Billy Scialla. a Fifer Middle School eighth grader, won the state spelling bee on the word “surrogate.” Photo courtesy St. Mark’s High School Billy Scialla can thank The Hulk for his 2022 Delaware spelling bee title. Out of the 12 words he spelled correctly to win, only one gave him pause. âPunily.â But then his love for films came to …
Delaware schools to turn to science of reading to improve literacy rates
State education officials, legislators are moving to be sure the science of reading is used when teaching public students.  Delawareâs once highly ranked reading scores now are worse than those in Mississippi. Much worse. In 2002 Delaware fourth graders outperformed Mississippiâs by 21 points on national scores, with the First State well above the national average. Today, after a …
Freire withdraws request to open charter school in NewarkÂ
Freire’s withdrawal comes as Christina School District’s board is asking the state to put a moratorium on new and expanding charter schools. Photo from Freire-Wilmington Facebook page. Freire Schools has withdrawn its request to expand and put a charter school in Newark. Nate Durant, co-head of school at Freire Charter School-Wilmington, said in a note to state education officials …
Bills to add mental health help in schools sent to House floor
Two bills moving to the House floor would put millions into mental health positions in Delaware’s middle school and high school. The House Education Committee on Wednesday unanimously voted to release two bills focused on putting additional mental health resources into Delaware schools. House Bills 300 and 301 serve as an extension of House Bill 100, legislation passed …
42 to compete for 19 school board seats in May 10 election
Three seats only have one person running, but one seat in Red Clay School District has four people running. When Delaware residents go to the polls in May, theyâll find 19 school board seats up for grabs and 42 candidates who want them. The deadline to file to run in the 16 districts having elections was March 4. Of the …
National tour to celebrate Delawareâs shift in math education
Three Delaware schools are getting a visit from a national tour highlighting changes in teaching math. Caesar Rodney, Brandywine, and Appoquinimink school districts will welcome a national tour this month that celebrates the high level of mathematics learning in Delaware. The Knowledge Matters Campaign chose Delaware as the first stop, and itâs the first time the First State has …
Ursuline sistersâ bilingual childrenâs book honors teacher
Ursuline seniors Ava, left, and Bella Lindia read their recently published book to Ursuline elementary students. Ursuline Academy students wrapped in red sweaters were transported Wednesday to a tropical rainforest with colorful flowers and animated wildlife in Peru, thanks to twin sisters Ava and Bella Lindia. The sisters took the kindergarten to fifth graders on the voyage by reading …
Education journalist, Jarek Rutz joins Delaware LIVE News
As Delaware LIVE News closes in on its second anniversary as a locally-owned news business focused on hyperlocal news and information across the First State, the company welcomes Jarek Rutz to the newsroom as its premier education journalist. âOur communities have been proactively engaging in their local schools at an unprecedented level and we intend to provide detailed reporting of …
Independence Schoolâs wowzer of outdoor classroom links kids, nature
Independence School’s new outdoor classroom includes an amphitheater. Photo by Independence School. Independence Schoolâs breathtaking new outdoor learning area includes an amphitheater, interactive musical instruments, a tricycle track, a Wetlands and a âmessy activitiesâ area. The elegantly designed 57,000 square feet, divided into 14 areas, has been planned since the spring of 2018, with fundraising starting in 2019. It …
Wilmingtonâs Eastside students welcomed back by cheering crowd
Corie Priest of the Delaware Attorney General’s Office welcomes a student returning to Eastside Charter Tuesday. More than 40 teachers, politicians and members of the community gathered Tuesday to form a welcome crew for students returning to Eastside Charter School for the first time since March 2020. The 483 students, mostly minorities, reacted in a variety of ways to …