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1/24

We celebrateour social justice heroes

Pages 6-7

School Board electionsreveal need

to investigateBig Money

Page 9

We salute Sandy Meredith,WJBRs Teacherof the Month

Page 18

I N S I D E

Vol. 32, No. 6 THE VOICE OF THE DELAWARE STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION May/June 2012

94 people rappelled 17

stories to raise$125,000 for SpecialOlympics Delaware

Kim Bates and Mike

Hoffmann, members of the

Colonial Paras Assoc.,

joined 94 other crazy people who

rappelled down the T.D. Bank

Building in Wilmington in May, and

paid to do it. Colonial Teacher Erin

Chretien of the Leach School also

faced this dizzying challenge.

By each raising at least $1,000 forSpecial Olympics, they got a once-

in-a-lifetime chance to do this. With

them that day were family, friends

and many of their special-needs

students from the Colonial School

District. Bates works at the Leach

School in New Castle, and

Hoffmann who is also the DSEA

vice president is a special needs

paraprofessional for the Adult

Integration Program at the New

Castle School.

Rappelling 17 storiesnothing like challengesstudents face every day

This fundraising event is tied to

their work, of course, since Special

Olympics Delaware helps their stu-

dents and families directly. Special

Olympics has been an important

part all of our lives, especially for

our son, Justin, says Bates. Not

only has he developed sports skills,

but he has developed independence,

confidence and friendships.

She adds that her students at

Leach face many challenges every

day. I felt that I needed to challenge

myself to honor our students and

my son, Justin.

I truly believe in what Special

Olympics does for kids, affirms

Mike Hoffmann. Especially their

program for athletics. Its first

class. You cant imagine the bene-

fit to kids until you see it for your-

self, Hoffmann adds. Its all aboutworking for our kids, our students.

Last year our whole class attended

this fund-raising event, and I said

Id do it. Kim and I are pledged to

do it next year, too.

The event, called Over the Edge,

is co-sponsored by TD Bank and

Brandywine Realty Trust, and is

also supported by Law Enforcement

for Special Olympics Delaware and

Sheraton Suites - Wilmington.

Bates andHoffmannscaleheights forgood cause

Kim Bates has done lots of crazy things for Special Olympics Delaware but none ascrazy as this: I felt that I needed to challenge myself to honor my students and myson, Justin, who are challenged every day.

Thats Mike Hoffmann on the right, rap-pelling down 17 stories in a successfulfund-raising event for Special OlympicsDelaware. He works with severely handi-capped students at the New CastleSchool, some of whom were on hand tosee him.

To see video andmore photos,go to www.sode.org.
http://www.sode.org/http://www.sode.org/http://www.sode.org/


2/24

This

month we

salute

Shirin

Skovronski, a

school counselor

at Newark High

School. She began in 1989 as a

mathematics teacher.

She is a building representative

and Liaison Committee Chair in

her building. Her union activi-

ties are too numerous to list

here: If the union needs my

support, she says, my execu-

tive board knows that all they

have to do is ask me.

Why are you so involved in

the Association?

Our union is there to protect

us only if we support one anoth-

er in the union, so I make it a

point to make union work a

priority.

2 May/June 2012 DSEAACTION!

How the president sees it

DSEA ACTION! (USPS 010111 ISSN

01995413) is the official publication of

the Delaware State Education

Association.ACTION! is mailed 7 times a year,

(September, October, combined

Nov/Dec issue, February, March/April,

June and July) at DSEA headquarters

located at 136 E. Water St., Dover, DE

19901. Telephone: 302-734-5834, or

toll-free: 1-866-734-5834. Our

Wilmington office may be reached by

calling 302-366-8440. Subscriptions are

included in membership: $2.32 a year

for teachers and $1.19 a year for ESPs.

Subscriptions are $5 per year to those

ineligible for membership. Periodical

postage paid at Dover, DE 19901.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

DSEAACTION!, 136 E. Water St.,

Dover, DE 19901.

President

FREDERIKA JENNER

Vice PresidentMIKE HOFFMANN

TreasurerKAREN CROUSE

NEA Director

MARY JO FAUSTExec. Director

HOWARD WEINBERG

EditorPAMELA T. NICHOLS

Program AssistantSUSAN W. KELLER

Leading the way. . .

www.dsea.org

Frederika JennerPresident

[email protected]

President Jenner reflects on what hasstood out for her the most this year.Stay connected with her at www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com.

There is power in a union.

I believe that professionals

should be involved in their profes-

sional organizations, so I am also

an active member of DSCA

(Delaware School Counselor

Association).

What accomplishments as a

leader are you the most proud

of?

There are times that I have had

to stand up to the administration

in our district to protect the rights

of my teachers, and I feel proud of

that. We all believe that we do the

best job that we can do, and we

want this to be a better world.

By showing such pride in our

profession, we can help our com-

munities understand that we did

not choose this career because we

hoped to make a lot of money, but

because we saw the richness in the

potential of our students.

One schoolyear later

For the first year in forty

years, I did not teach school.

I still identify myself as a

teacher. I could be ready at any

minute to step into a classroom andtake up the reins of teaching again.

However, I sensed that my teaching

career was behind me when I did

not struggle with my colleagues to

prepare final grades and progress

reports last fall. It was always a

challenge for me to pull together all

of the scores and pertinent infor-

mation in order to reach a single

data point that fairly and clearly

represented the academic progress

of other peoples children. Its not

as simple as it may seem from the

outside.

So, in one years time, what

stands out for me?

Union mattersUnus pro omnibus; omnes pro

uno. One for all; all for one.

Millennials deserve ourattention

I was born in 1950. My views of

public education are definitely old

school. My four decades of experi-

ence leave me in a decidedly differ-

ent place than my much younger

colleagues. I am very interested in

what our under-35 educators thinkand have to say. I am dedicated to

reaching out, listening closely, and

creating pathways for them to lead-

ership. Was there a profound differ-

ence in perspectives back in the

70s? Did my senior colleagues do

the same for me?

Labor-management collab-oration can be advanta-geous and worthwhile

However, it must be carefully

managed: partners who are more or

less equal; relationships that arenot hierarchical; decisions which

are built from the ground up, not

handed down; shared interests as

the primary focus; narrow agendas

that are exposed; and everyone has

the option to slow down or step

back when need be. As colleagues

have reminded me, the term collab-

oration has a negative connotation.

While we may choose to collaborate,

I never want DSEA to be seen as a

collaborateurthink Vichy govern-

ment, WWII France.

Some of the currentvernacular makes mecringe

This includes: recruiting the best

and brightest educators; failing

schools; bad teachers. Dont get me

wrong. Improvement is needed. In

some cases, a total overhaul may be

called for. However, we have allowed

national rhetoric and ed reform to

dominate the education conversa-

tion of Delaware for the past six to

eight years. It has reached the point

where too many people are con-

vinced that the only good things

happening in local community pub-

lic schools are the snazzy, unique,

innovative programs that attract

Super Star attention. These deserve

commendation and replication.

Some of my best friends are Super

Stars! However, you and I know that

there are plenty of everyday good

things to be recognized and appreci-

ated. There is not one school in this

entire state that does not have good

thingseven great thingshappen-

ing for kids.

Great schools make greatcommunities

Youd better believe it. This is the

basis of a worthwhile DSEA cam-

paign. I visit an unbridged island in

Maine during the summer. Without

its island school, this place would

be doomed. The school is the life

force of the community. No school?

No families with children. No

young families? No growth.

I have recently heard several edu-

cation leaders in this state refer-

ence school improvement in terms

of STRONGER SCHOOLS. I like

thisa lot. Language matters. This

sounds more supportive, less dis-

paraging, and still conveys the need

to push ahead; to go from strong to

stronger; to go from good to great.

I love this DSEA job. I also love

having the opportunity to share my

observations with DSEA members.

You might want to check out my

blog. Ill continue to comment over

the summer at www.doesexperi

encecount.wordpress.com.

