Education Talk
A newsletter of The Education Alliance
 
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$55,000 Awarded For W.V. Flooded Classrooms

 
On Thursday, the Alliance presented a $55,000 check to West Virginia teachers impacted by the June 2016 flood.  The presentation was held at Elkview Middle and Herbert Hoover High School in Kanawha County.  Greenbrier and Nicholas counties will also receive funding. Click here to read the entire article.
 


Partnerships in Education
 
Business and Community Supporting Public Schools 

Featured Community Partner
AmeriCorps Week 2017
Earlier this March, AmeriCorps Week 2017 was celebrated with events held nationwide to honor the service provided by 80,000 active AmeriCorps volunteers and 1 million AmeriCorps alumni. The Education Alliance operates two AmeriCorps programs - AmeriCorps on the Frontline, where 36 volunteers focus on dropout prevention through mentoring, and STEM Network Schools, where eight volunteers serve as VISTAs in STEM schools across the state.



Featured Business Partner  
Education Alliance partners with ESRI for 3rd Annual West Virginia STEM Challenge
In collaboration with the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the West Virginia Department of Education, and the West Virginia Geographic Alliance, The Education Alliance is coordinating the 3rd Annual West Virginia STEM Challenge with a focus on mapmaking for middle and high school students. Click here to learn more about this project.
 

WV Education News  

 Governor Jim Justice has appointed Jeffrey D. Flanagan of Kanawha County and Frank Vitale of Monongalia County to serve on the West Virginia Board of Education.
 
The West Virginia Board of Education announced it has narrowed its search for a new Superintendent of Schools to three educators already working in the state. The finalists are Kathy D'Antoni, Blaine Hess and Steven Paine.
 
The West Virginia Senate on Friday removed a bill's language that would've required the state to replace its largely Common Core-based math and English language arts K-12 education standards with standards previously used in California and Massachusetts. 
 
West Virginia Board of Education members agreed on March 16th to close an elementary school with fewer than 30 students in Randolph County.
    
State School Board Halts A-F Grading for Entire Schools  
The West Virginia Board of Education decided, in a voice vote with no nays, to not label entire schools with A-F grades next school year.  
  
National Education News    
 
Senate Votes to Rescind Obama Rules on School Accountability
The Senate voted to end an Obama effort to identify and help struggling schools and students, as President Trump and Republicans work to undo some of his predecessor's key policies.
 
As access to Advanced Placement courses continues to grow, student success rates are also improving, according to the 2016 AP Program results for the class of 2016. 
 
Study: Kindergartners Start School With More Academic Skills Than in Past 
Kindergarten students in 2010 started school with noticeably stronger literacy, math, and behavior skills across the board compared to their peers that started school just 12 years earlier.
 
Bill Would Create New Teaching Fellows Program with STEM Focus
After ending a previous teacher scholarship program, North Carolina lawmakers proposed a new version that would provide forgivable loans for new teachers who agree to teach in certain subject areas. 
 
Aligning Curricula with Manufacturers' Needs
Groups representing advanced manufacturers have teamed up with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) to create a committee of six educators who will identify how colleges can modify their curricula and industry certifications to better meet hiring needs.