September 24, 2025

Governor, secretary celebrate new school year

Governor Matt Meyer and Education Secretary Cindy Marten welcome students at Cape Henlopen School District's Frederick D. Thomas Middle School (more Cape pics). See more pics from Red Clay, Brandywine, EastSide Charter, Laurel, Newark Charter, Caesar Rodney and Odyssey Charter.

Delaware Governor Matt Meyer and Secretary of Education Cindy Marten visited several Delaware schools earlier this month to celebrate the first day for many Delaware students. 

During a visit to Stanton Middle School in the Red Clay Consolidated School District, Governor Meyer signed many of the recent bills strengthening Delaware school systems.

“As a former middle-school math teacher, I know firsthand how much it matters that every student feels supported and every educator has the resources they need,” said Governor Meyer. “By expanding free meals, strengthening standards for school boards and educators, and making sure our schools are places where all students can thrive, these bills take meaningful steps toward a stronger and fairer education system for every Delaware family.”

House Bill 85, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, clarifies that any appointed or elected school board member must complete a background check—handled by the Commissioner of Elections—within 15 days, with criminal records checked by the State Bureau of Identification.

House Bill 91, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams and Sen. Jack Walsh, provides universal free breakfast for all students regardless of income beginning this school year.

House Bill 97, sponsored by Rep. Kim Williams and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, requires that any school employee working directly with students must hold a valid permit or license—either issued by the state’s Professional Standards Board or under Title 24—to ensure proper qualifications and supervision.

Senate Bill 81, sponsored by Sen. Tizzy Lockman and Rep. Kim Williams, removes the deadline that limited which educators or specialists could receive additional years of experience credit when calculating their pay. Now, all qualifying staff can get that credit, regardless of hire date.

Senate Bill 91, sponsored by Sen. Laura Sturgeon and Rep. Cyndie Romer, requires schools that receive federal dollars to protect students, faculty, and staff from sex-based discrimination and harassment, ensuring safe and fair environments.

Senate Bill 107, sponsored by Sen. Laura Sturgeon and Rep. Kim Williams, adopts the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, making it easier for qualified school psychologists to work across state lines and support students in different districts.

Senate Bill 165, sponsored by Sen. Laura Sturgeon and Rep. Kim Williams, launches a pilot of a new evaluation component within the Delaware teacher evaluation system starting in the 2025–26 school year. It will factor in challenges like student absences or mobility when evaluating performance.

House Bill 64, sponsored by Rep. Cyndie Romer and Sen. Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman, requires school board meetings to offer an option for the public to join and comment remotely—via video or phone—so more people can participate in local discussions, even from home.

House Bill 77, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, makes training mandatory for school board members on topics like Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act, meeting rules, and ethics—ensuring everyone follows best practices.

House Bill 83, sponsored by Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, lets school board members attend and vote in meetings remotely for specific reasons, such as illness, a public health emergency, pregnancy/postpartum care, or military service—so boards can stay functional even when members can’t be there in person.

For all the Delaware schools starting the 2025-26 school year, welcome back!

Delaware Teacher of the Year to be named in October

Twenty of the state’s top teachers will be honored at a celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 14, when one of them also will be named Delaware’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

The candidates were nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter Network during the 2025 calendar year because of their superior ability to inspire students with a love of learning, exemplary demonstration of professional traits and strong sense of dedication and devotion to teaching.

Each nominee submitted a detailed application exemplifying his or her teaching philosophy. Five Delaware Department of Education staff members and five former state teachers of the year independently evaluate each application. A former state teacher of the year and department staff member observe each candidate in the classroom. Taking into consideration the scores from the application review and observations as well as a recorded presentation by the nominees, another independent panel of non-department judges then recommends to the Secretary of Education the one teacher who will serve as the 2026 Delaware Teacher of the Year.

The teacher chosen to become the State Teacher of the Year will become Delaware’s nominee in the national program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with the Voya Foundation.

