Delaware's teacher union wants the state to follow Maryland's lead and start teachers' salary at $60,000.

State teachers’ union asks for base pay hike

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Delaware’s teacher union proposed a new salary schedule Monday that includes a base pay of $60,000. Of that base pay, $42,000 would come from the state — $12,000 more than it’s currently paying.  Under the plan, teacher salaries would be raised over three years, costing the state $134.5 million in total. By the final year, total teacher salaries would cost …

237 schools will receive digitalized maps to prepare for school emergencies.

State to create digital school maps to aid first responders

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The state will spend just under $1 million to help first responders navigate schools more quickly when emergencies occur. As part of its Comprehensive School Safety Program, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency will use the money to create accurate and uniform maps of the state’s public and charter schools.  The maps will enable law enforcement to react swiftly in unfamiliar …

WilmU will join Widener as the only institutions with law schools in Delaware. (Wilmington University Facebook)

WilmU to start its own law school

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Wilmington University is starting a law school. It will be the First State’s second, joining Widener University’s Delaware Law School, which was founded in 1971. Soon-to-be-lawyers don’t have to rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars to attend, either.  WilmU law tuition The cost for full-time students will be $24,000 per year and $18,000 for part-time students, which the university’s …

Milford’s Ashley Lockwood has been named Delaware's 2023 teacher of year.

Milford’s Ashley Lockwood named 2023 teacher of year

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Ashley Lockwood, a fifth-grade teacher at Lulu Ross Elementary in Milford School District, has been named the 2023 Delaware Teacher of the Year.   “Teaching children has been one of the greatest blessings and gifts that God has ever given me, and for that, I will be forever grateful,” Lockwood said during the award ceremony Tuesday night. “Thank you to my …

Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown presenting their new book aimed at helping Black families through the college admissions process.

Authors detail ways Black families can help kids get into college

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Timothy L. Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown want to help Black families bridge the information gap in  how to help their children apply for college. The two took the stage at Wilmington Friends School last week to share details and answer questions on their new book, “The Black Family’s Guide to College Admissions.” Studies by Forbes and others show that only …

Dozens of schools in Delaware have been identified as having lead contaminants in their water supply.

William Penn among 22 schools with elevated levels of lead in water

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The bad news: Colonial School District expects to pay at least $350,000 to repair a water main suspected of bringing lead into its buildings. The good news: None of the water is reaching students or workers. As soon as Colonial was notified, school fountains were turned off, while sinks and toilets are allowed to run, because lead is not absorbed …

University of Delaware president Dennis Assanis shared institution updates with the board of trustees during their two-day retreat Thursday and Friday.

UD expects half a billion in research funding by 2029

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

The University of Delaware expects to be receiving half a billion dollars in federal expenditures for research by 2029. UD President Dennis Assanis told the school’s Board of Trustees Thursday that the money would more than double UD’s current federal research expenditures of $220 million. “That’s big,” Assanis said. “Big for Delaware, and big for our sites without having a …

UPchieve is a free application for low-income students to receive tutoring and counseling services.

Who needs 24/7 tutoring? UPchieve says Del. students do

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

UPchieve, an application that provides around-the-clock ​​free, online tutoring and college counseling for low-income high school students could be making its way to the First State. The idea has the interest of the state’s Child Protection Accountability Committee, which last month heard a presentation of the app from Katy Laird, senior director of programs at UPchieve.  “We want to help …

Wilmington Learning Collab

Nat’l group wants teachers educated about union alternatives

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

Opt Out Today, a national campaign to encourage teachers and other government workers to leave their unions, is ramping up its presence in the First State. So far, 69 Delawareans — mostly teachers — have left their union through the program, said Hunter Tower, director of Freedom Foundation Pennsylvania. The Freedom Foundation’s stated mission is to batter “the entrenched power …

From left: First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, Program Manager Diane Frentzel and Community Coordinator Camelia Vivero of Delaware Readiness Teams presented the state's new kindergarten registration process. (Jarek Rutz/Delaware LIVE News)

Kindergarten registration: Meet state’s new quick process

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A new digital and uniform process to register children for kindergarten in the First State was unveiled to an audience of 25 Tuesday at the Wilmington Public Library.  “Having a consistent process throughout Delaware allows libraries and other agencies to provide quick support and assistance to parents who are registering their children for school for the very first time,” said …