Singer’s Clips (3-21-14)

Here are news and opinion stories educators, advocates, policy wonks and makers are talking about today:

 

Racial minorities are more likely than white students to be suspended from school, to have less access to rigorous math and science classes, and to be taught by lower-paid teachers with less experience, according to comprehensive data released Friday by the data released Friday by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. (New York Times)

 

On the desk of Indiana Governor Mike Pence is a modest two-page bill that will probably have very little practical impact within his state but could have profound political consequences outside of it. By vetoing the bill, which would make Indiana the first state to fully withdraw from the Common Core, Pence can reaffirm the value of the rigorous public education standards that have been adopted by 45 states and the District of Columbia. (Bloomberg View)

 

Six hundred 3- and 4-year-olds are attending preschool in Salt Lake County and Park City, Utah, this year thanks to an innovative financing model that is catching the attention of government officials and lawmakers across the country. (Stateline)

 

Here’s what can happen when seniority alone drives teacher staffing decisions when layoffs occur: A dynamic teacher of the year, selected by peers, can find herself out of work. Educators who connect well with students because of their new-media skills could be laid off. Classroom leaders who speak languages other than English and are essential for English-language-learning classes might lose their jobs. A school community may have worked to build a strong Montessori program, only to have some of its best teachers forced to leave. (Star Tribune)

 

The Department of Education will try to broker the peace between schools that share the same building. “Starting within the next two weeks, the first protocol that we’re putting in place is that schools will not be fighting each other in a building,” Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña told the City Council’s education committee Thursday. She said the D.O.E will be sending “campus squads” to settle questions such as who gets what room on what floor in a shared school, and how to use the rooms. (WNYC)

 

fter more than a decade since opening the first public charter school in Rhode Island, it’s important to recognize the contribution that public charter schools make to the educational offerings in RI and the opportunities they provide families. A recent article in GoLocalProv reported the astounding 2013 public charter school lottery numbers – over 11,800 applications were submitted for around 1,300 open spots. Those numbers, almost double the number of applications seen just two years ago, are a reminder of how important it is to provide high quality public school options for students across the state. (Prov News)