Afternoon Announcements June 27, 2014

Chicago and New York Libraries aim to increase Wi-Fi for low-income families

A petition from members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, as well as parents and teachers, asks the state’s highest court to throw out a law signed by Gov. Mary Fallin earlier this month that repealed the Common Core State Standards.  EdWeek

With new funding, the public library systems in New York and Chicago hope to expand Internet access among low-income families, increasing the number of Wi-Fi hot spots available. NPR

While you’re reading that, be sure to check out the Alliance’s latest report on Anytime, Anywhere learning, which stresses how important internet access both inside and outside the classroom is for low-income students.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy committed an additional $15 million in spending to continue launching Common Core in Connecticut’s public schools on Thursday, saying the money is part of an effort to bring together teachers, parents and administrators to implement the new education standards. The Day

High students speak up using digital devices in the classroom, saying the edtech tools helped them with organization skills and connecting with classmates. EdSurge

Maryland education officials and a diverse group of organizations representing educators announced a unique partnership Friday to develop an important part of teacher evaluations. The Washington Post

This weekend the edtech world will rally in Atlanta for four jam-packed days of learning at the annual conference of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). In addition to enjoying workshops centered on new digital tools, more and more teachers will be sharing edtech tools that they designed themselves to remedy daily classroom problems. EdSurge

House Republicans began introducing a slate of bills Thursday afternoon aimed at overhauling the Higher Education Act (HEA), a law that encompasses the entire federal student loan program. Education Week Politics K-12

Check out our policy recommendations for the HEA, including initiatives for teachers.

California Governor Jerry Brown ended three years of high-decibel battles in the Legislature on Wednesday by signing a bill he helped shape that should make it quicker and easier to fire teachers accused of the most abhorrent forms of misconduct. EdSource

Brian Kibby, President of the Higher Education Group at McGraw-Hill Education discusses focusing on how data and analytics can be used in achievable, responsible ways to support instructors and improve student performance. The Huffington Post

Skype can be a great tool for teaching English-Language Arts, one teacher finds. eSchoolNews