February 5, 2014
Local News
Cape Gazette
Cape students win Jefferson Awards
Cape Henlopen High School honored some of its top achievers recently by giving them Jefferson Awards to acknowledge their hard work. “The Students in Action Leadership Team is extremely proud of the winners of each award,” said Joel Simon, guidance counselor at Cape Henlopen High School.
WBOC
Some Del. educators support President Obama’s preschool push
After President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address last week, there has been a serious push for preschool across the nation. In Delaware, some educators agree that preschool is an important part of a child’s development.
The News Journal
UD joins with schools to show how to teach across disciplines
Put predator and prey bacteria together in a petri dish and their numbers will rise and fall as the predators eat themselves out of food. Pour certain chemicals into a beaker and keep it well shaken, and the mixture will alternate colors because of a repeating chemical reaction. A spring with a weight on the end of it will bounce up and down, but it will also sway back and forth, and each force will affect the other.
National News
Eduwonk
Gates Foundation’s Vicki Phillips on Common Core momentum
More than 80 percent of students say they expect to go to college, but less than 40 percent of adults have an associate’s degree or higher. It’s clear that we need to do something—something big—to prepare America’s students to achieve the American dream. Fortunately, we already have. Right now, K-12 education is going through two changes that will help all students get the high-quality education they deserve.
Education Week
Some waiver states feel squeeze on Common Core tests
As states continue to debate their participation in the two large testing consortia associated with the common-core standards, those with No Child Left Behind Act waivers are getting a reminder from the U.S. Department of Education that dropping out requires an official Plan B.
New York Times
Teachers’ push for back pay may pinch New York City
As New York’s 152 municipal unions line up to press Mayor Bill de Blasio for raises and back pay, his administration and the powerful teachers’ union are reaching the final stages of a largely overlooked, drawn-out battle that could prove enormously expensive to the city — potentially putting at risk its ability to balance the budget. The union is seeking $3.4 billion in retroactive pay, and fiscal experts say there is a realistic chance it could win.
Tennessean
Haslam proposes free community college
Gov. Bill Haslam, in his final State of the State address before seeking re-election this fall, unveiled a plan Monday night to waive tuition for students at community colleges and technology centers. The Republican governor proposed setting aside $300 million from the Tennessee Education Lottery to fund an endowment that would cover all tuition and fees to two-year institutions for all graduating high school seniors. The plan also calls for reducing Hope scholarships for incoming students at four-year universities by $1,000 for the first two years.