May 30, 2014
Local News
Dover Post
Gov. Markell, Spanish Ambassador renew language immersion agreement
Gov. Jack Markell and Spanish Ambassador Ramón Gil-Casares signed a tribute at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center on Tuesday that reaffirms an educational partnership between Spain and Delaware. Xavier Gisbert, Spain’s Counselor of Education for the United States and Canada, and Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Murphy also signed an agreement that renews an agreement that allows Spanish teachers to teach Spanish in Delaware schools.
SunGard K-12 Education
SunGard K-12 Education celebrates Delaware’s recognition for effective data use in education
A press release
SunGard K-12 Education, a leading K-12 administrative software and technology services company, celebrated Delaware Department of Education’s national recognition for effective data use. At the event, which was held at South Dover Elementary in Dover, Del., the company announced the creation of a grant program to benefit Delaware school districts.
National News
Missoulian
Montana Gov. Bullock draws attention to preK
Every Montana child should have access to a pre-kindergarten program, and Gov. Steve Bullock wants a program in place by September 2015.
Education Week
Increases linked to better outcomes for poor students
In districts that substantially increased their spending as the result of court-ordered changes in school finance, low-income children were significantly more likely to graduate from high school, earn livable wages and avoid poverty in adulthood.
Snapshots gauge states on whole-child indicators
Educators and policymakers should be mindful of the noncognitive factors that affect a student’s learning and of the nonacademic results that can stem from effective policy. To promote awareness of those inputs and outputs, ASCD, the Alexandria, Va.-based professional association, released its state-by-state snapshots that show a variety of “whole child” data and policy recommendations.
Boston, Baltimore move to build ed-tech hubs
Baltimore and Boston are cities with their own distinct economic identities, but more recently they’ve shared an economic-development strategy: Both have organizations working aggressively to establish their metro regions as hubs for educational technology companies and startups.
Contentious battle brews for California’s K12 chief
The two leading candidates for California’s top K-12 spot in the June 3 primary both identify as Democrats in a technically non-partisan race. But the campaign between incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson and challenger Marshall Tuck has each camp slamming the other’s candidate as a creature of competing education power blocs.
Caspar Star-Tribune
Wyoming wants relief from No Child Left Behind
The Wyoming Department of Education plans to ask for relief from one element of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, the agency said.