K-12 Education
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from public policy organizations influencing the debate on education policy.
Featured Stories
Jupiter Middle School Students Learn and Grow During Tour of Local College
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Dec. 13 -- The School District of Palm Beach County issued the following news release:
A group of Spanish-speaking eighth grade English Language Learner (ELL) students from Jupiter Middle School recently had the chance to tour Palm Beach State College (PBSC). The tour was conducted in Spanish, a unique opportunity not often extended to students at such a young age.
"We are very excited to have this partnership with PBSC because it allows our ELL students to see what is possible for them," said Lisa Hastey, the principal at Jupiter Middle. "Between the tour and the volunteers
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WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Dec. 13 -- The School District of Palm Beach County issued the following news release:
A group of Spanish-speaking eighth grade English Language Learner (ELL) students from Jupiter Middle School recently had the chance to tour Palm Beach State College (PBSC). The tour was conducted in Spanish, a unique opportunity not often extended to students at such a young age.
"We are very excited to have this partnership with PBSC because it allows our ELL students to see what is possible for them," said Lisa Hastey, the principal at Jupiter Middle. "Between the tour and the volunteerswho assist our ELL students, this is the first step in planting the seeds of their future."
This is the second year the ELL students visited the college's Palm Beach Gardens campus. The purpose of the tour is to give the students an introduction and insight into potential colleges and career paths.
"We are the only school that offers a completely bilingual tour of PBSC to our Spanish-speaking ELL students, made possible through a Multicultural grant," said Jody Nolf, the ESOL Coordinator at Jupiter Middle.
Following the tour, the students visited the college's Biotechnology Program lab where they met and briefly collaborated with PBSC students on a scientific learning activity that involved studying DNA. The visit allowed the PBSC students to connect with the ELL students, while serving as role models and examples of what they could achieve in their future.
"It is so important for middle-school aged students to gain exposure to the STEM disciplines, and what better way to do so through a hands-on activity [delivered fully in Spanish] where they isolate their own DNA," said Alexandra Gorgevska, the Department Chair of Biotechnology at PBSC.
This year the schools took the partnership a step further by offering free after-school tutoring for ELL students to help them with reading skills, language acquisition, and homework. Volunteers from the Honors College and from the Spanish Honor Society provide the tutoring services.
Fairfax County Public Schools Teachers Earn, Renew National Board Certification
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
Seven professional educators from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Each educator earned the profession's highest achievement through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their impact on student learning and achievement. The new FCPS National Board Certified teachers are: Charles Burts (Lanier Middle School), Caitlin Byington (Camelot Elementary School), Lisa Choi (Annandale
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FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Dec. 13 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
Seven professional educators from Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) have earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Each educator earned the profession's highest achievement through a rigorous, performance-based, peer-review process, demonstrating their impact on student learning and achievement. The new FCPS National Board Certified teachers are: Charles Burts (Lanier Middle School), Caitlin Byington (Camelot Elementary School), Lisa Choi (AnnandaleTerrace Elementary School), Ashley Cuthbertson (Island Creek Elementary School), Michelle McKenna (Parklawn Elementary School), Alicia St. Jean (Mount Vernon High School), and Emily Vanderhoff (Halley Elementary School).
Additionally, 32 FCPS teachers renewed certification from the NBPTS for an additional ten years: Claudette Allen (Liberty Middle School), Amanda Bolden (Robinson Secondary School), Stella Centanni (Hayfield Elementary School), Sharron Clifford (Carson Middle School), Heather Davids (Fairfax High School), George Dewey (Chantilly High School), Maria Diaz (Westlawn Elementary School), April Done (Shrevewood Elementary School), John Downes (Chantilly High School), Erin Fortenberry (Ravensworth Elementary School), Heather Gibson (Laurel Hill Elementary School), Mark Hannum (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology), Angie Hunter (Edison High School), Janice Jewell (Herndon High School), Antoinette Kidwell (Mount Vernon High School), Rachel Lanier (London Towne Elementary School), Selwyn Lawrence (South Lakes High School),Greer Mancuso (Lanier Middle School), Douglas Martin (Langley High School), Andrew Neal (Edison High School), Dana Ouart (Lake Braddock Secondary School), Kimberly Owens (Pine Spring Elementary School), Heather Phythyon (Bren Mar Park Elementary School), Danielle Powers (Willows Oaks Administrative Center), Terry Quinn (Spring Hill Elementary School), Megan Reing (Groveton Elementary School), Kimberly Scott (Chantilly High School), Anna Slevin (Rocky Run Middle School), Jessica Stebbins (Woodley Hills Elementary School), Natalie Valenzuela (Chantilly High School), Heather Walnock (Beech Tree Elementary School), and Nikki Wright (Oak Hill Elementary School).
