News and Events
DSEA Events
State Budget Crisis
Charter school news
Donohue and Hoffmann elected
Speak out about RtI regs
Specialists: Don't let your license expire
Federal appeals court backs NEA challenge to NCLB
Laurel locals unify
Vision 2015 update
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Updated Wednesday, July 2, 2008
One-year Charter School Moratorium on new applications now moves to Governor for signature
June 25, 2008, 5:30pm…. This afternoon the Delaware State Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 11 by a vote of 11-9, with one absent, without any further amendment. The Joint Resolution now goes to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner for her signature. The measure overwhelmingly passed the House yesterday, 33-7-1, with two amendments.
Prior to passage, the Senate overwhelmingly defeated --- 14 against, 4 in favor, 2 not voting, 1 absent --- an eleventh hour amendment from Sen. Dave Sokola (D-Newark) that would have granted an exception for the Delaware Community Charter School. This charter school failed in its application in 2008 to the State Department of Education. According to Dr. Nancy Wilson, Deputy Secretary of Education, who testified before the Senate this afternoon, this charter school was rejected because it failed to meet 10 of the 14 requirements under the current charter school law.
"DSEA thanks each of the Senate and House members who supported this idea and brought it to passage," said DSEA President Barbara Grogg. Grogg also noted that the Joint Resolution had the support of the state Department of Education, the Delaware Chief School Officers, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators. In addition, the Delaware Charter School Network voted to officially take No Position.
"Now we can get about the work of improving the current charter school law," said Grogg. "DSEA's goal is to use our 12-year charter school experience to ensure that our charter school law is working to ensure that Delaware provides the most effective education possible to all our students and that all schools, both community and charter, succeed."
Charter School moratorium passes House 33-7
Wednesday, June 25, 2008.... The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a one-year moratorium (Senate Joint Resolution 11) yesterday on new charter school applications. The vote was 33-7 (one absent), with all 19 Democrats and 13 of 21 Republicans voting YES.
The lead sponsor in the House for this legislation is Majority Leader Rep. Richard Cathcart (R-Middletown). He noted that numerous organizations are in support of the resolution and that even the Charter School Network has taken a "neutral" position on the moratorium. Those organizations in favor included: the state Department of Education; the Delaware Chief School Officers; the Delaware School Boards Association; the Delaware Association of School Administrators; and the Delaware State Education Association.
"This gives the parties time to get together and talk about the many necessary changes that are needed in the charter school law," Cathcart commented. Rep. Helene Keeley (D-Wilmington), another of the moratorium's sponsors, said: "Much has happened in the past 13 years. There is no reason not to go back and look at this law again."
Two amendments were added in the House, bringing to four the maximum number of charter school applications that may be submitted this year to the state Department of Education. They are: applications for a girls-only charter school; First Responders (curriculum focussed on training EMT and other health care careers), Aspira (targets Hispanic students) and the Gateway Charter School (for special education students).
Even Rep. Nick Manolakos (R-Hockessin), who voted against the moratorium said: "We need more oversight of charter schools." "One of the results [from this moratorium] ought to be that the parties involved in education come togther to strengthen the deficiencies that may exist in the charter school law," said Rep. Joseph Miro (R-Newark), another legislator who ultimately voted against the moratorium even after he had successfully added an amendment to allow for an application exception for an Hispanic organization, Aspira.
The only Republicans opposing the moratorium were: Joe Booth (R-Georgetown); Gerald Hocker (R-Dewey Beach); Deborah Hudson (R-Wilmington); Greg Lavalle (R-Wilmington); Pam Maier (R-Newark); Nick Manolakos (R-Hockessin); and Joseph Miro (R-Newark).
Senate Joint Resolution 11 now returns to the Senate (it must go back there since the bill they approved was changed by the House) where it must be approved without further amendment before it can proceed to the Governor for her signature. It may come to the Senate floor as soon as Wednesday, June 24.
You can go to the General Assembly web site 24/7 for its history and current status.
Our public survey stands on its own
Friday, June 19, 2008... The front page News Journal story of Friday June 19 quoted people very critical of our survey about charter schools.
Our survey clearly shows that voters have well-founded concerns about charter schools, and that it is very important to them that the state improve education for all students.
The study is based on serious issues of concern raised in a highly-credible outside evalution of Delaware's charter school law, commissioned by the State Board of Education. This three-year study done by Western Michigan's Evaluation Center raises serious concerns about charter schools in Delaware. Are these issues of concern to the public as well? was the big question we wanted to examine.
This research was done as part of our normal course of business. Like most sophisticated organizations today, we regularly conduct scientific surveys to determine what is of interest and concern to our members and the public. Just like educators today, we try to use scientific research and data to help us make better decisions.
The DSEA survey, as mentioned on page one of the News Journal, states correctly that it was intended to guide our work in the area of "public policy." Last year, for example, we studied the DSTP, the Delaware Student Testing Program.
The real issue is how to provide the best education for all students, not enflaming the discussion by attacking and insulting Delaware's educators with words like "jihad." You can see here President Barbara Grogg's letter to Greg Meece (director of the Newark Charter School) asking for an apology.
We stand ready to discuss our ideas about improving the criteria for new charter school applications and work with the DE Charter School network and everyone else concerned between now and January so that when the General Assembly reconvenes early next year we have a thoughtful piece of legislation.
Sen. Blevins asks for moratorium on new charter school applications
June 18, 2008.... A Senate Joint Resolution moved from the Senate to the House Education Comm. where it was voted out of committee on Wednesday, June 18. It may come before the entire Senate on Thursday, June 19.
Its journey begin on Tuesday, June 3, State Sen. Patti Blevins (D) and a number of other prominent legislators filed Senate Joint Resolution No. 11, “Instituting a One-Year Moratorium for New Charter School Applications.” The resolution provides for one exception in the event that an application is made for a single-gender girls school; this exception is consistent with the legislation passed in March to allow for a single-gender boys charter school. Click here to view the entire contents of the Resolution as well as to see its current status, any amendments, as well as who voted for or against it.
The Resolution passed the Senate on June 12, with debate on both sides of the issue. The vote was 14-5-2 not voting, with one amendment, which allows for a girls-only charter school application.
But before the vote was taken, some ugly, insulting and false statements were made.
You almost have to hear it to believe it, so we've gone to the trouble of securing a tape of the 38-minute discussion on the Senate floor. Click here to listen to Senators Colin Bonini and Dave Sokola, chair of the Senate Education Committee, attacking public schools and getting personal about DSEA’s support for delaying for one year any new charter school applications given the serious warnings from the three-year study of the Delaware charter school experience.
Bonini:
“I am stunned at how poorly our public schools are doing. Parents have told us how to solve this problem: charter schools. The market never lies.”
“The success of our charter schools and the waiting lists tell us that it is working. We have one clear-cut success in Delaware’s public schools.”
Then he hasn't paid attention to the charter schools that are on Academic Watch and in danger of failing; of the schools that have closed - two - much to the distress of the families; or talked to parents, especially in Wilmington, who have nothing good to say about their charter school experience.
"Delaware has only a 64% graduation rate." False again.
Let's set the record straight on Graduation Rate calculations
There are four ways to calculate graduation rates, one is a probability rate - the one Sen. Bonini refers to which is calculated by the Economic Policy Institute and repeated in the media. It answers the question, "What is the likelihood that a ninth grader will complete high school on time with a regular diploma given the school and conditions prevailing during a particular school year?" It is based on two years of data.
If, however, you ask, "What percent of students who started in the 9th grade in Delaware and graduated four years later with a high school diploma?", the answer is 83.7%.
If you ask, "What percentage of students who started in the 9th grade in Delaware graduated four years later with a high school diploma but also includes those students who transferred in and out of the school during that time?", the answer is 80.2%.
If you ask, "What percent of students who started in the 9th grade in Delaware graduated four years later with a high school diploma except students going to Groves Adult Education High School who are considered dropouts?", the answer is 83.5%. This later method, by the way, is how NCLB determines graduation rates.
These are not guesses, they are based on real kids and their histories.
Here's what Sen. Sokola said during the session:
"DSEA is the only organization out there that has been heard from (NOT TRUE). They have taken an anti-charter position in recent years."
The Dept. of Education, as well as the administrators, chiefs and school boards association also favors a one-year moratorium.
We have raised concerns about the legislative intent of the law not being upheld as well as the prevalent belief that no charter school can do wrong. When DSEA or anyone else raises an issue, we are labled anti-charter school. As we keep saying, we're for all students and their right to a great public school.
DSEA and other public education groups had hoped that instead of a moratoriam, the General Assembly would undertake a full review of the 13-year old charter school law this year. Toward that goal, DSEA worked long and hard with other public education groups and legislators to prepare legislation to improve and reform the current charter school law, especially regarding how thoughtfully the state considers new charter school applications. .
