COMMITTEES

EARL G. JAQUES, JR.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Twenty-Seventh District

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
STATE OF DELAWARE

Education, Chair
Veterans Affairs, Chair
Health & Human Development
Labor
Transportation/Land Use and
Infrastructure

LEGISLATIVE HALL
DOVER, DELAWARE 19901

Joint Education Committee Meeting Minutes

1.28.15
Chair Jaques called the joint meeting to order at 3:16 p.m. Committee members present included Reps.
Williams, Barbieri, Matthews, Bolden Osienski, Potter, Lynn, Ramone, Dukes, Kenton, Hensley and
Sens. Sokola, Townsend, Hall-Long, Lopez, Pettyjohn, Bonini, and Poore . Reps. Bennett, Keeley, and
Baumbach were also present for the meeting. For a list of guests present, please see the attendance list
below.
Chair Jaques began by explaining the rules by which the joint committee meeting would be conducted:
Dr. Tony Allen would give an uninterrupted presentation on behalf of the Wilmington Education
Advisory Committee (WEAC) followed by questions from committee members, then Wilmington
legislators, then any other legislators, and finally the public, time permitting. He then introduced Sen.
Sokola, chair of the Senate Education Committee, who introduced the senators present for the joint
committee meeting.
Following Sen. Sokolas introductions, Chair Jaques turned the committee meeting over to Dr. Tony
Allen to present on the Wilmington Education Advisory Committees Interim Recommendations.
Dr. Allen began by thanking the House and Senate Education Committees for their time and appreciated
the ability to address them jointly. He then read page four from WEACs Interim Report (attached)
explaining the need for urgency regarding Wilmington public schools. Dr. Allen explained that WEAC
does not enter this situation lightly and realizes WEAC is not the first commission to attempt to tackle
this issue. After the announcement of the Priority Schools Initiative, Governor Markell called Dr. Allen
to create WEAC and to focus on transforming Wilmington public education, he said. Dr. Allen thanked
Governor Markell for allowing WEAC to work unencumbered.
WEAC began its work on November 5, 2014 and first reviewed over 117 years of public education in
Wilmington. Dr. Allen mentioned the notable Brown v. Board of Education decision and the subsequent
attempt to desegregate Wilmington via charter schools, bussing, and parental engagement. The
Neighborhood Schools Act (2001) formed committees in 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2013 to make
recommendations for Wilmington, he said; however, many of those recommendations have not been
acted on and now is a window in which the State must act.
Dr. Allen then enumerated WEACs guiding principles: 1) Wilmington education is critical to the
success of the entire state; 2) Wilmington schools should set high standards of learning; 3) Wilmington
should be served by traditional, charter, and technical public schools; 4) all Wilmington schools should
receive the resources needed to promote student success; 5) policy and practices should promote

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coordination and a mutual commitment to improvement; 6) Wilmington schools should be community

