Dive Brief:
- Delaware legislators have begun to pushback against Governor Jack Markell's reform plans, questioning the efficacy of his plans.
- The legislators are specifically critical of the way Markell and education secretary Mark Murphy have spent $119 million in Race to the Top funding, arguing that his approach is too "top-down" and fails to address the actual needs and desires of educators inside the classroom.
- The pushback is taking form in a slew of bills that essentially erode the systems and policies Markell has created. For example, the House recently passed a bill that gives families the right to opt their children out of high-stakes testing without consequence.
Dive Insight:
The "opt out" bill is viewed as one of the most obvious examples of a proposal, which stands for everything Markell is against. While lawmakers, specifically democrats, say they voted for the bill because they hear parents and teachers talking about too much pressure on these tests — Markell has made clear he does not plan to back away from the Smarter Balanced assessments.
Delaware lawmakers have been tremendous advocates for classroom teachers as of late. Last summer they created the Committee to Advance Educator Compensation and Careers, which made recommendations to Markell in November on ways to give new teachers higher starting salaries and give extra dollars to educators who show effectiveness or leadership in a high-needs schools.