**UPDATED**, 4:36pm: I was informed by the Governor’s Office this is a public meeting. With that being said, they are in open violation of Delaware law.
It wouldn’t be Delaware without yet another council. But this one takes the cake because no sooner does Governor John Carney and Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting announce this but the first meeting is today. To assume this decision was made today would be foolhardy because the teachers would have been given advance notice to attend this meeting. I don’t know when the teachers were given their notice, but I can tell you it did not appear on the Delaware Public Meeting Calendar until 3/23. Today is 3/27. Delaware FOIA law states all public notices of meetings must be up seven days prior to that public meeting. I don’t look at that calendar every day. The last time I looked at it was on 3/22 and I did not see it on there.
The below picture is from the posted agenda:
This is my issue with this. There is a reason we have that seven-day law. Not a rule, a law. Every other state agency who had meetings or committee meetings postponed due to last week’s snowstorm reposted agendas. But four days, for something brand new, is not acceptable. The DOE and Carney’s Office could have rescheduled this first meeting. But no, they announce it the day of with little to no disregard they are violating state law. Had I known this was an actual public meeting (which was not announced in the DOE’s below press release), I would have gone to it. But instead, I see an email from the Governor’s Office stating it is.
What was the criteria for the selection of teachers? Does DSEA know about this? While I always feel teachers having a louder voice is important, I do NOT like the fact this was just announced today (or on Friday if you want to be technical). And where is the Parent Advisory Council? How come parents are always left out of important education policy decisions? I guess our voices don’t matter as much. We just have to deal with the results of these education policy decisions…
I would file a FOIA complaint about this meeting with no agenda just being announced today, but it is a backdoor meeting and not open to the public. FOIA only applies to public meetings. Which Bunting and Carney don’t seem to want…
Maybe I should file a FOIA complaint. Since the meeting is going on, let’s see, NOW.
Council will gather feedback from educators statewide, increase the voice of teachers in policy decisions
DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney and Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education, announced on Tuesday the establishment of a new Teachers Advisory Council to gather the feedback of educators from across the state.
Secretary Bunting invited two teachers from each of the state’s 19 school districts and six charter school educators to join the group, which will facilitate communication, contribute to solutions, and help increase the voice of teachers in policy decisions. The group will meet bi-monthly to discuss a variety of issues affecting teachers.
“Educators work on the front lines helping prepare Delaware’s children for the future,” said Governor Carney. “We are committed to transforming the Department into a true support agency to help schools and educators better serve their students. This new advisory council will help ensure that we are listening to educators every step of the way as we make policy decisions that affect the classroom. Thank you to the educators who are participating, and Dr. Bunting and our team at the Department of Education for convening this group.”
“This is an opportunity for me to hear directly from those who work closest with our children and often feel the most direct effects of our policy decisions,” said Secretary Bunting.
Teachers participating on the new advisory council were recommended by their superintendents or the Delaware Charter School Network for the voluntary role. Secretary Bunting has asked each to share his or her personal feelings as an individual rather than serve as a representative of a district or charter school’s position on an issue.
This group is in addition to the Teacher of the Year Advisory Council, which Secretary Bunting also meets with bi-monthly.
Educators participating in the new advisory council include:
- Kristyn Bradford of Lake Forest North Elementary in Lake Forest School District
- Seth Buford of Milford High School in Milford School District
Shorel Clark of Brittingham Elementary School in Cape Henlopen School District - Marisa Clarke of Central Elementary in Seaford School District
- Guy Cooper of Providence Creek Academy charter school
- Luke Crossan of Waters Middle School in Appoquinimink School District
- Todd Cushman of Delmar Middle School in Delmar School District
- Chelsea Darczuk of East Side Charter School
- Robert Edmondson of Seaford Middle School in Seaford School District
- Catherine (Katy) Evans of Sunnyside Elementary School in the Smyrna School District
- Christina Gallo of Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest School District
- Shelby Gordon of Bunker Hill Elementary School in Appoquinimink School District
- Emily Green of Caesar Rodney High School in Caesar Rodney School District
- Robert Harrod of Cape Henlopen High School in Cape Henlopen School District
- Matt Hoopes of Concord High School in Brandywine School District
- Shelley Hovanec of Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center in Woodbridge School District
- Michelle Howard of Delmar High School in Delmar School District
- Lesley Louder of Dover High School in Capital School District
- Tina Lykens of POLYTECH High School in POLYTECH School District
- Jennifer MacDonald of Smyrna High School in Smyrna School District
- Nathalie Melvin of South Dover Elementary School in Capital School District
- Phyllis Mobley of Harlan Elementary School in Brandywine School District
- Elaine Norris of Mispillion Elementary School in Milford School District
- Petra Palmer of Delcastle High School in New Castle County Vo-Tech School District
- Michael Paoli of Hodgson High School in New Castle County Vo-Tech School District
- Sarah Polaski of Christiana Middle School Academy in Christina School District
- Moraima Reardon of Woodbridge High School in Woodbridge School District
- Lisa Richardson of Millsboro Middle School in Indian River School District
- Matthew Sabol of William Penn High School in Colonial School District
- Dara Savage of Early College High School charter school
- Cameron Sweeney of POLYTECH High School in POLYTECH School District
- Crystal Thawley of Sussex Technical High School in Sussex Technical School District
- Elizabeth Van Aulen of Wilson Elementary School in Christina School District
- Anthony Varrato of Sussex Technical High School of Sussex Technical School District
- Kim Weber of Welch Elementary in Caesar Rodney School District
- Leigh Weldin of Conrad School of Sciences in Red Clay Consolidated School District
- Karen Willey of Sussex Academy charter school
- Jill Young of Lord Baltimore Elementary in Indian River School District
- Stacie Zdrojewski of Red Clay Consolidated School District Office
The Teacher Advisory Council will meet on Tuesday, March 27th from 4:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Collette Education Resource Center Conference Room, 35 Commerce Way, Suite 1, Dover.
The Season Of Myths 