March 29, 2017
Delaware News
The News Journal
Delaware bill pushes changes to charter school rules
Lawmakers are considering changes to charter school enrollment preferences and the school choice process. It is an issue that previously has been fraught with emotional debate between supporters of charters and traditional schools, but the two sides are trying to work out some compromises this legislative session. “I think it’s much better when we can come together and work things out instead of just fighting,” said Rep. Kim Williams, D-Newport.
How to improve Delaware’s school accountability plan
Michael J. Petrilli and Brandon L. Wright are president and editorial director, respectively, of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Delaware’s proposed plan to hold schools accountable for student outcomes does a lot of things right, but it doesn’t do all it could to meet the educational needs of high achievers, especially those growing up in poverty. The proposal, which is part of the state’s obligations under the new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), suffers from the legacy of its predecessor, No Child Left Behind.
WDEL
Massive Mars map has Christina students considering space exploration careers
Advanced Academics teacher Julia Dooley attended the Honeywell Educator Space Academy last summer in an astronaut training facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Through that, she connected with the Buzz Aldrin ShareSpace Foundation to bring the giant Mars map to her school. “My students, right now, are driving rovers on Mars, so they’ve had to calibrate their rovers and choose the speed and targets that they want to go and visit,” said Dooley.
Delaware State News
Career and college fair at Caesar Rodney High Wednesday
A career and college fair open to all students will play host to almost 100 industry representatives Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Caesar Rodney High School. The fair was originally set for March 15, but was rescheduled for March 29 because of a winter storm. The second annual Riders Career and College Fair will feature college, university, technical school, adult education, trade union and apprenticeship representatives. Military recruiters will also be on site.
Sussex County Post
IRSD students’ suggestion: Reject suggested non-athletic extra-pay cuts
Indian River School District officials are wrestling with budget cuts. Proposed reductions in athletics in comparison to non-athletic endeavors are not on a level playing field. So say Indian River School District students with passions for performing arts and FFA who believe proposed non-athletic extra-pay cuts are unfair and would impact instructors, music/band directors, advisors and programs.
National News
EdSurge
Can SEL support personalized learning? How one Chicago school is finding out
Change has proven rewarding at CICS West Belden, a high-performing K-8 charter school in Chicago, which recently shifted to a personalized learning model. Through the use of learner profiles and online programs, teachers are better able to tailor instruction to each student’s needs. But those outcomes have not been without challenges, and the adjustment wasn’t easy for everyone.
Education Week
School closures: What do they mean for students and communities?
Under both the No Child Left Behind Act’s school improvement sanctions and the Obama-era school improvement grants, school closure has been promoted as a key way to move students to a better education. But new research suggests it may leave some students and communities in the lurch. In the decade from 2003-04 to 2013-14, about 2 percent of public schools nationwide closed, turning out about 200,000 students, according to a new study of school closures by the Urban Institute.
Real Clear Education
Colorado’s ESSA plan gets high marks
Thanks to an inclusive and well-designed approach, Colorado is among a small group of states that will meet an April 3 deadline to submit plans to implement new federal education legislation. Participants and outside observers have praised the state for its ability to involve a wide swath of stakeholders in drafting its plan to implement the Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA), the successor to No Child Left Behind.
The 74 Million
Whitmire: Charter leaders saw too much damage to students (and their own future) to embrace Trump’s budget
A once-slight schism between the school-reform-minded Trump administration and actual school reformers widened Tuesday with an op-ed published in USA Today penned by some of the nation’s top charter school leaders. Their charter schools, which enroll nearly a quarter million students around the country, stand to benefit from the Trump budget, which increases charter school investments by $168 million. These charter leaders should be elated — but they’re not.
McClatchy DC Bureau
More North Dakota parents opting for private schools
More parents in North Dakota are opting for private schools and home schooling as the debate regarding school choice has grown into a national conversation. North Dakota has no charter schools and few online schools, but recent data shows more parents are already choosing an alternative education for their children, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Of the 178 public school districts in the state, in 2016, 119 public school districts reported children who are home-schooled — a total of 2,345 students, according to data from the Department of Public Instruction.