Individual members pledge to sup-

port the group; all members of a

group support each of the individ-

ual membersa simple and ancient

creed.Its easy to become a group mem-

ber. However, it requires something

more essential to act, to take part,

to contribute more to the group

than a membership fee. The more

engaged and active our member-

ship becomes, in each of our locals,

as well as in DSEA, the stronger

and more effective each group will

be. Every single contribution is

worthwhile: every phone call, every

gathering, every committee, every

vote. It all adds up. It all counts.
http://www.dsea.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.doesexperiencecount.wordpress.com/http://www.dsea.org/mailto:[email protected]


3/24

Fan us onFacebook

atwww.facebook.

com/dseafan

Whats hot

May/June 2012 DSEAACTION! 3www.dsea.org

This publication, DSEAACTION!, was recog-nized by the DelawarePress Association, as wasone of our radio ads

In its annual communications

contest, the Delaware PressAssociation awarded DSEA

Dir. of Communications Pam

Nichols with two first place

awards for writing for Editorial

and Continuous Coverage; a sec-

ond place in

Photography/Photographer-

Writer; a third place for writing

for news reporting; and in

Radio/TV Advertising, she

received an Honorable Mention

for a radio spot called

We welcome Jackie

Hilderbrand Kook (pro-

nounced cook) to the

DSEA Exec. Board, serving out a

term which expires August 31, 2013.

(DSEA Exec. Board terms are nor-

mally two years in length.)These high schools have

received grants to boosttheir athletics programs,

thanks to the California Casualty

Thomas R. Brown Athletics

Grant initiative. They join 57 other

high schools from across the coun-

try sharing a $75,000 grants pool for

struggling athletics programs.

Laurel High School, which has

no budget for sports this year, will

use its grants to help purchase jer-

seys for its girls softball team. Jodi

Green, a teacher at No. Laurel

Elementary School and the teams

coach, was awarded the grant by a

representative of California

Casualty at the schools athletics

banquet June 5.

Similarly, Seaford Senior High

School has witnessed severe budget

cuts to its sports programs. With a

75 percent poverty rate, most

Seaford student athletes arent able

DSEA honored with communications awards

Partnerships, which airs on

WJBR 99.5 FM about DSEAs spon-

sorship of their Teacher of the

Month recognition program.

The first place award entries go on

to compete in the national contest

sponsored by the National

Federation of Press Women this fall.

Laurel and Seaford High Schools win$1,000 grants for budget-strappedathletic programs

to purchase uniforms or equipment

on their own. The school will use

its grant to purchase new girdles

and practice pants for the football

program.

DSEA has endorsed NEAs A Plus

Auto and Home Insurance pro-

gram. It is issued by California

Casualty Insurance Company

which serves over 100 educator and

public safety associations in over 30

states. Casualty is a 98-year-old

company providing auto and home

insurance products, and others, to

educators, law enforcement officers,

fire fighters and nurses in 44 states.

To speak with an insurance coun-

selor, call toll-free 1-877-776-1043 or

1-800-964-3903 ext. 5989, or visit their

website. Learn more atwww.

calcas.com.

Jackie Kook, an agriscience teacher atNewark High, is Communications Chairfor Christina E.A.

Christina teacher joinsDSEA Exec. Board

To see WhosWho at DSEA -leaders andstaff - use your

Smart Phone totake a photo ofthis QR Code.

Kook is an AgriScience teacher at

Newark High School in the

Christina School District, a position

she has held for 11 years. She is a

building representative for CEA

there; has attended several DSEA

Rep. Assemblies as a CEA delegate;

attended two NEA leadership con-

ferences; and plans to attend the

NEA Representative Assembly this

summer in Washington, D.C.

She is also currently the commu-

nications chair for her local, a posi-

tion she has held since 2008.

To see a list of DSEA Exec. Board

members, local officers and DSEA

staff, check out www.dsea.org/

AboutDSEA/WhosWho.html.

Summer hours begin week of June 11

Both DSEA offices will be closed on Fridays beginning

Friday, June 15 through Friday, August 10. So, ifyou want to purchase discount movie theatre tickets,

you can do so at either office, Monday through Thursday,8am to 4:30pm.

Hoffmanns selection was justannounced. In addition to

her many accomplish-

ments, she has been an Association

Rep. at Simpson E.S. in Caesar

Rodney.

She and Peggy McKibbon of

Postlethwait M.S. received a $5,000

grant from the NEA Foundation in

2009 to allow all Delaware school

nurses to receive the most current

training in diabetes management

for school-age children.

Gary Zoll, president of the Seaford Education Association and a social studiesteacher at the high school, made the grant application as assistant coach of theteam. To the left is Artie Uhlrich, athletic director. To the far right is Amy Grosso,regional supervisor for California Casualty.

Congratulations to SusanHoffmann, Delaware School

Nurse of the Year 2013
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4/24

We must help our countryuphold teaching as a professionthat is respected, lifted up and

inspiring to young people.

Meet Mark Murphy, new Secretary of Education

4 May/June 2012 DSEAACTION! www.dsea.org

MarkMurphysquares offwith localleadersSo far, so good. But iswhat you see, what youget? How hard will it beto overcome his limitedexperience?

Following a recent conversa-

tion, local Association lead-

ers were pleased with what

the incoming Sec. of Education

Mark Murphy was saying, his

answers and responses to their

questions and concerns.

Though his comments were some-

what general, they did reveal

insights into his values and what he

believes about teaching, learning,

the profession, testing, accountabil-

ity, and the public school system as

a whole.

DSEA arranged with Jennifer

Ranji, the Governors education

advisor, for Mark Murphy, age 36, to

meet with a few local Association

officers and some DSEA staff the

day before his Senate confirmation.

President Jenner invited officers

and three E.A. presidents from each

county. Attending were: Karen

Mark Murphy understands the power ofthe educator: The most powerfulgrowth of children happens with theprofessional growth of the adults. Weneed to tap into your experience andknowledge. Thats the only way tomprove schools.

Vicky Seifred, a social studies teacher at H.B. duPont Middle School in Red Clay andmember of the DSEA Exec. Board, expresses the frustration many feel today thatevery decision comes from above, with no respect for the professionals in the class-room. Nothing positive will happen, Murphy says, without shared understandingand ownership of what we are trying to achieve together. We need to build aprocess that taps into the wisdom of all of you.

Crouse (Lake Forest), David

Davis (Christina), David Wright

(Appoquinimink), Vicky Seifred

(Red Clay), and Dawn Dehel

(Milford).

From a different generation

(Generation X) than the majority of

Delawares teachers who are Baby

Boomers, Murphy like many inhis generation has not stayed in

any one position very long.

Always in education, his tenure

as a teacher, principal, and profes-

sional development leader makes

his resume look short. Everyone

agrees hes smart. But does he have

the experience to tackle the chal-

lenges ahead? He has no upper

management experience, and only

two years of classroom experience.

Will he find the right people who

can support his vision, while filling

in the blanks where needed withexperience and expertise?

Its critical to value thepeople

During the conversation, it

become evident right away that his

passion is in developing and sup-

porting strong school leaders,

understanding that the positive

operation of a school depends on

the leaders.

He also values the expertise of

educators: He has a history of

When people have a chance to

reclaim their school, and really own

it, you can shift cultures and have

great success, he adds. Its what I

call a constructionist approach -

building it together.

DSEA President Frederika

Jenner expressed her desire that

the profession develop teacher lead-

ers who dont have to leave the

classroom. Murphy talked about

creating some kind of career ladder

using their knowledge and experi-

ence so that, as a group, they find

solutions for their schools.

Referring to his work with the

Vision Network Schools in

Delaware, he says, Its never about

my ideas, its about theirs, which,

he adds, is the only way to be suc-

cessful in helping improve a school.

Along the way he has worked in a

residential treatment center, and

experienced various school cul-

tures, so he appreciates the com-

plexities and challenges and the

power of teachers. Thats when he

also learned the importance of the

principals role.

that would honor and reward mas-

ter teachers. When Jenner men-

tioned that leaders dont emerge

because of extra incentive dollars

but rather from intrinsic rewards,

Murphy agreed: Adults are moti-

vated by autonomy, mastery and

sense of purpose, he said.
http://www.dsea.org/http://www.dsea.org/


5/24

Young, bold, ready to act


Teaching time vs. testingtime

Murphy acknowledged that in his

work with the 26 Network schools,

he hears that everyone, including

principals, is struggling with over-

testing, burdensome paperwork and

capacity issues in general. We

need a structure to evaluate the

quality and usefulness of what we

do to lead to a better system to

improve student achievement.

Initiatives, he adds, dont have to

go on forever.

As for testing, he said, I value

growth, not labels. Society is for-

getting, added Dawn Dehel of

Milford, that students are more

than numbers. We have a hyper-

focus on the test.

Teaching must once againbe inspiring to young peo-ple

He acknowledged that he hasnt

been involved with DPASII, but did

say that at the core of the role of

the teacher is the development of

the talents of students, both hard

and soft skills, to help them be

ready for college and/or the work-

place. Im committed to figuring

out the how- how to embed stu-

dent achievement into DPASII.

Mark MurphysVitae

During the last two years he

has been executive direc-

tor of the Vision Network,

which are the 26 Vision 2015

schools. In that capacity, he

worked regularly with them to

build teacher capacity and

improve student performance.

