by James DeChene
Over the last 7 years, Governor Markell has made education a primary policy focus. Changes in student curriculum, creating new standardized testing standards, adoption of long-term performance goals, and significant investment in early childhood education have all been part of an over all strategy to help Delaware students raise their achievement levels. The State Chamber of Commerce has supported many of these initiatives because we believe today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. This year, Governor Markell has allocated $11.3 million for early childhood development targeted at pre-kindergarten aged children. Recent research has focused on early education as an investment. The National Conference of State Legislatures has prepared a summary of the latest economic research examining early education initiatives as public investments. Many policymakers have considered early education initiatives as a school readiness strategy or as a way to close the achievement gap. Now, economic experts are offering another reason: mounting evidence shows that investments in early education may be considered as an economic development strategy. According to NCSL, their summary brief “highlights three reports: the first from Art Rolnick, Senior Vice President and Director of Research at the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank; the second from James Heckman, Nobel Prize winner in economics from the University of Chicago; and the latest report from the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation on the longitudinal study of the Perry Preschool Program. These reports characterize the economics of investing in early education by examining state economic subsidies, skill development for individuals in the broader economic picture, and specific new findings from a path-breaking early education program.” For more information on how important early education investment is to the business community, click here to read more.
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Over the last 24 years, schools across the state have displayed their Superstars in Education banner. There are many who have applied for this award, but there can only be a few winners. Programs range from single classroom programs to collaborative partnerships. This award is not just designed to point out what is working, it is dedicated to those programs that are special. The debate about educational programs includes terms such as ‘Race to the Top’, STEM, Common Core, standardized testing, college and employment ready, and the list goes on. In the end, the bottom line is that success comes from the teacher in the classroom and the leaders in our schools. That is to whom the Superstars in Education award is dedicated.
Superstars in Education highlights excellence in science teaching, integrated classroom technology practices, and school-to-career partnerships. This event recognizes outstanding educational programs and individual achievements. It also serves the business community and its investment in the future. Delaware’s future depends on the foundation we build in our schools today. It is imperative that today’s students have tangible skills when they are ready to enter the workforce. Whether college bound, preparing for a trade job or working in the manufacturing world, students need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to be productive employees and citizens. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. The 2016 Superstars in Education program will honor this year’s winning programs with a reception followed by an awards ceremony on May 9, 2016 at 4:45 p.m. at Wilmington University’s Doberstein Admissions Center Auditorium in New Castle, Delaware. We are counting on your generous sponsorship support to guarantee the success of this program. Sponsors are recognized at the ceremony and throughout the event’s promotion and publicity. We ask you to pledge sponsorship by March 9, 2016 to maximize visibility for your support. Click here to view sponsor opportunities. If you have any questions, please contact Mark DiMaio at (302) 576-6571 (mdimaio@dscc.com). Please join us in celebrating excellence in education and our commitment to forging strong business partnerships with schools in Delaware. by Mark DiMaio Director, The Partnership, Inc. The 2016 Superstars in Education program will honor this year’s winning programs with a reception followed by an awards ceremony on May 2, 2016 at 4:45 p.m. at the Wilmington University’s Doberstein Admissions Center Auditorium in New Castle. Plan to join us to celebrate the 2016 award winning programs. In 2015, we recognized six fantastic programs from across Delaware. Click here to watch the 2015 video. The Superstars in Education program is charged with recognizing outstanding educational programs and individual achievements. This event highlights excellence in science teaching, integrated classroom technology practices, and school-to-career partnerships. Additionally, a special award will be presented recognizing business/community leadership in supporting education. The program also serves the business community and its investment in the future. Delaware’s future depends on the foundation we build in our schools today. It is imperative that today’s students have tangible skills when they are ready to enter the workforce. Whether college bound, preparing for a trade job or working in the manufacturing world, students need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to be productive employees and citizens. Today’s students are tomorrow’s workforce. The Partnership, Inc. was created to promote charitable and educational activities by developing and fostering programs that encourage private sector involvement in workforce development and education. Sponsors are recognized at the ceremony and throughout the event’s promotion and publicity. We ask you to pledge sponsorship by March 11, 2016 to maximize visibility for your support. Click here to download the sponsorship form. If you have any questions, please contact Mark DiMaio at (302) 576-6575 (mdimaio@dscc.com). Please join us in celebrating excellence in education and our commitment to forging strong business partnerships with schools in Delaware. by Mark DiMaio
