Lt. Governor’s Schedule for Monday, August 25, 2014

Greets Students for First Day of School at Wilmington Manor Elementary School
Delivers Remarks at American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators Conference
Attends Workers’ Compensation Oversight Panel

DOVER, Del.– On Monday, Lt. Governor Matt Denn greets Wilmington Manor Elementary School students for their first day of the 2014-15 school year. He will be joined by Principal Stacie Ruiz and Colonial School District Superintendent Dr. Dusty Blakey.

He will then offer welcoming remarks at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators Annual Conference. The event will be attended by more than 700 chief motor vehicle and law enforcement administrators from over 60 jurisdictions in the United States and Canada.

The Lt. Governor will then join Governor Markell in greeting the members of the Workers’ Compensation Oversight Panel, chaired by Rich Heffron. The Lt. Governor will address the members of committee, formed by consolidating the Data Collection Committee and the Health Care Advisory Panel. The committee creation was a result of work done by the Workers’ Compensation Task Force, chaired by the Lt. Governor, as part of the effort to address the significant increases in workers compensation costs for Delaware businesses. The panel is tasked with implementing statutory changes that are expected to result in a rate reduction for employers purchasing workers compensation insurance.

Monday, August 25, 2014
8:00am – 8:20am Welcomes Students at Wilmington Manor Elementary School
200 East Roosevelt Avenue
New Castle

9:15am – 10:00am Remarks at AAMVA Conference
Dover Downs
Dover

4:00pm – 4:15pm Workers’ Compensation Oversight Panel Meeting
Department of Labor
Fox Valley Annex
19 W. Lea Blvd
Wilmington


Task Force to Improve Planning for Students With Disabilities Prepares to Begin Work

Task Force Is Seeking Three Parents to Complete Membership

WILMINGTON, Del.– Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn, chair of the state’s newly-formed IEP Improvement Task Force, announced today that the task force membership was near completion and that the state is seeking three more parents to serve on the task force.

The task force was created by the General Assembly (Senate Concurrent Resolution 63) at the end of June to make recommendations to improve the process by which the state creates Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for students with disabilities. Lieutenant Governor Denn, who has authored legislation in prior years to address deficiencies in the IEP process, was appointed by Senate President Pro Tem Patricia Blevins to chair the task force.

The task force already has three parents with students on IEPs as members, all of whom were appointed by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Exceptional Citizens (the state council that represents the interests of children with disabilities in schools). However, the resolution creating the task force allows for three additional parents to be appointed to the task force. Those parents will be appointed by the four state legislators who are task force members.

Parents of students who are currently on IEPs – or parents of individuals who were on IEPs in the past – who are interested in serving on this task force can contact Michele Rush at the Department of Education at 302-735-4210 or michele.rush@doe.k12.de.us by Friday, August 1, 2014. The Department of Education will communicate the names of interested parents to the four legislators, who will in turn pick the three parent members.

The task force will meet once or twice a month beginning in August for a report that is due to Governor Markell and the General Assembly by January 1, 2015. Meetings will alternate between Dover and Wilmington with videoconferencing available at both sites. All meetings will be open to the public; audio and materials from all meetings will be posted on the Lt. Governor’s website.


Lt. Governor Delivers Dover High School Commencement Address

DOVER, Del. – This evening, Lt. Governor Denn will deliver the Commencement Address to the Dover High School Class of 2014.

This is the Dover High’s 113th commencement program and the last to be held at this location.

6:00pm – 7:00pm
Commencement Address
Dover High School Stadium
1 Patrick Lynn Drive
Dover, DE 19904

DoverHighSchoolSenator


Lt. Governor and the CJC Announce 2014 Byrne Grant Recipients

WILMINGTON, Del., Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn and the Criminal Justice Council will announce this year’s recipients of the Byrne Grants awards. He will be joined by Acting Director of the CJC, Chris Kervick.

All 2014 Byrne Grant recipients:
Boys & Girls Clubs at Oak Orchard/Riverdale
Courageous Hearts Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning Center
Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing, Inc.
The Hospitality School, Inc.
Rick VanStory Resource Centers
Victims’ Voices Heard
The Way Home, Inc.

This year’s Byrne Grants were awarded to 7 non-profits, representing all 3 counties, that specialized in the CJC’s priority areas of Re-entry and Recidivism Reduction for Adults and Juveniles, Juvenile Prevention and Intervention, and Reducing Homicide and Violent Crime, with approximately 80% of the funding being directed to re-entry programs.

Background: The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program (42 U.S.C. 3751(a)) is the primary provider of federal criminal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions. JAG funds support all components of the criminal justice system from multijurisdictional drug and gang task forces to crime prevention and domestic violence programs, courts, corrections, treatment, and justice information sharing initiatives. JAG funded projects may address crime through the provision of services directly to individuals and/or communities and by improving the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice systems, processes, and procedures.

Announcement of the 2014 Byrne Grant recipients
Tour of the Rick VanStory Resource Center

Wednesday, May 28, 2014, 11:00 a.m.

Rick VanStory Resource Centers
500 W. 2nd Street
Wilmington, DE 19801


Lt. Governor Announces Winners of 5th Annual Parental Involvement Award

On Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 1:00 p.m., Lieutenant Governor Matt Denn will announce this year’s winners of his 5th annual “Excellence in Parental Involvement Award.” He will be joined by staff, parents, students and teachers from both winning schools. The announcement will be held at Postlethwait  Middle School, located at 2841 S. State St., Camden-Wyoming, DE 19934.

The Excellence in Parental Involvement award was created by Lt. Governor Denn as a way to honor schools and parents that have successfully expanded parental involvement through innovative programs. Media will learn more about these programs and their implementation at Wednesday’s press conference.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014 at 1:00 p.m.
Postlethwait Middle School
2841 S. State St.
Camden-Wyoming, DE 19934