School funding group talks inequities, boards, reassessment

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

Delaware must decide to remodel its current house or build a completely new house. That’s the analogy used to describe needed changes to how the state funds its public schools by Michael Griffith, senior researcher and policy analyst at the Learning Policy Institute. He repeatedly used this mantra Thursday during the first formal meeting of the Public Education Funding Commission, …

Among other topics, the task force talked about the importance of engagement in Monday's meeting. (Photo by Chinnapong/Adobe Stock)

School climate group stresses engagement, funding

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

As Delaware students head back to school, a state task force dedicated to keeping their environment positive had a major focus on family engagement and funding. The 24-member Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force, made of government and educational officials as well as school behavioral specialists and resource officers, first heard a presentation from Kendall Massett, executive director of …

A new survey shows that school climate has had an effect on teachers, perhaps pushing them away from the field in Delaware. (Photo by Media_Photos/Shutterstock)

Survey shows majority of teachers dissatisfied, likely to retire early

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

A lot of the state’s teachers are concerned about the working conditions in schools, and new survey results shared at a state committee meeting Monday night put hard data behind those claims.  The survey was presented at the Student Behavior and School Climate Task Force meeting. That group, created in March, is made of government and educational officials as well …

A bill that would require transgender athletes to compete against their biological sex had a lot of discussion in a Senate committee Wednesday. (Photo by Michael Flippo/Adobe Stock)

Trans athlete bill sparks healthy debate in Senate committee

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Sports

A bill forcing transgender student athletes to compete only with others who share their biological gender drew some healthy discussion in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday.  “While the public could be broadly accepting of the idea that adults who want to identify as a different gender and undergo hormone treatment to live out their lives should be given space to …

Delaware's Multi-Tiered System of Supports focus on academic, mental and behavioral health. (Photo by Deposit Photos)

Legislator: Mental health programs hurt Delaware classrooms

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

A member of the state task force that’s trying to improve student behavior and school environments in schools said that tiered mental health programs are killing Delaware  classroom productivity.  “They don’t need all the fancy stuff,” said Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, said. “They don’t need the interventions. They don’t need the couches, they don’t need the specialists. They just need …

The controversial end-of-life method was defeated in the Senate Thursday.

Assisted suicide bill dies in Senate

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

A controversial bill that would give terminally ill people the right to end their lives failed to pass the Delaware Senate Thursday. House Bill 140, sponsored by Rep. Paul Baumbach, D-Newark, would have permitted a terminally ill adult resident of Delaware to request and self-administer medication to end the individual’s life in a humane and dignified manner. The medication is …

The majority of state sports championships this season were won by private schools.

GA mulls separate public, private school sports titles

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

On the heels of the state championships for many high school sports, the Delaware legislature is considering distinct title games for public and private schools.  Senate Bill 328, sponsored by Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, directs the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association to separate all public and private school team championship sanctioned events. “The bill in and of itself is somewhat offensive …

School behavioral infractions remain above 30,000 annually

Jarek RutzEducation, Headlines

A state committee created to evaluate and make recommendations to improve the environment of schools had its third meeting Monday night in which it learned that there were more than 30,000 behavioral infractions to middle and high school students in 2022. Although that number dropped in 2023, it was still north of 11,000 for high schoolers and nearly 14,000 for …

A new bill aims to legalize the sale of raw milk in Delaware. (Photo by Utah Natural Meat)

Got (raw) milk? Senators, farmers push to legalize sale

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

While the sale of raw milk in America is either illegal, restricted to on-farm purchases, or other limitations, a handful of states have it completely legal for retail sale, and a new bill could add Delaware to that group.  Some concerns of possible diseases and health defects might put that in jeopardy, although a couple legislators swore by the unpasteurized …

A proposed bill would alter DIAA's process for accepting and reviewing waivers for potential student-athlete transfers. (Photo by Nick Halliday)

New bill lays out rules to high school transfer portal

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

The emergence of the transfer portal has drastically changed the landscape of college sports in the past few years, notably making it difficult for coaches to recruit and maintain players. Now, the same idea of athletes transferring schools has made its way into the high school level, and a new bill by the Delaware General Assembly aims to smooth the …