The Progressive Democrats of Delaware will have a panel tonight on the subject of education funding. I was asked to be one of the panelists for this to which I happily accepted. But I’m up against some heavy hitters! One of the most knowledgeable experts on school district funding, Brian Stephan, will join myself, Tony Allen, and State Rep. Paul Baumbach on this important discussion. As well, the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission will receive the 2016 Bob Stachnik Progressive Courage Award for their advocacy efforts on improving education in Wilmington. Tony Allen is the Chair of WEIC. Brian Stephan serves on the Christina Citizens Budget Oversight Committee and is a contributor for Delaware Liberal. State Rep. Paul Baumbach is running unopposed for the 23rd State Rep. Seat which will give him his third consecutive term for the district.
I highly recommend coming out for this. The event begins at 7pm and runs until 8:30am. This will take place at the New Castle Democrat HQ at 19 East Commons Blvd., 2nd floor, in New Castle. I will gladly answer any question presented to the best of my ability but I do not consider myself an expert on this stuff. I know many facets but it is a very broad topic with many moving parts. But I do plan on talking about a few things I’m pretty sure none of the other panelists would mention as I have just discovered them myself. I have to imagine the very controversial charter school lawsuit against Christina and the Delaware Dept. of Education will come up. As well, funding for WEIC will surely be a topic as well. Many of the panelists want to revamp funding to include a weighted funding formula so children with higher needs are given a greater weight of money.
The Season Of Myths 
Weighted funding is an idea whose time has come. But the WEIC plan is not synonymous with weighted funding. Weighted funding is a worthy goal with or without the WEIC plan.
In my opinion the WEIC plan is fatally flawed by two decidedly non-progressive elements.
The plan will make Red Clay responsible for high-poverty schools currently in Christina. I’m all for suburban taxpayers paying more to support city schools, but let’s make ALL the adjacent suburbs responsible, including Brandywine and not just Red Clay. I am for a single NCC district, or maybe an “above the canal” district. That way we suburbanites can all take responsibility for all Wilmington schools.
Secondly, the WEIC solution is is much to accommodating to charters. When the problem is resegregation, charters are not part of the solution, they are part of the problem.
Not only that, the General Assembly needs to allow Wilmington to annex the wealthy neighborhoods and corporate campuses on its borders, which other cities would have done long ago. Now THAT would be progress.
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