July 1, 2016

Delaware

Cape Gazette
Cape High students take new app national
Three Cape High students have earned national distinction for creating an app to help parents understand expectations for their kindergarten and pre-K children. Last fall, sophomore Hannah Bieler, senior Morgan Catts and junior Jessica Woolsey brainstormed about a project to submit for an upcoming Educators Rising contest in Delaware.

Department of Education
Focus on special education leads to sustained federal rating
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) gave Delaware its second highest rating in its evaluation of the state’s special education services. The state fell just shy of earning the highest rating. This is the second consecutive year Delaware has received the “needs assistance” rating and the second consecutive year it has seen progress: Delaware moved from an overall grade of 53 percent in 2014 to 68 percent in 2015 and to 76 percent this year.

Newark Post
Bedford moving on after 9 years as Newark High principal
For almost three decades, Curtis Bedford has been part of the Newark High School community – first as a student, then as a teacher, counselor, baseball coach and finally, principal. However, this week, he left the Delaware Avenue school for the last time in an official capacity. After nine years as principal, Bedford, 43, is leaving for a position in the Christina School District administration.

Newsworks
Delaware legislature ices Wilmington redistricting plan, looks to reexamine next year
Delaware’s state legislature punted on a plan to redraw school district lines in Wilmington, effectively pledging to reexamine the issue next year. On its final day in session, the General Assembly passed a pair of bills that delay action on the redistricting plan until an independent group can study the plan’s fiscal ramifications.

Sussex County Post
Indian River school board: Bireley returns to president’s post
Longtime Indian River School District school board member Charles M. Bireley is back in the president’s chair. At the board of education’s organizational meeting early Friday morning, Mr. Bireley was selected president of the school district’s 10-member decision-making body.

The Milford Beacon
Indian River hires director of business as Miller retires
The Indian River School District is filling an administrative gap by hiring Jan Steele as Director of Business, said district spokesperson David Maul.  Steele is the chief finance officer at Delmar School District. Her start date has yet to be determined, but the decision was made at the June 27 school board meeting.

National

CNN
College grads are getting nearly all the jobs
Of the 11.6 million jobs created after the Great Recession, 8.4 million went to those with at least a bachelor’s degree, according to a new report from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.  Another 3 million went to those with associate’s degrees or some college education.

Education Week
4 lessons that Brexit can offer school reform
Blog post by Rick Hess, resident scholar and director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute
Last week, in a fiercely contested, closely watched referendum, Britain elected to leave the European Union by a 52 to 48 vote. The vote rattled financial markets, shocked experts, and surprised pollsters who had expected a narrow victory for Prime Minister David Cameron’s campaign to stay in the EU. Lots of ink has been spilled on this elsewhere, so I won’t get into any of this. But as I watched the coverage and read the analysis, it did strike me that there are four cautions to pull from the fray that America’s school reformers would do well to heed.

Newsworks
Amid teacher hiring binge, Philly union cries foul
Visit the School District of Philadelphia’s website, and you’ll find three words written in oversized letters: “We Are Hiring.” The banner — and its accompanying videos — are intended to entice newcomers to a district plagued by years of rolling teacher vacancies. For current district art teacher Marianne Evans, it’s a bold reminder that she’s still jobless.

The Tennessean
Tennessee to discuss ESSA plan with stakeholders
The Tennessee Department of Education will seek input from education stakeholders as the state transitions to a new federal education law, according to a department news release Wednesday. States have the opportunity to revisit the assessment of student achievement and school performance, as well as other policies, under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The Washington Post
D.C. Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson to step down, leaving legacy of progress
D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson, who built a national reputation for shepherding a troubled school district through rapid improvements, announced Wednesday that she will step down from her post in the fall. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), who said she did not ask Henderson to resign, immediately tapped John Davis, the school system’s chief of schools, to serve as interim chancellor beginning Oct. 1.