Every year, on June 13th, Exceptional Delaware celebrates its anniversary. This year is, pardon the pun, no exception. You won’t see what the mission is until you read about it. But it is definitely time to reboot the mission and go back to basics. It’s about the kids. It’s about families. It’s about what is covered up and hidden. In ALL facets of education, people want quiet. They didn’t want the dirty skeletons coming out of the closet. But they are there. Like an ostrich with a head buried in the sand, so it is with Delaware education.
Secrets
Big Year For Charter Renewals Coming: Academia Antonia Alonso, Early College High School, First State Montessori, Sussex Academy & Thomas Edison
Delaware Charter SchoolsFive Delaware charter schools will go through their charter renewal process next Fall. The Delaware Department of Education’s Charter School Office had what I am sure was a huge task of sending out reports to the schools. Academia Antonia Alonso, Early College High School, First State Montessori Academy, Sussex Academy, and Thomas Edison Charter School are all up for renewal. With any charter school renewal, the DOE goes through everything: Academics, Financial, and Organizational. No stone is left unturned. With five charters and all three Delaware counties represented in these renewals, the public hearings will be everywhere. But it looks like the Charter School Office has planned ahead and scheduled different public hearings on different days. Last year, there was only one charter school (Academy of Dover) that went through the renewal process. There would have been two but Prestige Academy opted to close their doors at the end of this school year.
In reviewing the below renewal reports and the charter schools responses to those reports, I didn’t have any alarm bells going off. I do have concerns about the demographics of two of these schools, First State Montessori Academy and Sussex Academy. At least one of these schools has some financial issues that seem to have flown under the radar for a long time now. Hopefully more will come out during this process. And one of them, I strongly suspect but can’t prove…yet, has a secret going all the way back to the origin of their school…
Here are all the schools renewal reports from the Charter School Office, their responses, and the timeline issued by the Charter School Office for this mammoth process:
Academia Antonia Alonso:
Early College High School
First State Montessori Academy
Sussex Academy
Thomas Edison Charter School
Charter School Renewal Timeline:
The Tales I Cannot Tell
Untold TalesThere are many. Too many nowadays. There are many reasons. Retaliation against people is the biggest one. Another one is waiting on more information. Blogging takes a lot of time and effort. Especially the way I do it. I have more articles in my draft folder then I ever have. Many are in my head. Some are… with others. Sometimes there are games afoot. Sometimes a source drops a load of information and then disappears. I’ve learned I have to vet some sources a bit more than I used to.
Some of these articles would be permanent game changers for some people, schools, or even districts. Even some of our politicians in Delaware should have reason to fear. Delaware is a small state but large in secrets. Through it all, it always comes back to Jack Markell, one way or another. He is the Kevin Bacon of education connections in Delaware.
Many of the tales I cannot tell are heart-wrenching. They are incredibly sad and all I can say is some children should never be treated the way they are in some schools. If you are an education leader of some sort in our crazy state, and you are wondering “Does he know?”, chances are pretty good I probably do. For those who think “he is clueless, he has no idea what is really going on”, be advised I most likely do know exactly what is going on, why it is happening, and the trail of breadcrumbs you left.
I know about a lot of the side deals, and the knife thrusts in the backs of enemies, and the things some think only a select few know about. You are wrong. I know when I’m being used, even though you don’t think I do. Sometimes I allow myself to be used because I know what is at the other end of the tunnel. I know why some react and why some stay quiet as a church mouse. I know why some stopped reacting. I know those who drink the kool-aid in public but tell me in private they know it is wrong. I know who has a forgiving heart, who has the capacity to forgive, and who has a dead heart.
I know a lie before the words finish coming out of a mouth. But the most stunning thing I know is there are some things I could write about and the whole state could read it but nothing would happen. I know about the corruption in our state, from the top to the bottom. I know the looks some give me can be an “I understand” or “Please go away” or “You can’t do a thing to stop any of this” or “You know nothing”. Some desperately tell me how wrong I am only to see the dawn of realization hit them later. I know those who try to distract me to keep me away from something else. It has worked in the past but it is much harder now.
I know about the money trails and how some try to hide it. I see the categories and we both know it is utter bullshit. I see it more than you think I do. I hear the administrator horror stories. How unfairly so many of our teachers are treated. I know those who don’t bat an eye when making the wrong decision to protect themselves while others suffer. I know about those who think a climb to power is better than integrity and dignity. I know far too many who are blinded and manipulated and believe what they think they are hearing. I know who my enemies are. That is very easy. I know those who want me to think they are my allies but I know they aren’t. I know those who are genuine and true and want the best for children. I know the chess players and the ones who think they are grand champions but the reality is they should stick to checkers or go fish.
These are the tales I cannot tell. Many of them are just in a “for now” status. Some can NEVER be told. Some I plan for an exact moment. Some will join together in unholy matrimony in ways even I couldn’t imagine but make sense when they do. Some I find out about and publish right away while others age like a fine wine. I have seen a future and it is a very dark place for all of us. I’ve seen the past and paths clear more each time. I see the futurists, always scheming and plotting. I know things that will happen that nobody knows about yet. I know things that some think will happen but they are going to be very disappointed. I know when to walk way over the line and when to draw back. I know when the line is blurry and sometimes I know when it is invisible. I know what the biggest trick of all was and who was involved, even though I don’t write about it. I know so much more than you think I do. This is… Exceptional Delaware.
Secret
The SecretDid you ever figure something out that changes EVERYTHING? Exceptional Delaware has done just that. What is it? You will be seeing vague hints to this today, starting with this:
The Season Of Myths 