Under his guidance the staff in

this network of schools also talked

to each other, and designed and

implemented workshops together.

He also worked this year with

the Department of Education and

staff and leaders throughout the

State to implement the States

Common Core standards initia-

tive, facilitating a group of peoplefrom the districts and DSEA to

make recommendations about that

work to the Sec. of Education.

Murphy began his career in the

classroom, as a teacher for three

years at a high-poverty Title I

school in Maryland, where he

served on the leadership teams

that guided the school to Blue

Ribbon Status and National Title I

Distinguished School status. He

taught physical education, third

grade and special education.

He then served as an assistantprincipal for two years at an ele-

mentary school before becoming

principal of George Washington, a

position he held for four years.

Murphy then was asked to be

executive director of Leadership

Development at New Leaders for

New Schools, a national non-profit.

He worked there for two years,

redesigning their training for prin-

cipals. He also trained over 500

school leaders and staff, working

with approximately 100 schools,

and three large urban districts.

He has a bachelor of science

degree in physical education from

the State University of New York

and a master of education degree

in School Leadership from the

College of Notre Dame in

Maryland.

He lives in Wilmington with his

wife, son and daughter. Both son

and daughter attend Red Clay

schools: Highlands E.S. and the

Conrad Schools of Science, which

is a magnet high school.

Milford E.A. Co-President Dawn Dehel talks to Murphy about the fall-out of high-stakes testing: that students are valued as just test numbers; the pressure to narrowthe curriculum so that other subjects, and therefore student growth suffer; andbuilding staff more divided instead of united to work together.

Red Clays Vicky Seifred

brought up the subject of the

diminishment of the teaching pro-

fession, to which the other DSEA

leaders agreed. Murphy was quick

to say that he and other leaders

must help our country uphold

teaching as a profession that is

honorable, respected, lifted up and

inspiring to young people. This is

critical to the future of teaching.

What does teaching look like to

high school students today? We

have to work hard to change that

image. We need to build the respect

for the skills necessary to be a great

teacher: curriculum, pedagogy and

leadership.

He added that his interest in

career ladders comes from the

notion that teachers should be

rewarded with additional chal-

lenges and honored for their

results. High school students

thinking about careers dont see

that when they think of teaching.

Milfords Dawn Dehel added

what many believe: that high-stakes

testing narrows the curriculum

and divides school staffs. Non-

DCAS teachers think they are no

longer important; and DCAS teach-

ers think the weight of the world is

on their shoulders. It affects the

morale and cohesiveness of the

staff. Which is the reverse of what

we want in schools. Murphy

agreed, Narrowing the curriculum

is not a long-term plan for success.

David Davis, a teacher at Newark

High School and president of the

Christina E.A., told Murphy, Were

the whipping boys for the ills of

society. He asked Murphy about

his thoughts on charter schools,given the problems some districts

have had because of skimming,

lack of diversity, and re-segregation

in some charter schools. Murphy

was clear that we need to look at

charters and their role, including

how they are authorized, support-

ed, launched, and renewed.

And, we need to build a system of

schools where every child goes to a

great school, Murphy said. Thats

a deep value of mine.

Our rhetoric mattersThe conversation ended with an

interesting twist: when agreeing

that he wants to continue collabo-

rating with DSEA leaders and mem-

bers, Murphy harkened back to the

discussion about recreating the pro-

fession. The way we communi-

cate, he said, is very important,

what and how as well as the rheto-

ric. From the words we use to the

way we behave, we need to pay

attention to all of it, to how we for-

mulate messages, making sure they

are backed up by clear goals and

values which are reflected in how

we go about our work.


6/24

We are one. We are many.


We remembered giants like

Louis Redding and

Littleton Mitchell. We

remembered all those people that

DSEA has honored over the past 27years, some who are legends, like

Sen. Herman Holloway, Sr., and

others - just as important - whose

names may be unfamiliar, like our

own Amy Reed, Norman Poole and

Joel Glazier, who are heroes

nonetheless.

This year, under the direction of

its Human and Civil Rights Task

Force, DSEA honored two people as

recipients of DSEAs Human and

Civil Rights Award for a lifetime of

work helping people achieve their

potential:The Rev. John G. Moore, Sr. of

Dover, sr. vice president of the

United Way and youth pastor at

Cavalry Baptist Church, and Jessie

Chen, a reading specialist at

Lombardy Elementary School in

Brandywine.

John Moore is vice president of

Resource Development and

Strategic Partnerships for the

United Way of Delaware. He is also

senior youth pastor at the Cavalry

Baptist Church in Dover. By telling

the story of his own path frompoverty, he has helped hundreds of

young people find hope in their

often desperate lives. Moore often

does several assemblies in a day in

schools, detention centers and pris-

ons. He is also sought-after to deliv-

er Martin Luther King, Jr. speech-

es, also to remember this American

icon. He has devoted his lifes work

to telling his story where there iseven one person who believes there

is no path forward. Like Martin

Luther King, Jr., he tries to inspire

hope in people who feel hopeless.

Jessie Chen was nominated by

the Delaware Chinese American

Association for her selfless volun-

teer work helping Chinese and

Chinese-American families with

school-related questions and issues.

She gives seminars to newly-immi-

grated families to explain school

policies, rules, how to become

involved, and the importance ofvoting in school board elections and

referenda. She also translates for

families during school conferences,

and described as a hero in the

Chinese-American community.

In addition to family and friends,

on hand to honor these giants and

our talented students were several

dignitaries: Gov. Jack Markell, Lt.

Gov. Matt Denn, State Auditor Tom

Wagner, Carleton E. Carey, Sr.,

mayor of Dover and Denise Mayles

from the Insurance Commissioners

Office. Also present were severalschool principals, Merv Dougherty,

superintendent of Red Clay, and

Matt Burrows, superintendent of

the Appoquinimink School District.

We celebrate our heroes, past,present and future

This years Human and Civil Rights Awardees are the Rev. John G. Moore, Sr. , whospends countless hours in schools giving students hope and inspiration with hisstory; and Jessie Chen, a reading specialist at Lombardy E.S. in Brandywine and heron the Chinese-American community.

They all haddreams and sodo We was

conceived bystudents at theKent CommunitySchool and tiedfor third place inthe Grades 9-12Art Contest.

Carleton Carey, major of Dover, whocame to honor his friend John Moore,meets DSEA President Frederika Jenner.

Gov. Jack Markell stops by for afew minutes to congratulateJessie Chen and John Moore,and to admire the student art-work on display.

Emma Polite, a 9th graderat Lake Forest H.S., placedsecond in the High Schooldivision of the Art Contestwith this pen and ink draw-ing of Martin Luther King,Jr. embracing theWashington Monument.


7/24

Human and Civil Rights Awards


The Milford High School Jazz Band plays great swing music during the reception.

Computer Graphic Art 3rd Place, K-4Elexis Moore and Paige Dutton

Grade 3, Lake Forest North E.S., Lake ForestTeacher/advisor: Pablo Reyes, Jr.Awarding the plaques is HCR Banquet and Contest Chair Denise Waples, ateacher at Banneker E.S. in Milford.

Computer Graphic Art 2nd Place, 5-8Janeise Drayton

Grade 8, Seaford M.S., SeafordTeacher/advisor: Beth Kopicki

Computer Graphic Art 1st Place, 9-12Melody Lugo

Grade 12, Lake Forest H.S., LakeForestTeacher/advisor: Amy Reed

Computer Graphic Art 2nd Place, 9-12Courtney Pierce

Grade 12, Lake Forest H.S., LakeForestTeacher/advisor: Amy Reed

Computer Graphic Art 1st Place, 5-8Jessica Savage

Grade 6, Seaford M.S., SeafordTeacher/advisor: Beth Kopicki

Computer Graphic Art 1st Place, K-4Thurgood Marshall Classroom 25

Grade 2, Thurgood Marshall E.S.,ChristinaTeacher/advisor: Claudia Martin

Computer Graphic Art 3rd Place, 9-12Antwone Johnson

Grade 12, Lake Forest H.S., LakeForest

Teacher/advisor: Amy Reed

Computer Graphic Art 2nd Place, K-4Jasmine Whitley

Grade 2, Lake Forest North E.S.Lake ForestTeacher/advisor: Pablo Reyes, Jr.

Computer Graphics Winners

Unable to attend was MatthewCook, a 6th grader at SeafordMiddle School (teacher BethKopicki), whose entry placed thirdin the Computer GraphicsContest, grades 5-8.

