Yesterday I visited Elbert-Palmer Elementary School for the first time. It’s a classic-looking school that rises up from an entire city block in a residential area. Most beautiful to me were the faces of the students that greeted me and every other guest as we arrived. It was their first day of school, so they must have been asked to play the ambassador role just a few hours earlier, but they handled it with great enthusiasm and grace. Perhaps it comes easy to them because Elbert-Palmer is a home away from home for them; the new principal described the school as succeeding due to broad community support, and evidence of this was obvious even after just a few short hours at the school.

The occasion of my visit was to celebrate the second year of the state’s Academic Achievement Awards, which give five public schools each year $150,000 for significantly closing the achievement gap and/or exceeding their adequate yearly progress for two or more consecutive years. Race to the Top funding will enable the initiative to continue for four more years. The Lt. Governor, who spearheaded the program, announced the winners at yesterday’s event and gave brief updates on last year’s winners. This year’s winning schools are: Delcastle Technical High School (NCCVT District), Elbert-Palmer Elementary (Christina), McCullough Middle School (Colonial), Millsboro Middle School (Indian River), and Thomas Edison Charter School.

Each of these schools has done amazing things for their students, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they invest this award money to provide even more creative, meaningful supports. Award funds will be allocated based on decisions from a committee made of school staff, parents, and community members. This is very powerful – the school and its community have discretion to decide how the money will be used best to benefit the students in those buildings. Who knows that better than the principal, teachers, and families?

This is a core recommendation of Vision 2015 – give principals more flexibility over budgets so they can do more for their students. The Academic Achievement Awards program is an important initiative to recognize and compensate our most effective school communities and those who improve our highest-need schools. Yet our best principals need and deserve even more support and discretion. Delaware’s funding system is antiquated (62 years old!) and could do a whole lot more for our students. Initiatives like a funding flexibility pilot program – which was delayed this past year and the year before – and introducing needs-based funding remain a top priority and we look forward to working with our partners to gain momentum in the coming year. Until we provide more flexibility in how schools and districts use resources, we will continue to face challenges such as late teacher hiring and the inability to target resources to meet students’ needs.

Last Wednesday marked the conclusion of the Joint Finance Committee’s work, as the draft FY 2012 budget—which begins July 1, 2011— will now be compiled into a bill for review by the General Assembly. Typically, the budget bill is filed just days before the end of session on June 30^th of each year and often amended late into the night.

The JFC left the most controversial topic for last, considering the Governor’s budget proposal to require school districts to foot 10% of the cost for pupil transportation on the last day of mark-up. Currently the state pays 100% of school transportation costs and approves routes and special circumstances for additional service, and they approve bus contractor reimbursement rates. The first vote for the Governor’s proposal did not garner the needed support; however, when it came time to add in the $7.4 million expenditure to the budget, members of the JFC passed the proposal. Committee members also voted to restore the 2.5% cut, which the contracted bus companies endured last year, at a cost of $1 million.

Some say the rationale for shifting the cost burden is to create incentives for the districts to operate more efficiently. But district officials argue that they now have to come up with significant local funds that have not been part of their plans or previous referenda. Efficiencies may be difficult given the Department of Education’s power to approve bus routes and exceptions and to set the rates for bus contractors. Instead of shifting a tax burden, the LEAD Committee recommended reforming the way we plan and fund transportation through a competitive bidding process. Given our rank as one of the top states in per pupil transportation costs, this seems like a rational consideration.

The last DEFAC meeting is June 16; the Committee will announce the state’s final revenue numbers, on which the budget is based. However, even if there is additional money found, JFC chair- Rep. Dennis P. Williams, announced the JFC will not be reconvened. If that is the case, any fluctuations in revenue will most likely be decided by the Bond Bill Committee, which meets next Monday, June 20, to finalize the state’s annual capital spending plan.

We’ll look next week to see if DEFAC “finds” more revenue to be spent and if General Assembly members are pressured into reconsidering the cuts based on district lobbying.

The term “blended learning” seems to be getting a whole lot of attention right now- from the Khan Academy on “The Daily Show with John Stewart” to incorporating Wikipedia into course instruction at Virginia Tech.  Soon, at education conferences and among wonks, it will be part of our standard jargon, just as “growth model” and “extended learning time” have gone from new ideas to everyday vernacular.

So, what is “blended learning”? For many educators and schools, it already is a way of life. But – I’m a bit embarrassed to admit – this Gen Y-er is a little behind (I recently had to have my younger brother explain an iPod Touch to me). Blended learning refers to combining face-to-face learning with online instruction. There is a continuum of blended learning models – from using online tools as an optional supplement to classroom instruction (such as how the Kahn Academy is a really popular supplemental tool), all the way to having students engaged in a fully online education.

I’m personally and professionally intrigued, so I attended a related webinar hosted by EdWeek yesterday. The information was targeted to districts and schools interested in building blended learning models, and I learned about some successful programs and some significant challenges. For example, for educators, offering an advanced blended learning curriculum isn’t as simple as going online. Teachers have to create content, be available for online interactions, and get professional development on maximizing online tools. Teachers don’t necessarily need to be tech-savvy, but they need to be open to a new approach to teaching and learning, and schools that have had success with blended learning models emphasized that support for teachers is crucial – both training and incentives to participate.

Using a blended learning model can also be an effective (and fun) tool to engage parents and families in a student’s education, yet there are access challenges that need to be addressed. There are also philosophical challenges – should students be encouraged, for example, to “tweet” during class?

There is a lot more to learn and explore on this topic, and Rodel will be digging deeper over the coming months and bringing you the latest ideas, trends, and info. Stay wired!

*BYOT refers to “Bring Your Own Technology,” a concept that allows students in blended learning settings to always have mobile access to their coursework.

One of the best things we hear from people – and we hear it a lot – is that they are excited about all the work being done in Delaware to create world-class schools, and they want to get involved. So we’ve taken a crack at compiling a list of opportunities to share your time, talents, and other resources. Delaware’s public education community is vibrant and robust and this document outlines some potential opportunities for involvement.

Here’s just a snapshot of how you can contribute:

• Be a leader! Run for a school board, serve on a charter school board or specialty committee, or serve on a nonprofit board or advisory committee.
• Spread the word! Stay informed about the critical issues and major successes of public education reform, and help build awareness among the public and elected officials.
• Give! Whether it is your time, skills, or financial resources, there are a lot of ways to connect to schools and organizations in need.

There are certainly countless other avenues, and we’d be grateful to learn about other ideas. Add these ideas and information about opportunities as a comment to this blog.