May 8, 2014
Local News
Wall Street Journal
Mixed report for Race to the Top education grants
In Delaware, part of the $100 million it won under Race to the Top was used to transform low-achieving schools such as Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington. Officials extended the school day to double up on math and reading for 9th and 10th graders and gave teachers time to meet weekly to chat about curriculum and student progress. “It’s given us time—so rare in schools—to collaborate on lessons and think more deeply about what our students need,” said Paul Ramirez, who teaches 10th-grade English.
The News Journal
Charter school bill heads to Senate
The Delaware State Board of Education can study more closely the impact charter schools have on surrounding districts and impose conditions on them under legislation sent to the full Senate on Wednesday. The legislation, embraced by lawmakers and education groups as it cleared the Senate Education Committee, replaced a more controversial bill that allowed board officials to reject new charters based on the impact they would have on existing schools.
A thank you to the teachers we owe so much to
An op-ed by Frederika Jenner, President of the Delaware State Education Association
I want to take this opportunity to extend a personal and professional thank you to all educators for the work they do each and every day on behalf of Delaware children and their families. Monday was the first day of Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s nice to have a week set aside to recognize and celebrate the contributions of teachers.
Delaware State News
Senate panel debates electing Sussex Tech school board members
Members of the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday argued the merits — and disadvantages — of allowing voters to elect members to the Sussex Technical School District board. Those in favor of legislation that would establish an elected board said it would be more accountable to the children and the taxpayers; those opposed said an elected board would only inject politics and special interest agendas.
National News
Associated Press
No improvement for nation’s high school seniors
Only about one-quarter of U.S. high school seniors performed solidly in math on National Assessment of Educational Progress test, reinforcing concerns that large numbers of students are unprepared for college or the workplace.
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio colleges receive grants for workforce development
Three universities and nine community colleges in Ohio have received a total of $3 million in grants to expand and develop new workforce development education and training programs.
Education Week
State political rifts sap support for Common Core tests
While nearly every state that adopted the Common Core State Standards appears to be sticking with that commitment, political pressure is fragmenting the environment for tests aligned with the common core and the two federally funded assessment consortia producing them. The most recent tally shows that 13 states do not belong to either the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. At the peak in 2010, PARCC claimed the membership of 26 states, and Smarter Balanced had 31. Currently, 16 states and the District of Columbia are sticking with PARCC, and 22 are in Smarter Balanced.
US News & World Report
Poll: Republican views not so clear-cut
Supporting or rejecting the Common Core State Standards might not be the political litmus test it’s been portrayed to be for Republican candidates, according to a poll.
WTVD
N.C. Governor McCrory pushes for teacher raises
Gov. Pat McCrory introduced the “Career Pathways for Teachers” framework, which comes as a follow up to an announcement that he would work to increase the base pay for North Carolina teachers to $35,000.