The letter below was sent to Governor Markell yesterday. It is asking for the same thing most of us are asking – to slow down the process because more time is needed.
January 9, 2015
The Honorable Jack Markell
Governor, State of Delaware
820 North French Street, 12th Floor
Wilmington, Delaware 19801Dear Governor Markell:
When you appointed the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee, you charged us with advising you and Secretary Murphy on how best to strengthen educational opportunities for all Wilmington students. Our Committee has been diligent in this regard. As such, today, I am writing on behalf of the Committee to request that you defer final actions on the Red Clay Consolidated and Christina School District priority schools until we issue our interim set of recommendations.
Our intention is to submit this set of recommendations by Monday, January 26, the contents of which will include initial analyses and proposals in the following critical areas we have identified.
- Governance and the current landscape of traditional, Vo-Tech and charter schools in the City of Wilmington
- The role of the City of Wilmington, particularly as it relates to formal representation, participation and influence
- Overcoming barriers to student success, including the impacts of race, class, geography and the unique needs of Wilmington children and schools
- Needs-based student funding, and
- Implementation
We intend to make these interim recommendations available for public comment, which we will seek in earnest through early March. Our final report will be submitted no later than March 31.
We recognize that the approval process already is underway for the plan submitted by Red Clay and that the timetable is confirmed for actions on the priority schools in both districts. To be clear, we will not be commenting on the plans themselves, but do expect that our recommendations will have impact on the broader set of governing responsibilities for all Wilmington schools, including the priority schools in Christina and Red Clay. As such, we believe it is prudent that you consider our recommendations before moving forward.
In thinking through this request, we have gained the support of Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams, Wilmington City Council President Theopalis Gregory, New Castle County Councilman Jea Street, the Wilmington delegation of the General Assembly as well as other elected officials and community partners.
The Advisory Committee agreed early in our convening that we would take the long view with respect to public education in Wilmington, but would also take advantage of any opportunity to weigh-in on specific action items during ‘moments that matter.’ This is one such occasion.
In that vein, I hope you will accept our request. We look forward to your response soon. Thank you. Sincerely,
Tony Allen, Ph.D., Chairman
cc: The Honorable Mark Murphy, Secretary of Education
The Honorable Patricia Blevins, Senate President Pro Tempore
The Honorable Peter Schwartzkopf, Speaker of the House
The Honorable David Sokola, Senate Education Committee Chair
The Honorable Earl Jaques, House Education Committee Chair
The Honorable Jea Street, New Castle County Councilman
The Honorable Dennis Williams, Mayor of the City of Wilmington
The Honorable Theopalis Gregory Sr., Wilmington City Council President
The Honorable Nnamdi Chukwuocha, Wilmington City Council Education Committee ChairWilmington delegation
The Honorable Margaret Rose Henry, State Senator
The Honorable Robert Marshall, State Senator
The Honorable Harris McDowell, State Senator
The Honorable Stephanie Bolden, State Representative
The Honorable Gerald Brady, State Representative
The Honorable James Johnson, State Representative
The Honorable Helene Keeley, State Representative
The Honorable Charles Potter, State RepresentativeMembers of the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee
One thing is clear. The more people learn about the Priority Schools Plan the more they ask for more time before implementation.
The time frame is what frustrates so many – it simply cannot be taken seriously. The problems facing these schools are complicated, and ones we’ve ignored for years. Sadly, there is nothing in those MOUs that address, let alone acknowledge, the real issues facing these schools. And longer school days, getting rid of teachers and bringing in new “school leaders” (I hate that phrasing, btw) doesn’t address the very real challenges these children, and the schools serving them, face every day.
I stood on the steps at Warner when the Priority Schools plan was unveiled and, when the announcement was over, I walked away shaking my head. By the time I got home I realized that the main priority of the plan was the consequences of failure; that the only thing carved in stone in the MOU was the loss of our public schools. The time frame all but guaranteed that outcome. Hopefully, this letter will help slow things down.