What is Vision 2015?
Vision 2015 is a collaborative effort by education, government, business and civic leaders throughout Delaware--along with hundreds of citizens like you--to provide a world-class public education to each and every student in Delaware. We intend to be the first state in the country to develop a truly innovative, high-quality education for every student in every school--not just pockets of excellence here and there. In so doing, Delaware has a golden opportunity to prepare all of its students for lifelong success and responsible citizenship, and to serve as an example to the rest of the United States and the rest of the world.
Click here for Vision 2015 Plan and other important documents.
Who is leading Vision 2015?
A broad-based, 28-person Steering Committee led the development of Vision 2015. Their work was informed substantially by expert counsel from nearly 80 Work Group members, representing education, community organizations, and businesses. Over the course of the 11-month process, nearly 500 citizens in all three Delaware counties participated in community meetings, focus groups, and special interest forums.
Vision 2015 is chaired by Marvin N. "Skip" Schoenhals, the Chairman, President, and CEO of WSFS Bank.
Current efforts are directed by the Vision 2015 Implementation Team, a subgroup of the Steering Committee, which includes:
- Marvin N. Schoenhals (Chair), Chairman, WSFS Bank
- H. Raye Jones Avery, Executive Director, Christina Cultural Arts Center
- Kevin E. Carson, Past President, Delaware Chief School Officers Association
- Cynthia L. DiPinto, WolfBlock Public Strategies, Delaware, Inc.
- Paul A. Herdman, President and CEO, Rodel Foundation of Delaware
- Daniel Rich, Provost, University of Delaware
- John H. Taylor, Jr., Executive Director, Delaware Public Policy Institute
- Howard Weinberg, Executive Director, Delaware State Education Association
- Valerie A. Woodruff, Secretary, Delaware Department of Education
Where is Vision 2015 today?
Since we published the plan in October, we have been:
- Working with our public officials on specific policy initiatives. On January 18, 2007, Governor Ruth Ann Minner called the Vision 2015 plan "a bold, creative blueprint to support our goal of making our schools the best in the world." She recommended $3.9 million for programs aligned with Vision 2015, including seed funding for a virtual school in order to provide 24/7 online real-world learning opportunities to all students, and support for enhanced quality early childcare and education.
In June 2007, the Governor established through Executive Order #98 the Leadership for Education Achievement in Delaware (LEAD) Committee in order to develop specific implementation plans for Vision 2015 and to advise the Governor and General Assembly on the creation of a world-class education system.
Legislation also has been introduced to implement the early childhood quality rating and improvement system, Delaware Stars for Early Success, as specified in the Vision 2015 plan. The General Assembly also codified the Governor’s Early Care and Education Council, which works across agencies to coordinate early childhood policy. Senate Joint Resolution 7, which offers support for Vision 2015 and encourages cooperation with the LEAD Committee, was passed unanimously by both houses of the General Assembly on June 30.
- Implementing best practices in our districts and schools. In August 2007 we announced the first cohort of the Vision Network, which includes a total of 10 public schools— New Castle County Vo-Tech District - Howard High School of Technology and St. Georges Technical High School; Appoquinimink School District - Brick Mill Elementary School and Silver Lake Elementary; Capital School District - Central Middle School and William Henry Middle School; Indian River School District - Indian River High School and Sussex Central High School; Charter Schools - Kuumba Academy and MOT Charter School. In May 2008, two more districts and two more charter schools joined the Vision Network, doubling the number of educators involved in Vision 2015. The second cohort includes Christina School District – Christiana High School, Glasgow High School, Newark High School, Bayard Middle School, Gauger-Cobbs Middle School, George V. Kirk Middle School, and Shue-Medill Middle School; Lake Forest School District – W.T. Chipman Middle School and Lake Forest High School; Charter Schools – Sussex Academy of Arts and Sciences and Thomas A. Edison Charter School. The Network is intended eventually to serve all Delaware public districts and schools. Participating districts and schools will focus resources sharply on student achievement and will implement many of the "best practices" and on-the-ground recommendations in Vision 2015. Learn more about the Vision Network.
- Building partnerships to support world-class transformations. Vision 2015 is working to secure both public and private investments to support implementation of its recommendations. The Governor included $3.9 million in her proposed FY08 budget for initiatives aligned with Vision 2015. And more than 20 members of the Delaware Business Roundtable generously committed $2.9 million, which is dedicated to a cost efficiency study of the state’s public education budget, the operations of the Vision Network, and the Delaware Virtual School. The Rodel Foundation also doubled its initial investment in Vision 2015, committing more than $4 million to date. Generous funding and support has also been contributed by The Wallace Foundation, the Delaware Department of Education, and the University of Delaware.
- Building public awareness about public education in Delaware. Since the release of the report in October 2006, we have continued to conduct more than 30 additional forums and presentations with business, community and parent groups about public education in Delaware and how Vision 2015 can accelerate student achievement. Our outreach has included the Delaware PTA, county and state Chambers of Commerce, the Delaware School Boards Association, several Rotaries and the Delaware Teachers Network Leadership Institute, among many other organizations, both local and national.
The Vision 2015 website includes interactive features, such as community event postings, a "share your story" feature, surveys and videos. Our twice-monthly e-newsletter (13,000 circulation) carries updates on Vision 2015 and education news from around the state and nation. Because Delaware has much to be proud of, the website and e-newsletter report on best practices in Delaware, such as schools that benefit from additional academic time and family-school relations coordinators, as well as stories about public education in Delaware from parents and teachers. Sign up here to receive our e-newsletter.
Delaware media has provided considerable coverage on Vision 2015. A ten-part series in The News Journal in spring 2007 focused on Vision 2015 and related research and best practices, and generated multiple letters to the editor and opinion pieces, invigorating public interest in transforming the state education system. The first meeting of the LEAD Committee and the launch of the Vision Network also garnered noteworthy coverage from media around the state.
