U.S Education Secretary Arne Duncan at October 27 Vision 2015 Forum

Vision 2015 and Delaware’s

Race to the Top

On Tuesday, October 27, Delaware took the spotlight of education reform when U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan delivered the keynote address at the leadership forum, Vision 2015 and Delaware's Race to the Top. Over 500 educators, business and community leaders, elected officials, and other concerned citizens attended.

The conference also featured Governor Jack Markell, Secretary of Education Lillian Lowery, and Vision 2015 Chair Skip Schoenhals. Panels of national and local experts also discussed how Delaware can recruit and retain more highly effective teachers and how we can meet the critical needs of chronically low-performing schools.

The main message: providing an excellent education to every Delaware student is possible, if we put the needs of students first and replace excuses with solutions. Learn more about the ideas and recommendations at the conference on the Vision 2015 and University of Delaware web sites. Resources include video, presentations, and more.  Then, let us know what you think.

Read more coverage and an editorial from

The News Journal and The Newark Post.

Congratulations to Delaware’s

2010 Teacher of the Year

On Tuesday evening, October 27, after 2008 Delaware Teacher of the Year Courtney Fox addressed the audience at Vision 2015 and Delaware's Race to the Top, Governor Markell awarded the 2010 Teacher of the Year honor to Mary Pinkston in front of 400+ educators and state leaders in Dover. Vision 2015 sends its congratulations to Ms. Pinkston, a math teacher at Brandywine High School, and wishes her the best of luck in the national Teacher of the Year contest.

Read more about Mary Pinkston in coverage from The News Journal.

Mark Your Calendars!

Conversation with Delaware Education

Secretary Lillian Lowery

On Tuesday, November 17, the Christina

Cultural Arts Center (CCAC), in partnership with Kuumba Academy, will host Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Lillian M. Lowery for a conversation about the future of education in Delaware. All parents and care-givers of school-age children are welcome, as well as middle and high school students.  The event will be held at CCAC, which is located at 705 N. Market Street in Wilmington. Seating is limited so please call 302-652-0101 or email ccacde@aol.com to reserve a seat.

Delaware Charter Schools Week

Delaware Charter Schools Week is

November 9-14. Find out more at

Delaware Charter Schools Network.

To submit an event, please visit the Vision 2015 community events page.

Vision-aries

“We’ve got to do better for our kids. ...We need your help. We’ve got to link our hands, we’ve got to work together and stop making excuses….”

- Dr. Cristy Greaves, Principal,

North Laurel Elementary School

Can Delaware Earn Millions for Public Education?

Secretary Duncan is leading the Obama administration’s efforts to transform U.S.

public education through increased innovation, accountability, and proven best practices, with the goal of providing an excellent education to

all students. His presence in Delaware was timely—just as the state is preparing to compete for significant federal support through

USDOE’s $4.35 billion Race to the Top grant program. The Race to the Top fund is the

largest competitive grants program for

education in President Obama’s economic stimulus package and provides an opportunity for a small number of states to earn tens of millions of dollars to implement innovative, ambitious education improvements.

   In his remarks Secretary Duncan noted that Delaware is positioned very competitively for Race to the Top funding, stating, “Delaware has a chance, I think, to lead the country. This is a state of manageable size. ... Delaware can help lead us where we need to go.”  Yet he added that to make real progress for every student, we must commit to doing things differently. "Simply propping up the status quo doesn't get us as a country to where we need to go," he said. Watch Secretary Duncan's keynote address.

   In response, Governor Jack Markell committed to putting the needs of Delaware's students ahead of anything else. "[I]n Delaware nothing needs to be impossible. We can move more quickly, act more decisively and work more collaboratively than others," he said. "By placing our children’s needs first and foremost, Delaware schools will produce students prepared to succeed." View a video of the Governor's remarks.

Learning Link of Delaware

The Learning Link of Delaware (LLOD) has opened its doors! This new organization is committed to accelerating the educational achievement of every student in the state and to reducing achievement gaps among diverse student groups. Through training programs, outreach and communication, it links families, schools and communities to build a learning environment in which all children can succeed.

LLOD’s Board of Directors represents community, business and parent leaders from across the state. “I am excited to work with Learning Link and be a part of its holistic approach to improving student achievement through family-school-community partnerships,” said LLOD Board Chair Portia Yarborough, Global Business Director at DuPont.

Shannon Griffin, former program director of the Delaware Parent Leadership Institute (DPLI), serves as executive director. DPLI, which trained more than 130 parent leaders, will be incorporated into Learning Link's parent leadership curriculum.

Forward to a Friend

Share the Vision 2015 e-Newsletter with a friend! For more information on how to become involved with Vision 2015, please visit our web site, http://www.vision2015delaware.org, or e-mail us at info@vision2015delaware.org.