November 15, 2016
Delaware News
Cape Gazette
Indian River asks voters for tax increase
Indian River School District officials say with about 300 new students enrolling in the district each year, a tax increase is needed to offset mounting costs. Officials are asking voters to approve a tax increase Tuesday, Nov. 22, to help pay for new teachers, security personnel at the schools and more resources for students.
Delaware 105.9
IRSD series of public referendum meetings continues tonight in Dagsboro
The Indian River School District is hosting the last two of a series of public meetings this week to highlight the current expense referendum scheduled for next Tuesday. At each meeting, district officials are giving a presentation outlining the referendum initiative. The public then has the opportunity to ask questions.
The News Journal
Delaware education conference focuses on achievement gap
The past few years’ education reforms have not done enough to help disadvantaged children catch up, so Delaware’s education system should make “closing the achievement” gap a top priority. That was a theme that ran throughout the Vision Coalition conference Monday, an annual event that draws some of the state’s most influential school leaders and experts.
Pilot School uses natural education method
Instead of the newest monkey bars or jungle gym, students at the Pilot School’s new $34 million campus have the natural beauty of the First State Historic National Park as both a playground and classroom. The school’s administrators say the wonder of nature intertwines with the school’s curriculum and is one of the best ways to reach students who struggle in traditional school settings.
The problem of expelling 3-year-olds in Delaware
Erika Wilkerson said her 2-year-old son was well-behaved at home, but when she dropped the toddler off at preschool, he became distressed. “He’d throw things, yell, kick,” she said. “They’d be transitioning from coloring to circle time, and he would have a meltdown.” At 3 years old, he was expelled from preschool.
National News
EdSource
New campaign promotes power of teachers to reduce stress of traumatized students
Most of the 3rd-graders in Anita Parameswaran’s class at Daniel Webster Elementary in San Francisco have had experiences so awful that their brains won’t let them easily forget. “Whether it be that they’ve been sexually molested, or they’ve seen domestic violence, or shootings, or they know somebody who’s passed away,” Parameswaran said, “I would say every single year about 75 percent, give or take, come in with a lot of trauma.”
The Atlantic
Why kids need recess
In Florida, a coalition of parents known as “the recess moms” has been fighting to pass legislation guaranteeing the state’s elementary-school students at least 20 minutes of daily free play. Similar legislation recently passed in New Jersey, only to be vetoed by the governor, who deemed it “stupid.” When, you might ask, did recess become such a radical proposal?
The Boston Globe
Boston schools encourage unity for students, staff
The stunning finale to a divisive election season rippled through schools in Massachusetts and beyond Wednesday, prompting administrators to offer support for students, teachers, and families and to encourage unity and tolerance. Boston Superintendent Tommy Chang, in a districtwide letter to teachers and parents, offered advice and resources in the wake of Republican Donald Trump’s victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
The Clarion-Ledger
Mississippi chooses 4 new groups to run pre-K classes
The state Board of Education Thursday approved four Mississippi groups to share nearly $1 million to expand state-funded prekindergarten classes. Partnerships in Canton, Greenwood, Grenada and Starkville will each get enough money to offer free classes to 115 4-year-olds starting in the fall. Those early learning collaboratives include a mix of school districts, Head Start agencies, private child care centers, and nonprofit organizations.
The Hechinger Report
Why one Mississippi district ditched textbooks for laptops
n Philip Hickman took over the role of superintendent in 2014 in the Columbus Municipal School District in east Mississippi, technology was almost nonexistent. Students used slow desktop computers and mismatched keyboards that were at least 10 years old. Hickman, who formerly worked as an assistant superintendent for the technology-rich Houston Independent School District in Texas, said he panicked when he saw the state of technology.