Health & Fitness
MarylandCAN News Roundup: Top 10 Education News Stories of the Week
MarylandCAN's Top 10 education news picks of the week.
September 5, 2012 | Jen Bondeson, The Gazette
About one in four middle schools in Montgomery County, or 10 of 38 schools, successfully narrowed racial achievement gaps in test scores over three years, according to a report released this week by Montgomery County Public Schools.
The school system has been working to narrow the gaps for decades, and it remains a focus of its strategic plan, school system spokesman Dana Tofig said.
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2. Dream Act is the right thing to do
September 6, 2012 | Angela Alsobrooks, The Gazette
Find out what's happening in Silver Springwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
As the state’s attorney for Prince George’s County, my number one priority is public safety — holding accountable those who break the law and working collaboratively with law enforcement to deter crime and keep our communities safe. And as my 7-year-old daughter [starts] second grade, and I see children and teens in our neighborhoods [heading] back to school, I’m reminded of the power of education to meet these objectives.
We all know that school matters — kids who stay in school are far more likely to stay out of trouble and to contribute to our society. Everyone from teachers to school administrators and parents to nonprofit organizations knows that we all need to work together to encourage students to stay in school. In November, Maryland voters will have the opportunity to vote for the Maryland Dream Act, a common-sense law that will help keep kids in school and encourage them to excel and go on to college.
3. Atholton Elementary School teacher finalist for the state Teacher of the Year Award
September 4, 2012 | Sara Toth, ExploreHoward.com
Lisa Young, a gifted-and-talented resource teacher at Atholton Elementary School in Columbia, has been named one of seven finalists for the Maryland State Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year Award.
Young was named the Howard County Teacher of the Year in May, and was one of the 24 teachers from Maryland counties to receive that respective honor.
4. Damascus teacher receives national recognition
September 4, 2012 | Morgan Young, The Gazette
An elementary-school teacher in Damascus was named a “Champion of Change” Friday during an event at the White House.
Silvia Rodriguez Macdonald, 44, who teaches English as a second language at Lois P. Rockwell Elementary School in Damascus, was honored for her efforts to improve the lives of her Hispanic students by improving student outcomes and helping to close the achievement gap.
5. Maryland school districts to vie for new Race to the Top grants
September 4, 2012 | Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun
A dozen Maryland school districts have stated their intent to vie for up to $40 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education, which has launched a new phase of its Race to the Top competition, started in 2010 to infuse $4 billion into radical educational reforms.
The Baltimore-area public school systems that plan to apply for the grant are Baltimore city, Baltimore County and Howard County, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
6. Report: Carroll County a 'school district people flock to'
September 4, 2012 | Kym Byrnes, Eldersburg Patch
In Carroll County, we know the school system is strong. A national study of the role schools play in real estate trends reveals that perhaps those outside of Carroll County know how good our schools are, too.
A study conducted by real estate site Trulia ranks Carroll County at the top of the list, alongside Calvert County, as a "school district people flock to" in Maryland.
7. Democratic platform hails Common Core, praises teachers
September 4, 2012 | Andrew Ujifusa, Education Week
The Democratic Party has released its official platform for 2012, and there's at least one section that might raise eyebrows among education observers.
The platform put out Monday states that President Barack Obama and Democrats in general are intent on providing states and communities with the "flexibility and resources" to improve K-12 education. It then goes on to say:
"To that end, the President challenged and encouraged states to raise their standards so students graduate ready for college or career and can succeed in a dynamic global economy. Forty-six states responded, leading groundbreaking reforms that will deliver better education to millions of American students."
8. Maryland teachers beef up resumes
September 3, 2012 | Eugene W. Goll, StarDem.com
The yearly staffing survey showed that Maryland’s public school teachers are becoming increasingly ‘credentialed.’ The report for the 2011-2012 school year classroom professionals revealed a continuing effort toward earning advanced degrees.
The annual survey conducted by education officials reveals that during the past year there were 58,351 teachers statewide. It shows that 74 percent of the public school teachers had earned at least 30 credits beyond a bachelor’s degree.
9. Crawley, Prince George’s interim schools chief, starts work
September 3, 2012 | Ovetta Wiggins, The Washington Post
After months of upheaval in leadership, the Prince George’s County school system has a new chief executive taking the reins on a temporary basis.
Alvin L. Crawley, a veteran educator who has spent much of his 32-year career in Arlington County, becomes interim superintendent Tuesday.
The school board chose Crawley last month to lead Maryland’s second-largest school system after William R. Hite Jr. announced plans to resign as superintendent to become the Philadelphia schools chief.
10. Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reform—and describe their biggest wish
September 2, 2012 | Valerie Strauss, The Washington Post
With the new school year upon us, we asked a handful of superintendents of districts in the greater Washington area to answer six questions so we could get a better understanding of their vision and challenges.
The school district chiefs were asked to talk about teacher evaluation, class size, new initiatives and more, including the one thing they would do to improve their districts if they had the power to get it done. And it turns out that they all don’t agree on a number of issues.
