May 4, 2016

Delaware

Cape Gazette
Cape Henlopen High School Wellness Center celebrates 20 years
On April 14, the Wellness Center celebrated its 20th anniversary with an evening of festivities in the Cape Henlopen High School rotunda, cafeteria, and auditorium. For 20 years, the Wellness Center at Cape Henlopen High School has partnered with parents, school nurses, and the students’ primary care physicians to provide free health education, nutritional help and emotional support.

Delaware 105.9
Delaware Lawmakers Eye Shorter Terms for Local School Boards
Delaware lawmakers are considering legislation to shorten the terms of local school board members. The bill, which is to be discussed in the House Education Committee today (Wednesday), changes the term of a school board member from five years to three years.

Delaware Public Media
Brandywine School District town halls seek support for referendum
The Brandywine School District held the third of four town hall meetings before its second referendum vote May 17 Tuesday night at Carrcroft Elementary. The first failed in March after the inclusion of a contentious turf field line item, and some residents complaining about lack of transparency about the district’s budgetary needs.

Middletown Transcript
Three Appoquinimink High School students selected for summer language program in China
Three students from Appoquinimink High School are among the 28 students in the state who have been chosen by the Delaware Department of Education to study in China expense-free this summer. Zachery Kruger, a junior, and sophomores Elijah Hadley and Bright Lu were selected for the program which was made possible by an agreement announced earlier this year by Gov. Jack Markell with the Wanxiang Group, China’s largest auto parts manufacturer.

Rodel Blog
Our 5 favorite moments with the Rodel Teacher Council
Blog post by Jermaine Williams, Culinary Arts Instructor at St. Georges Technical High School and Melissa Grunewald, Dual Certified Elementary Teacher at Phillip C. Showell Elementary School
Applications are now live for the 2016-17 cohort of the Rodel Teacher Council. Being on the RTC offers a tremendous professional development opportunity, and a venue to weigh in on important policy issues—but above that, it provided us with some of the most memorable moments of our careers. Without further ado, here are our five favorite experiences from the Rodel Teacher Council.

Smyrna – Clayton Sun-Times
Smyrna High students earn trip to Washington after winning state contest about U.S. government
Instead of receiving a good grade for excelling in their U.S. history and civics lessons, a group of Smyrna High School students earned a trip to Washington, D.C. Teacher Lindsey Alexitch encouraged the students in her “U.S. Citizenship and Constitution” class to enter the state “We the People” government competition in February.

Sussex Countian
Schools, businesses highlight educators for Teacher Appreciation Week
The spotlight is on teachers across the state during Teacher Appreciation Week. And they aren’t the only ones. Businesses are offering deals only available to educators with a school ID. At the Green Turtle in Dover teachers can eat free for a meal valued up to $12. Chipotle in Dover is offering a buy one, get second one free deal, also with photo ID.

The News Journal
Teachers union needs to get behind HB 350
Editorial
We often use this space to decry a lack of progress in Delaware. Today, we’re happy to report, is an exception. As reporter Matthew Albright reported on Tuesday, a bill supported by high-ranking General Assembly members would give state regulators more power to revoke or suspend teacher licenses and make those sanctions more transparent. The bill also would also beef up the state Department of Education’s powers to investigate and remove licenses when allegations surface.

More seniors need to be like Malia Obama
Opinion by Jeffrey J. Selingo, author of “There Is Life After College,” and the best-selling “College (Un)Bound“
Sunday’s announcement from the White House that Malia Obama would take a gap year before starting at Harvard University in the fall of 2017 drew swift reactions on social media-a mix of support, ridicule for delaying adulthood, and some envy that the idea of taking a break before college is too often reserved for the wealthy.

WDEL
Harvard researcher: Opportunity gap grows as child’s success depends on parents’ socioeconomic status
“Rich dumb kids are more likely to get a college degree than smart poor kids,” said Harvard public policy professor Robert Putnam. In his book, “Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis,” Putnam examined the growing opportunity gap. He said in today’s society hard work and talent matter far less than a child’s socioeconomic status.

National

Chalkbeat
Tennessee fires TNReady testmaker, suspends tests for grades 3-8
The Tennessee Department of Education has terminated its contract with the developer of the state’s new standardized test and suspended testing for students in grades 3-8 this school year due to the company’s inability to deliver testing materials, Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced Wednesday.

Education Week
Sticker shock? Figuring out the cost of potential ESSA spending rules
So you may have read that a team of negotiators hashing out regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act did not reach an agreement about “supplement-not-supplant” language. That’s shorthand for the requirement that federal aid to low-income students supplement, and not take the place of, state and local money.

Governing
Free community college gets financial aid from white house
In his State of the Union address last year, President Obama called for free tuition for community college students nationwide. The idea has gone nowhere in Congress. But free tuition plans have since sprung up in about two dozen states and localities — and some of them will soon get their own financial aid package.

The Hechinger Report
How do Mississippi charters work and are they “private?”
In an interview with the Jackson Free Press, Mississippi Association of Educators President Joyce Helmick, an educator from DeSoto County, called charter schools “private charter schools.” Helmick believes charter schools are “businesses getting taxpayers’ money” that aren’t subject to the same operational regulations as traditional public schools.

The Washington Post
Detroit schools back in session after promise teachers will be paid
Detroit Public Schools reopened Wednesday, welcoming tens of thousands of students back to their classrooms after two days of widespread closures due to teacher sickouts over pay. At a membership meeting of the Detroit Federation of Teachers late Tuesday, union leaders urged teachers to return to work.