In our global economy, we can greatly expand opportunities available to our kids if we recognize the advantages of speaking multiple languages. So two years ago we launched a world language immersion program in which students can take half of their subjects in Chinese or Spanish – starting in kindergarten. The response has been phenomenal. More than 800 of our youngest students can talk about their school day in more than one language. By next year more than 1500 will be able to do so.

Nearly all of the students’ parents have agreed that our seven Spanish and three Chinese programs enrich their child’s education. As one Spanish immersion teacher said: It’s amazing to see 5-year-olds arrive in kindergarten unable to write their name, and by the end of the year have a conversation in two different languages. By 4th grade, students will be proficient. By 9th grade, they’ll be able to pass an Advanced Placement language class. And they’ll succeed because of great educators. We’re working with our colleges to train more language teachers, while building relationships with China and Spain.

I was proud to welcome Spain’s United States Ambassador to McIlvaine Early Childhood Center where we renewed a partnership that has brought dozens of Spain’s best teachers to our schools and that has allowed us to send Delaware teachers to training programs in Spain. Ambassador Gil-Casares emphasized that hundreds of Spanish companies invest in the United States. And you cannot overestimate the importance of languages in determining where they will create jobs. By giving students the chance to start language training early, we’ll help them make the most of their talents, and we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

To reach our state’s potential, we must build on our rich history of innovation. Academic research in our state has contributed to the technologies that led to smart phones and tablets. And work done by University of Delaware Professor Richard Heck yielded chemical processes used in pharmaceuticals, energy, and electronics. This type of research supports new and old companies that hire Delawareans, which is why I’ve proposed funding a grant program that will support more of this work.

We must also ensure that our startups and small businesses have the opportunity to invest in research and development. Along with legislators from both parties, we have introduced legislation to double the research and development tax credit available to small businesses. State R&D tax credits have proven to encourage additional research, attract companies from other states, and boost the high-tech sector.

Currently, only about two percent of the credits go to small companies and that needs to change. And this bill shows we can make it happen without adding to the state’s overall spending. As one Delaware CEO said, our effort represents a positive approach for stimulating more entrepreneurship and welcoming high-growth companies to Delaware.

According to Tech America, every technology job supports three jobs in other parts of the economy. So the states and countries that produce the research that leads to more tech jobs will have a clear advantage. By encouraging research and development at all of our companies and academic institutions, we will incentivize innovation and growth in emerging industries that are vital to our economic future and we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

Every day law enforcement officers across our state put themselves at risk to protect us and keep us safe. We must never take their service for granted. At a memorial for Delaware officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice, we declared next week as Delaware Law Enforcement Officers Week. And I was proud to sign legislation that protects our officers’ families, recognizing that without their support, we could not keep our communities safe.

The new law ensures heath care coverage for the children of officers killed in the line of duty, giving our first responders the peace of mind of knowing that, even in tragedy, their kids will be taken care of. House Bill 158 represents one small token of respect and appreciation to show our officers and their families that we truly value what they mean to our state. It shows that we understand that when everyone else flees a dangerous scene, they run into harm’s way: Like the officers who, without hesitation, sprint toward a burning building to rescue a family. Or like those who respond to the scene of a courthouse under a different kind of fire. Or like Georgetown’s Chad Spicer, who 4.5 years ago confronted a dangerous criminal so someone else wouldn’t have to. Officer Spicer tragically lost his life that day.

By taking action to support our law enforcement and by keeping alive the memories of Officer Spicer and the 39 other Delaware officers who have been killed in the line of duty, we inspire new generations to serve, and we keep Delaware moving forward

Reaching our potential as a state requires we believe in the abilities of others. That was the theme of this year’s annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast – one of our state’s most significant gatherings of community leaders, where we were inspired by remarks from Dr. Anthony Glenn, head of the Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities.

We all trust in the abilities of others in our daily lives to strengthen ourselves and our society –educators who teach us; first responders who keep us safe; spiritual leaders who guide us. But we also have a fundamental responsibility to ensure everyone among us knows that someone believes in them – because everyone has something to offer.

As one historic religious leader said: “Do not disdain any person… for there is no person who does not have his or her hour.” People come to us in all types of appearances, and sometimes their ability to contribute is dismissed cavalierly to the detriment of all of us. It happens regularly, such as in the case of people with disabilities.

Businesses like CAI in Delaware are helping to change attitudes by training people with autism to fill IT jobs, recognizing that these workers have the special talents necessary to improve the company’s bottom line. The global company SAP has also committed to employing people with autism as part of its IT workforce, while raising awareness about their potential. We need this type of effort to transform mindsets about many underserved communities. We can all play a role, whether it’s by addressing hiring practices at your company, or serving as a mentor to a disadvantaged young person in your community. By taking the leap of faith to believe that we all have unique strengths and abilities, we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.

The most important factor in our economic future is the quality of our workforce. Businesses today have more choices than ever about where to locate, and they’ll create jobs where they find the talent that they need. We know where we have gaps in our workforce. Hundreds of cybersecurity positions remain unfilled; our financial services companies need data analytics professionals; high-tech manufacturing and engineering jobs are available in numerous industries.

To fill these gaps, we need collaboration among the business community, schools, and our universities to give our students the training they need to make the most of their abilities. So we’ve announced a partnership between Del Tech, the Delaware Manufacturing Association, and our school districts to allow students to earn professional manufacturing certificates by the time that they graduate from high school. The SPaRC initiative involves commitments from ten companies to help students develop career plans and get on-the-job training. And our STEM Council recently launched an initiative to have hundreds of professionals volunteer time with our students. We’re grateful to Dow Chemical for taking the lead and encouraging STEM professionals to join them by signing up at jadelaware.org.

We need more businesses to get involved, recognizing these efforts are not about community service. They’re critical to a business’s bottom line and to Delaware’s economy. By working with our employers to ensure students have the skills they need, and by giving young people the chance to experience how their schoolwork relates to the real world, we’ll build a workforce that can compete with anyone. And we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.