Colonial School District created their own evaluation system

In Delaware, a school or district may create its own evaluation system, Title 14  – Chapter 12 – Subchapter VII. Educator Evaluations. Colonial School District along with a few charter schools have decided to take advantage of this alternative evaluation system. Two years ago, EastSide Charter School, in collaboration with Thomas Edison Charter School, Prestige Academy and Kuumba Academy, received a waiver by the Department of Education to implement an innovative alternative to the traditional teacher evaluation system, DPAS II. 

(f) A local school district, vocational-technical school district or charter school may make application to the Department for a waiver of the provisions of the DPAS II evaluation system, which shall be granted, subject to the provisions of rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this subchapter, if the request for a waiver is based on a locally developed evaluation process that is demonstrated to be the product of the collective bargaining process pursuant to Chapter 40 of this title and community review and is as rigorous and as educationally sound as DPAS II, provides for evaluating educator performance by measuring student growth using multiple measures over the course of a curricular year, and contains a mechanism for certifying evaluators and for quality control.

The Colonial Education Association union’s members voted on the proposal and approved it 275-240.

“We’re giving this a shot because this is an alternative to [the old system], said CEA President Stephanie Ingram. “I think what people are thinking is: this could be something better. At least with Colonial, we actually get to have some say in what happens.”

The statewide Delaware Performance Appraisal System II is widely distrusted by teachers because it includes scores on standardized tests, among other concerns. Almost no teachers have been rated ineffective under the system, and administrators have complained that the process is overly bureaucratic and time-consuming.

“DPAS-II just wasn’t working for us,” Leida said. “Our folks were telling us that they weren’t getting enough value out of it for it to be worth all the time that was being spent on it.”

To read the entire Delaware Online article, click here.

State Board updated their agenda for their meeting on Thursday adding DE Met, Will DE Met be placed on formal review?

The State Board of Education has updated their agenda for their meeting on October 15th. They added Formal Review of a Charter School for Action. Lets hope they are placing DE Met on formal review. Click here to view the October 15th State Board of Education Agenda 

I have written to the DOE on 6 separate occasions about my concerns for the students at Delaware Met. I and Rep. Kowalko attended their Special Board meeting on September 28, we had many questions after attending that meeting. I also was contacted by a DE MET parent who had requested on numerous occasions to have her child released from the one year charter agreement. The parent did not feel that her son was learning and that the school was not ready to open. The school had to close down for three days for unknown reasons. DE Met finally released the student stating that the parent requested the student’s release on September 30th after dismissal, knowing full well that they would be keeping funding for that student. I have a copy of the letter that DE Met gave to the parent and it was dated September 29, 2015 not September 30, 2015. The games that are played in order to keep the funding. Again, the only ones who suffer are the students. 

Here is State Board’s summary:

The DOE Charter School Office is seeking to submit  the charter of The Delaware Met to formal review to determine whether the school is violating the terms of its charter and whether to order remedial measures under the Delaware Code.

The issues for formal review include, but are not limited to, concerns about the school’s compliance with its charter, financial viability, policies regarding student conduct and discipline, and appropriate strategies to accommodate the needs of at-risk students and those needing special education services.

In accordance with the requirements of 14 Del. C. . § 511(c), the Department is seeking the assent of the Acting Secretary and the State Board of Education to the formal review of The Delaware Met.

Second television ad released by the Draft Biden 2016 Super-PAC, asking Joe Biden to run for President

“A job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity…respect…your place in a community.” —VP

Another moving video; you can connect to it, you believe in what he is saying.

Watch the video, Joe Biden — “Never Quit”