Governor’s Weekly Message to Delawareans

RACE TO THE TOP AND TO OUR FUTURE

In his weekly message, Governor Markell talks about employers and educators wanting the same thing: for students to graduate from our public schools ready to succeed.

“In the schools and the majority of Delaware businesses that I visit, I hear the same wish: for our kids to graduate and be able to build upon the hard work, great teaching, and high expectations from their parents, teachers, school districts and state,” said Governor Markell.  “Because when companies can move their jobs to another country, we are in a critical race with other nations.”

Last year was the first full school year since winners were announced of another Race, the federal government’s Race-to-the-Top competition for education reform, where the federal Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and his team looked at states’ plans to improve their public schools and awarded additional resources to make those changes possible.  In Delaware,  Race-to-the-Top support is helping to fund plans we had underway to make significant changes in underperforming schools – schools that  are now part of our Partnership Zones.

“By giving teachers more time to collaborate across subject areas; by putting data coaches in schools to help teachers evaluate how they can best help students and by engaging with parents and families, we are making progress,” said the Governor. “This race for our economic future is neither quick, nor easy but the direction is clear and we are running hard together  - teachers and students, parents and principals, administrators and Delaware’s employers to make sure our schools and our state  keep moving forward.”