May 18, 2017

Delaware News

WDEL
Gov. Carney addresses concerns over state funding cuts to schools
As Delaware school districts go about the unpleasant task of notifying personnel about potential layoffs, Governor Carney says discussions on the future of state funding are continuing. The Governor has proposed an equal mix of spending cuts and revenue creation as the state tries to solve a $400-million budget gap before the new fiscal year begins July 1st.

The News Journal
School choice will lift up black community
Opinion by T. Willard Fair, president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc.
I was in high school when Brown v. Board of Education was decided 63 years ago. That makes me an old man, one who was at the forefront of the civil rights movement during its most tumultuous days. I took the fight for equality to South Florida, joining the Miami Urban League in 1963 and becoming its CEO at the age of 24. There I met Martin Luther King, Jr., and from that inspiration took on a power structure that through practice, if not written policy, dictated what black people were and were not allowed to do.

Delaware State News
A celebration of bicycling: DHS students leave lasting legacy with library bike rack
Three dozen or so cyclists who gathered in front of the Dover Public Library were only there briefly to celebrate the city’s fifth annual Bike to Work Day on Wednesday morning. However, Dover High School senior Andrew Glasser and several of his classmates were there for a different reason — to leave a permanent imprint in the form of a new, fancy bike rack in front of the facility at 35 Loockerman Plaza.

Smyrna School District promotes top chief, assistant
In terms of school district leadership, more of the same isn’t always a bad thing. Smyrna School District’s newly selected superintendent, Patrik Williams, seems more than happy to pick up the reins from outgoing superintendent, Deborah Wicks, and maintain the status quo. “She is the best superintendent I’ve ever known. I don’t think that’s a secret to anyone,” said Mr. Williams. “She has a perfect blend of compassion and firmness of purpose. She’s been a great leader with a great vision.

Town Square Delaware
Delaware high school celebrates global day of design
Students at Delaware Design-Lab High School put their creative thinking into action last week when they transformed the halls, classrooms, and common areas of their own school into an inspiring, student-friendly place to learn. Four-hundred and fifty schools from around the world participated in the Global Day of Design, challenging their students to use the design thinking process to turn their school environment into something very different.

National News

The Washington Post
Trump’s first full education budget: Deep cuts to public school programs in pursuit of school choice
Funding for college work-study programs would be cut in half, public-service loan forgiveness would end and hundreds of millions of dollars that public schools could use for mental health, advanced coursework and other services would vanish under a Trump administration plan to cut $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives, according to budget documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Education Week
School infrastructure spending plan introduced by House Democrats
Legislation that would direct more than $100 billion into building and upgrading school infrastructure around the country was introduced Wednesday by Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., the House education committee’s top Democrat. The Rebuild America’s Schools Act of 2017 would be tailored for schools in high-poverty areas, and would direct money to high-speed broadband internet as well as school construction.

Education Dive
Rural districts band together to promote innovation across schools
Calvin Baker, the superintendent of Arizona’s Vail School District, was running with a colleague from a neighboring district one day, and sharing how his staff had taken binders full of curriculum calendars and instructional strategies and put them into a digital format. This was so the district’s 19 schools — spread over 425 square miles — could have easier access to the materials.

The Hechinger Report
The highs and lows of Betsy DeVos’ first 100 days
Hello everyone! May 17th marks Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ 100th day on the job. The 100-day milestone, for better or for worse, has become a media favorite to gauge any new presidential administration. Since we’re keeping an eye on what’s happening (and not happening) at the Department of Education, I figured this was as good a time as any to check on what DeVos has done so far.