Renewal is a personal and public statement about a National Board Certified Teacher's commitment to the profession and to his or her students. Accomplished teachers recognize that their professional learning and growth never ends. In any given subject and developmental area, best practice and knowledge are constantly evolving. The renewal of National Board Certification is a process that allows the teacher to demonstrate the ways in which their practice grows and evolves and remains aligned to the Five Core Propositions of their certificate area.
The Fairfax County School Board will recognize the teachers on March 21, 2019, at 7 p.m. at Jackson Middle School.
SFUSD to Begin Process of Developing New Student Assignment System
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 12 -- The San Francisco Unified School District issued the following news release:
The San Francisco Board of Education approved a resolution Tuesday night to launch the process of developing a new student assignment system, which determines how newly enrolled students are assigned to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) schools. The board voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.
The resolution, "Developing a Community Based Student Assignment System for SFUSD," was authored by Commissioners Matt Haney and Rachel Norton and co-sponsored by Board President
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 12 -- The San Francisco Unified School District issued the following news release:
The San Francisco Board of Education approved a resolution Tuesday night to launch the process of developing a new student assignment system, which determines how newly enrolled students are assigned to San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) schools. The board voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.
The resolution, "Developing a Community Based Student Assignment System for SFUSD," was authored by Commissioners Matt Haney and Rachel Norton and co-sponsored by Board PresidentStevon Cook and Board Vice President Mark Sanchez.
The resolution does not immediately change the current student assignment system, which first took effect in the 2011-12 school year, but calls on staff to consider alternatives to the choice-based system.
Per the resolution, the new student assignment system will focus on elementary schools and will be predicated on greater predictability, transparency, accessibility to neighborhood options, equity and a strong commitment to integrated schools.
"This is an exciting time to rethink student assignment," Board President Cook said. "Together we are going to create a system that ensures confidence, is easy to understand and offers predictably to our families."
The resolution calls for Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews to develop a recommendation for a revised student assignment policy and an implementation plan with timelines.
In developing a revised student assignment policy, staff will develop recommendations that will strive to serve the needs of historically underserved students; facilitate access to an elementary school within a reasonable geographic distance and accessible to transit; and offer a predictable, transparent and accessible student assignment system.
The policy development process will include extensive outreach to and feedback from District advisory bodies, families, staff and the community. The Board of Education has also requested that the Superintendent conduct an analysis of transportation needs and plans, as they relate to student assignment.
McCray Will Lead Board of Education for Seventh Year
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Dec. 12 -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools issued the following news:
* * *
- Dashew is elected vice-chair for a second time
Mary T. McCray, a retired CMS teacher who has led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education since 2012, was elected to a seventh year as board chair at the Dec. 11 meeting.
The election makes McCray the longest-serving chair since the 1970s. Rhonda Cheek, who served as vice-chair in 2018, nominated McCray for the chairmanship, praising her strong leadership for the past six years.
"I would like to nominate my colleague, the indomitable Mary
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CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Dec. 12 -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools issued the following news:
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- Dashew is elected vice-chair for a second time
Mary T. McCray, a retired CMS teacher who has led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education since 2012, was elected to a seventh year as board chair at the Dec. 11 meeting.
The election makes McCray the longest-serving chair since the 1970s. Rhonda Cheek, who served as vice-chair in 2018, nominated McCray for the chairmanship, praising her strong leadership for the past six years.
"I would like to nominate my colleague, the indomitable MaryMcCray, to continue her role as chair...to continue to provide her incredible leadership," Cheek said.
