I have a list of people I would like to thank for their help.
John Viola
Bill Oberle
Vince Lofink
Harrie Eleen Minnehan
Lisa Diller
Denny Schwartz
The whole Downes PTA
My Teachers at Downes
The greater Newark Area
John Kolwalko
Connie Morlet
MCvey School and PTA
My Teachers at Mcvey
Maclary and their whole Staff and family
Glasgow High Parents and Students who I love us much.
The teachers and the union who voted for me
Steve my husband of 22 years for coming to meetings and concerts
My wonderful children Justin and Ashley who are the reason I fight for EVERY
child everywhere.
My Mom and sister
and all my friends
to my secret friends who really helped you know who you are..
If I forgot someone please forgive me... OH a big thank you to Voice 4 Delaware Education.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers out there. I have the best Mom in the world. My Mom is my best friend with her living out of state we still talk everyday she is my rock.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thank you too
"CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are awesome! I am so excited for you. You deserve to win and we need you. There is hope that money can't buy an election after all. Bobbi"
You are awesome! I am so excited for you. You deserve to win and we need you. There is hope that money can't buy an election after all. Bobbi"
Thank you Connie Merlet
"OH MY GOODNESS!!! We beat big money!! Congratulations all!
CONGRATULATIONS SHIRLEY!
Today was a good day. And an important one!"
Connie Merlet
CONGRATULATIONS SHIRLEY!
Today was a good day. And an important one!"
Connie Merlet
Thank you for everything John Kowalko
"First and foremost a very hearty and heartfelt congratulations to Shirley and Kenny and all those candidates that withstood the obscene money deluge intended to buy the seats of school board members who choose to represent the children first. A special thanks to all of those community members that wrote and distributed neighbor to neighbor letters (My wife Connie and son John and his friend Pete dropped nearly 400 in Windy Hills supporting Shirley). Special, very special thanks to the Most Honorable Bill Oberle. Also thanks to all of those voters and activists who saw through this charade intended to buy support for privatization of public education via school board takeovers. Finally a very loud "bronx cheer" for all those money squanderers like Skippy, Rodel, Vision 2015 et al and their political supporters (you know who you are lurking in the shadows). All would have been better served using that money to lift some of the 50% of children out of poverty, that would be true education reform (but no money to be made for the snake-oil selling charlatans).
Congratulations to all the children who are being given a fairer chance at education opportunities with the support of those excellent candidates who prevailed today.
I am ecstatic when justice is served."
John Kowalko
Congratulations to all the children who are being given a fairer chance at education opportunities with the support of those excellent candidates who prevailed today.
I am ecstatic when justice is served."
John Kowalko
Hi Friends
"Hi friends!
I'm sure many of you have seen the paper this morning, and have learned that Ms. Saffer won in the Christina district! This is a great victory, which I'm sure has been interesting for Ms. Saffer. She won easily in 2007, because she was unopposed. I suppose it's good for a candidate to have to really fight for their seat, at least once. Though the fight should be to prove one's qualifications, NOT to have to be on the defense against negative ads.
I hope we learn a lesson from this race that has just finished. Val Harris got far too many votes! We as voters, and residents of the Christina district, need to be better informed and more aware of what's happening in our district. We need to be proactive in spreading that awareness. It concerns me that a candidate who is somewhat new to DE, who doesn't have a child in our schools or a background in education, who doesn't appear to have room for a board position in her schedule, AND who enjoys the support of costly, negative ads, could garner so much support, and win so many votes!
Without the presence of Mr. Lee in the race, it could have been a 733/693 win for Saffer. This is a great victory for Saffer, as even if all Mr. Lee's votes had gone to Harris, Ms. Saffer still would have one. However, winning by just 40 votes is too close for comfort.
Let's be more aware as a voting public. Let's attend some school board meetings, and pay attention to the issues facing students in our district. Let's talk about these things with our friends and folks we meet. It is my hope that more people will become involved in the process, and that more people will take an interest in serving in the capacity of a board seat.
It would be best if in the future our choice of candidates would be people who can answer at least the most frequently asked district questions, have attended a number, if not all board meetings, and have participated in a local school as a parent, teacher, or frequent volunteer.
I am so thankful that Ms. Saffer won, as she was definitely the most qualified candidate! Thank you so much for getting out and voting! We can know that we really do live in a democracy, when we the people, do our share, by being aware of the choices, and by voting! Congratulations Ms. Saffer! Congratulations Christina voters! Through our participating, we have deserved this outcome! Let's do it again next time!
:-) "
Blaky Wasgatt
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
WOW " Oh WHAT A NIGHT"
What can I say but THANK YOU. Thank you to all the people that came out today. A special thanks to all the people that voted for me and came out in the rain to vote. I feel like I have just won an Oscar right about now. Who do I thank? Well, First is my Dad that I miss so much and who I was drawing my inner strength. My Mom she is the best Mom I could ever ask for. The husband Steve of 22 years that supports my every move. Justin and Ashley who he taught me how to fight for all children. John Young and Elizabeth Scheinberg while we may not always agree the bottom line is children come first and there is no hidden agenda. Thank you all again, now I can finally get some well needed sleep.
Thank you to the Principals, the teachers and other works who helped get me keep my seat.
Thank you to the Principals, the teachers and other works who helped get me keep my seat.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Come vote May 8th
I will be handing out pens with Vote for Shirley Saffer on them
Today. Come find me.
Try to find what polling place I will be at.
Please come out and vote tomorrow. The polls open at 10 am and
close at 8 pm. You have to be 18 years or older with a pictures.