However, with the advent of the state budget crisis precipitated by the national and state economic woes, it is fair to say that the Governor and General Assembly are preoccupied trying to solve the current state budget deficit that exceeds $200 million in order to pass the state budget, bond, and grant-in-aid funding bills before June 30th.
Given that a full debate on this issue would probably not happen before June, this moratorium postpones until January, 2009, that debate, a debate that will hear from a number of parties, including charter school providers.
This moratorium on new charter school application also allows the state to ensure the best use of available funds for the continued improvement of all public schools.
Adds President Barbara Grogg, “We are and always have been committed to improving all public schools. We support solid decision-making to ensure full accountability and transparency regarding new charter schools. There is now evidence that, after 13 years, we should examine our charter school law.” Pointing to the impartial, unbiased university survey which studied Delaware’s charter school performance, she noted that the charter school data reveals disturbing evidence of re-segregation, ‘skimming’ of top performing students, duplication of effective local district services and programs, and under-enrollment of special education and low-income students.
You can read this report, including a summary, by clicking here.
DSEA Exec. Director Howard Weinberg is not happy that this important report has been largely ignored. “And the Dept. of Education, which commissioned the report, agrees with the Resolution’s sponsors that the time has come to step back and consider a more thoughtful process about how we approve new charter schools. Recently, the News Journal, the administrators, the chiefs and the school boards association have also weighed in to support a moratorium on new applications. .
“We’ve talked to policy makers, legislators and charter school proponents,” Weinberg said about what’s next, “about taking the time to read, digest, and discuss these findings, and work together between now and January to see if we can develop one charter school reform bill.”
Given that a debate about improving the charter school law, especially the application process, will not happen before June 30, please contact your state representative and ask her/him to support passage of Senate Joint Resolution No. 11. Legislator contact information is listed here.
Please feel free to contact DSEA President Barbara Grogg, Executive Director Howard Weinberg, or Jack Polidori, DSEA director of Legislation and Political Organizing, if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support and prompt action.
General Assembly acts boldly to limit education cuts to $30 million
Devil now is in the details. Click here for the cuts that the Joint Finance Comm. did make on May 21.
Unexpected and welcomed action by the General Assembly and Gov. Ruth Ann Minner late Thursday evening April 24, 2008 will limit FY09 cuts to public education to $30 million.
House Joint Resolution 14, sponsored by Sen. Nancy Cook (D-Kenton) and Rep. Bill Oberle (R-Beecher’s Lot), passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 39-0 (two not voting: Rep. Greg Lavelle/R and Rep. Bob Valihura/R) and the State Senate by a vote of 18-0 (two not voting: Sen. Bob Marshall/D and Sen. Karen Peterson/D).
“Legislators clearly were reacting to the tremendous outpouring of emails and calls they received from DSEA members and parents up and down the state,” said Barbara Grogg, DSEA President. “And we are grateful for this action sufficiently in advance of the May 15th layoff notice deadline, and hope that school superintendents will act in the spirit of the resolution, ‘to minimize employee reduction in force notifications and minimize employee layoffs.’”
Please email Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and state legislators and thank them for their decisive action.
The following passage from the resolution states that the 2009 budget: “… must incorporate comprehensive strategies including but not limited to base budget cuts, revenue enhancements and government re-engineering.”
Moving forward, two points are worth the attention of DSEA members:
(1) the implementation of the agreed-upon $30 million budget reduction amount; and
(2) the remaining task of coming to an agreement on a new revenue package. The latter point is especially true for a number of other state services that affect children and working families.
“We will very closely monitor discussions and proposals for the remaining $30 million in cuts to ensure that they are educationally sound,” said DSEA Executive Director Howard Weinberg.
The budget deficit for FY09 remains at $225 million. With $30 million coming from public education, that still leaves a $195 million gap to be made up from a combination of further budget cuts and revenue increases. And….that presumes no worsening of state revenues between now and the June official state revenue forecast from DEFAC (Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Committee).
The official press release issued from Legislative Hall Thursday night noted that, “School officials from around the state sat in meetings with the legislative-administration finance team and said they were pleased with the accord. ‘We are still gong to have to make cuts,’ said Colonial School Superintendent George H. Meney. ‘But we’re looking at operational cuts that we hope won’t be too noticeable in the classroom.’
