Senator Eric Buckson wants President Donals Trump to posthumously pardon Abolitionist John Hunn.

Sen. Buckson asks Trump to pardon abolitionist John Hunn

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

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 …

DELAWARE’S SCHOOL CHOICE APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSES WEDNESDAY, JAN. 8 AT 11:59 P.M.

WEDNESDAY: Application deadline for school choice 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …

Getting improved and transparent data is a critical baby step in the state's mission to improve Delaware's schools.

Delaware’s school awards spark data debate

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …

Kirkwood Sports Complex, pictured above, is one of 17 organizations who submitted applications in this second round of allocations for Delaware's sports tourism fund.

17 sports facilities battle for a small share of $47.1M in state tourism funding

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

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 …

The Public Education Funding Commission had its first formal meeting Thursday. (Photo by seb_ra/iStock Getty Images

School funding group talks inequities, boards, reassessment

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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, …

The Redding Consortium voted on its budget for fiscal year 2025 Monday night.

Redding Consortium passes $14.6M budget for ‘25 fiscal year

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …

Among other topics, the task force talked about the importance of engagement in Monday's meeting. (Photo by Chinnapong/Adobe Stock)

School climate group stresses engagement, funding

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …

A new survey shows that school climate has had an effect on teachers, perhaps pushing them away from the field in Delaware. (Photo by Media_Photos/Shutterstock)

Survey shows majority of teachers dissatisfied, likely to retire early

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …

A bill that would require transgender athletes to compete against their biological sex had a lot of discussion in a Senate committee Wednesday. (Photo by Michael Flippo/Adobe Stock)

Trans athlete bill sparks healthy debate in Senate committee

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Sports

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 …

Delaware's Multi-Tiered System of Supports focus on academic, mental and behavioral health. (Photo by Deposit Photos)

Legislator: Mental health programs hurt Delaware classrooms

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

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 …