The Delaware Manufacturing Association (DMA) kicked off 2016 by hosting Delaware Governor Jack Markell for a manufacturing policy discussion. The Governor was introduced by State Chamber President Richard Heffron and DMA Chairman, Brian Nixon of Invista. The Governor was quick to recognize the workforce development efforts of DMA and its members. The Governor highlighted the fact that in just over two years, the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative, has grown from just one program with a couple of dozen students to an initiative that will reach 5,000 students in 29 Delaware high schools. DMA Vice Chair Liza Bartle with Agilent Technologies was highlighted in Governor Markell’s State of State press release “as representative of private sector employers who have joined the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative, which places students with employers to learn valuable job skills that today’s employers need, from manufacturing to computer networking, health care, and culinary arts. Business partners are committing to increase the number of students who gain the opportunity to work directly with employers.” In addition to Agilent Technologies, DMA members PPG, AstraZeneca, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Kuehne Chemical Co., Bloom Energy, DuPont, FMC BioPolymer and Delaware City Refinery all offered craftsmanships to students. We continue to look for organizations willing to participate in the program in 2016. Governor Markell also highlighted the legislature’s quick passage and his signing of the Delaware Competes Act (HB 235), a law changing the way corporate income tax is calculated to ensure companies don’t pay more for decisions to hire and expand in the state. The bipartisan bill received near unanimous approval from the Delaware General Assembly and will serve as another tool to help Delaware attract news business to the state. Please mark your calendars for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Spring Legislative Brunch and Manufacturing Conference to be held on Tuesday, March 22nd at DelTech’s Terry Campus in Dover. Click here for more information. by James DeChene
Chamber Committee meetings have already started in 2016. With the General Assembly set to convene on January 12th, the Chamber’s policy committees are poised for action. Topics include the Healthcare Committee working to educate employers about the increase in narcotics/heroin addiction in Delaware, reducing the stigma of addiction, what signs to look for in employees and various treatment options available. Look for a spring event panel discussion to learn more. The Tax Committee will be looking at ways in which to help make Delaware more attractive for businesses to relocate to and expand in Delaware, and will be reviewing tax related legislation and regulations as they are drafted to provide feedback. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be looking at the drafted Water Usage Fee bill that was created as the result of a Clean Water Taskforce. Chamber members have been participants on that taskforce and have provided industry knowledge to help craft the bill. The Employer Advocacy and Education Committee is expected to meet soon to discuss various labor legislation including an expected bill to increase the minimum wage in Delaware to $15 by 2023. The Environmental Committee will be having their spring event with a speaker TBD, and with potential changes to the Coastal Zone Act this year, they will undoubtedly have feedback to offer as well. For more information on how to participate on a committee, contact James DeChene at jdechene@dscc.com. Governor Markell today announced $600,000 in grants for new high school pathway programs to expand a statewide effort that prepares students to excel in key fields that offer good job opportunities in the new economy.
Beginning next fall, the Governor’s Pathways to Prosperity initiative will serve more than 5,000 students in at least 55 pathway programs at 29 high schools. That more than doubles the size of the initiative from this fall, when it launched with 25 pathways in 15 high schools across the state, impacting more than 2400 students. For this second round of grants, the state has added pathways in computer networking, finance, and health care. Those are in addition to pathways in biomedical sciences, engineering, hospitality/culinary arts, IT/computer science, and manufacturing. The Governor previously announced $500,000 in grants for pathways that started this fall. Moving forward, the state plans to provide districts the chance each September to apply for funds to start new pathways in emerging industry sectors. “I applaud the district administrators, teachers, higher education leaders, and employers who have made it a top priority to provide these opportunities to our students,” said Markell. “They have allowed this initiative to expand at an incredible rate, recognizing that these opportunities are vital to give all of our young people the best chance to reach their potential. Working together, we will ensure every student can not only participate but thrive in the job market into which they will graduate.” Grant funds are used by school districts to implement career and technical education programs of study as part of a larger state effort to connect our public education system, post-secondary institutions, and our employer community. Students take hundreds of hours of specialized instruction and hands-on training, receiving the opportunity to graduate with work experience and college credit for courses that are most relevant to those industries. That means they can have a head start on getting a job and earning a degree. Each program was developed in partnership with Delaware employers and institutions of higher education. The Department of Education is providing curriculum support for each pathway as well as training for teachers to successfully implement the coursework. In addition, the Department is working on agreements with Delaware colleges and universities to ensure that students who complete a program will be eligible for college credit at one or more institutions of higher education in the state. The just-announced $600,000 includes some funds to help expand programs already underway this fall. “This program epitomizes the collaboration among teachers, administrators, and the larger education community that is necessary to best support our students,” said Secretary of Education Steven Godowsky. “The Department of Education continues to be committed to partnering with our school leaders and offering our school systems the support they need to effectively implement the rigorous career and technical programs that are a key part of ensuring all students find success after high school.” Districts use funding in a variety of ways to support students and staff, and to provide the services and materials required to offer courses and hands-on training opportunities. “Today’s jobs simply do not look like those of decades past, which are increasingly outsourced to other countries or handled by machines,” said Markell. “However, incredible opportunities exist for those who can use that technology and for those whose abilities fit with the changing needs of growing industries. It’s our responsibility to ensure there are pathways to learning the skills for those jobs.” Quite simply, we focus our core initiatives to address the concerns of the entire business community.
