State Representative Earl Jaques has some mighty bold plans in the 150th General Assembly. The biggest and most controversial will be a bill that would have the state takeover the Christina School District. It is in the works and he is looking for sponsors.
Office of Innovation and Improvement
Delaware Department Of Education Salaries Over $100,000
Delaware DOEAs per the Delaware Department of Education website, the DOE employs 241 people. 66 of them make over $100,000 based on a Freedom of Information Act request I submitted to them on February 28th. This is eight more than what the News Journal reported four years ago. At that time, the DOE had extra employees as part of their limited Race To The Top federal grant.
Christina Falls For The Trap Set By Governor Carney, Secretary Bunting, and the Delaware DOE
Christina School DistrictIt was just announced on the State of Delaware website that the Christina School District in conjunction with the Christina Education Association plan on working with Governor Carney’s Office and the Delaware Dept. of Education on a Memorandum of Understanding to improve the educational “success” for Christina’s Wilmington students. In other words, they swallowed the bait and Carney is reeling them in. There is no Christina Board of Education seal of approval on this letter of intent, but it does state the Christina board would vote on this MOU. It appears Carney is rushing into this without a care in the world and he is bringing all the key players with him. But let’s not forget, this is just another way to corporatize education at students’ expense. This is priority schools under a new spin. There is inherent danger here folks. You play with the devil, you get burnt, plain and simple. Notice this is only the Christina Wilmington students. Nothing about the Red Clay or the many charter school students whatsoever. This is not a Wilmington Schools Partnership. This is a trap. Jack Markell must be proud of this development. Mark Murphy is probably going “Why didn’t I think of that?”
WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, Christina School District Superintendent Richard Gregg, and Christina Education Association President Darren Tyson announced on Thursday that they have signed a joint letter of intent to work together and develop a partnership with the goal of improving educational opportunities in the City of Wilmington.
The partnership will address the long-term success for the 1,640 Christina students in preschool through grade 8 who reside in Wilmington and attend the district’s four city elementary schools and one middle school. These schools are Bancroft Elementary School, Elbert-Palmer Elementary School, Pulaski Elementary School, Stubbs Elementary School, and Bayard Middle School.
Christina School District will work with staff from the Governor’s office, the Delaware Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, and the Christina Education Association to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this calendar year and submit the MOU for approval by the Christina Board of Education.
The MOU will define the roles and commitments of each party in crafting a system designed to create great public schools for every Christina student in the City of Wilmington. Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education, and Dorrell Green, Director of the Office of Innovation and Improvement, also signed the joint letter of intent.
“It’s always been clear to me that as goes the City of Wilmington, so goes our state. And improving our city starts with improving our schools,” said Governor Carney. “We are committed to working in partnership with the Christina School District, the Christina Board of Education, the Christina Education Association, families, educators, and community members, to improve outcomes for students in Christina’s city schools. We have a responsibility to do better by these students, and I look forward to getting to work.”
“The Christina School District is committed to exploring every option available to improving achievement for its students,” said Richard Gregg, Superintendent of the Christina School District. “We are willing to enter into this partnership to explore the development of an MOU that clearly outlines the commitments that will be made by all involved. The Christina Board has been clear that any agreement that is developed must focus on what is best for our students, and we will work with the Department of Education and the Governor’s Office toward this goal in good faith.”
“We welcome the Governor’s initiative to partner in service to our Wilmington students,” said George Evans, President of the Christina School District Board of Education. “We need to create and maximize new pathways to excellence and equity within our Wilmington schools.”
“CEA and its members look forward to entering into this partnership and working together to create an MOU that best serves and supports the Christina students in Wilmington,” said Darren Tyson, President of the Christina Education Association.
Read the full letter of intent here. (or you can read it below without even leaving this blog!)
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Governor Carney will join Superintendent Richard Gregg and CEA President Darren Tyson at two Wilmington town hall meetings to discuss the partnership between the State of Delaware and the Christina School District:
Town Hall Meeting on Wilmington Schools Partnership
This event is open to the press.
WHAT: Governor John Carney will join Christina Superintendent Richard Gregg, Office of Innovation and Improvement Director Dorrell Green, the Christina Education Association, members of the Christina School Board, and community organizations to discuss the partnership, and ideas for improving Wilmington schools, with families and educators in Wilmington. Governor Carney, Superintendent Gregg and others will take questions.
WHO: Governor John Carney
Richard Gregg, Superintendent, Christina School District
Members of the Christina School Board of Education
Darren Tyson, President, Christina Education Association
Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary, Delaware Department of Education
Dorrell Green, Director, Office of Innovation and Improvement, Delaware Department of Education
WHEN: Wednesday, October 18, 2017
6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bancroft Elementary School
700 N. Lombard Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Town Hall Meeting on Wilmington Schools Partnership
This event is open to the press.
WHAT: Governor John Carney will join Christina Superintendent Richard Gregg, Office of Innovation and Improvement Director Dorrell Green, the Christina Education Association, members of the Christina School Board, and community organizations to discuss the partnership, and ideas for improving Wilmington schools, with families and educators in Wilmington. Governor Carney, Superintendent Gregg and others will take questions.
WHO: Governor John Carney
Richard Gregg, Superintendent, Christina School District
Members of the Christina School Board of Education
Darren Tyson, President, Christina Education Association
Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary, Delaware Department of Education
Dorrell Green, Director, Office of Innovation and Improvement, Delaware Department of Education
WHEN: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Bayard Middle School
200 S. DuPont Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
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The Season Of Myths 