McCray was elected on an 8-0 vote, with at-large member Ericka Ellis-Stewart abstaining. The vote was followed by applause in the chamber.
"Thank you," McCray said after the applause. "I also want to thank you, my fellow Board members, for this prestigious honor of allowing me to be your leader at this time."
Dashew, nominated by Ellis-Stewart, was elected vice-chair in a unanimous vote. There were no other nominees for either position.
Both McCray and Dashew are at-large members of the Board and are up for re-election next year. McCray, who was first elected to the Board in 2011, has said she will not run for the Board again. Dashew, who is serving her first term and was elected in 2015, has said that she plans to run.
Falls Church Academy to Host Health Care College and Career Fair
FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Dec. 12 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
Falls Church Academy, a Governor's Health Sciences Academy, and the academy HOSA-Future Health Professionals organization are co-sponsoring a Health Care College and Career Fair on Friday, January 25, 2019, from 9 a.m. to noon at Falls Church High School. Falls Church Academy is one of six high school academies in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
This free college and career fair is open to all FCPS high school students interested in health care education and as a future career. Representatives
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FALLS CHURCH, Virginia, Dec. 12 -- Fairfax County Public Schools issued the following news release:
Falls Church Academy, a Governor's Health Sciences Academy, and the academy HOSA-Future Health Professionals organization are co-sponsoring a Health Care College and Career Fair on Friday, January 25, 2019, from 9 a.m. to noon at Falls Church High School. Falls Church Academy is one of six high school academies in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
This free college and career fair is open to all FCPS high school students interested in health care education and as a future career. Representativesfrom colleges offering health care-related curriculum, health care professionals, and military representatives who specialize in medicine will be in attendance. The following organizations have registered for the fair: NOVA EMS and Allied Health; George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services; Brother's Brother Foundation; Inova Children's Hospital; Marymount University; Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Health Professions; Heartland Dental; the Association of American Medical Colleges; Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences; and the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.
Falls Church Academy offers the following health care courses: dental careers, exploring the language of medicine-exploring health sciences, emergency medical technician, health informatics, medical assistant, medical billing and coding, patient care technician, pharmacy technician, and practical nursing.
Free online registration is available for students. Colleges and health care professionals can also register online.
District Names 2018 Principals of the Year
DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 12 -- The Dallas Independent School District issued the following news release:
Among the many things they share in common, Dwain Simmons, principal at L.G. Pinkston High School, and Damien Stovall, principal at Edward Titche Elementary School, is their commitment to transforming teaching and campus culture in order to provide all students a quality education.
Now, they also share the 2018 Dallas ISD Principal of the Year title. Simmons has been named Secondary Principal of the Year, while Stovall is the Elementary Principal of the Year.
Simmons, principal for seven years,
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DALLAS, Texas, Dec. 12 -- The Dallas Independent School District issued the following news release:
Among the many things they share in common, Dwain Simmons, principal at L.G. Pinkston High School, and Damien Stovall, principal at Edward Titche Elementary School, is their commitment to transforming teaching and campus culture in order to provide all students a quality education.
Now, they also share the 2018 Dallas ISD Principal of the Year title. Simmons has been named Secondary Principal of the Year, while Stovall is the Elementary Principal of the Year.
Simmons, principal for seven years,has led the schools to achieve first-time accomplishments. In 2018, Pinkston High School earned the highest rating in its history and earned two state distinctions. A school that a decade before had a graduation rate of less than 50 percent, now has a graduation rate in the 90s.
Under his leadership, the school has also established a Health Science & Technology Early College High School.
Simmons was a pre-med/pre-dentistry major in college, but through his fraternity had a chance to mentor students at L.V. Stockard Middle School.
"And the principal there said, 'Wow, you're really great with kids. You ought to think about going into education,' " Simmons said. "And I went into education and didn't look back."
Meanwhile, Stovall raised Titche's academic achievement during his first year at the campus.
Throughout his six years as principal, Stovall has been a firm believer of developing strong relationships with his school families in order to work together in improving student achievement. In addition to strong relationship with parents, he's developed strong relationships with staff at Titche, with which positive results have been more than evident.