Students submitted original Powerpoint presentations on the topic, We are one. We are many.

Human & Civil Rights

Celebration Task Force

Denise Waples, chair, MilfordEducation Assoc.

Beth Kopicki, Seaford EducationAssoc.

Joyce Morton-Elzie, CapitalEducators Assoc.

Maria Ruffin, CapitalParaprofessionals Assoc.

Geraldine Thomas, CapitalParaprofessional Assoc.

Jocelynne Jones, DSEA StaffLiaison

Carol Zeisler, DSEA ProgramAssistant

To see and print out more photos,go to www.flickr.com/photos/dsea.
http://www.dsea.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dseahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dseahttp://www.dsea.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsea


8/24

Art and Writing Contest Winners


Art 3rd Place, K-4Ashlyn CalvelloGrade 3, Lake Forest North E.S.Lake ForestTeacher/advisor: Todd Weller

Art 1st Place, 5-8Kyle SpillaneGrade 6, Chipman M.S., Lake ForestTeacher/advisor: Amy Reed

Writing 3rd place, 5-8Advaitha AnneGrade 7, Cab Calloway School of theArts, Red ClayTeacher/advisor: Margaret Donohoe

Writing 2nd place, 5-8Chris-Tina CollinsGrade 8, A.I. duPont M.S., Red ClayTeacher/advisor: Phyllis Horisk

Writing 1st place, 5-8Rachel LooneyGrade 8, A.I. duPont M.S., Red ClayTeacher/advisor: Phyllis Horisk

Writing 3rd Place, 9-12Aaron SchillingGrade 11, John Dickinson H.S., Red ClayTeacher/advisor: Kristin Zerbe

Writing 1st Place, 9-12Britney FontesGrade 11, John Dickinson H.S., Red ClayTeacher/advisor: Kristin Zerbe

Writing 2nd Place, 9-12Kennesia LloydGrade 11, John Dickinson H.S., Red ClayTeacher/advisor: Kristin ZerbeZerbe has had winners every year since

the contest began 14 years ago.

Art 3rd Place (Tie), 9-12Megan KellyGrade 9, Middletown H.S.,AppoquiniminkTeacher/advisor: Brian Miller

Art 1st Place, 9-12Eralease DavilaGrade 9, Lake Forest H.S., Lake ForestTeacher/advisor: Amy Reed

Art 3rd Place (Tie), 9-12Kent County Community School/DHSGrades 9-11Teacher/advisor: Kevin Lain/April BracyRepresenting the class are (left) TristonWebb and Ashley Berry.

Art 2nd Place, 9-12Emma PoliteGrade 9, Lake Forest H.S., Lake ForestTeacher/advisor: Amy Reed

Art 2nd place,K-4WestonWilliamsGrade 1, LakeForest East E.S.Teacher/advisor:Deborah Pope

Claudia Martins second grade class at Thurgood Marshall E.S. in Christina won 1stprize in both the K-4 art and computer graphics contests.


9/24

Our community interest


When you start looking underall the proverbial stones,

connections emerge.

Perhaps it was the perfect

storm:

Newark Charter School apply-

ing for a waiver to be able to double

its size, build a new 1200-student

high school, and threaten the viabil-

ity of Newark H.S. since its stu-

dents come solely from that samefeeder pattern/geographic area.

Following the uproar from both

sides of this issue - by the Newark

community, House Education

Comm. Chair Terry Schooley calls

for a hearing on charter schools

no specific bills so that the public

could come and let the legislators

know their opinions about charter

schools.

School board elections, where

candidate mailings that came from

a business-related entity a501(c)(4) social purpose organiza-

tion Voices 4 Delaware Education

Action Fund, Inc. founded by peo-

ple with ties to the Wilmington cor-

porate business community, which

took advantage of a legal loophole

and did not disclose to voters its

funding sources and list of expendi-

tures to voters. We protested the

mailings, as did Rep. John Kowalko

(D-Newark), protested these mail-

ings and phone calls to the Dept. of

Elections.

At about the same time, Speaker

of the House Bob Gilligan (D-

Sherwood Park) and Senate

President Anthony DeLuca (D-

Newark) introduced a bill, House

Bill 300, closing that loophole

and requiring in all future elections

that expenditures by groups such as

Voices be filed in a timely manner.

More dots to connect

There also was a request for gen-erous donations from the 1,000

audience members at the State

Chamber of Commerce dinner in

early January during a keynote

speech by Skip Schoenhals, former

CEO of WSFS and former head of

Vision 2015 (funded in large part by

the Rodel Foundation). He urged

them to get involved in school

board races and elect strong new

members.

This speech was given major

space that same week on the edito-

rial page of the News Journal.

Following in April was a

fundraising appeal from

Schoenhals via an e-mail to hun-

dreds of his colleagues and State

Chamber members. Their contri-

butions were urged for specific can-

didates whose names and addresses

were provided, people who

deserved their support in each of

four races (in Red Clay, Christina,

Appoquinimink, and Indian River

School Districts). There was no

indication of where candidates

Connecting the dots between corporate business and

education reform groupsstood on issues or if all candidates

had been interviewed. Just give,

and give generously.

In fact, the candidates he was

endorsing were not the ones our

interview committees had chosen

except in Indian River. We do know

that the candidates credentials

include: important positions in the

Republican Party; involvement with

Vision 2015; graduates of private

schools; or children in charter

schools.

In early April Red Clay residents

were called with a push poll. This

is polling where questions are

phrased in such a way as to change

your mind. If you said you worked

in a public school, by the way, the

pollster hung up.

And then a few days before the

school board elections, there were

live Get-Out-The-Vote calls, not

from the candidates volunteers, but

from a professional call center out-

side of Delaware.

Meanwhile, Voices 4 Delaware

Education Action Fund, Inc., had

amassed sufficient anonymously -

contributed money to support three

of the four same candidates (not the

candidate in Indian River) men-

tioned in the Schoenhals fundrais-

ing letter with:

Push Polling whereby voters

are called and read negative mes-

sages about the candidates against

whom the Voices candidates were

running while trying to make the

respondent think that it is a legiti-

mate public opinion call.

Numerous direct mail pieces that

portrayed the preferred candidates

of Voices as supportive of school

choice and other reform ideas.

Live phone calls urging voters to

get out and support the Voices can-

didate in the five days prior to the

election.

In contrast, when DSEAs PAC

mails to voters, it always indicates

the name of our PAC and its treas-

urer, and files the spending report

with the Dept. of Elections, within

24 hours after making the expendi-

ture. There is nothing in current

Delaware Code requiring this time-

ly filing, but DSEA decided over

five years ago to comport itself in

such a transparent manner.

Voices still silentMeanwhile, in the month since

the school board elections and

despite calls for transparency, the

Voices organizations have remained

silent:

No one knows who contributed to

either of the two Voices organiza-

tions, nor the amounts of their con-

tributions.

No one knows the vendors to

which Voices paid for its campaign

activities nor the amount that was

spent with each of them.

Building rela-tionships withlegislators

A

t DSEAs Annual Legislative

Reception, local association

leaders take advantage of

an opportunity to talk one-on-one

with many legislators.

This years event, held at Dover

Downs, attracted 27 legislators, plus

State Treasurer Chip Flowers and

State Auditor Tom Wagner; 34

DSEA members; and 11 other lobby-

ists, including members of the

Coalition of State Workers United

for a Better Delaware.

Rep. Stephanie Bolden and ChristinaPara Albert Deschamps know each otherfrom when they both worked in thesame schools in Christina.Discussing teacher and student accountability, specifically the problems with the stu-

dent testing system, are (from left) Jim Testerman (DSEA-Retired), Rep. Joe Miro,Mike Matthews (Red Clay E.A.), and Shirin Skovronski (Christina E.A.).


10/24

Component V Overview

Teacher Name: Mrs. Smith Grade: 6 Subject: ELA

Summative Rating Based on Components I-IV: Effective

Component V Rating: Exceeds

Summative Rating Including Component V: Highly Effective

The Component V rating is based on student performance on DCAS only, during this pilot year. Note that

only DCAS subject teachers are eligible for the Highly Ef fective summative rating during the 2011-12 school

year.

