The state is in the process of creating rules that govern the licensure and certification of charter school leaders. It’s a move that the executive director of Delaware Charter Schools Network said is offensive and degrading. “It’s absolutely beyond ridiculous and it’s infuriatingly insulting,” Kendall Massett said Tuesday. “Especially the suggestion that those of our current leaders that do not …
School bus contractors call for higher pay, expanded benefits
Companies that provide Delaware school bus drivers want the state to raise school bus driver pay to $25 an hour. They also want the state to pay more for insurance for buses below the C&D Canal and expand benefits to mechanics, backup drivers and office staff. Those requests were from Gerald Dutton, president of the Delaware School Bus Contractors Association …
College scholarships application deadlines are approaching
A variety of community groups are offering college scholarships, and students who want to apply need to get on it, because at least one deadline is today. “Our scholarship programs are created by generous people who understand that higher education is expensive and they want Delaware students to have more opportunity,” said Allison Levine, vice president of marketing for the …
Educator pay committee delays salary vote over budget, timeline
Plans to recommend how the state will significantly hike salaries of teachers as well as school administrators and nurses stalled Monday night amid concerns about the state budget and the timeline of raises. The 15-person Public Education Compensation Committee debating the issue was created this year to make recommendations on Delaware educator compensation. Officials hope raises will both address the …
Preschool special ed. funding bill draws staffing, money concerns
A bill that would increase funding for preschool students with disabilities was released by the House Education Committee Wednesday, but not without some concerns. House Bill 33, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, D-Marshallton, would increase funding for those students by revising the current ratio of 12.8 students per education unit to 8.4 students per unit for preschoolers 3 years and …
State to embrace new math ‘framework’ to raise scores
The Delaware Department of Education is championing higher-quality math curriculums, spending more time on the topic and offering more professional training to teachers. It is part of what the department calls a framework to help combat the state’s atrocious scores in math, including 18 schools that have single-digit proficiency scores. Just 29.48% of First State students are proficient in math, …
Meetings to focus on changes in rules for disabled students
Delaware’s Department of Education will hold two public meetings this week to discuss changes in rules that extend public education to students with disabilities until they turn 22 years old. House Bill 454, which became law in July 2022, bumped the age up from 21 to 22 starting in August 2022. The two hearings – required for all changes in …
School choice applications close Jan. 11
Delaware’s school choice application period is closing Wednesday, Jan. 11. That means families who want to send their children to a school outside of their regular feeder pattern for the 2023-24 school year only have a few days left to submit their paperwork. The good news: It’s mostly online. The First State is one of 13 in the country in …
2022 Rewind: State to unveil new math program to combat low scores
This story was originally published in October, 2022. Delaware will announce a new statewide math plan in December to counter COVID learning loss and boost the state’s horrific test scores, which are among the worst in the nation. The state has been working on the plan since January but is not yet prepared to release details because the plan hasn’t …
School districts to receive at least $500k for solar panels
Delaware’s 19 public school districts will receive at least $500,000 each to install solar panels to reduce energy consumption for certain school buildings. Energize Delaware, an energy conservation group, has launched the grant program to encourage First State district schools to reduce their energy costs. “School districts use a lot of energy and the savings will lower their expenses for …