Gearing up for Bold Reforms

In early December, Delaware Governor Jack Markell and Education Secretary Lillian Lowery released "Delaware's Plan to Strengthen Our Schools." This plan will be the foundation for our state's application for up to $75 million in federal Race to the Top funds.

“This action plan focuses on four specific goals to help ensure that Delaware schools are world-class – improving student readiness, ensuring teacher quality, effectively using student data, and turning around persistently low-performing schools,” said Lowery.

We are pleased that the Markell Administration's plan to strengthen our schools aligns tightly with Vision 2015 in its innovative approach, its focus on student achievement, its demand for accountability from all parties, and the significant supports and opportunities it will provide for educators. It is an important, concrete step toward world-class schools in Delaware; yet, there is still a long way to go.

Read more about the state's plan and proposed regulatory changes, which were reviewed – and broadly supported – at the December 9 State Board of Education meeting.

Educate to Innovate

President Obama has launched “Educate to Innovate,” a campaign to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). STEM is also an important component of Race to the Top, and an area in which Delaware has strong model programs.

One innovative STEM initiative can be found at P.S. du Pont Middle School in Wilmington, where students are learning about science and technology through real-world activities, like building a solar-powered vehicle. Read more about P.S. du Pont's program, and check out some of these other STEM-related programs: Delaware Science Coalition Science Kits, Agilent After School Science Program, and Delaware Military Academy's Greenbank Mill Engineering Course.

PTA News

The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) recently received $1 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to build support among parents for common academic standards. The focus of this effort will be on educating and mobilizing parents about the Common Core Standards Initiative, a 48-state project (including Delaware) to create common academic standards in math and English language arts. Read more.

The Delaware PTA has been busy lately too – get caught up through the December/January edition of Leader Link.

VISION-aries

"We cannot continue doing the same thing and expect different results. ... Leave a legacy. Be remembered as the state board of education that made the bold move to move our state to true education reform."

--  Maria Matos, Executive Director of the Latin American Community Center, about the state's plan for reforming public education, to the State Board of Education, December 9, 2009.

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.  

Update on Our Youngest Learners

Investing in high-quality early education for our youngest Delawareans is one of the six building blocks on which Vision 2015 is based. We are proud of all the great work going on in our state to give our youngest learners a great start, and were pleased to see several programs highlighted in recent news: St. Georges Technical High School's Preschool, which provides high school students majoring in early childhood education with an opportunity to work directly with 3- and 4-year-olds, and a pilot program through the Christina School District that is providing a free early childhood education to over 30 children. Brandywine and Indian River School Districts also offer similar programs.

Another promising effort is the “Policy Matters” process led by Sharon Lynn Kagan, Ed.D., a nationally recognized leader in early childhood education, and managed by the DOE's Office of Early Care and Education. “Policy Matters” is co-chaired by Lt. Governor Matt Denn and PNC Bank, Delaware President Connie Bond Stuart, and is a partnership among three government departments, the state's Early Childhood Council, the business community, and early childhood education advocates. The initiative will establish a clear vision and actionable strategies for statewide improvements to early childhood education. A parallel effort – "Fiscal Mapping" –will map and analyze the financial resources that the state devotes to early childhood services, and will help decision-makers understand how to best use funds to support and sustain the state's top policy goals.

 Mark Your Calendars!

1st Annual "Path to Success" Video Promo

Now through January 16, Delaware public high school and middle school students can enter a DOE-sponsored video contest about their dreams and how they are making them happen. Learn more.

Delaware School Choice Open Enrollment

November 2, 2009 – January 13, 2009

School choice applications, for students in grades 1-12, are due to the "District of Choice" on or before the second Wednesday in January for the school year beginning in September.

For more information, visit the district website of your choice school, or visit the Delaware Department of Education website.

December is Read a New Book Month. This is a great opportunity to expose your children to new books, especially preschool-age children.  Spend some time focusing on early literacy skills during this month.

Add your community event to our webpage—visit the Vision 2015 community events page.

Did You Know? 

State Representative Dan Short recently was honored with the “2009 Friend of Seaford Education Award." Congratulations!

We applaud Governor Markell for winning the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Chairman’s Award for Innovation in Financial Education.

Congrats to Dickinson High School’s Christopher Kohan, who was recently named Delaware’s Assistant Principal of the Year. 

Finally, we are proud of the four Delaware high schools – John S. Charlton School, Howard T. Ennis School, Sussex Consortium, and The Charter School of Wilmington – recognized among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and School Evaluation Services.