A few weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday and my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter sang “Happy Birthday” to me...in English and then in Spanish. As she belted out “cumpleaños feliz,” I was reminded that one of my greatest gifts is the opportunity to watch her learn and grow. It is a gift to see and support her … Continue reading Delaware is lying to its babies and toddlers
How a low-income Delaware student found the “cheat code” to top college admissions
What does a kid do when her elite college dreams are being suffocated by a school system best suited to stifle mobility? How does she erase the seemingly indelible signs of inequitable schooling and resources from her record and etch her name on the registries of colleges meant for the affluent? She cheats. But she … Continue reading How a low-income Delaware student found the “cheat code” to top college admissions
What we don’t know about school boards can hurt us
On Tuesday, May 9th, with minimal vetting and less than 2% of eligible voters casting a ballot, Delaware's slate of school board members will be elected and granted the right to make decisions affecting students and families across the state. With the right smile, slogan, and signs a well-intentioned but eminently unqualified person could assume … Continue reading What we don’t know about school boards can hurt us
Why Carney’s administration should stay the course on school report cards
Governor Carney and Delaware’s Department of Education are about to make it easier for Delaware families to know how their schools are performing. But only if groups such as Delaware’s teachers’ union (DSEA) are not able to impose their will behind the scenes. The Delaware Department of Education recently sided with parents in its final draft … Continue reading Why Carney’s administration should stay the course on school report cards
Kids Deserve More Than the Good Old Boys’ Club in 2017
Word on the street is that some of Delaware’s most entrenched “good old boys” are being considered for Delaware’s Secretary of Education role. And I know there is a well-connected group of education insiders who would applaud Governor-elect Carney for such a pick. But in 2017, I think Delaware kids and schools deserve more than the … Continue reading Kids Deserve More Than the Good Old Boys’ Club in 2017
Should Delaware’s teachers’ union have endorsed Lisa Blunt Rochester on her historic run for Congress?
Photo credit: Doug Curran, Special to News Journal Lisa Blunt Rochester is poised to make history this fall. The former Delaware Labor Secretary and current Democratic candidate for Congress is super-qualified and would be the first woman and person of color The First State sent to Congress. Delaware is one of only three states that has … Continue reading Should Delaware’s teachers’ union have endorsed Lisa Blunt Rochester on her historic run for Congress?
Keeping Students in our View
When education policy leaders are spending months negotiating the technical details of state accountability systems or educator compensation policies, it can be easy to lose sight of their mission: serving students. Mired in debates about whether to pay highly-effective teachers more; whether the Smarter Balanced assessment should be reincorporated into teacher evaluation; whether parents should … Continue reading Keeping Students in our View
Urgency of Now 