A Delaware Republican Senator has sent a letter to President Trump asking him to posthumously pardon an Underground Railroad hero and abolitionist from the First State. Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, wants Trump to grant clemency to John Hunn, a Quaker abolitionist born in 1818 who is widely regarded as the architect of Delaware’s Underground Railroad. John Hunn’s legacy Hunn was …
WEDNESDAY: Application deadline for school choice
Parents have until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to submit applications for their child to attend a school outside their residential district for the 2025-2026 academic year. If history holds true, the state is likely to see about 25,000 applications from parents wanting to switch this year. “Delaware is unique, but it’s more about understanding that our children are unique,” said Kendall …
Delaware’s school awards spark data debate
A recent dispute over Delaware’s school recognition program highlights the growing challenge of measuring and communicating educational progress in an era of increasing data complexity. The Delaware Department of Education recently awarded 17 schools with state and national recognition for achievements in student growth, closing achievement gaps, and serving special populations. However, education policy expert Tanya Hettler, Ph.D., from the …
17 sports facilities battle for a small share of $47.1M in state tourism funding
Seventeen organizations throughout the First State are asking for a combined $47,138,560 for construction, upgrades, and additions to their sports complexes to generate more income and attract more athletes and patrons. The requests range from as little as $319,680 from the Sandhill Fields in Georgetown to as much as $10 million from Dover’s First State Aquatic Center. It’s sure to …
School funding group talks inequities, boards, reassessment
Delaware must decide to remodel its current house or build a completely new house. That’s the analogy used to describe needed changes to how the state funds its public schools by Michael Griffith, senior researcher and policy analyst at the Learning Policy Institute. He repeatedly used this mantra Thursday during the first formal meeting of the Public Education Funding Commission, …
Redding Consortium passes $14.6M budget for ‘25 fiscal year
A New Castle County education agency plans to put $5.7 million into in-school health services and outside time service $3.7 million into pre-K in 2025. Those are the biggest items in the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity’s $14.6 million budget, which began July 1. The consortium also will put $1.6 million into planning for redistricting Christina School District and removing …
School climate group stresses engagement, funding
As Delaware students head back to school, a state task force dedicated to keeping their environment positive had a major focus on family engagement and funding. The 24-member Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force, made of government and educational officials as well as school behavioral specialists and resource officers, first heard a presentation from Kendall Massett, executive director of …
Survey shows majority of teachers dissatisfied, likely to retire early
A lot of the state’s teachers are concerned about the working conditions in schools, and new survey results shared at a state committee meeting Monday night put hard data behind those claims. The survey was presented at the Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force meeting. That group, created in March, is made of government and educational officials as well …
Trans athlete bill sparks healthy debate in Senate committee
A bill forcing transgender student athletes to compete only with others who share their biological gender drew some healthy discussion in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday. “While the public could be broadly accepting of the idea that adults who want to identify as a different gender and undergo hormone treatment to live out their lives should be given space to …
Legislator: Mental health programs hurt Delaware classrooms
A member of the state task force that’s trying to improve student behavior and school environments in schools said that tiered mental health programs are killing Delaware classroom productivity. “They don’t need all the fancy stuff,” said Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, said. “They don’t need the interventions. They don’t need the couches, they don’t need the specialists. They just need …