First meeting is tomorrow for group providing input into state plan required by new federal law

Wilmington, DE – With the opportunity to maintain progress that has led to record high graduation rates and more Delaware students prepared for success after high school, a committee to advise the state on implementation of a new federal law will begin meeting Wednesday. Governor Markell created the Delaware Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Advisory Committee by executive order at the beginning of this school year to help with the plan states are required to submit to the U.S. Department of Education under ESSA. The plan will detail efforts to:

· Further implementation of college and career ready standards that are designed to ensure students stay on track to graduate well-prepared for their next steps;

· Build on the state’s landmark teacher preparation law, as well as initiatives like Professional Learning Communities, by supporting training, retention, and professional development of great educators; and

· Effectively track progress of schools, and of students from all backgrounds, across a variety of measures, including but not limited to test scores, to help ensure every student is receiving the support he or she deserves.

Appoquinimink Superintendent Matt Burrows, who currently leads the statewide superintendents’ association, will chair the committee, which is made up of educators, parents, community activists, legislators, and leaders of education organizations throughout the state. A full list of members is below.

“I’m grateful to all of the members for taking the time to be part of this important process and for ensuring we have a committee represented by people from diverse backgrounds,” said Governor Markell.

“We should be proud of all of the progress our educators and students and have made, from dramatically growing the number of children in high quality early childhood programs to across the board improvements on the annual state assessment to major increases in students earning college credit in high school and taking advantage of exciting opportunities like language immersion. But we always have more to do and the ESSA-required state plan provides a great opportunity for us to reflect on what’s working and how we can continue to better support our students.”

Meetings will occur in Legislative Hall in Dover at 6pm and are initially scheduled for the following dates:

· Wednesday October 19, 2016
· Thursday November 17, 2016
· Wednesday January 11, 2017

The Committee will help support a broad engagement being done by the Delaware Department of Education to receive a wide range of feedback during development of the state plan. The Department has begun a series of Community Conversations during which teachers, administrators, and others offer input on specific questions the state must address under its ESSA plan. Two other discussion groups were also created, as well as an ESSA Website and email for the public to provide input and complete surveys.

Members of the Governor’s ESSA Advisory Committee:

· Teri Quinn Gray – President of the State Board of Education

· Deb Stevens – Delaware State Education Association, Director of Instructional Advocacy

· Kendall Massett – Executive Director, Delaware Charter School Network

· Eileen DeGregoriis – President, Delaware English Language Learners Teachers and Advocates; Educator and ESL Coordinator for Smyrna School District

· Tammy Croce – Executive Director, Delaware Association of School Administrators

· Rhonda Swenson – President, Lake Forest School Board of Education

· Tony Allen – Chair, Wilmington Education Improvement Commission

· Maria Matos – Executive Director and CEO, Latin American Community Center

· Madeleine Bayard – Co-Chair, Early Childhood Council

· Representative Kim Williams – Vice-Chair, House Education Committee

· Senator David Sokola – Chair, Senate Education Committee

· Leolga Wright – Board Member, Indian River School District; Nanticoke Indian Association

· Kim Joyce – Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Delaware Technical and Community College

· Rod Ward – President and CEO, Corporation Service Company

· Patrick Callihan – Executive Director, Administrative and Development, Tech Impact

· Stephanie DeWitt – Elementary school educator; Special Education Coordinator, Cape Henlopen School District

· LaShonda Wooten – Educator at Shortlidge Elementary School, Red Clay Consolidated School District

· Janine Clark – Paraprofessional, Red Clay Consolidated School District; Child Advocate

· Wendee Bull – Educator at Georgetown Middle School, Indian River School District; Groves Adult Education Instructor

· Genesis Johnson – Parent representative from Wilmington

· Nancy Labanda – Parent representative from New Castle County

· Catherine Hunt – Parent representative from Kent County

· Nelia Dolan – Parent representative from Sussex County
· Alex Paolano – Educator at Howard High School; 2016-17 Howard High School Teacher of the Year

· Susan Bunting – Superintendent, Indian River School District

· Laurisa Schutt – Executive Director, Teach for America; Board Member, Leading Youth Through Empowerment

· Cheryl Carey – Counselor, Philip C. Showell Elementary, Indian River; 2015-16 Delaware Counselor of the Year

· Margie Lopez-Waite – Founder, Head of School, Las Americas ASPIRA Academy, dual language school

· Atnre Alleyne – Founder, TeenSHARP; Parent representative, Board of St. Michael’s School & Nursery

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