11 Point Plan

In June 2024, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT Data Book ranked Delaware 45th in education nationwide, citing declining test scores and increasing absenteeism. Specifically, 75% of fourth-graders were not proficient in reading, 82% of eighth-graders lacked proficiency in math, and 25% of students were chronically absent - and this, while at the same time Delaware is estimated to be within the top 10 states for per-pupil spending.

As your State Senator, I will focus on making the following changes to our Public Schools.

Reward Excellence

In Delaware, agreements negotiated by teacher unions largely prioritize seniority and education level. The State Legislature has the authority to change the collective bargaining power of teacher unions so that compensation and promotion are more directly tied to performance and student outcomes. States like Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Colorado have already done this. As your State Senator, I will push for Delaware to do the same.

Think Outside The Box

The cookie-cutter "Common Core" standards governing school curriculum stress College Prep at the expense of other viable ( and potentially FAR MORE lucrative) vocational and technical career paths for which many students are better suited. Moreover, there is little conclusive evidence that Common Core has significantly improved student achievement or education outcomes. As your State Senator, I will push to repeal or replace Common Core standards with a more flexible framework that frees students to pursue success in accordance with their own individual talents and abilities.

Remove Disruptions

While we certainly don't want to simply discard students with behavioral problems, and recognize that we need to make sure we do everything possible to turn them around and set them on the right path forward, we can't allow habitually disruptive students to retard the progress of the rest. Our teachers need to be given more independent authority over removing disruptive students from their classrooms.

Tennessee is already doing that.

Remove Distractions

Childhood was meant to be experienced IRL (That's Internet Lingo for "In Real Life")!

Countless studies have demonstrated the harm done to children by unrestricted and unsupervised Social Media use. Florida requires social media platforms to terminate accounts of individuals under 14 and seek parental consent for those aged under 15. Delaware should implemented similar restrictions.

Prioritize Safety:

As your State Senator, I will work to:

• Create an explicit statewide mandate that all schools conduct active shooter drills for all school staff and students, including in elementary and middle schools, with age-appropriate adaptations.
• Introduce a specific, statewide grant program dedicated solely to upgrading school security infrastructure, including security cameras and controlled access points.
• Require schools to regularly collect and publish data on incidents of violence, bullying, and other safety-related issues. This data will must be provided in a standardized format, and made available to the public.