December 2, 2016

Delaware News

Delaware Department of Education
14 schools recognized for students’ academic achievement
Press release
For 2016, the state is recognizing two National Title I Distinguished School awardees, two Reward Schools and nine Recognition Schools. Each school will receive an $8,000 award. Funding for the awards comes from the state’s School Improvement funds. Additionally, there is one School of Continued Excellence that was honored as a Recognition School last year and had outstanding performance again this year but is not eligible for a financial award again until 2017.

Delaware Public Media
Charter schools, Dept. of Education expected to sign settlement agreement
The Christina School Board approved a confidential settlement Wednesday that could end a lawsuit between the district and 15 charter schools. Now, a representative from each charter school involved in the lawsuit must still sign off on the settlement.

Christina School Board approves charter settlement agreement
Board members spent an hour and a half discussing the settlement behind closed doors in executive session before voting 4-3 in favor of it. The 15 charters sued Christina and the state Department of Education in October over how the amount of funds sent from Christina to charters serving district students is calculated.

Delaware State News
DelTech culinary program: Teaching knife skills and life skills
Delaware Tech’s culinary program was recognized as No. 35 in the “50 Best Culinary Schools” by Best Choice Schools, an online school ranking resource. Chef Ed Hennessy feels that several incentives including Gov. Jack Markell’s Pathways to Prosperity initiative, the SEED (Student Excellence Equals Degree) Scholarship program that helps Delaware High Schoolers obtain a tuition-free associates degree and the National Restaurant Association’s ProStart Program have convalesced to create an ideal environment for students interested in pursuing a career in hospitality or the culinary arts.

Education Week
Many state report cards leave parents in the dark about school achievement
Say you are a parent who is planning to move from Ohio to Delaware for a job. How easy will it be to quickly compare schools and districts to find the ones that will best fit your family? While Ohio’s online district report cards, like the one excerpted above, include data on achievement and growth for different groups of students in a dashboard, Delaware, like many states, does not show students’ performance levels, graduation rates, teacher quality measures, or other data on its report cards, according to a new study by the Data Quality Campaign.

The News Journal
What makes a great university?
Opinion by Dennis Assanis, the 28th President of the University of Delaware
For me, and dare I assume most of my colleagues, the combination and synergy of teaching and scholarship are not mutually exclusive; they are stronger together. So as we reflect on what makes a great university, I would urge anyone concerned about this topic to think about the big picture: our future. I believe that those of us who sign on to a career in education have a responsibility to intrigue minds, inspire courage, open hearts and build confidence in the next generation.

Rodel Blog
3 helpful resources for teaching English learners
Blog post by Neil Kirschling, program officer at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Did you know that more than 11,000 English learner students attend Delaware schools, representing more than 100 different languages? Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer Bishop, an English as a Second Language teacher in the Brandywine School District who also serves as treasurer and membership chair of Delaware English Language Learners Teachers and Advocates (DELLTA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the English-learner population in Delaware.

Are Delaware teacher prep programs top tier?
Blog post by Liz Hoyt, research associate, and Shyanne Miller, policy fellow at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
In November, the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) released new and improved Teacher Preparation Program Reports. These reports are a part of the effort to improve the quality and transparency of teacher preparation programs in Delaware. This year, four out of 30 Delaware programs* received the highest possible rating—Tier 1.

Sussex Countian
Science at Your Door unveiled at North Laurel Elementary School
The new mobile science laboratory is part of Markell’s Children in Nature initiative that’s increasing opportunities for youth to take part in outdoor and environmental science activities in school and out of school. The curriculum was developed by DNREC and the Delaware Department of Education to meet the Next Generation Science Standards and supports the Delaware Environmental Literacy Plan.

National News

Connecticut Magazine
Landmark decision sets up battle over schools funding in Connecticut
On the heels of a quick appeal, the case that drew national coverage in September will be heard before the state Supreme Court, with the first brief being filed by the state in December. As this potentially historic legal battle heats up, we take a closer look at previous education rulings in Connecticut, the case that led to Moukawsher’s ruling, the appeal process and what happens next.

Courier-Journal
Jefferson County Public Schools grief counselors treat emotional wounds
Tangi Jones, a mental health counselor at Waggener High, is one of about 300 JCPS counselors, psychologists, social workers and others who’ve trained to be part of the district’s crisis response teams. These teams are sent with little notice to often unfamiliar campuses dealing with some of the worst moments a school community can endure.

KSNW
High speed internet coming to Kansas schools
Kansas is partnering with a California-based nonprofit to provide high speed internet for 10 to 20 percent of the state’s school districts. For the Garden City school district, access to high speed internet is a must.

The News & Observer
NC allows 19 struggling schools to operate more like charters
In an effort to boost their student achievement, the 19 schools will receive the same flexibility that charter schools now get to set their school calendars and to spend state money. Leaders at those schools are considering potential changes for the 2017-18 school year such as longer school years, longer school days and new programs to reduce class sizes and provide more training and other resources.

Politico
Meet the congresswoman poised to tear up Obama’s education legacy
Virginia Foxx pulled herself up by her own bootstraps and wants every American child to be able to do the same. As the 73-year-old GOP lawmaker and former community college president is poised to assume the leadership of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, she plans to help deliver on that idea — or at least, erase what she regards as Barack Obama’s wrongheaded approach. ‘I’m going to push to diminish the role of the federal government in everything … that isn’t in the Constitution,’ says the expected House Education chair.