2025 Recap

Editor's Note: As we begin 2026, this issue of Take Note highlights some of our favorite stories from the past twelve months. Space has limited our selections - there are so many other great stories to revisit - so don't consider this list exhaustive. Enjoy these highlights from 2025 and let us know what we should be celebrating in 2026 by emailing us your story ideas at Take.Note@doe.k12.de.us. Find past issues of Take Note here. Thank you to the educators, families, community partners and others for the hard work you do every day to support Delaware students.

Delaware announces Early Literacy Plan to strengthen instruction

Governor Matt Meyer and Secretary of Education Cindy Marten this year launched the Delaware Early Literacy Plan—a statewide effort to ensure every student reads on grade level by the end of third grade.

Announced during the opening session of October’s statewide educator professional learning day, the plan outlines enhanced supports and resources so every learner receives clear and consistent instruction and every K–3 classroom uses strong, research-based reading materials and early checks to spot challenges.

This initiative marks a turning point in Delaware education.

A New Chapter for Delaware’s Children

“Delaware’s students—and the educators who serve them—deserve better reading supports in every K–3 classroom, every day. This plan is the how: strong daily instruction; protected time and coaching for teachers; teams that put more adults with kids; and families as full-time partners,” Marten said. “My team and I will be in classrooms, shoulder-to-shoulder with educators and school leaders, to celebrate what’s working and help where it’s hard. We can do this, we must do this, and we will do this—together.”

Governor Meyer’s FY2026 budget includes $8 million for early literacy investment and $3 million in teacher-selected classroom literacy resources—one of the largest early reading investments in state history.

“When I declared a literacy emergency, it wasn’t to make headlines, it was to make change,” Governor Meyer said. “Delaware students deserve better and so do our teachers. For too long we’ve talked about what’s not working. Now we are focusing on what works. This plan gives our teachers and school leaders the tools to deliver real, lasting results.”

Marten said the plan gives educators the structure, materials, and coaching they value.

“This is not another slogan or quick fix. This is not about asking teachers to do more,” Marten said. “This plan is about daily practice—what happens in every K–3 classroom, every day. Delaware is building the system our teachers and students have always deserved: strong materials, sustained coaching, time to plan, and belief in every child’s potential.”

The Delaware Early Literacy Plan centers on four statewide priorities.

Students at one of Smyrna School District's summer camps prepare for school before the start of kindergarten. View more summer programming pics.

Students across Delaware spent the summer building essential skills through enrichment programs designed to strengthen literacy and support overall well-being. 

Many initiatives centered on evidence-based literacy instruction, health and wellness, social-emotional learning, and exposure to the arts and STEM. Some schools incorporated high-dosage tutoring – frequent, consistent sessions often one-on-one or in small groups – to accelerate student learning before the start of the school year.

Examples of programs tailored to meet local needs:

The Sussex Academy Summer Enrichment Program welcomed elementary students for weekly themed sessions throughout July. Mornings focused on academic skill-building in math, reading, and writing, while afternoons featured enrichment activities in the arts, music, science, gardening, and cooking. Weekly themes focused on circus fun, space camp and more. Special guests also attended, including jugglers and representatives from the MERR Institute, NASA's Wallops Island Flight Facility, and ILC Dover. Each Thursday, the program recognized a “Camper of the Week” to celebrate participation and achievement.

In Seaford School District, the summer programs focused on academics and family engagement. Families of pre-kindergarten students participated in shared reading activities and received tools to support literacy at home. The district also provided an Extended School Year (ESY) program for students with special education needs. Enrichment extended beyond classrooms through unique activities like a paddleboarding physical therapy session, combining mobility, strength, and outdoor learning. 

At Sussex County Vocational Technical School District, students attended Raven Academy, a program designed to help incoming ninth graders transition to high school. The program offered academic preparation, school orientation, and community-building activities, giving students confidence for the year ahead.

Programs like Brandywine School District’s multilingual learner (MLL) Summer Academy, Colonial School District’s WE Learn English, and Appoquinimink School District’s MLL program focused on helping multilingual learners build language skills while maintaining academic progress.