The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is the preeminent statewide business organization promoting a strong business climate in Delaware. We strive to create a statewide economic climate that enables all businesses to become more competitive. Our team consistently meets with Delaware’s Congressional delegation and plays a leading role on issues before the General Assembly. Our Board of Directors, Board of Governors and committee engagement assist in promulgating rules and regulations stemming from the various federal, state and local agencies that oversee business activity. We are proud to be leaders on the policy front. Recent achievements include:
The DSCC is a nonprofit organization. We depend on the support of our members to accomplish our mission. We partner with other advocacy groups and serve as the leading voice of the business community. Our leadership helps create jobs, promote business and improve the quality of life for all Delawareans. Your membership dollars and your support through programs like the Annual Dinner, Superstars in Education, Superstars in Business and our Legislative Brunches allow the State Chamber to be your dedicated voice in Dover. We are proud to advocate on your behalf addressing the challenges of today and exploring the opportunities of tomorrow. The Vision Coalition of Delaware would like to extend a sincere thanks to all who attended the Eighth Annual Conference on Education last week at Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware.
More than 300 policymakers, parents, educators, and community members stopped by to follow-up and discuss Student Success 2025, a 10-year plan for Delaware education released by the coalition last month. Local and national-level experts, alongside hundreds of Delawareans, took part in six unique action groups, which corresponded to the six core areas of Student Success 2025. Participants from each action group worked to develop strategies to implement the recommendations found in the plan. Every voice mattered, and will continue to matter as Delaware pushes on with this work. These conversations were just the beginning, and we need your help to move this vision forward. On Wednesday, over 125 educators, administrators, business and non-profit leaders participated in the Vision Coalition’s Eighth Annual Conference on Education at Clayton Hall at the University of Delaware. The conference focused on how to best implement the recommendations Vision Coalition of Delaware’s Student Success 2025 – a 10-year plan to advance Delaware’s schools and education outcomes. Student Success 2025 is a multi-tiered plan developed through public collaboration and extensive state-wide engagement of community, student, business, nonprofit, and government stakeholders. The Student Success 2025 approach focuses on exploring personalizing learning for more students and improving career prep.
The conference also concentrated on how to address Delaware’s decades-old education funding model to integrate funding for schools that have high concentrations of poverty and provide additional resources for school districts at the state level for English Language Learners. In addition to looking at funding, the conference looked at how to coordinate programs like the Success Pathways and Roads to Careers (SPaRC) initiative (a program spearheaded by United Way and the Delaware Business Roundtable’s Education Committee) with other school to career programs. Integrating programs like SPaRC into the Delaware education system will bring valuable workplace experiences to students in an effort to keep them engaged and to fully prepare them for work at Delaware businesses. by James DeChene
Principal for a Day week at the State Chamber happens every year in Mid-October. Representatives from the business community, including Chamber staff, pick a school to attend for the day in an effort to see how Delaware children are being educated, and to provide a bit of feedback on the latest skills needed and career paths available to graduates. This year Chamber President Rich Heffron chose Archmere Academy and I chose Newark Charter. What we saw gave us hope that Delaware students have access to a quality education, and that opportunity exists in both private and public school settings. At Newark Charter, I toured all three of their buildings, spanning K-11 (12th grade will be added next year). Inside each classroom I saw not just the typical English and Math taught, but just as, if not more importantly, was the teaching of critical thinking—the foundation of why a concept was being applied instead of rote memorization. This approach was used for students across the academic spectrum, from those enrolled with Down’s Syndrome, those with more generic special education needs, all the way through those who will go on to excel at higher education institutions. Interspersed with conversations on the adoption of Common Core and the subsequent Smarter Balanced Assessment, I was given a feel for many of the challenges faced by our educators in ensuring students are learning the necessary skills to become successful as adults and in their careers. Rich Heffron, who has been Principal at schools across the state since the program’s inception in 1993 saw a similar approach this year at Archmere Academy. The Academy’s focus is on making its graduates prepared for college interweaving the Catholic faith as its backbone including a focus on community service. Instead of the Common Core, though teaching critical thinking is an underlying theme as at Newark Charter, the Academy is able to properly prepare its students for life beyond high school. The main obvious difference is that there is a higher parental involvement threshold being met when compared to many of the underperforming schools across the state. Not as prevalent at Newark Charter or at Archmere, but felt there nonetheless, is the transient nature of student populations, the difficulty in teaching kids that are forced to travel substantial distances out of their neighborhood into their assigned school, the difficulty in recruiting and retaining teachers—all have a role in why Delaware’s record on education is poor. Solving these problems is not easy, and not one the Chamber can do alone, but we are committed to participating in the discussion and offering suggestions on how to make sure Delaware students are prepared for their futur |
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