The Echo

Like most parents with children home for the summer, we've been busy! My daughter participates Extended School Year (ESY) services, so our breaks are very disjointed as we cram a summer's worth of fun into a few weeks in June and August. After taking our Girls Scout troop to Dutch Wonderland, hosting our son's 3rd birthday, re-homing a stray dog, attending an award dinner, repairing our car, and shivering through a cold, wet day at Sesame Place, things are finally quieting down.

DD (Dear Daughter) starts ESY Monday, DS (Dear Son) will spend the morning with a wonderful family friend, and I will be at district offices for an orientation meeting with administration. I will officially enter into the capacity of BOE member on July 1st. Both John Young, the other incoming Board member, and I will be sworn in at the School Board Meeting scheduled for July 14th at Kirk.

Moving on ... Legislative Notes:

SB 151, which permits the use of fed. stim. funds for incentive programs for teachers and SB 149, which allows the Delaware Department of Education to deny teaching licenses to non-public school teachers if they don't meet the requirements, passed in the Senate. Both bills are headed to the House for consideration.

The long-awaited HB 119, in its substituted form, is moving to the Senate for a vote. In sum, it gives districts more control in how they allocate their state funds.

On Tuesday, Rep. D. Scott filed HB 231, a bill that would permit parents to take unpaid leave to attend school conferences and activities. It's goal is to give working parents a means to participate in the education of their children. It's a great concept. But, until we pay folks a livable wage or employ a flexible work , it's still going to be tough for parents take time away from work. That said, we need our families to be active in our schools, now, more than ever! I am a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child and through community, educational, and family partnerships, we ensure the best outcomes for all children!