[Weekly EdNews Round Up] Polar Vortex Shuts Down Schools in the Midwest

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.

While the government shut down has come to a close, hundreds of schools and several large universities are canceling class and closing campuses as freezing temperatures shut down the Midwest. Read all about this story and more in this week’s EdNews Round Up.

Record-breaking Cold Shuts Down Schools in the Midwest
EdWeek
Hundreds of schools and several large universities closed their campuses Tuesday as temperatures plummeted across the Midwest, with forecasters warning that the frigid weather will get worse and could be life-threatening.

Shutdown Resolution Averts School Lunch Crisis
U.S. News
Meals programs administered through the schools by the Department of Agriculture were in danger of running out of money, even though education funding was secure.

Gym Class Is So Bad Kids Are Skipping School to Avoid It
The Atlantic
Not only does P.E. do little to improve physical fitness, but it can also lead to truancy and other disciplinary problems.

Natural disasters drive need to update K12 emergency plans
District Administration
More frequent and intense natural disasters require school leadership to address trauma and prepare for extended disruptions.

Across U.S., graduation rates are rising, with little connection to test scores
Chalkbeat
States with low test scores don’t necessarily have low graduation rates, and vice versa, data released last week for the class of 2017 shows. And state test scores are less pegged to graduation rates than they were several years ago, according to a Chalkbeat analysis.

How Effective Sports Coaches Help Students Feel Understood at School
MindShift
The experience of having a coach who can guide a team towards a common goal can help deepen the relationships a student has at school and help individuals feel a part of something bigger than themselves.

Marie Kondo in the Classroom: How Teachers Are Tidying Up
EdWeek
When teachers need to keep track of hundreds of student assignments and bins of materials, staying organized can be a hard challenge to surmount. Now, some teachers are turning to Marie Kondo for help.

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.

Auer Jones: Ed Dept. to move away from "one-size-fits-all" accreditation model
Education Dive
Speaking with reporters in Washington on Monday, the federal agency's top higher ed official shed light on its deregulatory agenda.

These States Could Actually Replace Their School Funding Formulas This Year
EdWeek
When it comes to student learning, money matters, a growing amount of research shows. But what matters even more, those same experts say, is how that money is spent—and the vast majority of K-12 dollars today are spent in very outdated, ineffecient ways.

South Carolina lawmakers file ‘comprehensive’ 84-page bill on education reform
WCSC 5
South Carolina legislators have crafted an education bill that addresses school consolidation, increasing teacher pay, developing K-4 education, preparing students for the workforce, and increasing access to technical schools.

For his first Tennessee budget proposal, Lee eyes teacher pay, school security, career and tech ed
Chalkbeat
Gov. Bill Lee said Monday that he wants to increase teacher pay and invest more money in programs for career, technical, and agricultural education, but he’s still figuring out what’s possible as he shapes his first proposed budget.

Florida bill would have students learn alternatives to climate change, evolution
Tampa Bay Times
A recent federal report on STEM education is giving experts hope that the government is strengthening its role in directing technology-related education policy.

At Pivotal Moment, Nevada State Education Chief, Deputies Resign
EdWeek
Nevada's Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Canavero submitted his resignation letter to the governor late last week, shortly before the state's legislature—which faces an ambitious education agenda—was set to go into session.