About Us
Rodel’s mission is to strengthen Delaware’s public education system and workforce by connecting partners to advance and implement sustainable solutions.
Public education is a complex, interconnected system—one that ties into nearly every facet of
Delaware society, from local economies to community health. That makes it vitally important
for a wide range of voices, research, and information to inform our decisions.
That’s where Rodel comes in. Like the humble bee, our team helps to cross-pollinate ideas
from our neighborhoods, our local institutions, and experts from across the world—that may
someday bloom and lead to successful outcomes for our children.
Learn more about the work we do to convene cross-sector partners, connect good ideas to resources, scale, share and support ideas grounded in evidence and practice, and serve as a critical friend.
Our Vision
Our Core Values
Our Structure
Learning
To achieve our mission, we know that we must work collaboratively with others across the state, learn from diverse perspectives locally, across the country and the globe, and work to understand root causes. We don’t have all the answers, and we need to continuously improve so we can better serve all Delawareans.
Listening
We know that ideas developed in concert with others, with genuine ownership and local co-design, have the best chance of success. Playing our role in building an excellent and equitable public education system requires us to authentically and intentionally listen to others and to empower and center the voices of those we seek to serve.
Problem-Solving
In this rapidly changing world, we must think differently to address root causes of inequities in Delaware. Our work to strengthen complex public systems requires creativity, solutions-orientation, and partnering locally and beyond to uncover new perspectives to meet Delaware’s needs. We must operate with curiosity and be unrelenting in our commitment to seek out approaches to challenges large and small in service of achieving our ambitious mission.
Integrity
We support solutions that work—regardless of where, or from whom, they come; and we seek to build on what’s working for students and with leaders on the ground. To this end, we put utmost value on honesty, trust, and respect in all our interactions both within our team and within the broader community.
Team
As a team, we are deeply invested in our mission. Our collective impact is more powerful and sustainable than our individual contributions, and we must work collaboratively across a diverse group of contributors in order to achieve our collective goal in service of Delawareans. We acknowledge and celebrate each others’ successes, support each other to be resilient in the face of setbacks, and work together to get the job done, no matter how large or small. We understand that the impact of our work outside our office is a direct reflection of the culture we create within it.
WHAT WE DO
Rodel connects people, ideas, and resources to make those positive changes happen. We help donors and organizations—both public and private, as well as local and global—make informed decisions about how they can leverage philanthropic dollars for the greatest impact in our community.
We work side by side with educators and community leaders to make things happen from concept to execution. We strive for lasting, systemic, change, so our work depends on partnerships with broad and diverse collaborators.
OUR FOCUS AREAS
Rodel works with community leaders, legislators, funders, and educators to make policy changes that can improve students’ lives. Below are four of our current areas of focus in which we are working to research best practices and mobilize the community and influence policy.
- Postsecondary Success
- Early Childhood Education
- Educator Support and Development
- Funding and Equity