, Jack Markell, Kuumba Academy, Matt Denn, Milford Elementary, National Governors Association, Next Generation Science Standards, Sally Maldonado, School Boards, Smarter Balance, Star Hill Elementary, STEM, STEM Business Network, Teri Quinn Gray