Detail:

Student

ID

SWD

Status

ELL

Status

Subject Fall Score

(Actual)

Spring Score

(Target)*

Spring

Score

(Actual)

Target Met

1 No No ELA 390 470 480 MET

2 No No ELA 432 507 535 MET

3 No No ELA 518 581 524 NOT MET

4 Yes No ELA 553 612 660 MET

5 No Yes ELA 579 634 500 NOT MET

6 No No ELA 604 656 680 MET

7 Yes No ELA 670 713 740 MET

8 Yes No ELA 707 745 760 MET


10 No Yes ELA 833 854 890 MET

Total Number of Targets Met 7

Total Number of Targets 10

Percent of Student Growth Targets Met 70%

*Based on the average growth made by students over two years of DCAS (2010-11 and 2011-12), who had

the same fall DCAS score, the same SWD or ELL designation (S WD, ELL, or non-SWD/ELL), and were in the

same grade and subject.

Teacher Accountability - DPAS II-Revised


Recently incoming Sec. ofEducation Mark Murphyand outgoing Sec. ofEducation Lillian Lowery

e-mailed news about howComponent 5 of the eval-uation system will beimplemented this current2011-2012 school year.

The biggest new information

was about how the rating

will be calculated for the

states approximately 3,000 DCAS

teachers (grades 3-10, English

Language Arts and/or

Mathematics):

Only DCAS teachers willreceive Component 5 datafor this year

Only if this data, combined with

the results of their Components 1-4,

show sufficient growth will these

teachers then be eligible for a

Highly Effective summative rating

for this year.

A subset of these teachers will be

eligible for a $10,000 retention

payment next year. See related

story on next page.

For DCAS educators, whatsenough student growth?

Only teachers of DCAS-tested

subjects will receive Component 5

data for this year (similar to the

chart here), based on all of their

students performance on DCAS

(not just a cohort, as was proposed

earlier). DoE expects this data to

be available to teachers by July

31 via the Identity Management

System (IMS).

To determine what the student

growth targets will be, DoE willaverage the growth from last years

scores (2010-2011) and this years

scores (2011-2012) for each grade

and subject. They will do this for

every student who took the tests.

They will use those growth scores

to calculate the average growth,

which will then be the student

target.

Growth designations for

Students with Disabilities (SWD)

and English Language Learners

will be calculated separately, in thesame way, so that these students

growth rates will be based on com-

parable students. This gets clearer

when you look at the chart on page

11.

Using the growth targets, you will

be able to see if your students met

those targets by comparing their

final spring score with the target

score.

What about students withpoor attendance?

As currently exists in statute, stu-dents with more than a 15% absen-

tee rate will not be included in

teacher performance calculations.

What if my data doesntlook right?

This is a legitimate concern.

There must be a way in future

years for teachers to appeal the

results.

In addition, as we know too well,

adverse testing conditions and non-

committal students for whom the

test has no value are a problemwhen youre tying their results to a

high-stakes accountability system

for educators.

What if I teach bothEnglish Language Arts andMathematics? Which scoresdo I use?

Both. You cant choose one or the

other, as had been proposed earlier

this year.

If you have 25 students for each

test for example, then you will use

all 50 spring scores to calculatewhether or not at least 65% of those

students met their growth targets.

See chart on page 11.

Component 5: more details decided for this year

Sample data for class where 70% of ELAstudents meet their growth targets

70%

How many students needto make their growth tar-gets for me to be HighlyEffective?

If 65% of a teachers students

meet their growth targets for thisyear, that teacher will receive a

Component 5 rating of Exceeds

and a summative rating of Highly

Effective if at least three of

Components 1-4 are all Effective.

And, as mentioned above, a subset

of those educators may be eligible

for a $10,000 retention incentive

next year.

If less than 65% of a teachers stu-

dents meet their growth targets for

this year, their Summative Rating

for this year will only be based on

Components 1-4.

For non-DCASeducators, noComponent 5

this year

For this school year, 2011-

2012, summative ratings

for non-DCAS educators

will be determined without the

use of Component 5.

Using Components 1-4 only,

then, summative ratings will be

determined as follows:

0 to 1 satisfactory components =

Ineffective summative rating

2 satisfactory components =

Needs Improvement summative

rating

3 or 4 satisfactory components =

Effective summative rating

The Dept. ofEducation plans tosend out a furtherupdate onComponent 5 for

2011-12 by June 30.


11/24

Teacher Accountability - DPAS II-Revised


year above grade level and one year

below grade level. Students that

excel two years above their grade

level, and students who make much

progress, but are still two grades

below, will not show progress. This

problem can only be solved with

more test items, which means more

money. Given this limitation, whom

a teacher gets in his/her classroom

does really matter. This also begs

the question: If we cant afford a

student testing system that will

reliably assess student progress,

then why do it?

Several schools experienced

serious technical issues in admin-

istering the test. In addition, many

schools had to delay their adminis-

tration.

Educators report students who

blow off the test, filling in any

answer, since its results mean noth-

ing to them and are not tied to

grades or graduation. How can you

hold a teacher accountable for those

results?

The new student tests currently

being developed by the Work

Groups for other academic subjects

beyond Reading and Mathematics

(multiple measures) are just that,

tests. We need project-basedassessments as well to reflect

how teachers teach and students

learn in todays classrooms.

In addition, these multiple meas-

ure tests are not computer-adap-

What about next year?The DoE plan still calls for alleducator summative ratings tobe based on Components 1-5beginning next year.

For teachers in DCAS-tested

subjects, DCAS will accountfor 50% of Component 5 (20%

of overall rating, though

Component 5 is still the determin-

ing factor for a rating of Highly

Effective).

For all others, Component 5 will

be based on multiple measures of

student growth and/or performance

indicators.

Details about how Component 5

ratings will be calculated next year,

given the addition of multiple

measures and performance indica-

tors, will be developed over the

summer. This information will be

made available to all educators

by July 31.

But is DCAS valid, reliable?Using the student DCAS tests for

educator accountability assumes

that the test results are reliable,

tied to curricula, and reflect stu-

dent progress, and are, therefore,

valid.

Thats a difficult assumption to

accept, given that:

The floor and ceiling issue is

not resolved. What was promised

was a DCAS system that would

show progress for all students.

DCAS, however, only allows for one

On May 11 the DelawareDelaware Department ofEducation announced 30schools whose educatorsmay be eligible to participatein the states $10,000 reten-tion initiative.

District and charter school

leadership have been

asked to decide if their eli-

gible buildings will participate. If

they opt to do so, highly-effective

principals, assistant principals

and teachers would be eligible for

a financial incentive of $10,000,

funded by part of the states feder-

al Race to the Top grant.

Selected educators must com-

mit to remain in their respective

schools for at least two additional

years as part of the program. The

financial reward will be linked to

that commitment.

The eligible schools are:

Brandywine School Districts

Harlan Elementary

Christinas Bancroft, Elbert-

Palmer, Oberle, Pulaski and Stubbs

elementary schools; Bayard Middle;

and Glasgow High.

Capitals Dover High

Indian Rivers John Clayton

Elementary

Red Clays Highlands, Lewis Dual

Language, Marbrook, Mote,

Shortlidge and Warner elementary

schools; and Stanton and A.I.

duPont middle schools.

Component V Overview

Teacher Name: Mr. Thomas Grade: 4 Subject: ELA & Math

Summative Rating Based on Components I-IV: Effective

Detail:

Student

ID

SWD

Status

ELL

Status

Subject Fall Score

(Actual)

Spring Score

(Target)*

Spring

Score

(Actual)

Target Met




4 No No ELA 616 674 700 MET


6 No Yes ELA 662 708 581 NOT MET




10 No No ELA 718 754 769 MET

1 No No Math 671 730 673 NOT MET2 No No Math 674 733 804 MET

3 Yes No Math 677 736 552 NOT MET

4 No No Math 685 744 693 NOT MET


6 Yes No Math 720 778 764 NOT MET


8 No No Math 727 785 793 MET

9 No Yes Math 750 808 746 NOT MET


Total Number of Targets Met 4

Total Number of Targets 20

Percent of Student Growth Targets Met 20%

*Based on the average growth made by students over the first two years of DCAS (2010-11 and 2011-12),

who had the same fall DCAS score, the same SWD or ELL designation (SWD, ELL, or non-SWD/ELL), and

were in the same grade and subject.

Schools eligible for retention incentives announced but given option not to participate

Sample data for class where 20% of ELA and Mathstudents meet their growth targets

20%

tive, so that a growth score will not

be able to be determined!

DSEA leadership and staff contin-

ue to meet often to discuss these

issues, ask these questions, and are

hopeful they can be resolved.

Another wrinkle, of course, is

that the Common Core curricula

for English Language Arts and

Mathematics are to be integrated

into Delawares K-12 curricula

beginning in 2014 when a new stu-

dent testing system is to be imple-

mented at the same time!

New Castle County Vo-Techs

Howard High School of Technology

Laurels Laurel Middle School.