I.D. I'll see you at the polls.
Comment Rescue from Delaware Liberal Commenter X Stryker
on 7 May 2012 at 4:50 pm:
OK, I have done some research on the Christina School District candidates:1. Val Harris is the V4D candidate. Her statements are largely broad an empty, and I suspect the primary appeal to the V4D folks is that she clearly notes her religious affiliations on her qualification list. I checked her website and it’s full of misspellings. That is a non-starter when it comes to education in my book.
2. Shirley Saffer is on the school board already. She has a lot of endorsements. One might argue she’s part of the status quo, but a number of people have notes that she works hard. Her website has only been up since April, but has maintained a steady flow of information.
3. Stephen Lee has no website. His answers to the questionnaire sounded progressive, but that is all I could find on him. I’m worried he could be there just to split the vote; in any case, I can’t find any evidence that he’s put much effort into this.
In conclusion, I will be voting for Shirley Saffer, primarily because she is the candidate who can not only best defeat V4D, but also serve with experience and effort.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Securing Scholarships for Groves Adults Learners
To all of my Christina Family,
I am very pleased to announce for the second straight year, Wilmington University has awarded one of our Albert Groves Adult Night School Students a full scholarship. One of my passions is to make sure we acknowledge and support those in our community who choose Groves for their for their education. While many associate the Groves School with serving adults, the program also accepts students at young as 16 years old.
As a board member, I have witnessed the impact that the Groves School makes in the lives of non-traditional learners. In 2010 and 2011, I approached Wilmington University to secure a four year scholarship for a Groves graduate, both times Wilmington Univeristy has responded with a resounding "Yes!"
I am so happy to be able to forward news of this award to the Albert Groves Adult Night School administration who will choose the recipient of the scholarship.
For all of our adult learners, I pledge to continue my efforts will continue to get more Delaware universities and colleges involved in this on-going scholarship endeavour. I would also like to thank Dr. Jack P. Varsalona President of Wimington University and all of his wonderful staff for making this happen.
As a board member, I have witnessed the impact that the Groves School makes in the lives of non-traditional learners. In 2010 and 2011, I approached Wilmington University to secure a four year scholarship for a Groves graduate, both times Wilmington Univeristy has responded with a resounding "Yes!"
I am so happy to be able to forward news of this award to the Albert Groves Adult Night School administration who will choose the recipient of the scholarship.
For all of our adult learners, I pledge to continue my efforts will continue to get more Delaware universities and colleges involved in this on-going scholarship endeavour. I would also like to thank Dr. Jack P. Varsalona President of Wimington University and all of his wonderful staff for making this happen.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Strategic Planning Needed to Guide Christina Forward
As this school year comes to a close, there is an electricity in the air. For our seniors, it's graduation. For our families, it's summer vacation and for our administration and teachers it's the feeling that change is not far off. Change, in fact, is just around the corner. In July, our district will welcome a new superintendent, a candidate chosen by our board in part because he comes from within - a graduate of Christina's schools who spent the bulk of his school experience not just in Delaware but in our very own district.
One of the first important tasks that our board and new superintendent will face is the development of new three-year strategic plan as the current plan expires in 2013. When I think back my early years serving Christina, I am amazed at how education in Delaware has changed and how much of it has stayed the same. And I am reminded of what an important role the next strategic plan will play.
When I was first elected to the board, as a parent entering a whole new world, I knew I had a learning curve ahead of me. What I quickly realized was that while many in Christina wanted to do better for our children, were desparate to see achievement improve, we were severely handicapped by the debt repayment of the state bail-out loan that kept CSD alive after Dr. Wise left the district in financial shambles. With so much of our local funds siphoned off to make loan payments and with extremely restrictive funding formulas set for state and federal money, there was little that could be done but stay the course - right the sinking ship and keep those big dreams in check.
In the intervening years, CSD has completely repaid that loan, seen a decrease in enrollment as parents exercise school choice, felt the pain of our state government cutting education funding and passing transportation costs back onto the districts and to tax payers, struggled with going to referendum when our tax base was least likely to be able to afford it, and tackled Race to the Top and Partnership Zone plans in short order time frames as required by the Department of Education. The last two years have been a crash course in education reform for local school boards all the while under a national microscope who have made it clear that Rttt cannot fail in Delaware. That fear of failure is so great that business interests in Delaware have taken school board elections to a whole new level.
When CSD goes back to the development table to create its next strategic plan, our district will have tremendous challenges to address. Of the most important to tackle are the reform interventions that were mandated by Race to the Top - interventions that the Memorandum of Understanding (or contract between the districts and state) requires districts to continue even after the Rttt well runs dry.
The Governor, nor the Department of Education, have not offered any guidance to date to school boards on how to maintain these programs when the federal funding is gone. CSD will also need to address growing pains in our PZ schools. While PZ schools have received greater funding and more flexibility in spending those funds, these schools are only given two years to make tremendous turnaround in student achievement. If the Transformation model utilized in our schools doesn't produce those gains, the PZ regulations require these schools to undergo another intervention model. Our strategic plan must address both successes and failures in our PZ schools.
But, our plan must do even than that - it must set a comprehensive course for all of our schools. Our next plan will need to be guided by parents, community members, teachers, and board members who speak more for our children than for corporate and business interest. The people in the room must be willing to go out of their comfort zones and look to our neighboring districts and charter schools. CSD's leadership should be willing to engage successful charter schools to see which practices can be replicated in our traditional schools. We must look to our neighbors like Red Clay who have developed successful magnet schools. Cab Calloway and Conrad are in great demand. It's worthwhile to spend time studying how Red Clay achieved the magnet school conversion and use that knowledge to inform the choices we make in Christina. And we must double down and listen to our parents, our students, and our teachers - the most important voices in the room.
