Dorrell Green, Assistant Superintendent at Brandywine School District, is a former teacher and school leader in Wilmington
WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney announced on Tuesday that Dorrell Green – a long-time Delaware educator with a proven track record in school improvement – will lead the Delaware Department of Education’s new Office of Improvement & Innovation.
The Wilmington-based team will support Delaware’s schools most in need with a focus on struggling schools in the City of Wilmington.
“All Delaware students deserve a quality education and an equal opportunity to succeed,” said Governor Carney. “We must provide our schools most in need with the resources and supports necessary so that every child has that chance. Dorrell is a proven leader who knows from first-hand experience how to overcome challenges to improve academic outcomes for Delaware children.”
Green, who is currently an assistant superintendent in the Brandywine School District, starts August 1. His new office will include staff members reassigned from other work in the Department of Education, with experience supporting students and schools in need. The team will support educators on the ground, particularly in struggling schools in the City of Wilmington.
Creation of the Office of Improvement & Innovation is one of the first steps being taken in a broader reorganization of the Department of Education. The reorganization also includes the elimination of 10 vacant positions, and a pledge to review additional positions for elimination as they become vacant – with the goal of creating a leaner, more support-driven agency. Impending changes will reflect a department better suited to support student achievement across the state.
During his almost 19-year career in education in Delaware, Green served as a teacher at Christina School District’s Bancroft Elementary and Stubbs Elementary and a school leader at Stubbs, Christina’s Bayard Middle, and Brandywine School District’s Harlan Elementary before leading Brandywine’s Title I and Elementary Division.
“Dorrell’s work as a successful teacher, school leader and district administrator in Delaware schools, including some of the schools where his work in this new role now will focus, gives him the expertise needed to lead this new team,” said Dr. Susan Bunting, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education. “I am excited to welcome him to the Delaware Department of Education.”
Green spent eight years working as a teacher and school administrator in the Christina School District before joining the Brandywine School District, where he worked as a principal then district director before taking over as assistant superintendent in 2012. In that role, he oversees district operations, including the elementary school division, school climate, safety/security, crisis management, facilities, transportation, school nurses, school social workers and alternative education programming.
“I have dedicated my professional life to mentoring, educating, coaching, and supporting our children in the City of Wilmington,” said Green. “I humbly accept this opportunity to help lead change within the city that I know our families, educators and children want. Working together with various stakeholders, my goal is to close the experience and opportunity gaps for young people in the city, especially those living in vulnerable communities. I know we can improve outcomes for our children, and put them on a positive path forward.”
Green earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary teaching education and a Master of Education in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. He is completing a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership from Wilmington University.
Green volunteers as a board member of United Way of Delaware and is a Prevent Child Abuse of Delaware Ambassador. He also is a youth basketball and leadership development coach with the William T. McLaughlin Foundation DreamChasers Youth Basketball program and previously served as a board member of the Rose Hill Community Center.
Green also is a member of the CDC Community Advisory Council, which has produced recommendations for reducing youth violence in the City of Wilmington.
Reaction to Tuesday’s announcement:
“I am very glad to see that additional attention and resources will flow into the educational system that affects the lives of our children in Wilmington,” said Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki. “This new office will focus on what’s needed to improvement student achievement and we stand ready to be as supportive as possible as the office carries out its work. We look for good things from Dorrell Green and his team and we thank Governor Carney for making the education of our children a top priority.”
“For nearly ten years, Dorrell Green has served the students and families of the Brandywine School District with distinction as a principal, director, and most recently assistant superintendent,” said Dr. Mark Holodick, Superintendent of the Brandywine School District. “In addition to his knowledge and experience, Dorrell’s empathy and ability to connect people come to mind as keys to his success. Throughout his career, he has always maintained a student-centered approach, striving to do what is best for students’ academic, emotional, and social growth. These attributes will serve him well in his new position, where he will have the opportunity to not only impact and influence more students but also create connections that will ultimately benefit more students, families, and the community as a whole.”
“These are the kinds of forward-thinking steps we must take to ensure all Delaware students, regardless of where they live, have a fair shot at a quality education,” said Senate Majority Leader Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East. “We must make investments in our high-poverty schools and we must take former educators who have been successful in our City’s classrooms and put them in positions to lead. Hiring Dorrell Green to lead the Office of Improvement & Innovation checks both of those boxes, though we must go into this with eyes wide open that implementing innovative policies may well mean finding additional funding for our schools that need it most.”
“Dorrell is a solid choice, said Wilmington City Council President Hanifa Shabazz. “I applaud Governor Carney for selecting someone who is a passionate educator, a remarkable leader and a champion for academic achievement for students, faculty and staff. As a member of the CDC Community Advisory Committee I’ve come to know first-hand his commitment to service, and I have no doubt that he will devote this next phase of his career to advancing academic parity for all Delaware schools.”
“The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission helped lay the groundwork for aiding Wilmington schools, and I’m happy to hear that Gov. Carney is focusing on education with this new Office of Improvement & Innovation,” said Representative Charles Potter Jr., D-Wilmington North. “There’s been enough talk, and now there’s time for action and results to better help our children get the best education. Dorrell is a very competent person, and I am hopeful he will come in with the same enthusiasm he’s displayed throughout his career, and most recently at Brandywine School District.”
“As a former teacher I know that schools are more than just schools – they are safe spaces for children to grow and develop academically, personally and socially,” said Representative Stephanie T. Bolden, D-Wilmington East. “I hope the new team builds on the work that has been done by the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission over the years and works to ensure that children are supported and have the resources necessary to succeed.”
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