November 29, 2016
Delaware News
Cape Gazette
Delaware Community Foundation seeks scholarship applications by March 15
High school students throughout Delaware are invited to apply for scholarships available through the Delaware Community Foundation. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 15. While many scholarships are open to students throughout Delaware, a number of scholarships will be awarded exclusively to Sussex County students. Last year, the foundation awarded more than 150 scholarships totaling more than $340,000 to assist individuals in pursuing higher education.
HOB holds Veterans Day assembly
H.O. Brittingham Elementary School in Milton held a Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 9. Dressed in uniform or not, all of the veterans on stage were proud to be included in the special event. Music teacher Cheryl Howard organized the annual program featuring patriotic music. The program opened with the singing of the national anthem led by teachers Wendy Coverdale and Chris Meyers.
The News Journal
Delaware backs special education suit in Supreme Court
Attorney General Matt Denn and the Delaware Department of Justice are supporting a lawsuit over special education in the U.S. Supreme Court. Joined by counterparts in New Mexico and Massachusetts, DOJ officials filed a “friend of the court” brief in a case involving a Colorado student who has autism. The student and his family sued his school district, arguing it was not providing him sufficient educational services as required by the 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
National News
Argus Leader
Mentoring program helps teachers survive first few years
Brittney Ries has days when she wonders if teaching is the right job for her. “Those thoughts run through my mind a lot recently,” said Ries, a first-year music teacher at R.F. Pettigrew Elementary School in Sioux Falls. Veteran educators say that the first year in a classroom can leave those new to teaching disillusioned, but a new state-funded teacher mentoring program hopes to help new teachers set goals, manage their classrooms and, most importantly, stay in the profession.
EdSurge
Not just about students: The importance of personalizing learning for teachers
My journey as an educator began thirty years ago and—I’ll admit—references to personalized learning were never mentioned or formally discussed back then. Yet, I knew the importance of building relationships with my students and reaching every student wherever she/he was with developing skills. I began this incredible career as a music teacher and there’s no question, every student was unique in his/her vocal development, especially with the adolescent changes that occur.
Gaston Gazette
State assigns values to teacher bonuses
Career and technical education teachers will soon have a clearer view of how much bonus money could be coming their way. The State Board of Education approved a policy earlier this month which will award annual performance-based bonuses up to $2,000 to career and technical education teachers statewide.
NPR
6 potential brain benefits of bilingual education
Brains, brains, brains. One thing we’ve learned at NPR Ed is that people are fascinated by brain research. And yet it can be hard to point to places where our education system is really making use of the latest neuroscience findings. But there is one happy nexus where research is meeting practice: Bilingual education.
The New York Times
Why Trump’s education pick won’t be able to privatize U.S. schools
Betsy DeVos, a wealthy Republican philanthropist, whom Donald J. Trump selected on Wednesday as the next secretary of education, has spent her career promoting a market-based, privatized vision of public education. If she pursues that agenda in her new role, she is quite likely to face disappointment and frustration. Market-based school reforms generally come in two flavors: vouchers and charter schools.