The Delaware State Education Association needs to keep a very close watch on a bill flying through the Delaware General Assembly! Scratch that. They need to be all over Senate Bill #242 like white on rice! They have the political muscle to get some fast changes on this bill and they need to flex it yesterday! This bill has more head-scratching sponsors on it who should know better!
Day: June 13, 2018
Red Clay Parents Going Nuts Over New School Start Times!
Red Clay ConsolidatedWith next to no input from parents, Red Clay Consolidated School District released information about bus schedules for elementary, middle school, and high school students earlier this week. Parents are NOT happy. The district says they are doing this to improve their bus issues. Which I get, but you don’t blindside parents with drastic changes. The next Red Clay board meeting should be VERY interesting!
2018-2019 Three-Tier School Schedule Information
In an effort to improve bus transportation service throughout Red Clay, the district will reorganize its bus routes and move to a three-tier school schedule in the fall of 2018.
Because high school and middle school students will no longer be picked up at the same time, a three-tier system reduces by more than 50 the number of drivers needed to cover all routes.
This will address a critical, nationwide bus driver shortage, reduce the amount of time many students spend on the bus (see charts below with sample times), and free up personnel to provide additional bus aides on routes.
In order to implement these service improvements, school start times will need to be shifted. Changes include:
- The high school instructional day will start approximately 5‐10 minutes earlier, at 7:25 a.m.
- The middle school instructional day will start approximately 30 minutes later, at 8:05 a.m.
- The elementary school instructional day will start approximately 10 minutes later, at 9 a.m.
Schools will make every effort to keep drop off and car rider lines times the same. The district will share additional details over the summer.
“Our transportation department worked very hard this past year to try and provide reliable bus service while facing the worst driver shortage in history,” said Superintendent Merv Daugherty. “Unfortunately, we don’t believe those efforts solved the problem. We are not happy with the status quo, so we are making some needed adjustments in school start times. The center of this plan will be the outstanding men and women driving our buses every day.”
Below are charts showing how the new system may impact the typical Red Clay student. Please look for the summer transportation letter for your child’s bus stop and time.
If you have any questions or concerns, you may call the Office of Communications at 302-552-3716.
| SAMPLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT | |||
| School Year | Bus Stop Time | Bus Ride Length | School Arrival Time |
| 2017-2018 | 6:30 a.m. | 60 minutes | 7:30 a.m. |
| 2018-2019 | 6:30 a.m. | 45 minutes | 7:15 a.m. |
| SAMPLE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT | |||
| School Year | Bus Stop Time | Bus Ride Length | School Arrival Time |
| 2017-2018 | 6:30 a.m. | 60 minutes | 7:30 a.m. |
| 2018-2019 | 7:05 a.m. | 45 minutes | 7:50 a.m. |
| SAMPLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT | |||
| School Year | Bus Stop Time | Bus Ride Length | School Arrival Time |
| 2017-2018 | 7:45 a.m. | 60 minutes | 8:45 a.m. |
| 2018-2019 | 8:05 a.m. | 45 minutes | 8:50 a.m. |
Happy Birthday Exceptional Delaware! Moving Into Season 5!
Exceptional DelawareI honestly didn’t think it would last this long. Here we are, June 13th 2018, and my screaming toddler is moving into the school years! It’s been a long journey filled with ups and downs, tosses and turns, and joy and anger.
As I head into Year 5 on here, I’m not going to make any promises. One, I never keep them, and two, why spoil the fun? I can’t commit to what I’m eating for breakfast tomorrow so why set myself up for failure?
I always get asked “why don’t you put more happy stuff on here”. I do, but it is few and far between. Whatever. I’ll put up what I see fit. And if I don’t think it is good for kids, you will probably see it. Since teachers are the caretakers of those kids in our schools, I’ll look out for you to the best of my ability. Deal?
Happy 4th Birthday Exceptional Delaware!
Delaware FY2019 State Employee Salary Bumps Covered Under Senate Bill #236
Delaware State EmployeesThe one-time salary increases for Delaware state employees is the heart of Senate Bill #236, released by State Senator Harris McDowell yesterday. If you are a state employee, it looks like you will somehow be seeing more money next year. Is it enough? For years, state employees have been complaining about the lack of raises. Aside from teachers, many state employees don’t see the bumps they need to keep up with the cost of living. Put your thoughts in the comments!
The Fiscal Year 2019 Delaware Budget Bill Released
FY2019 Budget BillThe full budget bill for Fiscal Year 2019 came out yesterday as Delaware Senate Bill #235. It is an interesting budget. The Delaware Teacher Center is back! Teachers up and down the state will be thrilled about that. The Charter School Transportation Slush Fund is still around. Each year, State Rep. John Kowalko introduces an amendment to have it removed and each year the votes for it increase. Will this year be when they finally pass it? Read the full FY2019 budget bill below!
The Season Of Myths 