Seafords West Seaford Elementary

Charter schools: Academy ofDover, Delaware College Prepatory,

EastSide, Edison, Family

Foundations, Kuumba, Moyer,

Positive Outcomes and Prestige

Academy.

How were schools chosen?The Delaware Department of

Education chose schools, with more

than 100 students and DCAS-tested

grade levels, based upon:

A schools inclusion in the states

Partnership Zone

Schools appearance in the Top

15 on at least two of the following

three statewide categories, exclud-

ing Partnership Zone schools:

highest percentages of minority

students, highest percentages ofstudents on free- and reduced-

price lunches, and highest per-

centages of English language

learners.

A school with 85 percent of stu-

dents in any one of those three

categories that has not already

been selected.

The names of the school dis-

tricts choosing to participate had

not been released at press time.


12/24

On hand were many generous

vendors and organizations provid-

ing information and give-aways to

delegates and their guests.

American Cancer SocietyAXA AdvisorsBJ's Wholesale ClubChristy ShafferDelaware Staff OrganizationDECET/ThinkfinityDelmarva ShorebirdsDrexel UniversityDSEA-Retired

Educators SourceHCR & EMAC TF

Celebrating leadership


Joan Robinson Education Support Person of the Year

The HonorableChristopher A. Coons

U.S. Senator

For photos, go towww.flickr.com/

photos/dsea.

Each year, we hold a

Celebration of Leadership

Dinner the evening before

the Representative Assembly. It

gives Rep. Assembly delegates a

chance to reflect on the core values

of the Association and all of the

people whose lives are a testament

to those important values.

Approximately 200 people attend-

ed this years Celebration Dinner at

Dover Downs Conference Center

including U.S. Senators Chris

The challenges you face I carry withme every day, Chris Coons tells atten-

dees. As I work with members on theSenate Budget Comm., I think, how willthis affect your ability to move the nextgeneration forward?

Bev and Dave GreginoOwners of the Texas Roadhouse New Castle

Community Partner Award

Rosemary Aument, Colonial Para (right), presents DSEAs Community Partner Awardto Bev and Dave Gregino who help Colonial students learn to become self-reliant,productive workers.

Kim Bates (right), vice president of the Colonial Paras Assoc., has the honor of pre-senting the DSEA ESP of the Year Award to her friend and colleague, JoanRobinson.

Since his election in 2010, U.S.

Senator Coons has been

devoted to the progress of

public education and social justice.

Sen. Coons told the group that the

reauthorization of the federal educa-

tion act, ESEA (nicknamed No Child

Left Behind) has come to a screech-

ing halt, for many reasons. I keep

reminding myself that I work for

you, in a state that is functioning,

that believes in collective bargain-

ing. He said he tries to focus onhow best to sustain an appropriate

federal role in education.For the past six years, Bev and

Dave Gregino have been wel-coming the students of

William Penn High Schools Adult

Integration Program into their

Texas Roadhouse restaurant.

The students of the Adult

Integration program range from 18-

21 years of age and are living with

cognitive and/or physical disabili-

ties.

The Greginos help the students

become independent individuals by

allowing them to learn job skills

that they can use after they leave

public education.

The Greginos teach basic employ-

ment and social skills while simul-taneously inspiring confidence in

the students. They take their com-

mitment to the community very

seriously and live up to their repu-

tation as a family restaurant.

Four years ago they hired a student

who had begun working there as

part of the Adult Integration

Program. He is now a full-time

employee.

We honor our champions,partners, leaders

Coons and Tom Carper, who came

for the reception; Lt. Gov. Matt

Denn; State Auditor Tom Wagner;

State Rep. Michael Barbieri, Earl

Jaques, John Kowalko, State Sen.Dave Sokola and Brian Bushweller;

State Insurance Commissioner

Karen Weldin-Stewart; Deputy Sec.

of Education Dan Cruce; and DSEA

Past-President Diane Donohue.

We give special thanks to:

Kades Margolis Corporation for

sponsoring the welcome reception;

Diana Ware, retired member for

providing piano music during the

reception; and The Stecher

Financial Group for sponsoring the

after-dinner social and dance.

Joan Robinson is a Highly

Qualified unique alternative

paraprofessional at the John

G. Leach School in the Colonial

School District.

This school serves students resid-

ing in New Castle County, ages 3-21,

who have physical disabilities, mod-

erate to severe mental retardation,

or serious health impairments.

Joan currently works in the

upper-school classroom, helping to

ensure the safety and well-being of

her students, as well as helping

them achieve the goals in their

Individualized Education Programs

(IEPs).

She is currently secretary of the

Colonial Paraprofessional Associa-

tion, and is an active leader.

She has been involved with several

fundraising events for her school

(clothing, food and shoe drives,

American Cancer Society), helping

to demonstrate to the community

how capable Leach students can be

with adaptive devices and assis-

tance from the Leach staff.

Hear In AmericaHorace Mann CompaniesKades-Margolis CorporationM&T BankMetLifeNEA A+ Auto & Homeowners InsuranceNEA Member BenefitsPhoenix Learning ResourcesPNC BankSecurity BenefitSprintStecher Financial GroupSussman Sales Co.T-MobileTraci Lynn Fashion JewelryVerizon WirelessWells Fargo

Wilmington University
http://www.dsea.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dseahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dseahttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dseahttp://www.dsea.org/http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsea


13/24

Honoring our champions


Mike Hoffmann, DSEA vice president and friend of Rep. Barbieri, presents him withDSEAs 2012 Legislative Friend of Education Award.

The Hon. Mike Barbieri

Legislative Friend ofEducation Award

Rep. Barbieri is completing

his second term as the 18th

District representative, and

he has proven himself a vocal advo-

cate for public education.

He serves on the House

Education Committee and leads the

School Discipline Task Force. The

Task Forces first successful act,

House Bill 347, provides teachers

with more discretionary power over

behavioral incidents.

By co-sponsoring House Bill 139,

he expanded the Childrens Health

Insurance Program (CHIP). Nine

thousand more impoverished chil-

dren in Delaware have healthcare

because of this act.

In 1991 he founded Crossroads of

Delaware, a Wilmington-based ado-

lescent substance-abuse treatment

center, where he still works.

Rep. Barbieri holds a masters

degree in Social Work from Temple

University, and a Ph.D. in Urban

Affairs and Public Policy from the

University of Delaware.

Frederika Jenner, president, presentsPam Ingram with a DSEA PresidentialCitation. Ingram is president of theColonial Paras Assoc. which receivedCitations for 100% membership; highPolitical Action Committee (PAC) dona-tions from its members andCollaborative Bargaining. And DSEAVice President Mike Hoffmann (left), alsoa Colonial Para, received a PresidentialCitation for his commitment to ourmembership goals and PAC fundraising.

PresidentialCitations 2012

The president of DSEA is per-

mitted to consider

Presidential Citations to

individuals and locals for outstand-

ing achievements.

Colonial Paras Association: 100%Association Membership; High

PAC donations (84% DSEA; 82%

NEA); Collaborative Bargaining

Colonial Transportation

Association: High PAC donations

(72% DSEA; 69% NEA); and

Collaborative Bargaining

Colonial Food Service Workers

Association: Collaborative

Bargaining

Colonial Education Association:

Collaborative Bargaining

Appoquinimink Education

Association: Successful

Legislative Town Hall, instrumen-

tal in resolving issues related to

teacher evaluation system

David Wright, co-president of

Appoquinimink E.A.: transforma-

tional leadership, creating higher

member participation and per-

formance for the good of the group

Woodbridge Education

Association: Collaborative

Bargaining

Susan Darnell, president of the

Laurel Education Association:

capacity to serve as a strong,

inclusive leader in the face of

adversity, guiding educators

through challenges of financial

distress and school improvement,

while providing leadership that

brings members together for the

good of all

Rich Phillips, president of DSEA-

Retired: commitment to the mem-

bership of DSEA-Retired, working

to ensure that member needs aremet; programming is relevant;

and that retired members are rec-

ognized and valued by DSEA

Mike Hoffmann, vice president

of DSEA: commitment to member-

ship goals and PAC fundraising,

statewide

Wendy Cannon and Val

Hoffmann, DSEA UniServ direc-

tors: dedication to the ideals of

unionism and their vision of how to

best support local leaders in their

efforts to fulfill the roles and respon-

sibilities of union leadership.

Amber Augustus

Teacher of the Year 2012

Amber Augustus, Delawares

Teacher of the Year for2012, found her way to class-

room teaching after a stint in the

corporate world as a senior per-

formance specialist for the

Corporation Trust Company.

