Candidates have 19 days left to file to run in the May 9 school board elections, and education advocates hope to encourage more people to run in those three weeks. “There’s a lot more community members than there are elected people, so if you don’t like the direction that your community is going in, run,” said Laurisa Schutt, executive director …
A bill that would ban a local school tax increase after the statewide property reassessment is completed was tabled Wednesday in the House Educaiton Committee after a lengthy discussion. House Bill 42, sponsored by Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would remove the up-to-10% increase in school property taxes that current law would allow schools boards to levy. Rep. Rich Collins, …
The Brandywine School District voted Monday night to explore using the same new model for evaluate its superintendent that Christina decided to consider two months ago. The vote came after Brandywine School Board member Ralph Ackerman recommended contacting the Delaware School Boards Association to set up a workshop to talk about its program they would use with Superintendent Lincoln Hohler. …
Heather Hitchens of Lake Forest Central has been named Delaware 2023 Educational Support Professional of the Year. A paraprofessional, she works with students with disabilities in small classroom and inclusion settings. “I ensure students with disabilities participate to the best of their ability, whether that be maneuvering their wheelchair to score a goal or learning a picture communication system to …
Even though the job of superintendent of education is one of the most powerful in a school district, many Delaware districts don’t perform annual reviews of theirs. “Some boards have a formal review, and some don’t,” said Donald Patton, board member of Christina School District. He was a teacher and principal for decades before being elected in May. “How do …
The 20 individuals who have been named as Educational Support Professionals of the Year are the “glue that keeps our schools together.” “Educating kids through teachers is the goal and the mission of schools,” said John Marinucci, executive director of the Delaware School Board Association, “but the support folks handle all the things that have to take place around the …
Christina School District’s school board explored a new model to evaluate its superintendent and other administrators during a board workshop Tuesday night. Dr. John Marrinuci, executive director of the Delaware School Boards Association, showed a new plan to the board that was created by a different district’s board member as part of her doctoral dissertation. It’s more in-depth than the …
For the first time since fall 2020, Delaware teachers will not be granted paid COVID-19 leave. That means they have to use their normal sick leave if they or a family member gets sick. “The argument can be made that we’re further away from the craziness of COVID, so I get it,” said Jennifer Saunders, who’s taught in Red Clay …
While a bill to make schools check air quality annually and quickly fix any problems drew support Wednesday, several legislators questioned whether it would cost more than expected to fix problems. Ultimately, Senate Bill 270 passed and will be headed to the Senate floor. SB 270 has been five years in the making, said sponsor Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Newark …
After weeks of candidates campaigning, Delaware’s 38 school board candidates face the voters Tuesday, May 10. Polls open on May 10 at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. While school board elections typically draw only 10% of the available voters, many Delaware organizations are hoping for a higher turnout this year. Jane Brady, chairwoman of the Delaware State …