This strategic plan comes at a crucial time for our children. We must engage in the work of revisioning education education so that schools meet the needs and goals of our students. For some, that goal will be completing college and and attaining advanced degrees. So much of the focus these days is on the students that fit this mold.
But, I believe that we must also invest in programs that will turn out high school graduates with skills and core knowledge that they will need to go immediately into the workforce. It's not enough to pick up a job at the local pizza place. Our graduates need be ready to enter the many trades that support our economy. Once upon a time, a student who was interested in the trades would choice to the Vo-Tech School Districts. Today, Delaware's vo-tech schools have waiting lists - alienating some students from the programs of study they desire. If Christina is to be competitive, we need to develop programs that will engage all students - not just those headed for college.
This next Strategic plan must also speak heavily to the challenges in our middle schools. Christina's middle schools are large campuses that consolidate our children that come from much smaller schools into one boiling pot. All of our middle schools are considered "failing" with regards to AYP. Much of the work to change the trajectory of our under achieving high school students must begin in our middle schools. Yet, as of now, none of our middle schools have been appropriately selected for PZ status. This means that the funding for these schools is still very constricted by state funding formulas and that Christina parents cannot expect to see any infusion of "extra" money that our PZ schools receive the School Improvement Grant.
We must also look at the future of our elementary schools. Many of these schools are high achieving, they are our superstars in so many ways! We must be sure we preserve in these schools the practices that work well. More than that, we must engage their teachers and leaders in helping us identify strategies that will be impactful in our elementaries that are persistently failing. I look to our newest elementary school, Oberle, on the cusp of persistently failing, sandwiched between two Superior elementary schools serving very similar demographics in the same geographic region of the district. What can Oberle's nearby schools share that can help the grown-ups help our children?
Our next strategic plan must address all of these challenges and more. Our school board needs to be comprised of people who really understand what our district faces. Our board members must be devoted to every child, not just some. The real future of our district will be in their hands - not just in leading the plan's development, but ensuring that our district implements those programs and ideas that parents want. Our board members must be accountable to that - I want to be.
One of the first important tasks that our board and new superintendent will face is the development of new three-year strategic plan as the current plan expires in 2013. When I think back my early years serving Christina, I am amazed at how education in Delaware has changed and how much of it has stayed the same. And I am reminded of what an important role the next strategic plan will play.
When I was first elected to the board, as a parent entering a whole new world, I knew I had a learning curve ahead of me. What I quickly realized was that while many in Christina wanted to do better for our children, were desparate to see achievement improve, we were severely handicapped by the debt repayment of the state bail-out loan that kept CSD alive after Dr. Wise left the district in financial shambles. With so much of our local funds siphoned off to make loan payments and with extremely restrictive funding formulas set for state and federal money, there was little that could be done but stay the course - right the sinking ship and keep those big dreams in check.
In the intervening years, CSD has completely repaid that loan, seen a decrease in enrollment as parents exercise school choice, felt the pain of our state government cutting education funding and passing transportation costs back onto the districts and to tax payers, struggled with going to referendum when our tax base was least likely to be able to afford it, and tackled Race to the Top and Partnership Zone plans in short order time frames as required by the Department of Education. The last two years have been a crash course in education reform for local school boards all the while under a national microscope who have made it clear that Rttt cannot fail in Delaware. That fear of failure is so great that business interests in Delaware have taken school board elections to a whole new level.
When CSD goes back to the development table to create its next strategic plan, our district will have tremendous challenges to address. Of the most important to tackle are the reform interventions that were mandated by Race to the Top - interventions that the Memorandum of Understanding (or contract between the districts and state) requires districts to continue even after the Rttt well runs dry.
The Governor, nor the Department of Education, have not offered any guidance to date to school boards on how to maintain these programs when the federal funding is gone. CSD will also need to address growing pains in our PZ schools. While PZ schools have received greater funding and more flexibility in spending those funds, these schools are only given two years to make tremendous turnaround in student achievement. If the Transformation model utilized in our schools doesn't produce those gains, the PZ regulations require these schools to undergo another intervention model. Our strategic plan must address both successes and failures in our PZ schools.
But, our plan must do even than that - it must set a comprehensive course for all of our schools. Our next plan will need to be guided by parents, community members, teachers, and board members who speak more for our children than for corporate and business interest. The people in the room must be willing to go out of their comfort zones and look to our neighboring districts and charter schools. CSD's leadership should be willing to engage successful charter schools to see which practices can be replicated in our traditional schools. We must look to our neighbors like Red Clay who have developed successful magnet schools. Cab Calloway and Conrad are in great demand. It's worthwhile to spend time studying how Red Clay achieved the magnet school conversion and use that knowledge to inform the choices we make in Christina. And we must double down and listen to our parents, our students, and our teachers - the most important voices in the room.
This strategic plan comes at a crucial time for our children. We must engage in the work of revisioning education education so that schools meet the needs and goals of our students. For some, that goal will be completing college and and attaining advanced degrees. So much of the focus these days is on the students that fit this mold.
But, I believe that we must also invest in programs that will turn out high school graduates with skills and core knowledge that they will need to go immediately into the workforce. It's not enough to pick up a job at the local pizza place. Our graduates need be ready to enter the many trades that support our economy. Once upon a time, a student who was interested in the trades would choice to the Vo-Tech School Districts. Today, Delaware's vo-tech schools have waiting lists - alienating some students from the programs of study they desire. If Christina is to be competitive, we need to develop programs that will engage all students - not just those headed for college.
This next Strategic plan must also speak heavily to the challenges in our middle schools. Christina's middle schools are large campuses that consolidate our children that come from much smaller schools into one boiling pot. All of our middle schools are considered "failing" with regards to AYP. Much of the work to change the trajectory of our under achieving high school students must begin in our middle schools. Yet, as of now, none of our middle schools have been appropriately selected for PZ status. This means that the funding for these schools is still very constricted by state funding formulas and that Christina parents cannot expect to see any infusion of "extra" money that our PZ schools receive the School Improvement Grant.
We must also look at the future of our elementary schools. Many of these schools are high achieving, they are our superstars in so many ways! We must be sure we preserve in these schools the practices that work well. More than that, we must engage their teachers and leaders in helping us identify strategies that will be impactful in our elementaries that are persistently failing. I look to our newest elementary school, Oberle, on the cusp of persistently failing, sandwiched between two Superior elementary schools serving very similar demographics in the same geographic region of the district. What can Oberle's nearby schools share that can help the grown-ups help our children?
Our next strategic plan must address all of these challenges and more. Our school board needs to be comprised of people who really understand what our district faces. Our board members must be devoted to every child, not just some. The real future of our district will be in their hands - not just in leading the plan's development, but ensuring that our district implements those programs and ideas that parents want. Our board members must be accountable to that - I want to be.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Dr. TONY J. MARCHIO News Journal column. I was asked to post it.
Wilmington News Journal 04/29/2012, Page A31
Just who is running for our school boards?
Anyone who has been following national politics will have to wonder what impact the newly permitted “Super PACs” will have on the upcoming presidential campaign.
Many Americans are concerned that elections will be won on the basis of money spent and not necessarily on the character and qualifications of the candidates.
While the national election might seem a little far removed, surprisingly, a similar movement is occurring in Delaware with the upcoming board of education elections.
A recent e-mail was sent to various individuals by a group called Voices4Delaware.
It urged recipients to contribute $600 to various board candidates that this group supports.
Four districts, including Appoquinimink, were targeted as being “strategically important” to their mission.
I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the qualifications of the candidate that was being endorsed for Appoquinimink, nor do I have an issue with him.
The only information that was given about him in the e-mail was that he had attended a Christian school, was an active member of the Republican Party and had attended Leadership Delaware training.
When I contacted the spokesperson for Voices4Delaware, I was shocked to learn that none of the other candidates running for the board in Appoquinimink were even vetted, leaving me to wonder how could the most qualified candidate be promoted.
School board elections may not have the stature of national elections, but they are absolutely critical to the well-being of the communities they serve. I would hope that we would consider all candidates who are running and would ask some very critical questions of each one.
Are these candidates running to serve their schools and community or do they have some personal agenda?
Are these candidates involved in our schools so that they understand the critical issues facing education today?
Will these candidates work on behalf of all students in the district?
Do these candidates have enough confidence in the public school system to send their own children to them?
Hopefully, as the school board elections occur, we will be wise enough to keep rampant politics out of the race and elect school board members who represent kids – not Super PACs or political parties or unions.
Real reform will come to our schools when caring community members who are willing to do the right things for the right reasons are elected to boards of education.
Tony J. Marchio is the former superintendent of the Appoquinimink School District.
DELAWARE VOICE
TONY J. MARCHIO
Living School Choice and Loving It!
There are four types of school choice in Delaware:
- Parents can choice their children into the Vo-Tech School District for high school.
- They may choose to exercise inter-district choice and place their student in a school in a district other than the one in which they reside.
- Frequently, families utilize intra-district choice to send their children to their home district but to a school other than their feeder school
- Parents may also choose to send their children to Charter Schools which are public schools that are not part of the traditional or vo-tech school districts.
I support each of these methods of school choice. In fact, my family has been living school choice for years. I have utilized school choice to place my children into schools that I believe would best meet their unique needs. Currently, my daughter attends Glasgow High School. My son is a GHS grad. Glasgow was not their feeder school, but it offered the educational programs my family believed best suited our children. Seeing Justin succeeding in college with a goal of becoming a teacher confirms to us that our choice was the right one.
Working with Wilmington University.
Hello Shirley,
Here is the information about our scholarship program:
This is a link to the information session sign-up page: http://www.wilmu.edu/earlycollege/index.aspx
On Early Childhood Education - Our district is succeeding!
Campaign materials continue to blanket Christina voters citing five important issues. I'd like to address those issues, starting with the "Investment in Early Childhood."
I have had the honor of serving as the Christina Board of Education's liason for the last three years to our district's Early Childhood Parent Council. The Council is the link between the people within the program making decisions and the people receiving services. Members review and approve plans for policies and procedures, child development services, family and community partnership programs, parent and family activities, health and nutrition, and other areas of early education. As you can see, this council of parents has a tremendous role in developing and evolving early education in Christina.
When I first joined the Christina board, our district's early education programs were spread out across our district. While our programs were solid with long waiting lists, we had a challenge on our hand -operating a comprehensive and consistent program located in many different elementary schools.
Over the last three years, I have been a part of a major projects to benefit our early education programs. This year, these efforts culminated in the opening the "Christina Early Education Center" in Newark. It brings many of our programs and classrooms together under one roof in their own school. This model allows Christina to create more diverse and integrated learning environments for our youngest learners. The center allows our teachers to have real time access to each other to consult on teaching methodologies and seek support and advice when they encounter a challenge in their classrooms. And the results are already bearing fruit: Our investment has been recognized as a model to replicate for other districts in Delaware and elsewhere in the country.
I am also proud of our work early education work on another front - this Christina School Board has negotiated the pilot of Delaware's FIRST Public Montessori Program. This September we will open our pilot both in Wilmington and Newark. The Montessori model is well-researched and respected by educators across the nation. I can only hope that I can continue to serve on the board as our pilot program takes root and begins to impact the education of our CSD children!
However, our work is not finished. Early childhood education programs continue to face barriers:
1. As CSD enters the second year of the Newark-based center phasi in, I am still cognizant that we do not have a similar center for our children attending our Wilmington schools. Our young learners in Wilmington do have access to both full-day and half-day programs, including our bilingual kindergarten program at Pulaski. However, I believe that Christina needs to vet the feasibility and the costs/benefits of establishing an early education center in Wilmington.
2. One of the biggest challenges facing parents of young learners today is a lack of capacity in the best and most affordable programs. In Newark, the move to a central school will allow our early education program to offer more seats over time. However, we need to establish a plan for how that growth will occur. That plan must address a lack of state and federal funding created by an antequated view of early education.
In Delaware, early education is not compulsory, parents are not required to enroll their young children in education programs, and that is their right. However, the downside is a lack of state or federal funding for parents who would like to engage our programs. Christina does receive IDEA funding and Title I funds for those children who qualify. We do have a limited number of "headstart seats." We are also participating in grants that help support our programs.
However, the lack of state funding for the "average" child does effect our ability to add classrooms. Because early education is optional, districts need to charge tuition to those students who do not qualify under IDEA or Headstart. Tuition-based programs must essentially support themselves.
How we plan our growth will take incredible planning and oversight as we manage very constrained budgets. School board members have a huge roll to play in this both in the way we allocate local funds to support our early education programs and how we approach our legislators in Dover. School board members must lead the rally both in educating our representatives and working for more funding, especially for those parents whose children do not qualify for the limited federally funded seats that the district has been allotted and who lack the resources to afford it themselves.
I believe that with best practices already at work in Christina and with state and national recognition in hand, we should be leading the fight for universal early education in high achieving programs for all parents who want it. Our Governor has made several one-time investments in early education. Delaware has accessed the Early Childhood Race to the Top Grant program. It's time for more than one-time or short-term investments. It's time to codify access to early education and to put our state dollars behind it. Christina has committed the local funds, but the state needs to legislate their own committment. And leading that charge is the most impactful action Christina's school board members can take.
I have had the honor of serving as the Christina Board of Education's liason for the last three years to our district's Early Childhood Parent Council. The Council is the link between the people within the program making decisions and the people receiving services. Members review and approve plans for policies and procedures, child development services, family and community partnership programs, parent and family activities, health and nutrition, and other areas of early education. As you can see, this council of parents has a tremendous role in developing and evolving early education in Christina.
When I first joined the Christina board, our district's early education programs were spread out across our district. While our programs were solid with long waiting lists, we had a challenge on our hand -operating a comprehensive and consistent program located in many different elementary schools.
Over the last three years, I have been a part of a major projects to benefit our early education programs. This year, these efforts culminated in the opening the "Christina Early Education Center" in Newark. It brings many of our programs and classrooms together under one roof in their own school. This model allows Christina to create more diverse and integrated learning environments for our youngest learners. The center allows our teachers to have real time access to each other to consult on teaching methodologies and seek support and advice when they encounter a challenge in their classrooms. And the results are already bearing fruit: Our investment has been recognized as a model to replicate for other districts in Delaware and elsewhere in the country.
I am also proud of our work early education work on another front - this Christina School Board has negotiated the pilot of Delaware's FIRST Public Montessori Program. This September we will open our pilot both in Wilmington and Newark. The Montessori model is well-researched and respected by educators across the nation. I can only hope that I can continue to serve on the board as our pilot program takes root and begins to impact the education of our CSD children!
However, our work is not finished. Early childhood education programs continue to face barriers:
1. As CSD enters the second year of the Newark-based center phasi in, I am still cognizant that we do not have a similar center for our children attending our Wilmington schools. Our young learners in Wilmington do have access to both full-day and half-day programs, including our bilingual kindergarten program at Pulaski. However, I believe that Christina needs to vet the feasibility and the costs/benefits of establishing an early education center in Wilmington.
2. One of the biggest challenges facing parents of young learners today is a lack of capacity in the best and most affordable programs. In Newark, the move to a central school will allow our early education program to offer more seats over time. However, we need to establish a plan for how that growth will occur. That plan must address a lack of state and federal funding created by an antequated view of early education.
In Delaware, early education is not compulsory, parents are not required to enroll their young children in education programs, and that is their right. However, the downside is a lack of state or federal funding for parents who would like to engage our programs. Christina does receive IDEA funding and Title I funds for those children who qualify. We do have a limited number of "headstart seats." We are also participating in grants that help support our programs.
However, the lack of state funding for the "average" child does effect our ability to add classrooms. Because early education is optional, districts need to charge tuition to those students who do not qualify under IDEA or Headstart. Tuition-based programs must essentially support themselves.
How we plan our growth will take incredible planning and oversight as we manage very constrained budgets. School board members have a huge roll to play in this both in the way we allocate local funds to support our early education programs and how we approach our legislators in Dover. School board members must lead the rally both in educating our representatives and working for more funding, especially for those parents whose children do not qualify for the limited federally funded seats that the district has been allotted and who lack the resources to afford it themselves.
I believe that with best practices already at work in Christina and with state and national recognition in hand, we should be leading the fight for universal early education in high achieving programs for all parents who want it. Our Governor has made several one-time investments in early education. Delaware has accessed the Early Childhood Race to the Top Grant program. It's time for more than one-time or short-term investments. It's time to codify access to early education and to put our state dollars behind it. Christina has committed the local funds, but the state needs to legislate their own committment. And leading that charge is the most impactful action Christina's school board members can take.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
For all the children
"To all my friends and supporters, as a State Representative of the 26th District which is covered by the Christina School District. I ask that you NOT be fooled by who sends the most mailers to your house but by who has and will continue to care about all the children in the District ! I have know Shirley Saffer for 16 years and she cares. Vote Saffer May 8th. Its the right thing to do!!"
John Voila 26th State Representative
Blaky Wagatt Is Voting on MAY 8th ARE YOU?
"Hi Everyone!
Last year I was embarrassed to admit that I was voting in the school board elections for the first time. Unfortunately this is quite common. In fact, I learned that only around 2% of the population actually votes in this election. This was brought home to me when one candidate I voted for, won by only two votes! At the time, I was impressed to learn that I was one of those votes!
My pride, however, was short lived. I attended a couple board meetings this year, and was very disappointed in the performance of the member I had voted for. I had made a mistake in my voting choice. Why was this the case? I was a last minute voter. My interest was sparked shortly before the election and I wasn't able to find much information on the candidates. I vowed that i could not let that happen again.
So here I am, a year later, having learned from last year's experience. I am much more prepared, and am confident about my voting decision
.
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You might be wondering why you should vote. The civic process so often feels very much out of reach. It's all so complicated, seems to be all about politics, and who has the time anyway?
Here's a little motivation for you:
- If you're a home owner, the value of your home is tied directly to the performance of the schools in your area. Location, location, location!
- You may not have a child attending district schools, so you may feel that the schools aren't your issue. Well, we all have to live in the community together. The person ringing you up at the grocery store, checking you out at the gas station, serving you in a restaurant, driving next to you on the road, is most likely a product of your local school. If you have to go to the hospital, or if you become elderly and need care in a nursing home facility, your care provider may well be a graduate of your school district. If you need the help of a law enforcement officer, a fire figher, or an emt, you might find yourself turning to someone who got their education in the town where you live.
- Then there are our tax dollars. Whew! I have a copy of the fiscal year 2012 Christina budget. The millions tossed around in there are nothing to sneeze at! The school board does not determine specifically where all that money goes, but they do vote on whether or not to pass the proposed budget.
- The school board also hires the superintendent, and she/he makes the decisions for the district.
Our neighbors being well educated, and our community having good public schools is in the best interest of us all!
A quick look at nationwide statistics shows that our state has a long way to go to be its best. What we need are board members who are open, honest, and who clearly want what is best for the children in our schools. We need folks on the board who are realistic about where we are as a state, who do not point fingers and resort to name calling, but who roll up their sleeves and dive in. We need people in these positions who were involved in the schools before they got on the board. I for one don't want some new guy off the street who has not experienced Delaware public schools in at least one of these capacities: as a student, parent or a teacher.
So, whatever district you're in, get out and vote next Tuesday, May 8th! At the bottom of this email is a list of voting sites. All you need is to be 18 years of age and to have a valid state ID. You don't even have to be a registered voter.
I live in the Christina school district, and as I've taken the time in recent weeks to look into and speak with each of the candidates, I wanted to be sure that I share what I've learned, with my friends and neighbors. Not only do I intend to be a well informed voter, I want my community to be informed as well. So if you are a resident of the Christina district, sit back for a few moments and enjoy the fact that I've already done some research for you:-)
The candidates are, Valene Harris, Stephen Lee, and Shirley Sutton-Saffer.
I'm about to tell you what I've learned about them, but I encourage you to look into them yourselves, so first I'll give you their contact/website info (most of which can be obtained from the board of elections):-)
Valene Harris: valharris4christinaschoolboard@gmail.com
836-8034
Stephen Lee: cunmanuta@yahoo.com
Shirley Sutton-Saffer: sasclancy@comcast.net
454-8464
Monday, May 7th, McVey Elementary's PTA will host a meet and greet with all three candidates from 6-6:45!!
Val Harris.
I will not print the negative comments.
Steve Lee didn't list much contact information on the form he submitted to the board of elections, but I was able to eventually reach him. We have communicated both by phone and by email. Mr. Lee has unique experience among the current candidates, in that he taught in our district for four years. I believe this was at the high school level. Still teaching, but at the university level, Mr. Lee cares deeply about education. As the father of a soon to be Christina student, and as a former Christina teacher, Mr. Lee has a personal interest in the success of our district:-) It's commendable that though he has moved on professionally, he still wants to participate on the district level.
The main question I had for the candidates was in regard to the recent board decision to allow new and successful teachers to be displaced by teachers with seniority, from the failing Bancroft school. Mr. Lee was not familiar with this particular case. He hasn't been able to attend board meetings in recent years. He does have friends still teaching in the district, who tell him about issues here and there.
That said, Mr. Lee clearly has knowledge on the public education process. He also has a desire for teachers to have the freedom to provide their students with fabulous educational experiences, rather than have to work constantly at toeing the administrative line. I really appreciated that Mr. Lee respected my need to get info from him quickly, and was very forthcoming and straight forward with his answers. Where as Val Harris had no specific answers for me, Mr. Lee's answers are in depth! I'd be happy to share those emails with any of you, the one of answers from Mr. Lee, as well as the one email I received from Ms. Harris, if you'd like to hear them speak for themselves:-)
I also really liked that Mr. Lee feels that one of the best ways to improve our schools, is to bring in competition. He wasn't one to whine or complain about the charter schools, rather, he states that what we need is a competitive atmosphere, to push our schools into performing their best, in an effort to retain students.
I think that in a few years, once Mr. Lee has experienced the district as a parent, and has been back in the schools for a while in one capacity or another, he would be a great candidate, and I would love to vote for him:-)
Ms. Saffer has, by far, been the most accessible candidate! I have spoken with her many times over the past couple weeks, every time it's been before she had to run off to one district function or another:-) She has enjoyed my questions and the issues I raised. It should be said, that as a district parent for many years, someone who has made being in the schools her full time job, and as a current board member, I'm sure it was much easier for Ms. Saffer to answer my questions, than it was for the other candidates. As a Christina district parent, Ms. Saffer has made it her job to know what's going on in the district, and to do everything she can to help the students and families served by Christina. Not only did Ms. Saffer have answers for all my questions, but for the first time in my experience with the Christina district, my concerns and suggestions were met with interest and excitement! She said that as a district parent, all these issues are things she faces as well. She really welcomed ideas on how to improve certain areas.
Ms. Saffer, a homeroom mom, began her career in district involvement when her son, then in the fourth grade, was bullied due to a slight physical deformity. He was bullied so badly that he was eventually pushed down a flight of stairs. Ms. Saffer got no results from his teacher, principal, the school board, or the state board. After advocating for her son in every way she could, and attending one board meeting after another, she finally decided to run for the school board herself! Ms. Saffer acted as a mother first. That has paid off. She kept her son in the district despite the obstacles he faced. Justin is now in college and plans to become a teacher:-)
One of the many questions I asked Ms. Saffer is how she has been able to work on the issue of bullying since then. She told me about a student who came before the board recently, due to being bullied about her sexuality. I was impressed that a child felt confident to come forward. In my experiences being bullied, I never wanted to tell anyone, let alone stand before a school board! Because of human nature, it will always be an issue, but every time something is brought forward about it, Ms. Saffer acts in anyway she can to meet the needs of the child. She informed me that there is now a paper available that a child can fill out in private, if they are being bullied in any way. Mr. Saffer is on the pta (I assume at Glasgow where their daughter is a 9th grader), and they have been working hard at getting this paper into the hands of principals. Parents need to ask their principals if they are making this form available to the students.
The other issue I want to address here, is last month's vote that allowed teachers from the failing Bancroft school to displace teachers doing just fine in other schools. Ms. Saffer voted against that. She is really upset that teachers who are loved by their schools, are having their jobs snatched out from under them. It was a 4-3 vote. Ms. Saffer, Mr. Young, and Ms. Scheinberg all voted for the teachers to be able to keep their jobs, and for the schools to keep their teachers.
I also have to say that in the two board meetings I attended this year, my favorite members were Mr. Young and Ms. Saffer. They were the most engaged in the discussions. At a meeting I attended in the fall, Mr. Young and Ms. Saffer both voted against a class size waiver. In the time that I have been paying attention to school board performance, I have thought that Ms. Saffer has the interests of students and families at heart. My research in recent weeks, in preparation for the election has really confirmed that.
Please be sure to check out her newly made blog, and read what so many have to say about her character and hard work, after knowing her as a district parent for many years. All that is said there, echoes what I've found.
Lastly, I am very excited about the superintendent that the board has named as their new hire. Freeman Williams is a Delaware native. He is a Christiana High School graduate, and even played on their basketball team:-) His wife teaches at Newark High School, his son teaches in the Appoquinimink district. The whole Williams family is dedicated to Delaware education. This was a great move by the current board, one requested and encouraged by a handful of West Park parents, at the January board meeting I attended. Mr. Williams is a Christina veteran, and I am excited to see what will happen under his leadership, and with folks on the board like Mr. Young, Ms. Scheinberg, and hopefully Ms. Saffer:-)
Well folks, this is a long email you just read. Writing it has taken quite a bit of my time. It is well worth it though, to ensure that our community is well informed, and is inspired to become even more informed and involved! Don't take my word for it, look into these issues and candidates on your own! And if you don't have much time to do so between now and next Tues, then you can at least make good use of the info I've given here. There's a lot more to go on here, than I had when I voted last year! Please, send this email on to the other Delawarians you know!
Let's all go out and put our votes where our mouths are! See you at the polls! Blaky Wasgatt"
Please Listen
"To Christina School District Voters:
I have known Mrs. Shirley Saffer for over 10 years, both in family and CSD educational situations. She is fair, passionate, and truly wants what is best for the children of our District. As a parent -I like that she will call out the building and District staff to answer the tough questions. As a teacher with near 20 years experience in our District, I truly appreciate how she will visit the classrooms and observe before making snap judgements. Shirley LISTENS, gathers information, and then makes a decision!! She is passionate about ALL children learning to the best of their ability while the classroom being a safe environment for all.
There is no hidden agenda with Mrs. Saffer, she is one of us, not part of some outside organization that hasn't worked and lived within our District!!
She has my vote, hopefully she will have everyone's this coming election.
Sincerely,"
Eric Gustafson
I have known Mrs. Shirley Saffer for over 10 years, both in family and CSD educational situations. She is fair, passionate, and truly wants what is best for the children of our District. As a parent -I like that she will call out the building and District staff to answer the tough questions. As a teacher with near 20 years experience in our District, I truly appreciate how she will visit the classrooms and observe before making snap judgements. Shirley LISTENS, gathers information, and then makes a decision!! She is passionate about ALL children learning to the best of their ability while the classroom being a safe environment for all.
