Afternoon Announcements: July 28, 2014

 Students’ in Maryland’s largest school system to receive 40,000 laptops and tablets

Montgomery County, MD Board of Education has given the go-ahead for the purchase of 40,000 laptops and tablets for students in Maryland’s largest school system as part of a major technology initiative. The Washington Post

A group of seven families are slated to file a complaint with the New York State court today in relation to what they deem are unconstitutional teacher tenure laws. ChalkBeat NY

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) research suggests principals in some countries vastly overestimate the poverty level of their students, which negatively correlates with student math achievement. The Hechinger Report

New York City Department of Education data show that in cases it filed in the past two school years, arbitrators terminated 40 educators for egregious transgressions or poor performance and suspended 19. The Wall Street Journal

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy (PCSP) is calling for strengthened FERPA legislation and more parent involvement in school decisions about privacy practices. edSurge

When it comes to students’ online safety practices, parents want more online education included in curriculum and teachers want parents to reinforce what students learn in the classroom. eSchoolNews

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) calls language arts and math tests “a huge game changer.” ChalkBeat Colorado

The State of Washington has lost the flexibility it once had under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, after failing to change its teacher-evaluation system to include student achievement on statewide tests. Komo News

Parents contend that The City of New York fights too many of the special needs requests they file for their students, often delaying important services to students in the process. The New York Times

New research suggests a possible delay in a child’s ability to learn to read, which could impact the way reading is taught in higher grades. NPR

The Napa Valley Unified School District is using laptop carts, BOYD, and 1:1 device techniques in efforts to provide equitable access to technology for students. edSurge