March 8, 2016

Delaware

Cape Gazette
Cape presents referendum plans at H.O. Brittingham
Turnout has been sparse at the first two community meetings for Cape Henlopen’s upcoming elementary school referendum. On March 2, district officials held their second presentation at H.O. Brittingham Elementary – the school slated to be replaced first if voters approve a March 23 referendum. Five people attended the event; seven attended the presentation a week earlier at Rehoboth Elementary. Rehoboth resident Mark Hare questioned the flashy design of the new elementary, which includes an airy entrance with raised ceiling, fancy light fixtures and trim, with plenty of natural light.

The Dover Post
William Henry students gain STEAM with ‘Jungle Book’
Isaiah Potter is a junior scientist. When he was younger his mother used to call him the human calculator. For the past six months the William Henry Middle School student has been helping with the school’s March 10 production of “The Jungle Book.” Potter, 11, plays monkey leader King Louie. But his part doesn’t end with the script. Using his math and science skills, he’s been measuring the length and width of bridges, thrones and other props. “We have to measure and add things,” Potter said.

The News Journal
Christina School District takes third try at referendum
Christina School District is trying for a third time to convince voters to allow it to raise taxes. Two other districts, Brandywine and Cape Henlopen, are seeking increases through referendums this month. But Christina is doing so after its last two tries were rejected by voters. In the March 23 referendum, the district is asking for an increase of 30 cents per $100 of assessed value – about 20 percent less than what it asked for last spring. The district expects that, if voters approve, it will bring in over $16 million.

The Review
University improving STEM minority issue
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is making strides toward a more diverse STEM workforce and the University of Delaware is heading in the same direction.  Last week, the NSF launched a new initiative called NSF INCLUDES, which stands for Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoveries in Engineering and Science. The initiative focuses on broadening participation to underrepresented communities, which include women, people of color and people with disabilities.

UDaily
Research, teaching, learning
The University of Delaware has joined the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL)’s international network of top research universities dedicated to advancing the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in higher education through future faculty professional development work with Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral fellows. “It is an honor to welcome such a distinguished institution as the University of Delaware to our network,” said Robert Mathieu, director of CIRTL, which was established at the University of Wisconsin in 2003 with support from the National Science Foundation.

WDEL
Rep. Williams questions whether Delaware State Board of Education needs to exist
Should Delaware get rid of the Delaware State Board of Education? That’s a question one Democratic state legislator is considering. “It was chaos.” That’s how State Rep. Kim Williams (D-Newport) described the last two Delaware State Board of Education meetings, which were more crowded than usual due to scheduled votes on the controversial Wilmington Education Improvement Commission’s plan. “She’s entitled to her opinion, of course,” said Donna Johnson, Executive Director of the Delaware State Board of Education. “In terms of chaos, I don’t believe that our board has acted–in any way–that has been chaotic.”

National

E-School News
States assess their readiness for digital learning
When Ray Timothy, executive director of the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, saw the results of a new statewide inventory of technology deployed across all 989 Utah public schools, one figure jumped out at him in particular. It was the 100-percent response rate from the survey. “We knew most districts and schools would respond, but a 100-percent response rate shows that technology is a high priority for education leaders throughout the state,” he said.

MPR News
Auditor: Minnesota teacher licensing system ‘broken’
Teacher licensing in Minnesota is “confusing,” “broken” and in need of an overhaul, the Office of Legislative Auditor said Friday. The system’s problems are partly to blame for the state’s teacher shortage, and the fact that the work is split between the Minnesota Board of Teaching and Minnesota Department of Education makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable for decisions, according to the auditor’s report.

NPR
There is no FDA for education. Maybe there should be.
Has American education research mostly languished in an echo chamber for much of the last half century? Harvard’s Thomas Kane thinks so. Why have the medical and pharmaceutical industries and Silicon Valley all created clear paths to turn top research into game-changing innovations, he asks, while education research mostly remains trapped in glossy journals? Kane, a professor of education at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, points out that there is no effective educational equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration, where medical research is rigorously vetted and translated into solutions.

Sun Herald
House passes bill to take over failing school districts
A plan for a new statewide school district to take control of faltering local districts passed the Mississippi House on Thursday. The measure would create a new achievement school district, with seven board members to be appointed by the state Board of Education, to take over any of Mississippi’s 144 school districts that get academic ratings of F for two straight years. The bill, passed by a vote of 82-38, remains in flux, with its sponsor, Rep. Charles Busby, R-Pascagoula, agreeing to significant changes between when the bill passed out of committee and Thursday.

WMDT
MSEA kicks off first-ever “Week of Action”
Groups of Maryland educators have kicked off the first-ever Week of Action with the goal of fighting for less standardized testing in public schools. Several bills are reportedly being discussed in the state’s General Assembly right now. One shoots to limit mandated testing to two percent of instruction time. Another bill would change the kindergarten readiness assessment to a sampling test. The Maryland State Education Association is urging supporters to take part in events all week.