The Brandywine School District followed the leader and voted unanimously Monday night to join the Wilmington Learning Collaborative. The vote follows the Christina School District’s unanimous vote last week. Next up, and last to vote, will be the Red Clay Consolidated School District when it meets Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. That meeting can be livestreamed here. The Brandywine …
Here’s what changed in Learning Collab’s final agreement
Changes in the final version of the agreement to create the Wilmington Learning Collaborative include giving schools hiring power, tasking site-based councils with curricula recommendations, and outlining requirements for individual membership. Those changes were designed to address concerns that board members of the participating districts – Christina, Red Clay and Brandywine – discussed over the past five months, delaying the …
Milford’s Ashley Lockwood named 2023 teacher of year
Ashley Lockwood, a fifth-grade teacher at Lulu Ross Elementary in Milford School District, has been named the 2023 Delaware Teacher of the Year. “Teaching children has been one of the greatest blessings and gifts that God has ever given me, and for that, I will be forever grateful,” Lockwood said during the award ceremony Tuesday night. “Thank you to my …
Delaware retailers must accept cash under new law
Most Delaware retailers are now required to accept cash payments thanks to a new law signed by Gov. John Carney Friday. House Bill 299, sponsored by Rep. Franklin Cooke, D-New Castle, prohibits sellers of consumer goods or services from refusing to accept cash payments except in limited circumstances. The law covers sales made at retail stores through in-person transactions. It …
Christina first district to agree to join Learning Collab
After five years of planning and months of discussions around the agreement, Christina School District’s school board voted unanimously Monday night to sign the Wilmington Learning Collaborative agreement. The vote came just after 9 p.m. Monday, two hours after the meeting started. “If in some period of time, all of our third graders can read proficiently at grade three, it …
Legislature to reconvene to tackle Medicare Advantage
In response to protests by state government retirees who say they were left in the dark over a significant change to their health insurance, the General Assembly unveiled a bill Monday aimed at creating additional oversight. The House of Representatives and Senate will hold a special session in Dover on Oct. 26 to debate and vote on the bill. Pensioners …
New Bancroft School under construction, may open fall ‘24
The new $84 million Bancroft School, which will span across several blocks in Wilmington, may be open for students by fall 2024. By then, said George Wicks, supervisor of facilities and planning for the Christina School District, the new building should be standing and the old one torn down. The old school, which serves grades one through eight, was built …
State retirees protest Carney admin’s Medicare Advantage plan
Delaware state government retirees gathered in Wilmington Tuesday with a message for Gov. John Carney and his political appointees: “Keep your hands off our Medicare.” The crowd of mostly senior citizens planned to protest outside the Carvel State Office Building, where the governor, attorney general and New Castle County lawmakers have offices. Rain forced them indoors to the city and …
A look at Brandywine’s city vs. suburban test scores
A look at the test scores of Brandywine School District’s elementary schools shows why the state is focusing only on Wilmington children in its proposal for a program to raise student achievement in the city. Brandywine school board member Kristin Pidgeon this week questioned why Brandywine’s other eight elementaries – all in suburban schools – are not included in the …
Vote-by-mail ruling: More complex than simply barring it
Republicans were quick to say “we told you so” Thursday as word spread that a Chancery Court judge had ruled that Delaware’s new vote-by-mail law violates the state Constitution. Democrats were quick to say the ruling – all but guaranteed to be appealed to the Delaware Supreme Court – will disenfranchise voters, especially low-income voters and people of color. …