There is no hidden agenda with Mrs. Saffer, she is one of us, not part of some outside organization that hasn't worked and lived within our District!!
She has my vote, hopefully she will have everyone's this coming election.
Sincerely,"
Eric Gustafson
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Strong Advocate
"I have had two positive experiences with Mrs. Saffer while she has served on the Christina School Board. Both times, she was extremely helpful, and went the extra distance to help me. She lead me in the right direction when no one at the school would help me (they didn't want the negative publicity; and no one was being held accountable for their actions) I know that my persistence in this matter eventually resulted in new rules that should prevent a similar situation from ever taking place again. I could not have done it without Mrs. Saffer's help.
I contacted the school, and was told that this was not the case. After my previous situation, which led to my total distrust in her; I decided to contact Mrs. Saffer and made her aware of this protest.
I know that as Americans, we have the right to protest, and these kids were not to be stopped, they were angry. I gave Mrs. Saffer my word that I would help a few other parents to convince the children to do this peacefully. Mrs. Saffer also showed up, to show her support of the children, and to make sure that everything ran smoothly, and in a positive manner.
I know that Mrs. Saffer has worked tirelessly on behalf of all students in the Christina School District. She is constantly attending as many school activities as she can fit into her schedule; and advertises them all to everyone she knows. It has always been her goal to make our schools the best they can be, encouraging parental involvement.
Shirley is a strong advocate for no bullying, and for trying to keep our children safe, and in school. Her own children are great examples, as honor roll students who are and were active in their perspective schools. I am behind Mrs. Saffer 100 percent, and hope that anyone reading this will do the same."
Later in the school year, when the district was making budget cuts, the high school was in jeopardy of losing it's music and theatre departments. My daughter and her friends were actively involved in these programs for four years, and they did not want the school to lose these programs.The children planned a "walk out", and I had heard a rumor that the Principal threatened that any senior caught in this would not be allowed to walk the stage for graduation.
I contacted the school, and was told that this was not the case. After my previous situation, which led to my total distrust in her; I decided to contact Mrs. Saffer and made her aware of this protest.
I know that as Americans, we have the right to protest, and these kids were not to be stopped, they were angry. I gave Mrs. Saffer my word that I would help a few other parents to convince the children to do this peacefully. Mrs. Saffer also showed up, to show her support of the children, and to make sure that everything ran smoothly, and in a positive manner.
I know that Mrs. Saffer has worked tirelessly on behalf of all students in the Christina School District. She is constantly attending as many school activities as she can fit into her schedule; and advertises them all to everyone she knows. It has always been her goal to make our schools the best they can be, encouraging parental involvement.
Shirley is a strong advocate for no bullying, and for trying to keep our children safe, and in school. Her own children are great examples, as honor roll students who are and were active in their perspective schools. I am behind Mrs. Saffer 100 percent, and hope that anyone reading this will do the same."
Rosemary Waggoner Parent
I never imagined I would need to file the following request:
For some Delawareans school board elections are sacred in that they are non-partisan and have traditionally been free of outside political influence. But, this election has been different. A political action fund has been engaged in mailing offensive campaign literature to Christina voters. I suppose with all the Race to the Top dollars flowing into Delaware, I should not have been surprised that such a group protecting business and political interest would quickly follow suit.
It's sad, but it's the way things are. I stand by my history of supporting the Christina School District. If outside interest groups want to participate in this election, sobeit. But, I do expect them to do so according to campaign finance law. I'll admit that I am not an expert on this type of activity. Because I am a parent who is a board member and not a politician, I have submitted the following request to the Commissioner of Elections for clarity on the actions engaged by Voices 4 Delaware Education Action Fund:
Please accept this letter as an official request to investigate concerns
regarding the political activities of Voices 4 Delaware Education Action Fund, a
501(c)(4) participating in Delaware's school board elections.
It has been brought to my attention that Voices 4 Delaware Education Action Fund
may be violating Delaware's finance reporting laws in the following manner:
1. The paid disclaimer printed on their four independent expenditure mailings is incomplete in that it does not identify the Treasurer of their organization.
2. Voices 4 Delaware Education Action Fund has engaged in four independent expenditure mailings to date. Campaign finance law requires such organizations to report within 24 hours of submitting a mailing. I have been unable to confirm that these filings have occurred.
As a result of these concerns, I am formally requesting an investigation to
ensure that the applicable finance requirements have been satisfied.
Thank you for your assistance with this matter.
Sincerely,
Shirley Saffer
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Always Impressing
"Dear Christina School District Voters,
I have known Shirley Saffer for several years. She has always impressed me with how much she cares about what happens to the schools, our children and the teachers in the Christina School District. Shirley is an active parent and board member in the Christina School District. She has served as a class mother, PTA Vice President at Albert Jones, Mentor and Co-Chair of the Yearbook committee and has been involved with and a member of PTA's at Gauger-Cobbs, Glasgow High School, Thurgood Marshall, and Special Needs PTA, Red Clay/Christina. Shirley has also been a member of the Referendum Citizen Budget Oversight and Strategic Planning Committees.
Shirley is always there to cheer on our kids whether it’s the Glasgow Marching Band, Honors Awards Ceremonies, graduations or sporting events. She has two children, one has already graduated from Glasgow High School, and the other is on her way with a few more years to go. Shirley is dedicated to our children and our schools.
I would like to urge voters to strongly consider her for re-election on May 8th."
Ann Marie Mikolajewski Parent of an Awesome child.
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