August 15, 2013
Local News
The News Journal
Construction delays first school day at Seaford High
Students at Seaford Senior High School will get a little extra summer vacation this year, thanks to a construction project at their school. The first day of school for students in grades 9-12 has been delayed until Sept. 3. Staff will report Aug. 23 for the district kickoff meeting.
Kinks in teacher evaluation system will work out
An editorial
The state has to balance between assessments teachers believe in and genuine accountability. Like the technical complaints, this area should be examined and refined. But at heart, it is an assessment of the teacher’s performance and that has to remain.
National News
New York Times
New York issuing scorecards on teacher colleges
In an effort to shake up institutions that have been criticized as too insular and inert, the Bloomberg administration released scorecards on Wednesday for a dozen teacher-preparation programs in the city. Public and private education schools are being evaluated in various ways, including how many graduates are certified in high-needs areas like special education and whether their teachers have been able to increase student test scores.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly superintendent seeks to suspend seniority
The leader of the city’s struggling school system wants to suspend rules that require laid-off workers to be rehired based on seniority, a move the teachers union said it would fight. The move would allow Hite more flexibility to hire back staffers at the buildings where they worked but only if the district gets the $50 million it has requested from city and state officials, district spokesman Fernando Gallard said.
Education Week
Early-childhood spending on the upswing in several states
A survey of 21 states by the National Conference of State Legislatures shows that spending on early-childhood programs is rising slightly, as states make investments in home-visiting programs and state preschool. While it shows that early-childhood spending in the surveyed states had increased collectively by $127 million since fiscal 2012, the increases were not uniform.
ESEA renewal: Exploring the competing proposals
Congress is at work on competing proposals to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The House passed its legislation on a partisan vote, while the Senate education committee approved its version, with only Democratic support. Senate Republicans introduced a bill that closely tracks with the House legislation. Use Education Week’s interactive analysis to explore the different proposals.
Las Vegas Review-Journal
Governor names Dale Erquiaga as State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval announced that he has appointed Dale Erquiaga, a former Clark County School District government affairs director and longtime state government agency officer, as the state superintendent of public instruction. Erquiaga previously served as a senior advisor for Sandoval.
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