Co-written by Dr. Mark Holodick and Delaware Technical and Community College President Dr. Mark T. Brainard. Delaware has been experiencing a teacher shortage for years, but the problem is not unique to the First State. Nationwide, 18% of public schools in the United States last fall had one teaching vacancy, and 27% had multiple vacancies, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Teacher shortages were becoming more common nationwide prior to the pandemic, but the unprecedented challenges caused by the global health crisis exacerbated the problem. Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, Delaware public school superintendents met with the [...]

One of the greatest gifts of education is that it exposes students to new perspectives and ideas. Through education, children get more opportunities to hone in on their likes and dislikes, gain a greater understanding of their world, and eventually determine and work toward the future they most prefer. Traditional education typically occurs in – though sometimes even in outdoor – classrooms. But educators and families know full well that all experiences educate, and even non-academic experiences can significantly impact a student’s academic success. Keeping kids active and curious over summer is especially important during the long break in public [...]

Recently, the UCLA School of Law released a database showing that Delaware is the lone state to have zero measures enacted or even introduced that would ban instruction on how race and law have been used to produce systemic discrimination, more commonly known as critical race theory (CRT). Delaware does not teach CRT. Never has. But the information got me thinking – and reflecting – about my time as an educator in our state three decades ago, and how much we’ve grown in the space. During the 1990s, I taught sixth grade social studies, eighth grade U.S. History, and 6-12th [...]

The following post was written by Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Holodick. As data continues to emerge and be dissected, it is apparent that the pandemic has had long-lasting impacts on our students. Impacts that are directly affecting student success in critical areas such as basic reading skills, math problem solving, and personal self-regulation. Anyone working in schools and classrooms today can attest to the fact that needs are high. Even though Delaware educators, school leaders, and state officials have intensified their support for school communities by focusing on providing more mental health resources and increasing learning loss recovery efforts, too many [...]