July 18, 2017

Delaware News

Delaware Public Media
State Police backpack drive underway
While school may be the furthest thing from a kids mind during summer vacation, Delaware State Police are starting to take in donated supplies for students in need starting now. “Operation Troopers Have Your BACKpack” is in its third year, with state police collecting all kinds of supplies for kids in elementary school.

Office of the Governor
Governor Carney, Chief Information Officer announce innovative cybersecurity partnership for students
Governor John Carney announced on Friday a new, innovative cybersecurity training partnership between the SANS Institute and the State of Delaware that provides Delaware high school juniors and seniors at least 16 years old, and college students interested in a cybersecurity career, the opportunity to learn basic cybersecurity skills and test their aptitude through a no-cost online game of discovery called CyberStart.

Rodel Blog
Resilience film screening: Recap
Blog post by Neil Kirschling, senior program officer at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Last week, about 100 people gathered in Theatre N for a screening of the film “Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope” and panel discussion among local experts. If you weren’t one of the lucky 100, here’s a summary of the event, themes from the conversation, and ways to get involved.

The News Journal
75 schools selected for fresh fruit and veggies program
Starting this fall, 75 of Delaware’s elementary schools will receive funding to buy fresh fruit and vegetables for students who may not get them at home. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Schools are selected by the Delaware Department of Education with priority given to those with large numbers of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

National News

KBJA
When school can’t offer physics, rural students head online
Schools in rural school districts often don’t have the budget or the teachers to offer students all of the courses they would like to take. One rural district in a Missouri county decided to offer credit for online classes in an effort to give its students the educational opportunities it can’t otherwise afford. In Jefferson County in eastern Missouri, the high school, middle school and elementary school that make up the Grandview R-II School District all occupy the same campus.

KCUR 89.3
Kansas districts add math course to ease transition from high school
new math class being piloted by dozens of high schools across Kansas seeks to save students stress, time, and money when they reach college. Currently, about one-third of students who continue to two- and four-year colleges in Kansas don’t score high enough on placement tests to enroll directly in college algebra, a class most need in order to graduate. Instead, they work their way up through remedial classes, a process that can take multiple semesters.

The Atlantic
Why Americans think so poorly of the country’s schools
Each year, parents responding to the Phi Delta Kappan poll report high levels of satisfaction with their kids’ education. Asked to assign letter grades to their children’s schools, the vast majority of parents—generally around 70 percent—issue As and Bs. If those ratings were compiled the way a student’s grade point average is calculated, the public schools would collectively get a B. When asked to rate the nation’s schools, however, respondents are far less sanguine.

The Denver Post
Colorado educators plan protest against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
Members of the Colorado Education Association along with public education and labor supporters plan a Wednesday protest of the Denver appearance of controversial U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos this week. DeVos is scheduled to speak Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council at the Hyatt Regency Denver. Critics say both DeVos and the American Legislative Exchange Council support the privatization of public schools.

WSKG News
State Education Commissioner addresses New York’s educators, administrators
New York’s Education Commissioner told a gathering of school, district, and BOCES administrators that while the state has made progress in areas like curriculum and assessments, much more work remains to be done. MaryEllen Elia recapped some of the accomplishments of the state education department during her two-year tenure. That includes a plan under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA.