The Vision Coalition is Failing Delaware Students   By Tanya Hettler, Ph.D. Center for Education Policy May 4, 2025     Delaware is in the middle of a "literacy crisis" as both Delaware's Governor Meyer and Education Secretary Marten have acknowledged. Despite this, the Vision Coalition-an influential group that has guided education policy for nearly two decades-continues to prioritize "student-centered learning" over proven, evidence-based instruction. As reading and math scores remain low across the state, it's time to take a closer look at who is shaping Delaware's education agenda-and what they are prioritizing. &nb...[read more]

Fixing Delaware’s Budget:  Smart Solutions for Growth By Charlie Copeland Center for Economic & Fiscal Policy March 5, 2025     Delaware faces a growing budget crisis—rising costs, demographic shifts and slow economic growth threaten the state’s long-term stability. Without immediate action, the state will struggle to sustain economic growth. To reverse this trend, lawmakers must act now by modernizing government, reducing inefficiencies and fostering a more business-friendly environment. The time for reform is now.   Projections from the Delaware Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Delaware House of Representative...[read more]

An Open Letter to Governor Meyer:  Money Isn’t the Answer By Tanya Hettler, PhD Center for Education Policy February 13, 2025     I have carefully read your education plan for Delaware multiple times. There are several aspects of your plan that I think would be extremely beneficial in improving Delaware public education.    These include:   improving transparency in spending, improving the quality of professional development (especially in Science of Reading), allowing excellent teachers to take on more challenging assignments and mentor new teachers to increase their pay, and providing greater support to teachers in ...[read more]

Delaware's Next Governor Must Declare a State of Emergency in Education   By  Tanya Hettler, PhD  Director, Center for Education Policy October 28, 2024     Delaware’s educational performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) peaked in 2013. Since then, proficiency scores for 4th and 8th grade math and reading have plummeted, underscoring the urgent need for improvements in student achievement.    Delaware is among the top ten states in the country in spending at  $20,231 per student and yet has a performance ranking in the bottom five states on the NAEP at...[read more]