EastSide Charter welcomed students back to school Tuesday.

Students treated like celebs at EastSide’s first day 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The students of EastSide Charter School were welcomed back Tuesday morning by a crowd of school and community leaders, government officials, Wilmington police and the mascot of the Delaware Blue Coats.  As the students entered the building through what felt like a red carpet runway pulsing with upbeat music, they were greeted with fist bumps, high fives, hugs, words of …

Sen. Buckson said the 95% of good-behaving students should not be affected by the lack of discipline of the other 5%.

Buckson calls for accountability, discipline in schools

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education, Government

A law establishing a statewide program that provides advocates to students and families facing educational inequity drew discussion in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. House Bill 188, sponsored by Rep. Sherae’a Moore, D-Middletown, codifies the Equity Ombudsman program, which provides non-lawyer advocates to assist families.  “In 2018 there was litigation against the state … brought by the NAACP and …

A proposed law creates apprenticeship programs to encourage more Delawareans to become teachers.

Apprenticeship programs law aims to combat teacher shortage

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The most recent plan to attract teachers to Delaware schools was applauded in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday. House Bill 138, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, D-Marshallton and chair of the House Education Committee, addresses the ongoing national teacher shortage. The legislation establishes a new tool to recruit and retain educators through an apprenticeship pilot program.  This model will build …

HB 203 would require high schools to teach financial literacy, and students would need to take a half-credit to graduate.

Financial literacy may become graduation requirement

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

Delaware students may soon be required to take a financial literacy class in order to graduate.  House Bill 203, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Hilovsky, R-Millsboro, would require public schools to teach financial literacy, which is essentially how to make smart decisions about money. A unanimous vote in the House Education Committee Wednesday sent it to House ready list for debate …

A bill that would provide funding for a school resource officer at each Delaware public school was debated Wednesday.

School officers, construction needs focus of House Committee

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Bills dealing with school construction, junior ROTC, Department of Education background checks and school resource officers were sent to the House ready list Wednesday by the Education Committee. House Bill 169, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, D-Marshallton and committee chair, requires the secretary of education – currently Mark Holodick – to publish and deliver a report to the General Assembly …

Mental health was a theme of three bills in the House Education Committee.

Student ‘mental health days’ bill among 5 on way to House 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A busy day in the House Education Committee Wednesday – headlined by a law that would give students mental health days – ended with five bills sent to the full House.  House Bill 3, sponsored by House Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, provides for excused absences for the mental or behavioral health of a student. It requires any student …

The Senate voted unanimously on almost every bill Thursday. (Pexels)

Senators unanimously agree on 14 of 15 bills Thursday

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

It was a day of unanimous votes for the Delaware Senate Thursday, with 14 of the 15 items  passed without any ‘no’ votes. Sen. Darius Brown, D-Wilmington, was the only legislator to vote against House Substitute 1 for House Bill 34, a law that would require school boards from district and charter schools to hold public comment on each agenda …

Members of the House Education Committee agreed Wednesday about the importance of mentoring and literacy. (Unsplash)

Bill to foster mentoring in schools draws bipartisan support

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A bill that would establish a 17-person task force to focus on mentoring and improving literacy rates for Delaware’s youth unanimously passed the House Education Committee Wednesday.  “We believe that the 18,222 children in charter schools across our state benefit not just from the educators in the building, but from the village that helps educate them,” said Kendall Massett, executive …

The educator pay committee delayed a vote on a recommendation Monday. (Pexels)

Educator pay committee delays salary vote over budget, timeline

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

Plans to recommend how the state will significantly hike salaries of teachers as well as school administrators and nurses stalled Monday night amid concerns about the state budget and the  timeline of raises. The 15-person Public Education Compensation Committee debating the issue was created this year to make recommendations on Delaware educator compensation.  Officials hope raises will both address the …

HB 33 would increase funding for preschool students with special needs. (Unsplash)

Preschool special ed. funding bill draws staffing, money concerns

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A bill that would increase funding for preschool students with disabilities was released by the House Education Committee Wednesday, but not without some concerns.  House Bill 33, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams, D-Marshallton, would increase funding for those students by revising the current ratio of 12.8 students per education unit to 8.4 students per unit for preschoolers 3 years and …