Cory Hafer, an engineering and science teacher at Appoquinimink School District’s Middletown High, is this year’s teacher of the year. Hafer won over 19 other finalists, one from each district and a charter school representative. All finalists receive $2,000. In addition to winning $5,000 to use for his students, Hafer pockets an extra $5,000 prize. This is the 60th year in …
Red Clay’s Kristin Nye finalist for national counselor of year
A Delaware counselor has been chosen as one of five finalists from around the country for an award honoring the best school counselor in America. Kristin Nye from Anna P. Mote Elementary School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District will represent the First State for the American School Counselor Association School Counselor of the Year Award. “To get this …
Education Freedom event highlights importance of bipartisanship
Increasing awareness and decreasing partisanship are two of the most important factors to improve education in Delaware, attendees at the inaugural Education Freedom event learned. “The first step in creating Delaware-led solutions is to have open, honest and transparent conversations about the challenges and opportunities facing our schools,” said Julia Keleher, executive director of First State Educate, which had a …
Education group seeks candidates to run for school boards
First State Educate/ First State Action Fund is seeking community members committed to seeing their public schools thrive with rigorous, safe and supportive environments by serving on their elected local school board. Why should you serve? Did you know that less than half our students read on grade level and perform math with proficiency? The decisions made by local school …
Great Oaks can cite notable progress as it faces review
A year after being put on formal review by the state, Great Oaks Charter School has made strides in student achievement as it seeks to keep its doors open. In seven months of turnaround efforts, the Wilmington charter has: Reduced the number of suspensions by 20% Increased school testing participation rates increased by 21% Increased Math Smarter Balanced Assessment scores …
DSU ranking drops a point, but stays in top 3 of public HBCUs
Delaware State University dropped from No. 2 to No. 3 in the U.S. News and World Report 2024 rankings of HBCUs, while continuing to remain in the top 5 of those public schools for the ninth year in a row. Delaware’s Historically Black College and University had risen into the No. 2 spot last year. It’s also listed this year …
Barclays fills EastSide teachers’ Amazon classroom wish lists
Christmas came a couple months early for the teachers of Wilmington’s EastSide Charter School Thursday. School Chief Executive Officer Aaron Bass, the school’s eagle mascot and volunteers from Barclays popped into rooms rolling a speaker blasting “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as they dropped off gifts to 45 different classrooms. Teachers often make Amazon wish lists each …
U.S. News: Wilmington Charter No. 1 high school in Delaware
Charter School of Wilmington once again was Delaware’s highest ranked public high school, according to the just-released U.S. News & World Report list. It didn’t crack the top 100, though. It was listed at 112 in the country. Forty of the state’s 59 public high schools were ranked, including eight charter schools, in the magazine’s list of 17,680 schools across …
Wilmington Friends School to mark 275th anniversary
For Ellie Alexander Poorman, attending Wilmington Friends School means much more than just education – it means family, and generations of it. The historic school, founded in 1748, is older than the country. Friends will start celebrating its 275th anniversary Sept. 5 when it opens its doors for the 2023-2024 school year. Poorman, 88, sent all four of her children …
School board members question value of state association
Some Delaware school district boards are questioning what they get from their membership in the Delaware School Boards Association. The cost of joining is not insignificant. In Caesar Rodney School District’s July board meeting, John Marinucci, former executive director of DSBA, said it would cost the district $10,500 per year to be part of the association, That includes a discount …