Our weekly Top Five feature offers big stories or views from the past week with policy and legislative implications.
1. Buy laptops, not textbooks, Jackie Mader in The Hechinger Report, Nov. 15, 2016
Take a look at what happened in this Mississippi school district when the superintendent returned $900,000 of textbooks and bought laptops and electronics instead:
“Hickman was slowly able to get the community on board as he spoke to families and teachers about the importance of preparing students for a global society where technology use is inevitable. He organized professional development for teachers and provided coaches to help teachers learn about and roll out technology in classrooms. ‘When [students] grow older, they’re going to be utilizing technology, it’s going to be a main part of what they do,’ Hickman said. ‘One of our responsibilities is to really prepare that 21st century child.’”
2. Improve students’ scores by engaging with parents at work, The Brookings Institution, Oct. 27, 2016
“Instead of allowing a parent’s employment situation to obstruct educational involvement, what if we used the workplace as an opportunity to help families with schools? More specifically, what if we sent well-trained experts like former teachers or school principals to meet with that hotel housekeeper during her break at work? In ten minutes, they could review her kids’ report cards, for example, and write down follow-up questions for the teacher. Or discuss spending more time at night reading with her third grade son, who is a little behind where he needs to be.
“That’s what we’re doing through EdNavigator, the nonprofit organization we founded to help hardworking families get a great education for their children.”
3. Why consumers should keep enrolling in Obamacare, Sarah Lueck at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Nov. 14, 2016
“It would be a mistake to miss the open enrollment deadline and lose the chance to get coverage. People should enroll now, so they can make sure they can obtain preventive benefits at no cost, get coverage of checkups and prescriptions, and protect themselves financially in case they face significant health care needs during the year….
“Whatever may happen to health reform will take time. Leaders of the effort to repeal the law have already said there should be a transition period to avoid disruption; an earlier repeal bill that President Obama vetoed would have kept subsidies for marketplace plans in place for two years. Many Republicans say they want to pass alternative health care proposals, and that could take them some time to figure out.
4. Appoint state superintendent of education, editorial, The Post and Courier, Nov. 16, 2016
“Next year would be a good time to advance that idea, with legislative action for a statewide referendum enabling the requisite change in the state constitution. Both Gov. Nikki Haley and state Superintendent Molly Spearman are endorsing the change, and are urging the Legislature to put the question to a vote in the next general election.”
5. Solar panel installations exploding in S.C., GSA Business Report, Nov. 14, 2016
South Carolina has jumped from 36th to ninth nationally in annual installation of solar photovoltaic panels, according to recent data. An excerpt:
“Whitten said the reason for the rapid growth of solar in South Carolina is the Distributed Energy Resource Program Act which was passed unanimously in the S.C. House and S.C. Senate in 2014. The act allows electric utility companies in the state to recoup expenses incurred to implement various energy sources like solar.”
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!