September 19, 2016
Delaware News
Delaware Public Media
Panel offers recommendations to fix “dire” state of school libraries
In recent years, we’ve heard a fair amount about public libraries here in the First State reinventing themselves to remain relevant. They’ve upgraded technology and started offering e-books and free Wi-Fi while dedicating more space for community use and job centers to help people looking for work. But what about school libraries? Where to they fit in now?
Department of Education
Delaware School Libraries Council releases Delaware School Libraries Master Plan
The Delaware School Libraries Council is pleased to announce the release of the Delaware School Libraries Master Plan: Quality School Libraries = Higher Student Achievement which contains recommendations to develop quality state-of-the-art school libraries.
Office of the Governor
Weekly message: Opening pathways to success by expanding opportunities for all to earn a high school diploma
In his weekly message, Governor Markell highlights the state’s efforts to ensure that every Delawarean has the opportunity to graduate from high school. That commitment extends to adults without a high school diploma who recognize the importance of education in opening pathways to good jobs and career success in today’s economy.
The News Journal
Editorial
Learn from Connecticut schools ruling
Back in June, some Delaware civil rights leaders expressed their frustration at legislators’ lack of enthusiasm for the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission’s plan to revamp the state’s public schools. At the time, New Castle County Councilman Jea Street reminded us what could happen without reforms designed to level the playing field for all Delaware public school students.
Six schools to offer new finance program
Six schools across Delaware are launching a financial education program geared toward under-served students. The curriculum was developed by a New York-based nonprofit group called NAF, which partners with schools across the country to equip teachers to educate low-income students in specialty areas.
National News
Education Week
Does graduating from a charter help or hinder future earnings?
There’s a new research dispute to add to the ongoing debate over whether charter schools outperform regular public schools: Whose graduates earn more money in adulthood? Two recent studies attempt to answer that question.
Herald – Review
State board of education reworking expulsion rules
The Illinois State Board of Education is in the early stages of crafting legislation that would prohibit school districts from dropping students from their enrollment rosters for failing to meet minimum academic and attendance standards.
Smithsonian Magazine
Pew research shows public libraries remain vital to communities
It might be 2016, but brick-and-mortar libraries continue to play a vital role in American communities, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center. The survey, conducted over a two-month period this spring, shows that more than half (53 percent) of Americans 16 and over interacted with a library in the past year. The most likely patrons?
The Atlantic
The undervaluing of guidance counselors
Teenagers make bad choices. Honestly, who doesn’t? For adolescents, however, who are armed with new responsibilities, opportunities, and bodies they are almost inevitably unprepared to deal with, the wrong decision can have serious, life-altering effects. For low-income adolescents who lack the safety net that comes with privilege, the wrong decisions can be catastrophic.
The Hechinger Report
A little freedom to fail: Can it counteract helicopter parents?
A private school in northern California uses technology to create bespoke paths for students and rugged trips – like camping in the winter snow — to teach independence. “Students are at the boundary of comfort zones,” said Taylor Simmers, a co-founder of the school.