assets and governed by the community they serve; and 7) Wilmington schools should have allies to
address the complex challenges of educating the Citys children. Dr. Allen vehemently affirmed that this
issue is more than a Wilmington problem; it is a problem all-encompassing of Delaware.
Dr. Allen continued; WEAC established four key focus areas: 1) creating responsiveness within
governance, 2) meeting the needs of students, 3) funding student success, and 4) implementing the
necessary changes. Currently, he said, four traditional school districts operate in the City of Wilmington,
in addition to thirteen charter schools and one vo-tech school. This yields eighteen separate units trying
to govern Wilmington education, not including the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Delaware
Department of Education (DDOE). Dr. Allen said this has caused a difficult path to deliver quality
education for vulnerable children in Wilmington.
Dr. Allen transitioned into the interim recommendations being made by WEAC. It recommended
reducing the number of school districts in Wilmington, to create a new vision for charter schools in
Wilmington, and to strengthen the role of the community in Wilmington education.
In doing so, WEAC is called for: the Christina School District (Christina), possibly the only discontinuous school district in the nation, to no longer serve Wilmington children; Colonial School
District (Colonial) to no longer serve Wilmington children; and Red Clay Consolidated School District
(Red Clay) to pick-up the schools and children resulting from the Christina and Colonial departure. Dr.
Allen believed that this broader, consolidated school district would be more metropolitan in nature and
is the best alternative. He noted that Brandywine School District (Brandywine) and New Castle County
Vo-Tech School District (NCCVTSD) will continue to serve the City and WEAC had no further
recommendations regarding those two districts.
In reference to charter schools, Dr. Allen stated that he believes charter schools are a part of public
education and that Delaware needs charters to be more unified. WEACs projections suggested that,
within five years, charter school growth could add as many as six-thousand additional seats. He said that
charter authorizers should be operating based on a strategic plan. WEAC recommended that Governor
Markell ask DDOE to develop a strategic plan for charter schools in Delaware and that no new charter
schools or expansions of existing charter schools will take place until that strategic plan is completed.
Dr. Allen said that WEAC also recommends that the Governor establish a Wilmington Charter School
Consortium. He said that this consortium would allow charter schools to benefit from greater
collaboration, allow charter schools to more effectively collaborate with public school districts, and
allow for a liaison opportunity between traditional public schools, charter schools and the City of
Wilmington. Additionally, Dr. Allen said that WEAC recommends Wilmington create an Office of
Education and Public Policy that would spur parental involvement and community action regarding
Wilmington education.
In order to fund student success, Dr. Allen offered two options: 1) approve a new weighted student
funding formula that would take into account the demographics of varied types of Wilmington students
or 2) change the current unit count formula to better reflect English Language Learners, high-poverty
students, and special education students in grades K-3. He said that WEAC recommends strengthening
the revenue base at the state and local levels. In order to do so, WEAC recommends New Castle County
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property reassessments, which have not occurred since 1983 and must be placed on a more regular
schedule. Wilmington will also need the ability to increase revenue to establish the Office of Education
and Public Policy.
In regards to implementing these recommendations, Dr. Allen stated that the Governor should create a
Wilmington Education Improvement Commission which would fall outside of existing state agencies
and report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the implementation of WEACs
recommendations. Dr. Allen said that the commission should sunset in five years in order to prevent the
implementation from going on for all of time.
Dr. Allen concluded by explaining that there is an opportunity for the public to comment on WEACs
interim report and make suggestions prior to the final report. WEAC can be found on Facebook as
Solutions for Wilmington Schools. WEAC has hosted coffees throughout the state to discuss this
proposal and will conduct town hall-style meetings in the future.
Dr. Allen emphasized that this is an interim report and the final report is due by the end of March and all
public comment with merit will be considered. Dr. Allen concluded his presentation.
Chair Jaques agreed with Dr. Allens assessment that Wilmington public schools must be strengthened
and now is the time to do so. Chair Jaques was delighted that Governor Markell agreed to form a blue
ribbon panel to look at Wilmington education from every aspect in his State of the State address.
Chair Jaques questioned Dr. Allen as to why WEAC is calling for no new charter schools. Chair Jaques
stated that parents need choices in education and it should be about market share and quality. He stated
that the National Association of Charter School Authorizers stated Delaware already has the toughest
policies in the country surrounding the charter school code.
Dr. Allen stated that WEAC is not calling for a moratorium; rather, it is calling for a strategic plan to
first be implemented. He believes it can be done without delay and will have enormous benefit for
Wilmington.
Chair Jaques also noted that he hopes WEAC will consider using the Illinois Facility Fund to look at the
map of Wilmington and understand where the schools are exactly and deciding if they are
geographically in optimal places.
Sen. Sokola thanked Dr. Allen for the presentation and said it was a very well-done summary of
WEACs conclusions. He stated that he has served on committees in the past which made similar
recommendations and cautioned everyone that the devil is in the details. In regards to the issue of
property reassessment, Sen. Sokola said the issue has frustrated him past pushes for legislation have
not been passed. He said that the reassessment should be done regardless of WEACs other
recommendations. Sen. Sokola said he is prepared to work through all of the nuances of the proposal
and welcomes the six weeks of public comment forthcoming.
Rep. Potter thanked Chair Jaques for holding this joint meeting and WEAC for presenting. He also
thanked Governor Markell for putting the committee together based on his and Rep. Boldens

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suggestions. Rep. Potter said he recently introduced a bill to put a moratorium on charter schools in the
City of Wilmington and asked Dr. Allen why WEAC opposes a moratorium.
Dr. Allen restated WEACs position that a strategic plan should be in order prior to new charter schools
being formed or the expansion of existing charter schools. He also noted that the Governor and General
Assembly should approve of the strategic plan.
Rep. Potter believed that the State needs to take a pause when it comes to charter schools in Wilmington.
He stated that feeder patterns into charter schools are not being looked at closely enough. He also stated
that change to Wilmington education has been needed for a long time and believes a will exists now,
whereas it did not exist in the past.
Rep. Osienski asked if it is possible to give an example of what the charter school strategic plan should
be in WEACs final report.
Dr. Allen said that WEAC had not considered that, but will now take it under consideration. He said
they will likely comment on that aspect of the final report recommendation.
Sen. Townsend thanked Dr. Allen for WEACs impressive work. He asked WEAC to be as forthright as
possible with the ways in which this proposal overlaps with the Priority Schools Initiative. He said that
these issues should not operate independently of each other. He also asked who would confirm the
constitutionality of the plans being developed and implemented. He would rather know on the front end,
rather than go through court proceedings on the back end.
Dr. Allen said that legal review will be gone through prior to the final report. He also said that WEAC
has made a point not to comment on the Priority Schools Initiative.
Sen. Townsend requested that WEAC consider advocating a delay in the Priority Schools Initiative
because it may be sub-optimal for children.
Rep. Bolden congratulated WEAC on its interim report. She stated that a moratorium is not saying
Wilmington does not want any charter schools. As of now, she said, Wilmington has twenty-five total
schools and in order to see progress in those twenty-five, Wilmington should not bring in any additional
schools. Rep. Bolden noted that some locations of Wilmington schools are overly-saturated. Also, she
said that Wilmington should have input into the education of its children. She hoped that this legislative
body will take into account the education of all kids and not just those in affluent areas. Rep. Bolden
asked if WEAC did comparisons to other Delaware counties or other states in formulating its report.
Dr. Allen said that the situation in Wilmington does not exist in any other locale in Delaware.
Sen. Bonini asked if WEAC will be able to articulate the total cost of its recommendations in the final
report.
Dr. Allen said they will be able to estimate total cost in the final report and have multi-year projections
for resource allocation.

