The Delaware DOE: The Support, Enforce, or Ignore Test

Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting, under the policies of Delaware Governor John Carney, has transformed the Delaware Department of Education into a support organization.  Before Bunting, Carney recognized the DOE as an enforcement organization during former Governor Jack Markell’s two terms.  Carney put it on Bunting to make that transformation.  Did she succeed?

Margie Lopez-Waite Blows Off Her Own School For Super Bowl Parade & Helping Another School

That didn’t take long.  According to First State Update, Las Americas Aspiras Academy will close school on Thursday due to the Super Bowl parade for the Philadelphia Eagles.  As well, Lopez-Waite has been spending a lot of time over at Delaware Academy of Public Safety & Security trying to help them out.  With all these extracurricular and non-paying functions, how does she have time for the school she is entrusted to watch over?  Parents are ticked off according to the article on First State Update:

This is absolutely ridiculous. The Eagles parade is more important than school?! Not to mention I can’t call in to work and take off with an asinine reason of my kids school closed for the parade.

But Lopez-Waite stood firm in her decision basically blowing off parents gripes about the school closing:

Since our first year I have stated that I would close school when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. I didn’t know if the day would ever come but here we are…and I believe in keeping my promises.

Oh, like the promise to be the Head of School at LAAA and putting students first?  Say, since Margie is the new Board President for DAPSS, does that mean they get to close on Thursday as well?  Way to inconvenience parents there!  Want to know what my job would say?  They would say “suck it up buttercup!”  Seriously, if I asked for a day off to go to a parade they would tell me I would be held accountable!  I understand you might be an Eagles fan Margie but you don’t close your school so YOU can go to a parade.  Because the next thing you know schools will be closed for other “special events”.

What’s your take?  Should schools close for the Super Bowl parade in Philly?

17 Who Had An Impact In 2017: State Rep. Rich Collins

The first time I heard anyone going off about what eventually became Regulation 225 was State Rep. Rich Collins. A couple of months ago, the Republican State Rep. from the 41st district lashed out against the Delaware Department of Education over the draft for the regulation. He did not like that parental rights were seemingly violated in this gender identity discrimination regulation.  Which started off more controversy in Delaware than I’ve seen in a long time. It probably got more response than opt out did. Which I find to be a crying shame cause I think, in the long run, that is a much more important issue. But I’m biased like that. Not ashamed to admit it. But I digress…

Collins fired the shot heard around Delaware. From there, the regulation continued to find many who opposed it. The final day for public comment on it was today, at 4pm. It is now in the hands of Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting. Will she approve it? Disapprove it? We will find out soon. Perhaps as early as December 14th, the next State Board of Education meeting. I would guess she will hold onto it for a little while. Or maybe Carney just wants it over as soon as possible, one way or another.

The part about Collins’ role in all this was he isn’t a state rep I’ve found to get involved in many education-related things. I guess this one hit home for him in his neck of the woods.