June 30, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
UD gets grant to help low-income kids attend
Up to 150 students from low-income families could attend the University of Delaware without racking up student debt thanks to a $3 million grant from the Give Something Back Foundation.
Kids weld, saw and hammer in construction camp
One room had a virtual welding machine, in which kids competed to rack up the highest score based on the job they did. In yet another, they donned real masks and welded real pieces of metal, sparks flying. These are some of the construction jobs about 75 middle school students got to try during “Build Your Future,” a construction camp hosted by the New Castle County Vo-Tech School District.
Newsworks
A parting gift for University of Delaware’s Harker
During a morning event at the Perkins Student Center on UD’s campus, Harker presided over his last press conference, posed for his last photo op, and helped announce the last major gift of his tenure–a $3 million donation designed to help low income students finish college.
Delaware’s opt-out challenge
Commentary by John Watson
Needless to say, the parents and teachers are good fighters in such cases, saying Delaware is “test obsessed” and is unfair in using test scores to label and punish teachers and schools – the bill was agreed upon.
Technical.ly Delaware
Junior Achievement Finance Park students get new digital curriculum
Wilmington middle and high school students enrolled in the Junior Achievement Finance Park program now have the tools they need to further accelerate their finance educations. Thanks to a grant from Capital One, the students now have access to a redeveloped digital curriculum and custom software.
Cape Gazette
Addressing capital needs of Delaware’s community college system
The backlog of deferred maintenance on Delaware Tech’s 40-plus buildings has grown to a staggering $85 million. In just five years, 50 percent of our facilities will be more than 40 years old, and construction projects that would further support the needs of local business and connect Delawareans with jobs are on hold.
National News
Education Dive
FCC’s Rosenworcel: Students need broadband at home, too
Averting the ‘homework gap’ is critical to ensuring equity, says FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. That’s also why the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program, which has seen its focus adjusted from school and library telephone connections to broadband and WiFi, exists.
The Kansas City Star
Gov. Jay Nixon vetoes Missouri student transfer bill, blocking charter and virtual school expansion
Nixon rejected House Bill 42, which went far beyond the transfer law and proposed expanding opportunities for public charter schools and virtual schools throughout Jackson and St. Louis counties.
Education Week
North Carolina teacher quality tracked in new dashboard
Blog post by Benjamin Herold
The University of North Carolina unveiled this week a new “Educator Quality Dashboard,” part of a comprehensive effort by the 17-campus public system to improve teacher preparation in the state. The interactive online tool includes information on everything from prospective K-12 teachers’ enrollment in colleges of education to retention and job placement rates, all searchable by institution, academic content area, and more.
U.S. News & World Report
The U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index Shows Gender and Racial Gaps Widening in STEM Fields
Multi-million dollar initiatives by both the public and the private sectors have failed to close gender and racial gaps in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, according to the second-annual U.S. News/Raytheon STEM Index
The Hechinger Report
Blended learning emerges as a leading trend in education technology, report says
The use of blended learning in schools has increased the adoption of educational technology as the public has grown fond of online learning, according to a new report.