March 23, 2017
Delaware News
Cape Gazette
Milton Elementary holds Health Fair
Milton Elementary School held its 11th Annual Health Fair March 10. Over 40 health-related vendors were on hand promoting their services and sharing health information. Games and activities were held in the gym where student could win tickets which were then exchanged for prizes. Volunteers from Cape Henlopen High School JROTC, Cape Leo Club, Cape Henlopen High School Honor Society and students from Sussex Academy all helped out with various activities at the Health Fair.
Delaware 105.9
Indian River School Board considering sport budget cuts
Despite passing a referendum earlier this month, a proposal was made at Tuesday’s Indian River Board of Education special meeting to reduce money to athletic programs. On March 2, district residents passed a $7.35 million referendum increase, with the monies earmarked to counteract student enrollment growth, safety, and student services.
Delaware Public Media
Christina continues review of policy to protect undocumented students
The Christina School Board is taking a hard look at a policy designed to protect undocumented students. They voted Tuesday to continue review of a policy making the district a “safe haven” for undocumented students. But the policy includes more specific language than the resolution the board considered – and voted not to approve – last month.
Smyrna-Clayton Sun-Times
Smyrna, Milford teachers attend national education seminar
Teachers Jay Davis from Smyrna High School and Chris Stahl from Milford High School were selected by the Delaware Association of AgriScience Educators to attend the 2017 National Policy Seminar, sponsored by the Association for Career & Technical Education. The seminar was held March 13-15 in Arlington, Virginia.
Sussex County Post
Fun playground for all ‘stems’ from collaboration, unity and Schell support
New equipment and design that would provide playground fun for all students including those with physical and mental challenges may be on the grounds of Georgetown Elementary School before the current school year ends. No taxpayer dollars are directly involved in this multi-pronged project, which stems from an occupational therapist’s heart-felt concern, collaboration of Georgetown Elementary staff with the STEM at Indian River High School — and another philanthropy gesture from Schell Brothers.
The News Journal
Delaware schools plan includes 5-star rating system
Delaware’s new education plan, drafted in compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, will give state and local districts more flexibility when it comes to accountability and funding, the Department of Education said Wednesday. It also gets rid of so-called “priority” and “focus” schools and proposes to rate schools on a “five-star” system. The Every Student Succeeds Act passed in December 2015 and governs K-12 public education policy.
Christina finalizes contract with new superintendent
Christina School District finalized a contract with its new superintendent Tuesday, clearing the way for him to take the reins on April 18. Richard L. Gregg, formerly assistant superintendent of the Penn-Delco School District in Aston, Pennsylvania, will be paid $180,000, with an increase of 2.25 percent a year. His contract is for a little over a year, through June 2018, and he will receive state benefits and a $400 monthly vehicle allowance.
Rodel Blog
Legislative hall pass: Compulsory ed law aims to curb dropouts
Blog post by Neil Kirschling, program officer at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Discouraging drop-outs is a hot topic in Delaware this year, and one way that policymakers are seeking to accomplish this is by amending the state’s compulsory education law—the law that defines the age range in which a student is required to attend school or some other equivalent education program.
Can personalized learning defray the cost of special education
Blog post by Rachel Wiggans Chan, senior program officer at the Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Special education costs nearly twice as much as regular classroom education, but early intervention can decrease special education costs by 40 percent. Scrapping the one-size-fits-all education system we have today and replacing it with an individualized approach may be just what’s needed to meet every students’ needs and maximize student success.
National News
Education Week
Fifty education groups tell congress: Reject the GOP health care bill
Some fifty education groups are urging lawmakers to vote against the American Health Care Act, better known as the GOP alternative to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare to the haters. The reason? The bill, which is being pushed by both President Donald Trump and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., the speaker of the House, would make changes to the way that Medicaid is funded.
Real Clear Education
The case against cutting off our teacher talent pipeline
President Trump’s budget proposes massive spending cuts to critical—but often overlooked—funding for the preparation, training and recruitment of high-quality teachers. Title IIa of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, funded at over $2 billion for the last 15 years, including upwards of $2.9 billion under the Bush-era No Child Left Behind Act, would be cut to nothing. To put the cuts in perspective, consider this: The cost of replacing and retraining workers for any business is high.
The 74 Million
In pitching school chiefs on ESSA plans, 2 Congressmen see wildly different futures for U.S. education
The decline of bipartisan geniality in K-12 education policy debate following the Every Student Succeeds Act continued to implode Tuesday, as two congressmen gave wildly different, often contradictory speeches to the nation’s top education leaders. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander and Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott addressed the Council of Chief State School Officers, detailing starkly different visions of the post-ESSA reality.
The Washington Post
Supreme Court sets higher bar for education of students with disabilities
The Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously raised the bar for the educational benefits owed to millions of children with disabilities in one of the most significant special-education cases to reach the high court in decades. The opinion rejected a lower standard set by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit and used in a subsequent case by President Trump’s nominee to the high court, Neil Gorsuch, during his tenure on the appeals court.