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Office: 302-744-4142 Fax: 302-739-2313
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Sen. Bonini said that Wilmington needs a better voice in their education and felt as if the tone was
somehow that charter schools are responsible for the problem. He said that charter schools represent a
real choice for students and families in educational crises. He did not want to restrict peoples choices
while trying to fix Wilmington education. He said that charter schools are a significant portion of the
future solution.
Dr. Allen said that he personally has been a fan of charter schools as a part of the public education
process, although they must be governed. He said that Delaware should follow best practices in
reference to charter schools.
Rep. Bolden said that a moratorium is not taking away choice. She acknowledges that charter schools
exist, but asks for time to understand matriculation and enrollment patterns. The twelve currently in
Wilmington, should be the twelve. We do not want schools closing, so we should attempt to better
understand them.
Rep. Potter said he has nothing against charter schools, but asks that Delaware pause and a take a look at
what is working and what is not working. He wants charter schools to have the greatest chance of
success.
Chair Jaques explained that one of the biggest choices a parent has is deciding the education for his or
her children. What one can accomplish in life is rooted in education. Chair Jaques said that once the
WEAC plan is in place, he suspects that greater parental involvement will be noticeable and a success in
Wilmington.
Vice-Chair Williams thanked Dr. Allen and WEAC for their commitment to students in Wilmington and
all stakeholders. She said WEAC has allowed for discussion and comment and Dr. Allen has reached out
to superintendents, legislators, and board members. Vice-Chair Williams said Dr. Allen should be
commended.
Rep. Baumbach reminded all that the proposal is large and contains many elements. He said that no one
will love every single element and this is a gigantic problem in need of a gigantic solution. He was
hopeful that things are different this time and all will stand together to help fix Wilmington education.
Dr. Allen noted that he and Dr. Dan Rich, University of Delaware, have met with over forty elected
officials in order to engage them early and will continue to do that.
Nnamdi Chukwuocha, Wilmington City Council, commended Dr. Allen for leading WEAC and
believed that the establishment of the Wilmington Office of Education and Public Policy is essential to
future success.
Frank Parks, Seaford School Board, presented a resolution to help re-integrate Delaware schools. He
offered to share his resolution with WEAC. He summarized it by stating that if a school is accepting
students by choice, it must adhere to the demographics from where the student is being pulled from. He
stated that Delaware is more segregated now than in 1988 when he graduated.

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Kevin Ohlandt, Exceptional Delaware, said that the number of special education students will continue
to rise and asked if WEAC has thought about how to allocate future funding to compensate for those
increases.
Dr. Allen re-stated the two options for student funding formulas that have been outlined above.
Chair Jaques thanked Dr. Allen and WEAC and stated that the committee looks forward to the groups
final report. He does not want the report to sit on the shelf and gather dust like in the past. Chair
Jaques emphasized that this is about children, not the legislature or the committee. He said there is an
opportunity to actually help Wilmington children get a quality education and become productive
members of society.
Chair Jaques adjourned the meeting at 4:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Rucci, Legislative Fellow

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Education Committee Meeting

Attendance List 1.28.15
1. Kevin Ohlandt, Exceptional Delaware
2. Jonathan Kirch, American Heart Association & American Stroke Association
3. Debbie Armstrong, United Way of Delaware
4. Jerry Hunter, United Way of Delaware
5. Lynne Howard, Kuumba Academy Charter School
6. Kaitlyn Dewit, United Way of Delaware
7. Ty Jones, AstraZeneca
8. Dorrell Green, Brandywine School District
9. Nnamdi Chukwuocha, Wilmington City Council
10. Ron Pierce, Delaware School Boards Association
11. John Skrobot, Delaware School Boards Association
12. Vicki Gehrt, New Castle County Vo-Tech School District
13. Jacqueline Vogle, League of Women Voters
14. Cheryl Cabcott Tranick, Wilmington Resident
15. Jason Conway, Lake Forest School District
16. Anne Farley, First State
17. John Flaherty, Delaware Coalition for Open Government
18. Kim Gomes, Byrd Group
19. Jordan Seemans, Rugerio Wilson & Associates
20. Neil Lavchlry, Wilmington Education Advisory Committee
21. Frank Parks, Seaford School Board
Addendum:
Wilmington Education Advisory Committee Power Point Presentation
Wilmington Education Advisory Committee Interim Report

411 Legislative Avenue, Dover, Delaware 19901

Office: 302-744-4142 Fax: 302-739-2313
earl.jaques@state.de.us