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Education in the First State
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Editor's Note: As we look toward 2017, this month's issue of Take Note highlights some of our favorite stories from the past year. This is an opportunity to celebrate the great work of our students and educators in 2016. Space has limited our selections -- there are so many other great stories to revisit! -- so don't consider this list exhaustive. But enjoy these highlights from 2016 and let us know what we should be celebrating in 2017 by emailing us your story ideas at
[email protected]. Find past issues of Take Note
here. Have a wonderful and safe holiday season, and thank you to the educators, families, community partners and others for the hard work you do every day to support education for Delaware students.
Meet Wendy Turner, Delaware's 2017 Teacher of Year
Wendy Turner, a second grade teacher at Brandywine's Mount Pleasant Elementary, was named 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year in October. She now vies for the national title.
Wendy Turner, a second grade teacher at
Mount Pleasant Elementary School in the
Brandywine School District, is Delaware's 2017 State Teacher of the Year.
Governor Jack Markell made the announcement in front of 500 invited guests at the Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center in Dover.
Teaching was not Turner's original plan. After starting her career working in a large public accounting firm, she found herself unfulfilled, she said in her application: "I just did not want to work in corporate America anymore ... being a parent greatly changed my perspective and was a significant factor in influencing my deep desire to do something meaningful."
She went back to school, taking night classes to earn her master's degree in elementary education while continuing to work full-time. At age 40, she became a teacher.
As an educator she strives to make learning relevant to life outside the classroom, teaching every lesson through a real-world lens.
"In each subject area, if I present opportunities for students to connect the work they do in class to the real world, students overflow with enthusiasm," she said. "Writing about current issues that reflect students' personal beliefs has meaning and passion. Learning the science of how plans grow is more compelling when students cultivate plants in an outdoor garden."
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Community shapes development of state's ESSA plan
Community members gathered in Wilmington last month for a conversation on the state's Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan.
Educators, families and other community members across the state joined the Delaware Department of Education at two rounds of community conversations to collect public input to inform the state's plan under the new federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Others participated in discussion groups and the Governor's Advisory Committee. Online surveys also provided important feedback.
In December 2015, Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the main federal law governing public education. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). As part of NCLB, Delaware is one of the 43 states operating under ESEA Flexibility.
ESSA gives states more flexibility and provides more state and local control over the accountability process. ESSA implementation will begin during the 2017-18 school year. The 2016-17 school year provides the opportunity to consult with stakeholders, develop Delaware's plan, and submit the plan to the U.S. Department of Education for approval.
The second draft of the state's plan will be released January 9 on the state's
ESSA page, where you also can find more information about the engagement efforts to date.
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New role lets teachers lead in, out of classroom
Krista Seifert welcomes arriving students to East Dover Elementary School (more photos).
Heather Mann, a 23-year educator, spent five years supporting other educators as a literacy coach, but the work took her away from working directly with students.
A new teacher leader pilot has provided a third option.
"I loved working with the teachers. I wanted back in the classroom because I loved teaching. Now I can have a balance of both," she said.
Mann is among 19 teachers selected to serve as teacher leaders in the pilot that launched this school year. The program is among the first of its kind in the nation to take place at the state level.
Providing this kind of teacher leadership opportunity was among the recommendations of the Committee to Advance Educator Compensation and Careers. During his administration, Governor Jack Markell has championed the creation of a compensation system that makes Delaware educator salaries more competitive with neighboring states and rewards teachers for helping their peers to best support our students.
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31 educators, college students selected as fellows
In addition to the policy projects they worked on this summer, the fellows participated in weekly leadership development and speaker series sessions with Delaware leaders in state government and non-profit organizations.
The Delaware Department of Education recently welcomed 31 summer fellows. All are promising future leaders and current educators who have a passion for education and want to gain hands-on exposure to policy work.
Fellows are charged with important projects critical to Delaware's policy agenda. They also are participating in weekly leadership development and speaker series sessions with Delaware leaders in state government and non-profit organizations. These sessions are intended to develop them as leaders and provide context on education issues of national importance. The fellowships will culminate in a presentation of their work and policy recommendations to department staff and leadership.
"I am excited to have the fellows working with us this summer. They bring deep and diverse backgrounds in education as well as other fields that will help inform and shape our work," Secretary of Education Steve Godowsky said. "Having the expertise of current college students, recent graduates and current educators will contribute to a broader perspective that will strengthen our policy decisions."
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Smarter Analytics give teachers power over instruction
Chief Academic Officer Michael Watson and Brandy Cooper, Milford's 2016 Teacher of the Year, review Smarter Analytics with Milford teachers.
When Brandy Cooper, a sixth grade math teacher at
Milford Central Academy
in the
Milford School District
, saw Delaware's new Smarter Analytics data system for the first time this past April, she said she immediately knew her colleagues needed to do the same.
Cooper, the 2016 Milford School District Teacher of the Year, was first introduced to Smarter Analytics during a Teacher of the Year presentation focused on enhancements to the way teachers access data from different classroom, district-level and statewide assessments, including the state's annual Smarter test each spring.
"Last year Smarter was more of a mystery. There was little direct info on how to interpret the data - just a score that didn't really mean anything," Cooper said. "Now the data is presented in a system that's user-friendly, provides good comparisons and allows you to look at specific categories depending on your needs."
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Other Good News in Delaware's Public Schools
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