What It Takes
Every child in Delaware has the right to an excellent public education. Many already are doing OK. But too many students are shortchanged, and Delaware must do better. According to national statistics, only 60% of Delaware’s students graduate from high school on time, and just one-third of those are ready for college and the workplace. Over 14% of Delaware’s public schools (26) are performing at very low levels and face restructuring in the next few years, and that number, without serious intervention, could rise to 67 (37%) by 2013.
Yet we know the solutions, and many are at hand. We need your voice to make them a reality.
Education Voters of Delaware will focus on three policy areas, and will work with lawmakers and the public to:
Demand Excellence
Delaware students rank 27th among the 50 states in academic performance. Being in the middle of the pack in the U.S. isn’t nearly good enough, especially considering that the U.S. itself is in the middle of the pack in many international rankings of academic performance. Clearly Delaware’s students should be making better progress toward world-class performance in math, reading and science. Their future depends on this, as do the health of our communities and the competitiveness of Delaware’s workforce. What can you do? Learn more about how we can move students forward, faster. It’s all about the kids.
Spend Smarter
Not enough of Delaware’s education dollars are making it into the classroom. In 2008 the Governor’s LEAD Committee identified between $86 million and $158 million in the state’s annual education budget that could be spent more efficiently to free up dollars for proven programs that improve student achievement. The LEAD Committee also proposed how Delaware’s 59-year-old education funding system should be improved to ensure that all of our unique and diverse students have what they need to excel. Our priorities are for elected officials to make these recommended changes to the state’s funding system. Learn more about how taxpayers’ dollars can be spent smarter to benefit our students. It’s all about the kids.
Eliminate the Gap
The low performance of African American, Hispanic and low-income students is a particular challenge. It is clear that children with differing needs require different kinds of support, and this begins even before they enter kindergarten. Delaware must invest in high quality early childhood education for every child, and empower school leaders with the flexibility and decision-making authority to do what is best for the students they see every day and know so well. Learn more about how we can give every child a fair shot at success. It’s all about the kids.
