DOVER, Del.- The Delaware Senate is poised to deliberate on an education bill that mandates immediate action to improve underperforming schools in the state.
The bipartisan bill, backed by State Representatives Bryan Shupe (R-Milford South) and Kim Williams (D-Newport, Stanton), and State Senator Brian Pettyjohn (R-Georgetown), specifically targets public schools where less than 10 percent of students meet proficiency standards in English Language Arts or mathematics.
Jack Vassolotti of Lewes tells CoastTV regardless of a bill, parents and teachers have to work together.
"The children, the students, the parents, the school system, they've all got a mesh together and there's like a lot of people who want to butt heads more than solve things just like big government," Vassolotti says.
According to the proposed legislation, superintendents of districts with these failing schools would be obligated to work alongside the Department of Education and school administrators to devise both short-term and long-term plans aimed at enhancing academic performance.
“The long-term plan is designed to address the systemic issues that led to these schools’ underperformance," explained Rep. Shupe. "However, we must also consider the students currently enrolled in these schools. They may have one, two, or more years left in their academic journey. The short-term plan is tailored to provide them with immediate assistance to enhance their proficiency while the school’s underlying structural issues are being resolved.”
Key features of the bill include the requirement for district superintendents to present these action plans at school board meetings for approval and to provide annual updates on their progress. These plans must be publicly accessible on both the school’s and the Department of Education's websites.
According to bill sponsors, in 17 public schools across Delaware, more than 90% of students are not meeting grade-level standards in reading, writing, or mathematics.
Ingrid Callmann was shocked to hear these statistics in Delaware.
"It does really surprise me," Callmann says. I guess I associate that more with like big cities."
"The success of any community is a success and progress of our children," say Jack and Sue Bacon of Lewes. "What has to be done, that I don't know the answer to that question, but doing nothing is not an option."
“This is a statewide problem, from Claymont to Delmar,” said Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, the prime Senate sponsor of the legislation. “It cuts across geographic, demographic, and political boundaries. It’s intolerable that any school would have a grade-level cohort where nearly all the students do not meet basic academic standards. We're setting these kids up to further failure if we don’t get them the help they need. Frankly, I’m shocked we must enact legislation to address such blatant shortcomings.”
The bill now awaits consideration on the Senate floor.