“Woodbridge School Superintendent Kevin Carson said districts were going to look at making uniform cuts to avoid a patchwork of cuts around the state. Both superintendents praised the group for its effort on behalf of teachers and students.
“’These leaders stepped up and worked hard on behalf of our schools,’ Carson said. ‘They really came through and helped a lot of kids by doing this.’”
State Board turns down two charter school applications and revokes Marion T. Academy's eight year-old charter
DOVER, DE - April 17, 2008...Today the State Board of Education, following a recommendation from the Accountability Review Committee and Sec. of Education Valerie Woodruff, turned down applications to open charter schools this fall from the Delaware Community Charter School and Middletown Preparatory Charter School.
DSEA leaders as well as Claudia Bock, president of the Christina Education Association, were on hand to testify against the Delaware Community School application, if necessary. Bock had enlisted the support of the Christina community, school board and legislators to send in letters of protest to the State Board. This school, which offered little that would be unique, was to open close to where the new Porter Road School is to open, a school that voters had just approved. the school was also supported by two bond bill votes in the General Assembly. In that Bear/Newark area of Christina are several elementary schools, all of which are rated Superior. With the support of the community for a new school in the area, why stretch scarce state resources to open a similar school?
Criteria such as these are not in the current charter school law and were not used by the Dept. of deny the application. It was denied on more technical grounds.
And sadly, after some struggles, the State Board also voted to revoke the charter of the Marion T. Academy. Marion T. has operated in the City of Wilmington since 2000, serving K-8 students. It will close this summer, causing hardship to their families, staff and students.
New DSEA officers to take positions September 1
In a hotly contested race for the top two governance positions of DSEA, Diane Donohue (a writing specialist from Indian River and currently DSEA vice president) and Mike Hoffmann (an instructional paraprofessional from Colonial and currently DSEA treasurer) won their races for president and vice-president:
Diane Donohue 863 votes, 51.8%
Dave Bradley 804 votes, 48.2%
Mike Hoffmann 956 votes, 57.9%
Harrie-Ellen Minnehan 694 votes, 42.1%
Donohue and Hoffmann will take their positions on September 1. Current President Barbara Grogg is prohibited by DSEA by-law from seeking a third three-year term.
Hoffmann's current position as treasurer, which ends in 2009, will be filled in the near future by the DSEA Executive Board.
Other governance positions were uncontested so all of those people are elected:
For State Delegate to the NEA Representative Assembly -
Kelly Eckert Bradley, Brandywine E.A.
J. Cagney France, Cape Henlopen E.A.
Adele Jones, Indian River E.A.
Patti Reid, Capital Paras Assoc.
For DSEA Executive Board -
Denise Waples - Milford E.A., representing Kent County
Lue Ann DeCastro and J. Cagney France - Cape Henlopen E.A., representing Sussex County
Dave Bradley - Brandywine E.A., representing New Castle County.
Seats still not filled will be decided at the DSEA Representative Assembly by the delegates. Click here for more information. You do not need to be present to run, but a delegate must put your name in nomination.
DSEA lets State Board know that RtI regulations are too proscriptive,
need to be revised
On March 18, DSEA Vice President Diane Donohue hosted a meeting for members interested in participating in an April 1 hearing regarding the state's regulations regarding RtI - Response to Intervention.
"We're going to attend the State Board hearing about RtI on April 1 to try to convince them that these regulations go way too far, are impossible for districts to implement as mandated," says Donohue. She, DSEA President Barbara Grogg and DSEA Director of Instructional Advocacy met with Sec. of Education Valerie Woodruff on March 12 to give her a letter which Grogg has subsequently sent to the State Board members and the Governor. "The federal regulations do not require that every state implement RtI, as the state is doing with these regulations. RtI, however, is laudable and has lots of research to substantiate its goals to identify students earlier rather than later that need specific types of instruction and find ways to provide that instruction."
RtI has laudable goals, but, frankly, if these regs aren't working, then we need to step back and let districts and the department figure out how to make them work.
Attention specialists: Don't let your professional license expire
Many specialists are licensed by both the Dept. of Education and their professional boards (such as school nurses), but some are not licensed by DoE. They are only licensed by their professional organizations. These include speech language pathologists, audiologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and ROTC instructors.
DSEA recently learned of several situations in which members employed as these types of specialists mistakenly believed that they did not have to keep their license/certification current with their professional board if their practice is limited to school settings.