From the corporate world, Amber

Augustus now feels perfectly at

home in her 5th grade classroom at

Smyrnas John Bassett Moore

Intermediate School attracted to

education in order to have a career

where she can make a difference.

I talk with my colleagues every

day, she says. Collaboration is

essential since teachers always

band together to do whats best forevery student. So many teachers

are doing such amazing, excellent

teaching in this state.

I have my ears, eyes and note pad

always open to use the best of what

I hear and learn.

Augustus earned her bachelors

degree in Interpersonal

Communications from the

University of Delaware in 2001, and

completed her Masters in

Elementary Studies from

Wilmington College in 2005.

Augustus praises DSEA for being thevoice of teachers. When the layers arepeeled away, you are advancing educa-tion for our students. She urges all toremember that, What holds us togeth-er are the triumphs. Continue to greeteach day with purpose, passion and per-severance!


14/24


Fore!

Join us for fun at the

Future Teacher Benefit Golf Tournament

June 22, 2012to support the

Christopher K. Smith Scholarship FundPlace: Maple Dale Country Club

39 Maple Dale Road, Doverwww.mapledaleclub.com

10:00 a.m. Registration, Bag Drop and Practice

11:00 a.m. Lunch available

Apprx. 11:30 a.m. Shotgun Start - Scramble Format

4:30 p.m. Dinner - Sponsored by MetLifeSilent & Art Auctions

Apprx. 6:00 p.m. Awards & Prizes

Beverages: Free beverages on course provided byKades Margolis Corp.

Prizes: 1st, 2nd & 3rd place teams

Closest-to-pin (male and female)Longest drive (male and female)

Joinus

foraday

ofgolfa

ndprize

s!

Duffers

wanted!

Sponsorships Hole Sponsorship (includes sign at the hole) $150 Dinner & Auction Only $25 Golf, Cart, Lunch, Dinner, Auction, Golfer $90

Goodie Bag and $5 gift certificate toMaple Dale Country Club Pro Shop

To RegisterMail completed form below with check to: Tammy Wagner,Delaware State Education Assoc., 136 E. Water St., Dover, DE19901. Make checks payable to DSEA.

Questions? Contact Tammy Wagner at 1-866-734-5834 [email protected] .

DoorPrizes!Fun!!!

Registration - Christopher K. Smith Memorial Golf Tournament (Limit of 120 golfers)

Contact name:____________________________________________Phone:______________________________________________

Address:____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Email address:_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hole Sponsor ($150) - I would like my sign to read:_________________________________________________________________________

Players names and addresses for golf and dinner - $90 each Foursome - $320 (save $40) If foursome, list all names.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Golf ($90)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Golf ($90)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Golf ($90)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________Golf ($90)

Dinner only ($25 each) Names and e-mail addresses______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Deadline to register: June 18. Mail this form with check payable to DSEA to Tammy Wagner, DSEA, 136 E. Water St., Dover, DE 19901.

Total enclosed:____________________________________

Only a few spots left!
http://www.dsea.org/http://www.mapledaleclub.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.dsea.org/mailto:[email protected]://www.mapledaleclub.com/


15/24

the commitment continues. . .


So youve decidedto retire this year?Congratulations!- Rich Phillips, president, DSEA-

Retired

This is a big decision for most

folks and Im sure thatyouve taken a lot of time to

think about it including your cur-

rent and future financial situation,

your plans for after retirement, how

it will affect your family, and lots

more.

After you retire, youll have lots

more time with your family, to trav-

el, to relax and do things when you

want to do them. However, your

commitment to education never

seems to stop. Its in our blood.

We hope that you will continue

that DSEA commitment throughNEA/DSEA-Retired. Theres a lot

that our organization offers, includ-

ing the following:

Continued NEA and DSEA dis-

counts that you enjoyed as an active

educational employee

Continued home, car, boat and

other insurance discounts

Some companies/providers

require that you maintain

Association membership in order to

meet the eligibility requirements

for their products/discounts

Continued involvement throughworkshops, member benefit fairs,

socialization, and more.

Your membership inNEA/DSEA does NOT auto-matically transfer toNEA/DSEA-Retired

We have found that some mem-

bers think that it does.

In order to join NEA/DSEA-

Retired, you must complete a regis-

tration form, and one is included on

this page with this article for your

use. As you can see on the form,

you can pay your dues annually or

you can have it deducted from your

pension each month.

The dues for a 1-year membership

is $80 ($30 NEA-Retired, $13 DSEA

and $37 DSEA-Retired).

Many locals have seen the value

of having their retirees continue

with DSEA-Retired and have given

them a years membership as their

retirement gift. What a super idea!

The purposes of DSEA-Retired

are:

NEA/DSEA-Retired (a Unified Association)

We are a unified Association: you must belong to NEA-R, DSEA-R and DSEA.

Choose one of the following two options for your membership:

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP PENSION DEDUCTION**

(Annual membership year: September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013)

OPTION#1 NEA-Retired DSEA-Retired DSEA Total

$30.00 + $37.00 + $13.00 = $80.00

Based on my selection of pension deduction payment option, I authorize the State Pension Office to deduct from mypension and pay to the association my retired association membership dues as may be determined from time to time as

indicated above for the current membership year and each membership year thereafter. I understand that I may revokethis authorization as of September I of any calendar year by giving written notice to that effect to DSEA on or before

August 31 of that year. **PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PENSION DEDUCTION OPTION ISNOTVALID UNLESS YOUARE RECEIVING A PENSION CHECK FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE PENSION OFFICE.

NOTE: Pension deduction amount will be determined by dividing the number of months remaining in the

membership year.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP CASH PAYMENTAnnual membership year: September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013

OPTION #2 NEA-Retired DSEA-Retired DSEA Total

$30.00 + $37.00 + $13.00 = $80.00

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING REGARDLESS OF YOUR SELECTION!

_________________________________ XXX-XX-__ __ __ __ __________________

Member Name (Print) Last 4 Digits of Social Security Number Date

___________________________________ __________________________________ ___________________

Street Address (Print) City, State, ZIP (Print) Phone Number

_____________________________ ______________________ ________________________________

E-Mail Address District Retired From Member Signature

: Please check the box next to one of the two options listed above.

Complete information above.If choosing the annual membership option, please make check payable to DSEA, not DSEA-Retired.

: Return the form to DSEA-Retired as indicated below. We will return a photocopy to you if you choose the

pension deduction option.

QUESTIONS? Call Debbie Weaver at 1-866-734-5834 (toll free)

RETURN FORM TO: DSEA-Retired, Attn. Debbie Weaver, 136 E. Water Street, Dover, DE 19901

To continue the commitment

made when you were a DSEA mem-ber

To lobby for pension increases

(Did you know that they are NOT

guaranteed each year?). DSEA-

Retired currently has two members

serving on the State Pension

Advisory Board

To lobby for benefits for pen-

sioners (Did you know that health

insurance benefits are NOT guaran-

teed each year, but must be deliber-

ately included in the states budg-

et?) DSEA-Retired has four mem-

bers who attend the State Employee

Benefit Committee meetings to

observe the committees actions onour benefits

To examine legislation that

might be proposed involving pen-

sioners; DSEA-Retired leadership

team and members lobby legislators

concerning issues of pension inter-

est

To continue the socialization

that existed prior to your retire-

ment, and to increase your circle of

friends

And last, but not least, to make

our organization stronger than

ever

Please join NEA/DSEA-Retired

today! DSEA Retired is the onlyDelaware retired state-employee

organization affiliated with NEA,

DSEA and NEA-Retired. We are an

active group of 1,100+ retirees who

are working to make retirement of

Delaware state educational employ-

ees better!

If you have any questions, please

dont hesitate to contact DSEA-

Retired President Rich Phillips at

302-834-9245 or email him at

[email protected].

Please also check out our web

page at www.dsea-r.org.
http://www.dsea.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.dsea-r.org/http://www.dsea-r.org/http://www.dsea.org/http://www.dsea-r.org/mailto:[email protected]


16/24

Our amazing members


When Joan Robinsonplayed the glockenspielin the old GunningBedford High SchoolMarching Band in the1970s, she thoughtmusic would have aprominent place in herfuture.

Music

is

still

a love but Ive been

drawn to jobs that

involve people,

says Joan

Robinson. Her

first job was as a

counselor at Grove Point (MD) Girl

Scout camp. She has also held an

array of jobs at area restaurants.

Actually the jobs found me and the

variety of tasks I have had proves

hard work never scared me, says

Robinson.

Variety of work experi-ences helps prepare parasfor multiple tasks

Joan Robinson has been selected

as DSEAs 2012 Education Support

Person of the Year and she likes to

think her cheerfulness and total

dedication to helping others is why.