Additional opportunities ran in districts and charter schools across the state. As Delaware continues to prioritize educational equity and student success, these summer enrichment efforts remain a key strategy for preparing students for the upcoming academic year.

PEFC advances school funding in series of public forums

The Public Education Funding Commission (PEFC) recently held community engagement sessions as part of its statewide review of Delaware’s school funding system. The series included two virtual forums on November 17 and 18, followed by an in-person event at Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington on November 19. Two additional in-person sessions were held in December. Together, these sessions provided residents with multiple opportunities to learn more about the Commission’s work and offer feedback on proposed updates to the state’s funding structure.

Attendees at both the virtual and in-person sessions heard about the Commission’s ongoing analysis, including its hybrid funding model that combines student-based and unit-based components. This proposed approach is intended to better support diverse learners and provide schools with clearer, more responsive funding aligned to student needs. In all three sessions, participants asked questions, raised considerations, and shared perspectives that will help inform the Commission’s final recommendations.

The public forums are part of a broader engagement effort designed to gather input from communities statewide. Additional in-person opportunities will take place this January: 

These sessions will offer residents opportunities to hear about the proposed model, understand the analysis behind it, and share feedback as the Commission’s work progresses.

Paraeducators, school staff advance toward teacher certification

Participants of the Delaware Grow Your Own Para-to-Teacher and the K-12 Teacher Apprentice programs graduated Wilmington University this month. Pictured left to right: Carissa Lehman, Courtney Sisofo, Nicole Fleetwood, Jamie Bartoski, Mari Biscieglia, Karen Burgess, and Alexis Cressman. (Not all participants are pictured.)

School staff across Delaware are making important strides toward full teacher certification through the state’s Grow Your Own (GYO) Para-to-Teacher and K–12 Teacher Apprenticeship programs. In June, graduates from both programs were recognized for completing educator coursework while continuing to work in schools. A few days later, new participants were welcomed at a signing event hosted by Wilmington University.

Both programs are part of Delaware’s ongoing effort to strengthen the teacher pipeline, especially in hard-to-fill subject areas and schools. The programs are supported through partnerships with the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE), Wilmington University, the Delaware Department of Labor, and local school districts and charter schools.

For the 2025–26 school year, 72 new participants will begin their journeys toward teacher certification. Eighteen paraeducators from Appoquinimink, Caesar Rodney, Smyrna, and Seaford school districts will take part in the Para-to-Teacher program, which enables participants to earn certification while continuing to serve in their current paraeducator roles.

Similarly, the K-12 Teacher Apprenticeship program provides current school staff – including instructional aides and support staff – with a pathway to earn K–12 teaching licenses. The program will serve 54 participants in Brandywine, Capital, Christina, Colonial, Red Clay, and Seaford districts. Focus areas include early childhood, elementary education, and secondary STEM and humanities.

Delaware’s focus on removing barriers for those entering the teaching profession as well as enhancing retention is reflected in other work as well. This week, Delaware Education Secretary Cindy Marten testified in support of Senate Bill 187, which would exempt educators from paying taxes on state funds used for student loan repayment. The proposed FY2026 budget includes salary increases for school staff, based on recommendations from the Delaware Public Education Compensation Committee (PECC). And several efforts are underway to improve working conditions that can contribute to additional teacher burnout and turnover, including universal student breakfast, addressing the state’s literacy emergency, and providing support for the projected growth in pre-K to 12 enrollment, which will soon total over 142,000 students.

Support for early childhood educators is also growing. Delaware State University’s Early Childhood Innovation Center (ECIC), partially funded by DDOE, currently serves 436 early learning professionals who are earning credentials and degrees while working in the field. DDOE is also working with Delaware State University and the University of Delaware to expand training and scholarship opportunities for early childhood educators. These efforts are expected to reach more than 3,000 professionals statewide.

Delaware’s ongoing commitment to build a strong and sustainable educator workforce is underway. Congratulations to all the current and future educators joining these programs!

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