This is not the case! You must maintain your license/certificate in these areas in Delaware in order to practice in a public school district.
DSEA has assisted several members who found themselves in front of their professional licensing board through the process to secure or maintain their license but they still face investigation and possibly criminal charges for the unauthorized practice of their profession.
"Hopefully the investigators will reach the same conclusion as the licensure board that the individuals did not intentionally ignore the licensure requirements" states DSEA General Counsel Jeff Taschner. "The clear lesson that needs to be taken from these situations," he adds, "is that every individual is charged with the responsibility of knowing and complying with the state licensure requirements."
Please spread the word so that this does not happen again.
Ding! Round 2 goes to the children!
Federal appeals court backs NEA challenge to NCLB
The battle to change the so-called "No Child Left Behind Act" took a dramatic turn Jan. 7 when a U.S. Court of Appeals panel sided with NEA in a crucial lawsuit against the federal Department of Education.
"The court's message couldn't be more clear: If the president is sincere about continuing No Child Left Behind, he needs to put his money where his mouth is," said NEA President Reg Weaver.
NEA, along with several state associations and school districts, went to court back in 2005, contending that the feds could not make states and districts spend their own money, beyond available federal funds, to carry out the law's mandates. NEA lawyers pointed to a specific passage in the law to that effect.
But the Bush Administration insisted Washington was under no obligation to pay. A federal judge agreed and dismissed the suit. NEA appealed, and on Jan. 7, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the earlier ruling, stating that the Secretary of Education was violating the spending clause of the Constitution. The court said if Congress really wants to make states and districts pay NCLB costs, Congress must change the law to say so.
The ruling, according to NEA general counsel Bob Chanin, puts states and districts in a strong position to carry out NCLB directives only as far as available federal funds cover. NCLB funds have fallen $70 billion short of what was originally promised.
The ruling adds fuel to efforts by NEA and many others to overhaul the law. NEA maintains that a massive increase in federal funding is a badly needed investment in the nation's future -- but the money should go for smaller classes and other proven ways to improve children's education, not mandated high-stakes testing, which, according to national scores, is not helping.
There is a new, unified LEA!
The members of the Laurel Education Association and the Laurel ESEA - secretaries, paraeducators and custodians - have voted to merge their organizations. They will continue to bargain separate contracts but will work operationally as one local, bringing strength and unity to each of their issues.
They join Smyrna E.A., Indian River E.A., Milford E.A. and Lake Forest E.A. which are also
Please
contact your state legislators to communicate your thinking on these important
issues. Thank you.
Your involvement matters
DSEA
supports study of school finance in Delaware
Will have seat at table of new LEAD committee
DOVER, DE, June 20, 2007 DSEA supports Governor Minner's
Executive Order 98 regarding the proposed work involved with implementing
the vision of the Vision 2015 report issued last year.
"The most intriguing part of this order is the call for a 'one-page, plain language
summary of key performance measures based on reasonable and objective criteria,'"
comments Barbara Grogg ,
president of the Delaware State Education Association. "Parents, tax-payers
and school employees alike would benefit from this initiative. Understandable
data and information will help all of us recognize progress as well as those
areas where improvement is required," she said. Grogg added that, "This work
must go beyond the simplistic use of high-stakes test scores. We all need better
measures of performance."
She also noted that DSEA and its local associations look forward to partnerships
with their school administrators where DSEA members will work side by side with
administrators and parents on Vision 2015 efforts.
DSEA also supports the other two charges for this LEAD committee -
Studying the state's public education spending system with the goal of
increasing efficiency to directly benefit student achievement; and
Exploring and recommending a student funding formula that will take into
consideration varying student needs.
Grogg also applauds today's announcement from the Delaware Business Roundtable
and their members who are donating $3 million to support the school funding
study. This donation will also support Vision 2015's network of districts and
schools that will soon be chosen to implement, with support, some of the other
Vision 2015 recommendations.
"Many of the Vision 2015 proposals are very exciting to our teachers who always
wonder about the 'what if's' - what could happen if there were more support
for the critical early years; if all principals were trained in effective leadership;
if school-family partnerships really were partnerships." Grogg added "Change
will only happen if schools and districts operate as teams. We absolutely agree
with the Vision 2015 call for an end to a top-down style of school and district
management; that effective leadership and effective change will only come when
administrators, teachers, specialists, and support staff are all equal partners
in the implementation of change."