The Leach School staff is totallydevoted to working as a team. The

students, whose ages range from 3

to 21, are in need of such devoted

services, but that is why we are

there- for them- the students.

Robinson has also been an organ

player and choir director in the his-

torical Christiana Presbyterian

Church for 30 years. Maybe they

need younger blood but I am happy

to continue my music and service

there, says Robinson, now in her

twelfth year as a full time parapro-

fessional at Colonials Leach

School, a specialized school which

serves students with physical

and/or cognitive disabilities.

After several jobs at area restau-

rants and also at the Au Clair

School (serving Autistic Children)

near St. Georges, Robinson had the

opportunity to audition for a music

therapy job at the Delaware State

Hospital. Times were different

thenI successfully auditioned by

playing the piano at home into the

phone as the officials listened at the

other end, she laughs. However, it

was working with students that

struck Robinsons passion when she

began substituting at Colonial

schools. My first substitute job

was for a music teacher at nearby

Gunning Bedford Middle School.

There I was with music again, at

my alma mater.

When a position opened at the

Leach School for a paraprofessional

in 1997, Robinson got the job and

has been there ever since. A newly-

hired teacher and I were both ori-

ented by veteran paraprofessional

Shirley Redmond. Shirley eventual-ly became president of our para

local. In addition to her position

at Leach, Robinson currently serves

as secretary of the 80-member

Colonial Paraprofessional

Association.

I was excessed in my fourth

year due to seniority list confusion

concerning unique alternative

paraprofessionals (i.e., one-on-one).

I turned for help to the leadership

of CPA. I got my job back and have

learned to appreciate the impor-

whom I work one-on-one may be on

the same chapter in their learning

but not on the same page. If a stu-

dent needs repetition and 2,000 tri-

als to learn a skill, well, were there

to let them have the 2,000 trials or

even 2,001 if that is whats needed.

All students cannot be successful

on a one-time test. The State

Testing Program often sets up our

students for failure.

Focus on what our stu-dents can do, not on whatthey cant do

Robinson has appreciated past

involvement at Leach from Foster

Grandparents volunteers. She

stresses, Its too bad visiting legis-

lators just come by to say hello and

do not really get to see what we do

with our students. If they rolled up

their sleeves and spent an hour,

they would see the need for more

therapists and also committed vol-unteers in schools. Most impor-

tantly she wants, Legislators and

others to not just focus on what our

students cannot do. I want people

to see the abilities of our students

and what they can do.

Joel Glazier, DSEA-Retired, is a fre-

quent contributor toACTION! He

can be reached atjglazie@aol. com.

Joan Robinson works with students with severe disabilities helping them discoverand build on what they can do.

Joan Robinson bringswhole life and can-doattitude to students with

disabilities- by Joel F. Glazier

Joan Robinson isDSEAs ESP Personof the Year.

Paras are not fluff in a school, especially inspecial needs classes. Some teachers could not

make it through the day without us, and ourAssociation can use our energy and leadership,says Robinson.

tance of a union. I believe all mem-

bers must step up and become more

involved. Dont wait until there is a

dire situation to realize the impor-

tance of the Association. Robinson

has participated in several DSEA

Summer Leadership Trainings,

Association committees and has

spent time in Dover lobbying legis-

lators.

Testing frustration: hands-on activities needed

Robinson has organized Alexs

Lemonade Stand as an AmericanCancer Society fund raiser at Leach

and has gotten students involved

with the Shoes to Share program.

She thrives on helping students

with the array of adaptive devices

at school, and she quickly points

out what she observes as unfairness

of the State Testing Program for

the students at Leach.

Hands-on activities are needed.

A computer test is not for all stu-

dents. Our students cannot be

pigeonholed. The six students with


17/24

Diversity Exchange: learning from one another

www.dsea.org May/June 2012 DSEAACTION! 17

Sixty-two DSEA membersattended the second EthnicMinority LeadershipConference in April, puttogether by the members ofDSEAs Ethnic Minority AffairsTask Force.

Barry Beckett, co-chair

Cape Henlopen

Kevin Elzie, co-chair

Sussex Tech

DSEA Exec. Board

Dr. Admon Alexander

Caesar Rodney

Al Booker

New Castle County Vo-Tech

DSEA Exec. Board

Dr. James Bracy

Christina

Denise Foreman

Red Clay

Cagney France

Cape Henlopen

Michael Hoffmann

Colonial

DSEA Vice President

Lynelle Hyland

Seaford

Amy Johnson

Indian River

Margaret Martinez

Capital

Joyce Morton-Elzie

Capital

Denise Waples

Milford

DSEA Exec. Board

Marika White

New Castle County Vo-Tech

Jocelynne Jones

DSEA staff liaison

Yvonne Williams

DSEA support staff

DSEAs Ethnic Diversity TaskForces mission is to supportDSEAs commitment todiversity, in both studentand staff populations

R

ight now, opened

Conference Co-Chair

Barry Beckett, no

issue is more important than sav-

ing public education in a form

that supports and is fair to students

and teachers. Too many of our chil-

dren are failing and being pushed

aside, and the same is happening to

teachers and education support per-

sonnel We are committed to pro-

tecting public education, our chil-

dren, and those that serve in this

most valuable profession.

Geraldine Thomas signs the large Get-Well card for Reg Weaver, former president of

NEA. Weaver, recuperating at home, had been scheduled to give the keynoteaddress. Thomas is active in the Capital Paras Association.

Commitment to diversity and leadershipstrengthened at annual conference

Association members fromseveral states share train-ing expertise

The days workshops were a

chance to network and learn about

topics and issues to help build lead-

ership skills among all of DSEAs

members. The workshops, given by

both NEA leaders from other states(Maryland, New Jersey, Texas and

Michigan) and DSEA staff includ-

ed:

Know Your Rights, Social Justice,

Running for Association Office,

Assertiveness, Valuing Diversity,

State Rep. Don Blakey honors formerNEA President Reg Weaver with aTribute from Delawares House ofRepresentatives.

and Whats really going on in

Congress?

NEA Lobbyist Merwyn Scott

presented Whats really going on

in Congress? a topic he touched

on during his opening keynote

address. He spent most of his time

listing the growing number of foun-

dations and organ-

izations that are

spending millions

of dollars helping

each other pro-

mote choice and

charter schools

with little or no

accountability. And

they do so while

often blaming

teacher unions for societys ills and

advocating for the stripping of

negotiated contracts as the answer

to low-performing schools.

Conference Co-Chair Barry Beckett

(right) chats with DSEA PresidentFrederika Jenner.

Stephen Byrd(right), an NEAmember fromMichigan, workswith FeliciaOwens of Texas.Below, DeniseForeman of RedClay, attends

their session onapplying the prin-ciples of SocialJustice.

Merwyn Scott is

one of our lobby-ists on CapitolHill.


18/24

Great Schools Great Communities


T

hanks to our communica-

tions intern, Rachel

McCubbin, weve been build-ing our community thanks to regu-

lar Facebook postings tied to the

school year. Rachel uses a combina-

tion of news from schools and dis-

tricts with information for parents

that is topical, such as bullying,

prom safety, driving safety, etc. As

of this writing, this Facebook page

has 3,556 likes. Each time we are

able to run ads, the likes jump

dramatically. You can check it out

and add your voice to the conversa-

tion at www.facebook.com/Great

SchoolsGreatCommunities.Thanks to an NEA Advertising

Assistance Grant, were continuing

to promote the Great Schools

Facebook page and website with a

combination of website story cre-

ation, sponsored story ads and

Facebook and Google search ads.

Two members are also recording

radio spots to begin in June with a

week-long flight on radio stations

statewide. They

are Annie

Neubauer, right,

a fourth grade

teacher at Silver

Lake Elementary

School in

Appoquinimink;

and Jill

Lewandowski, an

8th grade ELA teacher at Phillis

Wheatley Middle School in

Woodbridge. You can hear the new

ads at www.greatschoolsgreat

communi ties.com.

Hanbys SandyMeredith WJBRsTeacher of theMonth

C

ongratulations to Sandy

Meredith, WJBR's Teacher

of the Month for March,who was nominated by three par-

ents of her first graders at Hanby

Elementary School in the

Brandywine School District. Sandy

received a plaque and dinner for

two at Cafe Gelato.

She was surprised one afternoon

recently when WJBRs Charlie

Maxx (of John and Charlie in the

Morning), two parents, her princi-

pal, a representative from DSEA,

and her daughter walked into her

room to make the presentation.

What parents say aboutSandy Meredith

Her class adores her because she

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