Top News California cracking down on use of pesticides near schools KFSN Farmers with crops near schools could face new challenges when spraying pesticides. Under new rules, California farmers would be prohibited from spraying pesticides within a quarter mile of public schools or daycares between certain hours during the school week. Read more>> Top News Maine school-based health clinics fight to survive WLBZ School-based health clinics across the state that lost funding after the state government shutdown back in July are now fighting to stay open. All 15 clinics were dependent on more than half a million dollars from state funds. The proposal to restore funding will be considered in the next legislative session in January. Read more>> Top News Alarming number of Baltimore high schools had zero students proficient in math The Blaze A new project that analyzed 2017 state testing data found that 13 out of 39 high schools in the Maryland city had zero students that were proficient in math. Another six schools only had 1 percent of their student body who tested proficient in math. Read more>> Top News Pennsylvania district’s teacher offer includes ways to offset salary hikes Times Leader A referendum on eliminating school property taxes received statewide voter approval, but it will not impact the financing of the Dallas School Board’s latest contract offer to teachers. Components of the contract offer were designed to offset the educators’ nearly $2 million in salary increases. Read more>> Top News Residents could have direct input on Florida district's textbooks WOFL The Marion County School District is aiming to be the first Florida district to select its textbooks with community input, instead of choosing books from a state list. The cost of buying books this way is on par with the state list. Read more>> Top News Lead contamination at Oakland schools prompts more water tests San Francisco Chronicle A new round of water quality testing began at 86 public schools in Oakland after lead contamination was found in plumbing fixtures at 10 campuses in the city. Read more>> From DA Magazine Iowa to include student feedback in ESSA school accountability Alison DeNisco Iowa intends to survey students on school climate as part of its Every Student Succeeds (ESSA) accountability plan. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis How much more money for Kansas schools is enough? The Ottawa Herald The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the school finance bill is unconstitutional and made it clear that more money is needed. Maybe we can also look at how much schools spend on non-classroom activities not strictly linked to reading and long division and suggests that the state not contribute to those activities. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Too many teachers skipping class The Detroit News Collective bargaining and unions that protect teachers from the consequences of skipping school may be behind the trend. Although most teachers work hard and likely have valid reasons for taking the occasional day off, taken as a whole, this is too much time for teachers to be missing. Read more>> Opinion & Analysis Honor veterans by reinforcing history lessons in schools The Morning Call Students today spend only 7.6 percent of their school time in social studies, only one part of which is civic education. American soldiers exist primarily to protect the people and democratic principles. Yet how can a nation support such soldiers in the most fundamental way needed, when it no longer much knows what it itself is? Read more>> Industry News Follett to sell LEGO Education solutions Follett Corporation In its continuing effort to serve the growing makerspace movement, Follett announced it will offer a selection of LEGO Education solutions specifically for school librarians in the U.S. who are interested in establishing a makerspace in their library. Read more>> Industry News Songs, videos and games part of math curriculum Learning Upgrade With the addition of 180 new math lessons for grades 6–8, Learning Upgrade now offers a full K8 math curriculum on the Learning Upgrade App. Each course takes students 20–25 hours to complete. Read more>> Industry News Curriculum Associates acquires Motion Math Curriculum Associates As a result of this partnership's focus on fostering critical math skills, Motion Math’s visual math games will be available as a supplement to i-Ready, which is currently used by over 5 million students and educators nationwide. Read more>> View more news at District Administration's PR Portal People Watch S.D. governor names Don Kirkegaard as secretary of education KSFY Don Kirkegaard, who is currently the superintendent of the Meade County School District and serves as president of the South Dakota Board of Education Standards, will resign both positions to become the state's new secretary of education. He succeeds Melody Schopp, who is retiring. Read more>> People Watch New schools superintendent named in East Haven East Haven Patch Assistant Superintendent of Schools Erica Forti has been hired to be the superintendent of schools for the Connecticut school district after the contract of the previous superintendent, Portia Bonner, ran out. Read more>> People Watch Round Lake 116 hires new superintendent from within Daily Herald The Illinois district's board of education has selected Deputy Superintendent Donn Mendoza to lead the district after Superintendent Constance Collins retires this summer. Mendoza has been with Round Lake Area School District 116 since the 2013-14 school year. Read more>> |