Making Sense of the Recent Flurry of Education Stories, and Where We Stand

In the last week, there have been several big stories on education. We saw federal funds frozen, then unfrozen; we saw the discouraging data from the Nation’s report card, and then the following day, some more news from D.C. about expanding school choice and proposed changes to what is taught in our schools. We’ve seen renewed focus on immigration enforcement and a series of Executive Orders related to transgender students. There is also the specter of President Trump eliminating the U.S. Department of Education entirely.

There’s a lot to process, so let’s start with the one we’re hearing the most about from schools and parents: immigration. Some school leaders have shared that daily enrollment is down as parents are afraid, and per the link, above, school administrators are generally not sure how best to respond. This is an area where there are some good resources from organizations like the ACLU but districts and charter schools could benefit from some statewide guidance from the state. My sense is that we will likely see that later in the week.

Second, the performance of Delaware’s public schools on NAEP. As has been reported here, and here, they are not good. Our performance went up modestly in math at the fourth-grade level, down at the eighth-grade level, and was largely flat in English. As Governor Matt Meyer and Secretary of Education Cindy Marten shared, this is a “turning point. We have a literacy emergency, and it is time for shared accountability and unwavering support for every child.” We need to act, and I’m excited that Sec. Marten has a great track record  of doing just that.

Related, as Delawareans look to modernize our school funding system we should not only build in the supports our children and educators need, but create clear strategies to address student achievement. This process is moving forward through the funding commission and the Meyer Administration has this as a top issue to tackle this spring. Again, Sec. Marten has experience connecting funding to helping students improve; here’s a report by Stanford University that highlights how San Diego “beat the odds.”

As to the recent flurry of federal Executive Orders, it’s unclear how they will impact our state or whether they are actually consistent with the Constitution. For example, there are mentions of repurposing federal funds and infusing new curricula into local schools. Changing how federal funds are spent will require Congress to agree, leaving a small amount in the discretion of the Trump Administration. Further, since the Constitution is silent on the role of the federal government, the curricula, what’s taught in our schools, is a decision typically made at the state and local levels, so it’s unclear what the impact of those EOs will be.

To summarize:

• The concerns about immigration enforcement need more clarification from the state.
• Our collective response to our overall performance on national assessments require focused strategy and investment.
• And, it’s not yet clear whether or how much the other federal EOs signed last week will change what actually happens in schools, so practitioners and policymakers should monitor those issues closely.

For our part, Rodel remains steadfast in our Equity Commitment, and we will continue:

• Building and supporting affinity spaces for educators of color to help recruit and retain a workforce that reflects the children they serve.
• Creating career pathways that are open to all, and include additional supports and training for our educators of color to not only better reflect our student population, but, as the research confirms, boost the academic performance of all students.
• Prioritizing policies that address equity, including scholarships and financial incentives, child care funding, and other supports that prioritize low-income families and many families of color.

We are committed to working with public and private partners to continue these initiatives regardless of what happens.

We support teaching culturally relevant, affirming, and sustaining content about the history of our country, including embedding the histories of marginalized and oppressed communities into curriculum materials and learning experiences.  Afterall, we can’t teach about the amendments to our Constitution, unless we understand why they were needed.

We support policies that protect students and educators—and those that make schools safe, welcoming, protected places to learn that create belonging regardless of race or gender.

We support public schools, and do not support vouchers. Close to nine out of 10 children in Delaware attend public schools. They are and will become our CEOs, our doctors and nurses, our mechanics, and IT professionals. Our public schools are the foundation of our communities. Public funds belong in public schools. We support a strong, equitable, accessible, and responsible public school system for all students. School vouchers provide little evidence of contributing to those ends. In fact, they have tended to widen disparities within communities and present major concerns for fairness, accessibility, costs, student achievement, and accountability.

For resources on these issues from state and national partners, please visit Affirming Our Commitment to Equity.

Related Topics: cindy marten, Delaware education, delaware schools, Secretary of Education