Migrant students complete successful summer session

Delaware’s Title I-C Migrant Education Program (MEP) wrapped up another successful summer school program, running for seven weeks from June to August. The federally funded program provides crucial educational and support services to children of seasonal agricultural workers who migrate to Delaware. These students face unique challenges in their education due to frequent family moves, and the MEP aims to help them overcome these obstacles.

Serving 115 students from grades K-12 across Kent and Sussex counties, the program is focused on strengthening skills in English and mathematics while also connecting students to enrichment activities that built cultural awareness, creativity, and community ties. The summer school operated five days a week, with free meals, snacks, and transportation provided daily.

Students participated in a wide range of hands-on learning experiences. Highlights included a walking tour of Georgetown led by a local councilwoman, a visit to the public library where students received their own library cards, and financial literacy workshops through the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension. A retired NASA engineer also inspired students by sharing stories from his work designing space suits.

STEM learning played a key role in the program, with students attending a presentation from the MERR Institute in Lewes. Creativity and service were also central, as students painted flowerpots for the upcoming Farm-to-Fork event hosted by Westside Family Healthcare, a program partner providing health services to students and their families.

MEP’s summer school program plays a vital role in helping migrant students succeed academically despite the unique challenges they face. Looking ahead, MEP remains dedicated to continuing its mission of offering educational support to migrant families, ensuring that every child receives the assistance they need to overcome barriers and succeed in school.

Four Delaware schools have earned the 2025-26 Sapphire Award for Excellence in School Counseling, a recognition that honors school counseling programs that are comprehensive, data-informed, and designed to serve each and every student.

This year’s honorees are:

Mount Pleasant High School (Brandywine School District)

Brader Elementary School (Christina School District)

Thurgood Marshall Elementary School (Christina School District)

Laurel Intermediate School (Laurel School District)

Now in its sixth year, the Sapphire Award celebrates school counseling programs that not only provide individual student support, but also build school-wide systems to improve academic outcomes, raise graduation rates and boost attendance.

Milford childcare center grows learning with Farm to CACFP

What started with a single raised garden bed has grown into a thriving outdoor classroom at Just in Time Learning Academy (JITLA), where children are learning firsthand how food makes its way from the ground to their plates.

JITLA is a licensed early childhood center serving 22 children in Milford. The center participates in the Delaware Farm to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and provides three nutritious meals daily. In 2022, a parent volunteer with gardening expertise helped the center launch its first raised bed. Today, the program has expanded to include two raised beds, two egg-laying hens, and a rotating harvest of zucchini, squash, tomatoes, purple potatoes, watermelon, and more.

Children are actively involved in every step of the process, from planting and watering to harvesting and even cooking with the produce. Eggs collected from the hens have become a classroom favorite, used in cooking lessons that teach both nutrition and life skills.

“Our students are digging, planting, collecting eggs, and taking produce home to their families,” said staff at JITLA. “It’s changing the way they see food – and themselves.”

The farm-to-early-care experience is now woven into JITLA’s curriculum, with each classroom spending time in the garden at least once a week. Teachers use garden activities to reinforce science, math, motor skills, and social-emotional learning in an engaging, hands-on way.

Staff members tend the garden after hours, families support the work, and lessons learned – like planting smarter and protecting crops from rabbits – have helped the program grow stronger each season.

Beyond the skills, the garden has transformed attitudes. Children who once hesitated to touch soil now eagerly care for plants and chickens, fostering curiosity, responsibility, and confidence.

JITLA’s story is part of the Delaware Farm to CACFP Spotlight series, created by the Delaware Farm to School Committee to showcase innovative farm-to-early-care programs across the state.

For centers interested in starting their own garden-based learning programs, the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) offers Let’s Grow Outside, an initiative supporting outdoor learning and farm-to-CACFP efforts.

Delaware launches program to grow teacher workforce

Delaware is investing in its future educators through a new pilot program to grow Delaware’s teacher workforce from within our schools.

This school year, 10 dedicated educators are serving registered paraprofessional apprentices through the new Paraprofessional Registered Occupation (PRO) program. PRO is designed to keep students at the center by building a strong, diverse teacher workforce who already know and love their communities.

Delaware Department of Education I education.delaware.gov