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 Rutz Headlines, 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.Ā  ā€œIn 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 Rutz Headlines, 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.Ā  This model will build …

A new bill would make technical corrections to Delaware's paid leave program.

Paid leave hasn’t started, but changes already suggested

Jarek Rutz Headlines, Government

Proposed laws shifting who deals with appeals to the state’s new paid leave program, which starts in 2026 drew little comment in Wednesday’s Senate Health and Social Services Committee meeting. Senate Bill 178, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington and committee chair, makes technical changes to private plans under the Family and Medical Leave Program. The new program requires Delaware …

A bill dealing with protection for abortion providers passed the Senate Tuesday.

Allowing abortion workers to mask addresses OK’d by Senate

Jarek Rutz Headlines, Government

The Senate passed bills Tuesday pertaining to confidentiality for abortion providers, minority party representation on an emergency health committee and payouts for employment discrimination. Senate Bill 158, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, focuses on confidentiality rights for medical providers.Ā  The bill allows anyone who is a reproductive health care services provider or employee to apply for participation in …

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

Senators unanimously agree on 14 of 15 bills Thursday

Jarek Rutz Headlines, Government

It was a day of unanimous votes for the Delaware Senate Thursday, with 14 of the 15 itemsĀ  passed without any ā€˜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 …

The Public Education Compensation Committee will recommend a four-year timeline to increase teacher's starting salary. (Pexels)

Heated debate ends in vote to raise teacher pay over 4 years

Jarek Rutz Education, Headlines

Defying the demands of theĀ  state teachers union, a committee formed to make recommendations on educator pay voted Monday to bring teacher’s starting salary to $60,000 over four years rather than three.Ā  The four-year plan will consist of a 2% salary increase and a flat dollar increase of $1,875 to the base salary for teachers, nurses and administrators each year …

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 Rutz Headlines, 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.Ā  ā€œWe 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,ā€ said Kendall Massett, executive …

The Legislature's Joint Finance Committee listen to a presentation by the Delaware Department of Education. (Jarek Rutz photo)

JFC asks for return on investment on educational spending

Jarek Rutz Education, Government, Headlines

Several members of the Joint Finance Committee asked the Department of Education officials on Wednesday when and if they would ever see a return on the state’s investment in public education. Student achievement metrics like standardized test scores have fallen off a cliff over the past decade and the state still faces a teacher shortage. Education Secretary Mark Holodick and …

Mark Holodick said he anticipates the second round of testing for lead in school water will be completed near the end of April. (Unsplash)

DOE owns lead testing blunder, expects new results by May

Jarek Rutz Headlines, Education

A Senate committee hearing Tuesday heard the state Secretary of Education apologize about the way lead testing in schools was handled and that trained pros will handle testing instead of school staff. Through a federal grant, the Department of Education began a sampling initiative in October, 2020 to identify the levels of lead within drinking water at schools. ā€œWhile well-intentioned, …

The House Education Committee will hear three bills pertaining to tax cuts in its first meeting of the 152nd General Assembly.

2022 Rewind: Reading, teacher retention top 2022 education bills

Jarek Rutz Headlines, Education

This story was originally published in July 2022. Rodel, a local nonprofit espousing better education in Delaware, calls the 151st General Assembly, which just ended, the ā€œEducation General Assembly,ā€ in regard to the number of education bills that passed. ā€œThere’s more than 50 education bills this session and a 7% increase in the budget,ā€ saidĀ Madeleine Bayard,Ā senior vice president ofĀ Rodel.Ā ā€œThey got …