When Stovall arrived to Titche last school year, the campus was on the verge of closure due to years of not meeting state standards. Stovall's dedication and leadership took the campus from being an "F" rated school to a "B" campus in one year, as well as led the campus to obtain all six state distinctions.
Stovall said he almost didn't apply to be a Principal of the Year, but what students and teachers had gone through to find success inspired him to try to have their stories heard.
"Titche is proof that kids will rise to your expectations," he said. "And respect you when respect is given to them."
The tenacity and dedication of these two campus leaders is what led them to be recognized with the top honor for a school administrator. They were among the eight finalists selected for this year's school Principal of the Year recognition.
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said the hard work of principals never goes unnoticed.
"You're not only the soldiers, you're also the generals every day in the field trying to improve achievement," Hinojosa said.
Board of Education Approves Renaming of Three SFUSD Facilities
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 12 -- The San Francisco Unified School District issued the following news release:
The San Francisco Board of Education unanimously approved the renaming of several San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) facilities in honor of those who have positively impacted San Francisco public schools.
Sydney Goldstein Theater
The Board voted unanimously in favor of renaming the auditorium at 275 Hayes Street the Sydney Goldstein Theater.
In 1980 Ms. Goldstein founded the interview series City Arts & Lectures, on which she not only hosted a variety of leading thinkers
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SAN FRANCISCO, California, Dec. 12 -- The San Francisco Unified School District issued the following news release:
The San Francisco Board of Education unanimously approved the renaming of several San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) facilities in honor of those who have positively impacted San Francisco public schools.
Sydney Goldstein Theater
The Board voted unanimously in favor of renaming the auditorium at 275 Hayes Street the Sydney Goldstein Theater.
In 1980 Ms. Goldstein founded the interview series City Arts & Lectures, on which she not only hosted a variety of leading thinkersbut enriched tens of thousands of San Francisco students. Each year Ms. Goldstein and her organization reserved thousands of free lecture tickets for teachers and students, as well as nonprofit organizations.
City Arts & Lectures held its programs at the Herbst Theater until 2012. When the Herbst Theater closed for retrofitting, Ms. Goldstein identified SFUSD's Nourse Theater as the site for City Arts & Lectures. Upon receiving approval from SFUSD, Ms. Goldstein obtained funding for and oversaw the $2 million renovation, reviving the 1,600-seat theater that had been shuttered for four decades.
Ms. Goldstein, dubbed the "Maestro of Public Conversation" by the New York Times, passed away in September 2018.
"Sydney Goldstein has clearly left a sizable legacy, not only to the school district but to the literary field," said Commissioner Emily Murase, co-sponsor of the resolution. "I'm also very pleased to add to a growing number of public spaces named in honor of women leaders in our community."
Louise Cooks Jones Multimedia Library
On Tuesday, the Board of Education also approved renaming the library at Dr. George Washington Carver Academic Elementary School the Louise Cooks Jones Multimedia Library, in honor of the school's former principal for 18 years.
In addition to supporting students and staff over her storied career, Ms. Jones helped develop the multimedia library at Carver and received a grant that enabled third graders to walk to nearby schools and read to their pre-school buddies.
"I worked for Ms. Jones for five years at Carver while a teacher there. You've heard me say, 'All students can learn. All students want to learn. And we as the adults in the building have a responsibility to make sure they do learn.' Ms. Jones believed that and taught me that," said Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews. "Ms. Jones spent a lot of time in the library and was dedicated to all children learning to read at high levels, especially low-income children."
Ms. Cooks Jones' career in SFUSD spanned 43 years and, in addition to serving as principal of Carver, she also served as a teacher and assistant superintendent.
Lisa Clay Parent Conference Room
The Board also voted to rename a conference room at Lowell High School, the Lisa Clay Parent Conference Room, after longtime Lowell Alumni Association President Lisa Clay. Ms. Clay served as president of the association from 1991 to 2016, and is credited with leading the association to raise millions of dollars in support of students, staff, alumni and the community. The resolution in support of the name change was sponsored by Lowell alumna Commissioner Emily M. Murase.
