According to Delaware's Department of Education "State Report Card," the state's 2023 average per pupil education spending was $20,231, which puts us in the top 10 for education spending nationally.

And yet, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which is the only test that compares all 50 states' educational performance, Delaware is:



• 3rd from the bottom in fourth-grade math,
• 4th from the bottom in fourth-grade reading,
• 5th from the bottom in eighth-grade math,
• and 5th from the bottom in eighth-grade reading.

Three of Delaware's poorest-performing schools already spend over $30,000 per student, yet less than 1 in 10 students can read or do math at grade level. These schools are in the city of Wilmington, and a majority of the students are African American.

Additionally, Delaware's education data is challenging to find. Our education system needs increased transparency and flexibility.

• To view Delaware's students' poor performance, click here: https://reportcard.doe.k12.de.us/detail.html#aboutpage?scope=state&district=0&school=0.

• And to view Delaware's per pupil spending, click here: https://reportcard.doe.k12.de.us/detail.html#displaypage?scope=state&district=0&school=0&id=383.

• To see the test scores for your local public school, click here: https://www.caesarrodney.org/pdfs/CRI.Student_Assessment_Data_2019_&_2022_Smarter_Balanced_and_SAT_by_County_fixed_(1).pdf

Two recent pieces of legislation, House Substitute No. 1 for HB 66 and HB 192, are at a critical point in the approval process (see below for details of each bill). It is imperative that the Senate move forward with a full chamber vote and send them to the governor for signature. Both bills were passed unanimously through the House Education Committee, the full House of Representatives, and the Senate Education Committee in last year’s legislative session.

House Substitute No. 1 for HB 66: Enhancing Transparency and Accountability: House Substitute No. 1 for House Bill No. 66 seeks to improve the transparency and accessibility of educational data. By adding required information to annual reports issued by the Department of Education and making this information more easily accessible, this bill aims to empower parents, educators, and policymakers with comprehensive insights into school performance. The inclusion of career pathways in the reports ensures that students and parents have valuable information when making important decisions about education and career paths.

HB 192: Addressing Schools with Single-Digit Proficiency: This Bill, focusing on schools with single-digit proficiency, is a targeted initiative to address the specific needs of institutions facing educational challenges. By requiring collaboration between school leadership and the Department of Education to create short-term and long-term plans for improvement, this legislation promotes accountability and proactive measures. This bill also requires that these plans be made accessible to the public to create greater accountability.

STEP 1: Find out who your local Senator is. Please click "the box below" and enter your home address, city, state, and zip code. Write down the Senator's name and email address, then proceed to STEP 2.

STEP 2: Contact your Senator via phone, email, or in-person meeting to urge them to please vote YES on both "House Substitute 1 for HB 66, and HB 192."

• BY PHONE: The Delaware General Assembly's main phone number is (302) 744-4114.

• BY EMAIL: Please include a message to urge your Senator to please vote YES on both "House Substitute 1 for HB 66, and HB 192." You can also include a personal note explaining why you feel this is important. (You can compose your email by clicking the box below and typing in your Senator's email address OR open up your own email box.)

Thank you in advance for helping bring SCHOOL FREEDOM to Delaware!

HELP US COVER THE COSTS OF THE BILLBOARD(S)

Billboards are expensive, and we would like to keep the current one on I-95 just south of Wilmington up for more than the month that we have contracted, as well as add some others on I-95 in Newark and on Rt. 1 in Kent or Sussex counties. We would greatly appreciate if you would help us to cover the costs of the billboard(s) to make certain that the DE Dept of Education and others in power cannot ignore the desperate need of students in our public schools who cannot read or do math proficiently and who thus will not have success in life. Every penny of your donation will go directly to the billboards. Thank you!