The Department of Education, Delaware State University and the University of Delaware requested millions of dollars from the state Friday for critical and minor capital projects. Leaders from the three bodies presented their requests to the Joint Capital Improvement Committee. Also known as the Bond Committee, itâs made up of six state representatives and six state senators who are responsible …
Charter Schools sue Holodick over special ed payments
The Delaware Charter Schools Network, 11 charter schools and the Delaware secretary of education are waiting on a judgeâs ruling in a lawsuit about $4 million in tax revenue the charters say they are due. The network and the 11 charter schools sued Education Secretary Mark Holodick in Kent County Superior Court in July to get the money and to …
Redding Consortium seeks alignment with Learning Collab
Redding Consortium officials said Wednesday night they will prioritize aligning their plans with the Wilmington Learning Collaborative, investing in wraparound services and building community partnerships. âHow do I say what Redding should be doing next if I have no idea what the connection between Redding and the WLC is,â said Cerron Cade, director of the Delaware Office of Management & …
JFC asks for return on investment on educational spending
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 stateâs 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 …
DOE owns lead testing blunder, expects new results by May
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. âWhile well-intentioned, …
Carneyâs education raises cause stir in compensation committee
Gov. John Carneyâs announcement last week of a 9% pay raise for teachers caused a lot of comment in Monday nightâs Public Education Compensation Committee. Also discussed was a proposal to keep teachers in their Delaware jobs by giving them full pension benefits at 25 years of service instead of making them wait until they reach 30 years. Carney said …
2022 Rewind: State education test scores described as âcrisisâÂ
This story was originally published in August 2022. Delawareâs 2022 test scores were released this August, and they arenât pretty. Just 30% of Delaware students in grades three to eight met grade-level math requirements, while 42% earned a proficient score in English language arts. These scores come from the state-administered Smarter Balanced Assessment, an end-of-the-year summative test that measures the …
State Board: Great Oaks Charter will not be shut down
Great Oaks Charter School, a Wilmington charter serving a student body of more than 80% Black students, will not be shut down. After nearly three months of being placed on formal review by the Charter School Accountability Committee, Education Secretary Mark Holidick recommended Thursday night to the Delaware State Board of Education to allow the school to continue operating. The …
Teacherâs union gets 1 wish: Pay committee moves meetingÂ
Delawareâs state teachers union got one of its wishes Monday when the state committee charged with adjusting the salaries of public school workers announced it will push its monthly meeting back an hour. Mark Holodick, education secretary and chair of the Public Education Compensation Committee said at the start of Mondayâs regular meeting that starting next month, the committee will …
Teachers union calls for pay committee to #MoveTheMeeting
Delawareâs teachers union is circulating a petition that demands a state compensation committee move its monthly meeting time an hour later so teachers can attend. Right now, the Public Education Compensation Committee, which is considering raises for teachers and other school workers, meets at 3:30 p.m. Lack of teacher voice âIf you want to hear from educators, hold meetings when …