July 11, 2014

Local News

The News Journal
Cape Henlopen to discuss book pulled from list
Several Cape Henlopen School Board members indicated a willingness to reconsider their vote last month to remove a young adult novel from a freshman summer reading list at a Thursday meeting where librarians and a parent criticized them for it.

Goldey-Beacom names board chairman
John J. Patterson III has been elected to serve as the chairman of the board of trustees at Goldey-Beacom College. Patterson is chief financial officer for the Union Park Automotive Group. He has been with the company since 1988. He also serves on the board of Padua Academy.

Colonial board deserves credit for superintendent pick
A letter to the editor by Monroe Gerhart, Masters of School Leadership Chair, Wilmington University
In recent years, the board has made a commitment to involving staff, parents and community in important district decisions. There have been other examples of the district’s commitment to collaborative decision-making. The school board members deserve recognition and congratulations for seeking input prior to making important decisions.

Dover Post
Caesar Rodney school board reduces tax rate, reorganizes
The Caesar Rodney school board voted in a special meeting on Tuesday to reduce the district’s minor capital tax rate, which is used to fund small building projects in hopes of sustain the lifespan of buildings, by one cent. In addition to adjusting the tax rate the board swore in Jessica Marelli, who was elected to Kathleen Haynes’s seat on the board during a May election after Haynes chose not to seek re-election. Board member William Bush was unanimously approved as the board’s new president and board member Melody Heavner was elected as vice president.

National News

Chronicle of Higher Education
In passing 3 bills, House Panel takes first step to renew Higher Education Act
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives’ education committee took the first step toward renewing the nation’s chief higher-education law, approving a trio of bipartisan bills that would promote competency-based education, expand financial counseling for student-loan borrowers and streamline the information the government provides to prospective students.

eSchool News
Flipped learning skyrockets across the nation
A growing body of research in support of flipped instruction has led to increased popularity and excitement among teachers for the learning model. A recent study shows that 78 percent of teachers now have flipped a lesson compared with 48 percent two years ago.

New Jersey On-Line
NJ State Board of Education adopts new curriculum standards
New curriculum standards for subjects such as social studies, science and physical education were approved by the New Jersey State Board of Education. The board also reaffirmed its support for Common Core State Standards in math and language arts.

The Hechinger Report
Is the body the next breakthrough in education tech?
Researchers are reviewing the effectiveness of “embodied cognition,” a method that combines movement and learning to help students understand abstract concepts. Some learning programs apply the principle to educational technology, combining computers and movement.

Education Week
Without the Common Core in Oklahoma
A commentary by Valeria Hughes, Curriculum Specialist, Ponca City, Oklahoma
As far as I can tell, Oklahoma educators could possibly have no standards by which to teach when we return to school next month. As an elementary school teacher, my concern is about getting the best standards in front of my students. And for this reason, I am dismayed by the loss of the common-core writing standards.

Washington Post
Connecting school spending and student achievement
A report released by the Center for American Progress looks at how much “bang for the buck” taxpayers are getting from public schools. Schools in high-poverty neighborhoods are more than twice as likely to be among the least-productive school districts, according to the report, even when adjustments are made for the higher cost of educating low-income students as well as those with special needs or English language learners.