May 11, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
School board elections are Tuesday
Voters up and down Delaware will elect school board members on Tuesday. Twenty-four seats are open across all 16 school districts.
Are leaders’ kids in public schools?
Letter to the editor by Donna Dekay, Wilmington
The politicians in charge of these edicts – do their children attend public schools or are they sheltered from the chaos by attending private schools?
More help needed for English learners
The need for increased awareness of English as a Second Language resources in Delaware is critical. Delaware is among the Top 10 states experiencing growth in English Language Learners, with an increased enrollment from 2,081 students in 2000-01 to 6,858 students in 2010-11 in state-sponsored ESL programs for a growth rate of 230 percent.
Delaware State News
Bill would raise the bar for Education chief nominees
Senate Bill 72, raises the qualifications for the secretary of Education. Although the main sponsor said the proposal is not connected to the current secretary’s performance, the bill would increase restrictions on who can be nominated, and it shares six co-sponsors with the opt-out bill.
National News
Education Week
New read-aloud strategies transform story time
Under the common core, teachers use new questioning techniques to help the youngest students learn to draw evidence from what they read.
In surprise move, teacher ed. accreditation group ousts president
Blog post by Stephen Sawchuk
The board of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, now the sole national accreditor of teacher-preparation programs, made an unexpected move May 7 to replace the group’s founding president, James G. Cibulka.
‘Opt-out’ push gains traction amid Common-Core testing
The push by activists of various stripes to have parents opt students out of state exams this spring has transformed skepticism and long-running anger over the direction of education policy into a movement with numbers and a growing public profile. Whether those activists can craft a durable and effective political movement remains an open question.
Los Angeles Times
LAUSD college prep rule puts nearly 75% of 10th graders’ diplomas at risk
L.A. Unified School District Supt. Ramon C. Cortines has suggested reconsidering stringent requirements that were approved a decade ago to better prepare students for college.
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Teachers Union files labor complaint against school board
The Chicago Teachers Union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint accusing the city’s school board of bad-faith bargaining and refusing to engage in mediation toward a new contract.
The Dallas Morning News
Senate votes to create special district for low-performing Texas schools
Public schools in Texas that perform poorly for two years could be placed in a special statewide school district to help them improve under legislation the Senate approved Thursday.