Test scores, discipline focus of Save Our Schools town halls

3 town halls will explore education issues this week.

Town halls set for all three counties will focus on education issues such as academic performance, parental rights, discipline and violence in schools.

Sponsored by Citizens for Delaware Schools, the town halls set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will feature Tanya Hettler, director of the Caesar Rodney Institute’s Center for Education Excellence, and Elana Fishbein of the national nonprofit No Left Turn in Education.

The timing of the “S.O.S. (Save our Schools) Town Halls” were chosen to help people make an informed vote before the May 9 school board elections, the event flyer said.

Elana Fisbein

Citizens for Delaware Schools is a group of concerned Delaware citizens who aim to educate the public about the alarming decline of public education and rise in behavior problems in the classroom. It grew out of Hettler’s group, Caesar Rodney Institute – a conservative Delaware think tank.

Fishbein’s No Left Turn in Education wants to bring back American values through the fundamental discipline of empowering and engaging students while giving parents more power in their child’s schooling.

Fishbein and Hettler are expected to talk about key issues like academic performance, parental involvement and rights, funding concerns, discipline and violence in schools, the lack of teachers and licensure requirements and more. 

The speakers will also explain why it’s important to vote in May 9’s school board elections as they try to increase the voter turnout, which is typically less than 10%. 

The focus on the vote cost the events one of their speakers.

Tanya Hettler

Julia Zammith, policy and advocacy manager at Rodel, an organization focused on educational equity and excellence, planned to talk about a specific funding mechanism, but withdrew.

“There is an element of school board candidate endorsement involved, and Rodel tries to remain non-partisan,” said Matt Amis, the organization’s director of communications.

Each town hall will last from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the second hour will be a Q&A where attendees can ask the panel questions. 

Kent County’s town hall is Tuesday, April 18, at the Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Avenue in Dover.

Sussex County’s town hall is Wednesday, April 19, at Sussex Central High School, 26026 Patriots Way in Georgetown.

New Castle County’s town hall is Thursday, April 20, at Aetna Fire Hall, 410 Ogletown Road in Newark. 

To attend the public meetings, click here to register.

Jarek Rutz

Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.

Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz