October 2, 2015

Delaware News

The News Journal
Delaware Latinos seek funding for bilingual teachers
“We’re focused on education,” said Javier Torrijos, chairman of the Delaware Hispanic Commission at a press conference Thursday in Wilmington. “One of the things that is extremely important is the need for teachers in our schools that are bilingual and that are culturally competent.”

Delaware Public Media
Second Delaware Latino Summit details announced
The second annual Delaware Latino Summit is coming later this month. The theme for this year’s event October 22nd at Wilmington’s Chase Center is “Connecting Through Education for a Brighter Future.”

Middletown Transcript
School offers free classes to community for on ‘How-To Day’
Mark your calendars because St. Georges Technical High School’s “How-To Day” is almost here again for the third year in a row. MOT residents will have the chance to take free hands-on classes on auto maintenance, the culinary arts, carpentry, and more when St. Georges Tech hosts How-To Day on Nov. 21. The community’s positive feedback has continued to motivate the event’s coordinator and culinary arts director Jermaine Williams to hold the event.

Town Square Delaware
Delaware Met leaders: School is open with clear plan for success
Statement is by the Delaware Met School Board of Directors Executive Committee: Nash Childs, Board Chair; Ryan Harrington, Vice-Chair; Andy Podolsky, Treasurer; and Adriane Anderson Strange, Secretary.
Opening a school is an exciting and challenging time. There are very few times in the life cycle of a school when it is so fragile. The Delaware Met is no exception to this excitement or these challenges. Our “Big Picture” educational model is student focused and requires a high level of student involvement. Small disruptions have the ability to cause major concerns.

National News

NPR
The big new effort to revamp college admissions — Will it work?
TO: America’s colleges and universities
FR: America’s high school students
RE: Please make the college admissions process less daunting and more collaborative, creative, engaging and in tune with the Digital Age. Oh, and while you’re at it, try to level the admissions playing field between rich and poor.

USA Today
Duncan: Find other paths for non-violent offenders, spend savings on teacher raises
Comparing the USA’s incarceration rate of African-Americans to that of Apartheid-era South Africa, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said finding alternatives to prisons for non-violent offenders could save $15 billion a year, money that could be reinvested in schools.

Tampa Bay Times
Top Florida lawmakers working on changes that would reduce students’ testing load
Florida students might not have to take as many tests if two of the state’s most powerful lawmakers have their way. The chairmen of the state Senate’s two education-related committees are drafting bills that would allow the system to substitute Florida Standards Assessments scores with results from other exams that also measure knowledge of state standards, and that students already may be taking in addition to the FSA.

Hechinger Report
Why are low income students not showing up to college, even though they have been accepted?
As many as 40 percent of low-income students accepted to college in the spring never show up to classes in the fall.

WTTV
Retooling special education at Chicago Public Schools
The Chicago Public Schools budget crisis is severe, and some recent cuts have hit special education students especially hard. Special ed advocates say hundreds of layoffs have depleted the number of special education teachers and aides. And at today’s board of education meeting, the district responded to the outcry.