Health & Fitness
MarylandCAN News Roundup: Top 10 Education News Stories of the Week
Top 10 education news stories of the week from MarylandCAN
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1. Baltimore City a finalist for national urban leadership award
September 7, 2012 |Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun
Baltimore City and Prince George's County's school boards will vie for the 2012 title of "Urban School Board of Excellence" this year, as both are named finalists for the national award, due to presented in October. The two will compete against Nevada for the honor.
According to the National School Boards Association, the finalists for the 2012 Council of Urban Boards of Education (CUBE) award were selected by an independent judging panel--and were judged based on excellence in school board governance, building civic capacity and closing the achievement gap, and demonstrated success in raising achievement.
Find out what's happening in Owings Mills-Reisterstownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Owings Mills-Reisterstownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
September 12, 2012 | Jonathan Moynihan, Broadneck Patch
The Anne Arundel County Board of Education discussed Superintendent Kevin Maxwellโs recommended capital budget for fiscal year 2014 Tuesday night, specifically examining projects where state funding is being sought.
Of the superintendentโs nearly $240 million proposed capital budget, Maxwell is asking the state to cover almost $48 million worth of upgrades and renovations at Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS). That leaves about $194 million to be funded by the county itself.
September 12, 2012 | Gretchen Phillips, Southern Maryland News
The Maryland Association of Boards of Education will host seven public forums in October gathering input on the school system and what the public would like to see in a new school superintendent.
Charles Countyโs public schools Superintendent James E. Richmondโs fourth term will end in June. He officially announced in May that he would be leaving the position when his contract expires next year.
4. Study finds U.S. trailing in preschool enrollment
September 11, 2012 | Lesli A. Maxwell, Education Week
The United States lags behind most of the worldโs leading economies when it comes to providing early-childhood education opportunities to young children despite improvements in recent years, according to a new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
According to the Paris-based OECDโs โEducation at a Glance 2012,โ a report released today, the United States ranks 28th out of 38 countries for the share of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-primary education programs, at 69 percent. Thatโs compared with more than 95 percent enrollment rates in France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Mexico, which lead the world in early-childhood participation rates for 4-year-olds. Ireland, Poland, Finland, and Brazil are among the nations that trail the United States.
5. Baltimore educators to rally in support of Chicago teacher strike
September 10, 2012 | Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun
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Baltimore City educators are planning to rally in solidarity with their Chicago Public Schools counterparts, who made national news Monday by executing their first teacher strike in 25 years.
About 25,000 Chicago unionized educators fulfilled their vow to walk off the job, after the district and union heads failed to reach an agreement by Sunday on details of a new contract the two entities have attempted to iron out for months, according to The Sun's sister paper, the Chicago Tribune.
6. Dorchester charter school group to outline plans at community forum
September 10, 2012 | Staff Report, The Star Democrat
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The Maryland Eastern Shore Charter School Alliance (MESCSA) invites Dorchester County community members interested in developing alternative education opportunities to its community forum with the League of Women Voters at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Dorchester County Library, 303 Gay St., Cambridge.
Participants are invited to listen and contribute opinions about the implications and benefits of opening Dorchester County's first charter school.
7. Women failing to get hired seen in childcare woes
September 9, 2012 | Michelle Jamrisko, Delaware Online
When Marci Price and her husband did the math, childcare services for their two kids ran higher than their mortgage payment in Chicago.
They packed their bags for Indianapolis, where family could help trim that expense.
โIt was going to cost us almost $2,000 a month just to have two kids in daycare, so it was getting to the point where it was like, do we even go to work?โ she said.
8. Study links poverty, achievements
September 9, 2012 | Lisa Singleton-Rickman, The Decatur Daily
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Sometimes numbers tell the most compelling stories.
Consider that in a five-year period, Alabama gained an additional 35,736 children who are living in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That brings the official number statewide to 313,272.
In 2005, the state was ranked eighth nationally for the highest number of children younger than age 18 living in poverty.
9. No achievement gap closing in Montgomery County Public Schools
September 8, 2012 | Kumar Singam, Examiner
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After President Obamaโs speech at the Democratic Convention, the superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) tweeted โObama talks about education, has lofty goals, doesn't acknowledge harm of RTTT/NCLB-esque policies that over-rely on standardized tests.โ
Use the keyword โMSAโ to search the MCPS Office of Shared Accountability reports and you will be treated to a list of twenty three reports out of the available two hundred fifty six. Peruse those reports carefully and you will discover that the school has devoted considerable resources towards identifying students at risk of failing on the NCLB mandated Maryland School Assessment (MSA) test.
10. Q & A: Chiefs of five school districts talk reformโand describe their biggest wish
September 7, 2012 | Erica L. Green, The Baltimore Sun
Ten Maryland schools have been named National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced Friday.
Six elementary schools received the honor: Crofton Meadows in Anne Arundel County, Woodholme in Baltimore County, Ring Factory in Harford County, Rachel Carson in Montgomery County, Whitehall in Prince George's County and Pocomoke in Worcester County.
