January 2, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
Focusing on 2014’s hardest lesson
An editorial
The debate over education reform will be with us in 2015 as it was this year. However, the public conversation did seem to break through a significant barrier. The year ends with a controversy over Gov. Markell’s proposal to turn around six “Priority Schools” in Wilmington. The schools have made little progress despite repeated efforts. The turnaround proposal seemed to pit the Christina and Red Clay schools board and their teachers against the Delaware Department of Education.
Delaware Department of Education
State seeks public input on ESEA Flexibility renewal
A press release
The U.S. Department of Education has offered states the opportunity to apply for renewed flexibility from specific requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA Flexibility).
WHYY NewsWorks
Christina schools get extra time to form their Delaware Priority Schools plan
Delaware’s department of education will allow the Christina School District extra time to formulate a plan for its three priority schools. Christina was originally to have a memorandum of understanding completed by January 7, but the state decided that timeline was too tight. Christina will now have until January 9.
Dover Post
Hockessin’s Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids gets $10,000 grant from Tom’s of Maine
Tom’s of Maine has named Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids one of 51 winners of their “50 States for Good” community giving program. The organization will receive $10,000 to support its Education Cultivation school vegetable gardening program that seeks to teach children the value and importance of a healthy relationship with the food they eat.
National News
New York Times
School cash insufficient in Kansas, court finds
A state court panel in Kansas ruled on Tuesday that public schools were being unconstitutionally underfunded, though it stopped short of ordering a specific increase in education dollars.
Education Week
Was Race to the Top effective?
A commentary by Andrew Saultz, assistant professor of educational leadership, Miami University of Ohio
Many have written off Race to the Top (RT3) as a federal overreach, or as incentivizing policies that they fundamentally disagree with (like charter schools, Common Core, or tying teacher evaluations to student test scores). In this post, my goal is not to argue with any of these folks. Instead, I hope to evaluate RT3 by its stated goals and help readers think about how RT3 is still impacting state policy.
The key to recruiting the best teachers isn’t money. It’s culture.
A commentary by Deidra Gammill, a National Board-certified teacher
In a culture permeated by recruitment strategies based on lucrative salaries, perks, and incentives, it’s easy to believe that the same approach would work with teachers. But historically, throwing more money at issues in education rarely addresses the root of the problems. Sure, teachers want to make a fair salary, one that reflects our level of education, experience and credentials. However, our ounce of prevention is not monetary; it’s relational.
Teachers shouldn’t be moved between schools like widgets
A commentary by Ariel Sacks, teacher and author
The notion that effective teachers are effective on their own, and would therefore be effective anywhere they teach, is a myth. I know from experience. I have usually been seen as an effective teacher in the various NYC public schools in which I’ve taught middle school English.
NPR
A for-profit college tries the charter school market
A charter school called Early Career Academy planned to offer students the chance to earn associate degrees, either in network systems administration or software development, alongside their high school diplomas. Students were offered laptops to work on and ebooks to use. All for free. But the schools are meeting opposition, largely because of the organization behind them: ITT Technical Institute, a for-profit college with tens of thousands of students, 145 physical locations and a checkered reputation.