Delaware Enrollment Preference Task Force Final Report Released Today

Coming in at 489 pages, this is a mammoth report!  I know Delaware State Representative Kim Williams has worked on this for a long time.  Congratulations to all the members of the task force for their hard work with this group.  I only managed to get to one of the meetings, but I really wish I could have gone to all of them.  This task force came out of Delaware House Bill 90.  Its mission was to take a very hard look at how Delaware charter schools, vocational schools, and magnet schools select their students.  I haven’t even been able to come close to finishing this, but it is well worth the time.

16 To Watch In 2016: Karen Field Rogers

After last week’s stunning news about Deputy Secretary of Education David Blowman moving out of his position, I’m sure many of you are wondering who will take his place.  Look no further than the name in the title.  A long-time stalwart of the Delaware Department of Education, Field-Rogers served under Blowman as his Associate Secretary of Educational Supports and Innovative Practices.  From her bio on the DOE website:

Karen Field Rogers is the Delaware Department of Education’s Associate Secretary of Adult Education & School Supports. Ms. Rogers received her Master of Business Administration from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Delaware.  Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Rogers has nearly 22 years of state service working for the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Finance. Additionally, Karen worked for Perdue Farms, Inc. Salisbury, Maryland, and Arthur Young & Company, Washington, D.C.

The only times I’ve really seen Field Rogers has been at Charter School Accountability Committee meetings (as she is a member) and State Board of Education meetings.  In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever actually talked to her.  Maybe a hello here and there.  She has always struck me as a “take no prisoners type” of personality.  For someone to work for the State of Delaware in the positions she has been in, I guess you would have to be!

In terms of Blowman, he has not been fired from the DOE!  He is taking on a different position, but that has not been named as of yet.  I know some folks have strong opinions of David Blowman, but I always thought he was a nice guy.  From the times I saw him in action, mostly surrounding charter school formal reviews and renewals, he asked a lot of the right questions to different schools.  He has always been very pleasant to me.  I wish him luck in his new position, as well as Field Rogers.  I’m sure both of them will be seeing me around.  I wonder what other changes Delaware Secretary of Education will make to Jack Markell’s his house…