May 13, 2015
Delaware News
The News Journal
School board elections: Most incumbents keep seats
Like most years, turnout was tiny, and most incumbents kept their seats in school board elections up and down Delaware on Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the county Departments of Elections.
School libraries are not luxuries
Letter to the Editor by Stephanie Geffert, Newark
We live in a very diverse digital age and without specialized training from school librarians our students will miss out on essential skills that are needed in a global society.
Newsworks
Changing of guard at University of Delaware board meeting
Tuesday’s meeting of the University of Delaware Board of Trustees marked the last such occasion for president Patrick Harker and board chair A. Gilchrist Sparks III.
WDEL
Bill would elect Sussex Tech school board instead of appoint
Some state House Republicans want the Sussex Technical School District board to be elected rather than appointed, and they introduced a bill to make the change.
Delaware high schools could use some work, according to new school rankings report
Delaware did not fare so well in U.S. News and World Report rankings of high school nationwide that were released Tuesday.
National News
Chalkbeat Colorado
Specifics vary widely as ‘competency-based’ learning gains steam
At least 40 states have one or more districts implementing competency education, and that number is growing. But not all programs are created equal.
A few common sense reasons not to opt out of tests
As a Colorado educator with more than 12 years of experience teaching, I must challenge parents to consider what opting out truly means for our state’s schools and students.
Education Week
New school leaders’ standards emphasize instruction, culture and managing talent
Blog post by Denisa R. Superville
New professional standards for school leaders—released Monday by the Council of Chief State School Officers—emphasize instruction, culture, and supporting and grooming leaders in schools. The standards, known as the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium standards, are used as the basis for many school leader preparation programs, licensing, professional development, evaluations, and in decisions about hiring and retention. They apply to all school leaders, including principals, teacher-leaders, and superintendents.
Graduation rates on track, but gaps persist
Blog post by Jessica Brown
The on-time high school graduation rate in the United States reached a record high of 81.4 percent in 2013 and is on track to reach 90 percent by 2020, according to a new report released Tuesday by the GradNation campaign. This is the third year in a row that the rate has remained on track to meet that 2020 goal. But challenges still exist including wide graduation gaps between low-income and minority students and their more-advantaged peers.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
New opt-out bill is latest turn in debate on state testing
Wisconsin school districts would have to more explicitly inform parents of the rights they’ve always had to opt their children out of state-mandated tests, under a new Assembly bill.
Governing
New Hampshire governor vetoes Common Core ban
Citing the state’s economic competitiveness, Gov. Maggie Hassan vetoed a bill that would prohibit the Department of Education or the state Board of Education from implementing Common Core standards in any school in the state.
Bangor Daily News
Testing opt-out movement, Common Core pushback hit Maine legislature
Students, teachers and Common Core opponents on Monday lashed out against the state’s new standardized tests, and they called on lawmakers to eliminate the tests, the standards or both and start fresh.