February 24, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
How technical education shapes the future of Delaware
Opinion by Victoria C. Gehrt, superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District
We in Delaware are fortunate to have some of the nation’s most exemplary career and technical school districts, ones that have served as models for other states.
Teachers can discourage girls from studying math
Opinion by Cass Sunstein, director of the Harvard Law School’s program on behavioral economics and public policy
A new study indicates that much of the problem lies with biased primary school teachers, who have major and enduring influences on female achievement.
Dover Post
Capital School Board lends support to bill legalizing state testing opt-outs
The debate over a parent’s right to opt their children out of state standardized testing entered new ground Tuesday, when the Capital School District discussed a new bill protecting opt-out rights at its monthly board meeting.
Hockessin Community News
Red Clay referendum goes to vote Feb. 24
Under the current structure, the referendum will increase property taxes 20 cents per $100 of assessed property value in 2016, 10 cents in 2017 and an additional 5 cents in 2018, for a total 35-cent increase per $100 of assessed property value.
WDEL
Christina, Red Clay school districts hold referenda votes today
A pair of school districts in New Castle County are holding referenda votes Tuesday with administrators asking residents to approve tax increases to help pay for growing operational costs.
Education Week
Delaware students demand more African American students
Blog post by Matthew Lynch
Last week, local students in Sussex County, Delaware took a stand to rally for more African American teachers and discuss issues they have faced at school, as reported in the News Journal. I agree with the students in Sussex County, Delaware: we need more African American teachers in our schools.
National News
The New York Times
Don’t give up the gains in education
Editorial by the New York Times Editorial Board
Congress made the right decision a decade ago when it required states to administer yearly tests to public school students — and improve instruction for poor and minority students — in return for federal education aid.
More conflict over cutting federal role in education
The House is expected to pass a plan this week that would cut back federal regulation of education from kindergarten through 12th grade and give state and local authorities more discretion over everything from assessing teacher and student performance to the flow of Title I money, the largest stream of federal funding for low-income students.
Christie’s truce with teachers could pay dividends in ’16
Blog post by Michael Barbaro
Mr. Christie and the union are unexpectedly burying the hatchet to grapple with the state’s crippling pension costs. It’s the kind of bipartisan moment he craves as he inches toward a presidential campaign.
Education Week
As Common-Core test season begins, teachers feel pressure
Tests in many states are being given earlier than they were last year, and that’s putting pressure on teachers to cover as much content as they can before testing begins.
2015 Leaders to Learn From
Each year, Education Week shines a spotlight on some of the nation’s most outstanding school district leaders in its Leaders To Learn From report. For 2015, we profile 16 leaders who are tackling some of the most pressing challenges in K-12 education.
Associated Press
Kansas House panel considers blocking Common Core standards
Kansas would repeal Common Core standards and overhaul public school guidelines under a bill that was discussed by a Kansas House panel Monday.
The Wall Street Journal
Want better schools? Try reforming school boards.
By Robert Litan, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution
What about expressly limiting school boards to deciding only a few things, such as which schools should remain open and which should close, while allowing individual schools–or, more specifically, their principals–run their own affairs? That would be local control over schooling.