Vision 2015 is examined by our local union leaders
The Vision
2015 plan is big, bold and challenging. It is also controversial. At
DSEA's annual Leaders Weekend held last October, 100 local union leaders assembled
to digest it and offer their thoughts on its strengths, weaknesses, as well
as areas needing more development and clarification. These conversations are
helping us develop our overall strategy.
Click here to
download a copy of the entire plan and/or a summary in English or Spanish.
"The plan is challenging, not to mention expensive," understates
DSEA Executive Director Howard Weinberg , a member of both the Steering
Committee and the Executive Committee of Vision 2015. Both he and DSEA
President Barbara Grogg served many hours on these committees.
Since the plan was released to the public last October, an Implementation
Committtee has also been formed to develop next steps.They are looking first
for quick, tangible results and, where appropriate, building on wht is already
being done successfully in Delaware.
The members of this committee are: Skip Schoenhals, chair (WSFS Bank); Dan Rich
(University of Delaware); H. Raye Jones Avery(Christina Cultural Arts Center);
Paul A. Herdman (Rodel Foundation of Delaware); John Taylor (Delaware Public
Policy Institute); Cindy DiPinto (Wood, Byrd & Associates); Valerie Woodruff
(Dept. of Education); Kevin Carson (Woodbridge School District); and Weinberg.
There was much that DSEA local leaders expressed support for back at
their October meeting, including -
expanded technology resources, more funding for schools, effective instructional
leaders, family involvement, instructional innovation, improved early childhood
education and competitive statewide salary schedules.
Areas of great concern included:
the role of the principal, loss of jobs through "contracting out," and career
ladder pay plans. Also of great concern was the fact that the key role of educational
support personnel in our schools was not mentioned in the report.
"Our members deserve to read, digest, and discuss the plan with their colleagues,"
explains Grogg.
We have a message, not a position
With an enterprise such as this, there are too many unknown details
to be able to take a firm position. Vision 2015 is a process to determine what
public policy for schools will look like. As a major stakeholder, DSEA is at
the talbe, in the middle of the discussions. We believe that, as union representatives,
we need to be there, shaping and driving the results.
Until the final agreements, when we can see how Vision 2015 will be put into
motion, we are withholding judgement.
What's next?
President Barbara Grogg has appointed a Vision 2015 Task Force
led by Vice President Diane Donohue. The charge is "to review the Vision 2015
Plan and the accompanying information in relation to the DSEA Resolutions; to
create "guiding principles" which will set criteria for DSEA's participation
in Vision 2015 as the details are developed for implementation of the plan.
A preliminary draft document will be available for input at the March 24 DSEA
Representative Assembly. The final recommendations will be made to the DSEA
Executive Board at its June 2007 meeting.
Serving on this Task Force are:
Sarah Ross, co-chair, NEA director, president, Cape Henlopen Education Association
Kathleen Thomas, NBCT, Caesar Rodney E.A., 2006 Delaware Teacher of the Year
Fredericka Jenner, vice president, Red Clay Education Association
Janet Dunkle, Colonial Paras
Paul Sedacca, Christina E.A.
Lori Caine, Cape Henlopen E.A.
Coleen Ingram-Furman, Indian River E.A.
Lue-Ann deCastro, Cape Henlopen E.A. and DSEA Executive Board
Mary Jo Faust, Capital E.A. officer
Harrie Ellen Minnehan, Christina E.A. treasurer, DSEA Executive Board
Diane Albanese, NBCT, Cape Henlopen E.A., Association Representative
Barbara Grogg, NBCT, DSEA President
Jack Polidori, DSEA director of legislation and political organizing
Donohue and Grogg have asked these Task Force members - as well as local union
presidents - to collect information from their colleagues about their own visions
for schools in the future to help the Task Force meet its charge. develop a
list of "guiding principals" that will enable DSEA to be proactive to Vision
2015 initiatives.
Vision 2015 Plan in brief
- Set our sights high, with challenging expectations for every child, coupled
with high-quality curriculum and additional instructional time to give students
a good shot at meeting the higher standards.
- Invest in early childhood education, targeting more resources to high-need
children.
- Develop and support great teachers in every classroom who are able to customize
instruction to each and every child (including career paths and "advancement
based on skills and performance, not seniority")
- Empower principals to be great school leaders, with enough knowledge, authority
and flexibility to get results.
- Encourage instructional innovation and family involvement and require the
accountability of all partners.
- Implement a simple and fair funding system whereby resources follow individual
students and are allocated based on their needs.
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