[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Hazard Preparation, the SAT, and the Climate March

No one knows better than educators about the importance of staying up-to-date. In Edmentum’s Weekly News Round Up, you’ll find the latest and most interesting education news, all in one place.

A new emergency planning guide jointly released by the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services aims to help school districts create customized emergency response plans to prevent, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from emergency situations. What will this mean for your school? In this week’s EdNews Round Up, read stories on the Trump administration’s emergency response guide, how more students than ever are taking the SAT than ever before, why students attended last week’s climate march, and more. 

Trump administration emergency response guide calls for proactive hazard prep
Education Drive
A new emergency planning guide jointly released by the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services aims to help school districts create customized emergency response plans to prevent, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from emergency situations.

More Students Are Taking the SAT Than Ever Before
U.S. News
More students in the graduating high school class of 2019 took the SAT than ever before, despite a record number of colleges and universities dropping the entrance exam requirement that's long been a standard part of the admissions process.

10 Students, 10 Reasons Why They Skipped School Friday to Join the Climate March: ‘It’s Everyone Doing Something That Changes Everything’
The 74
7-year-old Lucy came to the climate march in New York City on Friday because “I love penguins and I don’t want them to get extinct.” Read other students’ inspirations here.

Math Teachers Take a Page From English/Language Arts: Comic Books!
EdWeek
Comic books and graphic novels, popular in many language arts and social studies classes, are just now tiptoeing into the world of K-12 math.

How to Keep Teachers From Leaving the Profession
The Atlantic
After 38 years in education, Judith Harper thinks what teachers are missing is more time to learn from one another.

How Far Should Schools Go in Banning Student Phones?
District Administration
Educators say phones are a distraction, but many parents feel safer if their children have them. Mobile devices can also help students with disabilities, they argue.

High School gamers are scoring college scholarships, But can esports make varsity?
NBC News
In the 2018-19 school year, some 200 colleges in the U.S. offered $16 million in esports scholarships, more than a threefold increase since 2015, according to the National Association of College Esports. Looking to boost enrollment and keep up with the latest tech-industry trend, colleges are plucking recruits from online gaming platforms as teams continue to spring up in high schools everywhere.

Education policy is often a topic of conversation in state and federal legislatures. Stay in-the-know with this week’s top stories regarding education reform at the state and national level.

South Dakota district is installing vape sensors
Argus Leader
The Dell Rapids School District is installing vape sensors. The machines send silent messages to school resource officers or administrators when vaping chemicals are detected in middle school and high school bathrooms to help curb the use of vaping products among teens on school property.

Hundreds of Indiana educators shared their ideas for raising teacher pay. Now they wait.
Chalkbeat Indiana
It will likely be a year before teachers’ ideas for raising their salaries will be shared with state leaders. Despite unions’ insistence that the issue demands action, the suggestions teachers made during public meetings last month could have little impact on the upcoming legislative session.

Amazon and Texas community colleges launch degree for cloud computing
The Dallas Morning News
The programs are part of local and statewide efforts to expand the pipeline of tech talent and prepare students for jobs of the future.

Bill Seeks To Get Personal Finance Into Pennsylvania Schools
CBS News
Legislation is on the move in Pennsylvania to require public schools to allow students to apply personal finance class credits toward high school graduation requirements.

New Mexico to Offer Free College to All Residents Regardless of Income
U.S. News
New Mexico will announce a plan Wednesday to make every public college and university in the state tuition free for all state residents.