November 8, 2016
Delaware News
Cape Gazette
Delaware students choose Clinton, Carney
Shields fifth-grader Dylan Baker remembers little from the 2012 presidential election, so this year’s contentious race leading up to the Nov. 8 election has been an eye-opener. “I’ve been surprised at some of the things that have been said,” Dylan said. With the end in sight, fifth-grader Nevie Hagen said she can’t wait. “I’ll be glad when it’s over,” she said. “It seems like America is breaking apart.”
The News Journal
No verdict in Red Clay tax lawsuit until February
A court will not decide until February at the earliest whether to overturn the results of a February referendum to increase property taxes in the Red Clay School District. Chancery Court judge J. Travis Laster heard arguments this week in a lawsuit brought by several Red Clay residents who argue the district unfairly interfered with the vote.
National News
DNAInfo
How one school is curbing violence by focusing on feelings
Circle time has taken on new meaning for the students in Tara Doherty’s South Bronx kindergarten class. When the children walk into their classroom at P.S. 42, Doherty asks them how they are feeling. They walk over to a board where they write their emotions. Then they sit in a “restorative circle” passing around a “talking piece” — usually a stuffed animal — giving the holder the floor to speak and share their feelings.
Education Dive
ESSA reporting requirements will reveal spending disparities within districts
How much does your school spend, on average, per student? Most principals and administrators can’t answer that question. But changes brought on by the Every Student Succeeds Act means they will soon have to. “Starting December 2018, districts receiving Title I funds will have to start accounting for all expenditures at the school level,” said Michael Griffith, school finance strategist for the Education Commission of the States, at a recent conference for education journalists.
NPR
Still haven’t made up your mind? Here’s what the candidates say about education
The candidates aren’t talking much about education. But we are. Voters are, too — education is rated as one of the top campaign issues this election cycle. Why? Well, even though a lot of education policy is determined at a local level, the federal government still plays a huge role. Like the nearly $15 billion spent on Title I funding that goes to over half of all schools in America.
The Atlantic
Ignorance does not lead to election bliss
While there surely are many varied causes for the current American political situation, one among those is the relative ignorance of basic American history, scientific, technological knowledge, and what some refer to as “civics” among a large sector of our population. It is testimony to the failure of the country’s education system that a high percentage of the voting-age population is simply ignorant of basic facts—knowledge that is necessary to act reasonably and rationally in the political process.
The Hechinger Report
Must a classroom be high-tech to make personalized learning work?
The Innovation Academy workspace at Dysart Unified School District looked more like a tech startup’s headquarters than a classroom. On one side of the room, students wearing special tinted glasses studied electric circuits at virtual reality stations. On the opposite end of the bright, airy space, another small group of students experimented with piecing together real-life circuits that beeped, buzzed and blinked when connected.