February 10, 2017

Delaware News

Delaware Public Media
Eugene Young launches non-profit to empower communities with education, advocacy tools
In addition to his role as advocacy director for the Delaware Center for Justice, former Wilmington mayoral candidate Eugene Young is throwing his energy into launching a new nonprofit called Network Delaware.

The News Journal
Colonial School District gears up for referendum
Colonial School District on Feb. 28 will ask residents to approve spending an additional $10.9 million each year, as well as $4.7 million on one-time school security upgrades. More than half of the $10.9 million would support already-existing programs and staff, administrators said Wednesday.

Delaware State PTA introduces college planning tool
The Delaware State PTA is launching a new online tool it says will help students better review their options for college, financial aid and scholarships. It is called the CollegePlanningCenter. The PTA is partnering with College Select to offer the tool, which usually costs $199, to Delaware students for a reduced fee. A yearlong subscription will cost $99.

Rodel Blog
Remember ESSA? Work still underway on state plan
Blog post by Liz Hoyt, research associate at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
The confirmation of Betsy DeVos (and surrounding controversies) as U.S. Secretary of Education dominated news headlines and social media over the last few weeks. However, this national headline may be drowning out what’s happening locally, as Delaware continues to develop its state plan for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—a plan that will shape the framework of our school system for years to come.

Liberty within limits: personalized learning in the Montessori classroom
Blog post by Cheryl Lynn Jones, Montessori elementary teacher at First State Montessori Academy
I am a second and third grade teacher at First State Montessori Academy in Wilmington. This is my 12th year in a Montessori classroom environment and my first year on the Rodel Teacher Council (RTC). When I first joined the RTC, I learned all about their Blueprint for Personalized Learning in Delaware and was amazed to see the extensiveness and thoughtfulness of the plan. I was also encouraged to see that Montessori education fits right into personalized learning.

National News

NPR
About that bill abolishing the Department of Education
Tuesday was a busy day for education policy. Betsy DeVos, you may have heard, was confirmed as secretary of education with an unprecedented tiebreaker vote. The House of Representatives also voted to throw out a lot of rules that were decided on just last year. These rules tell states how to comply with the new federal education law with regard to identifying and improving underperforming schools, as well as evaluating teacher-preparation programs in higher education.
 
Edutopia
Why social and emotional learning is essential for students
Today’s schools are increasingly multicultural and multilingual with students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. Educators and community agencies serve students with different motivation for engaging in learning, behaving positively, and performing academically. Social and emotional learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances students’ ability to succeed in school, careers, and life.
 
Newsroom America
How three districts help their teachers learn and grow throughout the school year
Throughout the year, teachers are hard at work preparing lesson plans and improving their skills. And after school, on the weekends and during breaks, they also invest time in professional development, to expand their knowledge base and learn from their peers. We asked three school districts to share their best practices and programs to help teachers sharpen their skills and advance their careers. These programs can serve as inspiration for training programs throughout the school year.

The Seattle Times
At Ignite Education Lab, 11 speakers tell inspiring stories about learning
The Education Lab team at The Seattle Times didn’t have a particular theme in mind when it put out a call for speakers for Ignite Education Lab, an evening of lightning-fast storytelling on schools and learning. Even the topics of the chosen presenters didn’t seem that similar. But once they were onstage, many of their stories focused on the value of relationships — between teachers and students, parents and children, and among everyone involved with schools.

U.S. News and World Report
Bipartisan education politics a thing of the past
When Congress passed a sprawling rewrite of the federal education law at the tail-end of 2015, it was hailed as a “Christmas miracle.” Drafted, negotiated and passed by members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers, the Every Student Succeeds Act, which overhauled the widely reviled No Child Left Behind by returning much of the authority over education to states, stood out as a shining example of bipartisanship in an ever-partisan, log jammed political system.