New Delaware project aims to accelerate special education certification: Education roundup

Kelly Powers, Delaware News Journal
·5 min read

A new state project is in the works to make it easier for teachers to get certified in special education, thanks to more than $1 million in federal grant funds.

Two Delaware elementary schools were just named 2023 National ESEA Distinguished Schools, thanks to student achievement in their buildings.

Also, school choice just opened Monday, while new schools are under construction in Delaware. In this weekly roundup, we'll catch you up on these and more education updates you may have missed.

[Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com.]

Delaware State educator looks to help tackle shortage of special education teachers

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Rachel Juergensen, a Delaware State University assistant professor of special education, a five-year grant of just over $1.06 million to develop a Delaware Special Educator Certificate Program (Project DE-SPEC).
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Rachel Juergensen, a Delaware State University assistant professor of special education, a five-year grant of just over $1.06 million to develop a Delaware Special Educator Certificate Program (Project DE-SPEC).

One assistant professor at Delaware State University just secured a $1.06 million grant to create a certification program for the state.

U.S. Department of Education awarded the funds for five years, setting DSU's Rachel Juergensen on the path to shepherding a Delaware special educator certificate program, or Project DE-SPEC. The program will offer masters-level courses to enable more teachers to obtain their special education certificate, according to Delaware State.

“The need for special education teachers in Delaware is critical," said the assistant professor of special education, in a statement on Friday, Nov. 3. "And without intervention, the severe shortages and subsequent negative impact on students with disabilities will continue to prevail."

There were 165 vacant special education teaching positions in the First State as of this summer, according to Delaware State. There's hope projects like this will help change that. Juergensen will begin recruiting in her grant's first year, for a cohort in fall 2024.

Courses will be aimed at teachers already working in Delaware, focusing on arming them with "the competencies needed to provide effective, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction to improve outcomes for children with disabilities," according to the university.

Juergensen hopes to see this come to teachers without an extra price tag attached.

"I have always been an advocate for removing the financial burden on teacher, because we know that teachers are not paid enough,” she said. “This grant will cover their full tuition, books, certification testing fees and they will also get a small stipend.”

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Two 'Distinguished' Delaware schools recognized nationally for student success

Delaware's 2019 Teacher of the Year was Dana Bowe, who teaches kindergarten through second grade for the Sussex County Orthopedic Program at West Seaford Elementary School.
Delaware's 2019 Teacher of the Year was Dana Bowe, who teaches kindergarten through second grade for the Sussex County Orthopedic Program at West Seaford Elementary School.

Smyrna Elementary School and West Seaford Elementary School were just named 2023 National ESEA Distinguished Schools, the Delaware Department of Education announced on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The award recognizes the "extraordinary success of their students."

Formerly the National Title I Association, the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators has been recognizing schools for over two decades. And this year's winners will be honored Feb. 7 to 10, at the National ESEA Conference in Portland, Oregon.

Smyrna School District's elementary school was recognized for tightening achievement gaps between student groups, according to DDOE, and the academic progress students displayed on standardized tests.

Meanwhile, West Seaford Elementary School, in the Seaford School District, was honored for service to special populations. DDOE specifically noted the "growth and progress towards English language proficiency that the multilingual learners made during the 2022-2023 school year."

Sixteen other schools across Delaware were given state recognition, locally.

2023 Recognition School Award Winners for Exceptional Student Performance:

  • Claymont Elementary School, Brandywine SD

  • Lake Forest East Elementary School, Lake Forest SD

  • Phillip C. Showell Elementary School, Indian River SD

2023 Recognition School Award Winners for Closing the Achievement Gap:

  • Benjamin Banneker Elementary School, Milford

  • Lake Forest North Elementary School, Lake Forest

  • Etta J. Wilson Elementary School, Christina

School choice: Delaware school choice is about to open. Here's a guide to applying with your student

2023 Recognition School Award Winners for Excellence in Serving Special Populations:

  • Brookside Elementary School, Christina

  • Harry Eisenberg Elementary School, Colonial

  • Milton Elementary School, Cape Henlopen

  • North Georgetown Elementary School, Indian River

  • Phillis Wheatley Elementary School, Woodbridge

  • Seaford Central Elementary School, Seaford

  • South Dover Elementary School, Capital

2023 School of Continued Excellence:

  • Blades Elementary School, Seaford

  • Rehoboth Elementary School, Cape Henlopen

  • Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center, Woodbridge

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New Sussex Central High is on the way

The new Sussex Central High School is slated to open by fall 2025 as construction continues on Patriots Way, near Georgetown, Delaware, next to the current Sussex Central.
The new Sussex Central High School is slated to open by fall 2025 as construction continues on Patriots Way, near Georgetown, Delaware, next to the current Sussex Central.

This Thursday, Indian River schools will celebrate the last piece of support framing on its newest high school.

District and state officials will mark the occasion by signing the last steel beam before it's welded into place, finishing the bones of a new Sussex Central High School. Right on time, the building is slated to open by fall 2025.

The new building will stand on Patriots Way, near Georgetown, next to the current Sussex Central. The new high school was needed due to overcrowding, as the IRSD Board discussed back in 2021 when approving some $146 million plan for the project.

From additional classroom space to a science wing and agricultural building, the 309,000-square-foot school should have capacity for more than 2,000 students.

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School choice is here. We made a guide to getting started

School choice applications for the 2024-25 school year opened on Monday, Nov. 6.

Applications must be submitted on the state's website: SchoolChoiceDE.org. There, at the one-stop-shop for all participating public schools and charter schools in Delaware, you can create, edit and monitor your forms.

The school choice program allows families to apply to enroll their children in any Delaware public school district, charter school or vocational-technical school, regardless of their home address.

Though signing all the right forms does not guarantee a spot, schools and the Delaware Department of Education spell out the process for parents: Check out our guide.

Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: DSU educator to lead project to boost special education certifications