The membership of newly-created Wilmington Education Improvement Commission was announced Tuesday, just weeks after Gov. Jack Markell (D-Delaware) signed legislation to create the committee and redraw district lines in the state’s largest city earlier this month.
Committee leadership will include chair Tony Allen and vice chairs Tizzy Lockman, a Wilmington parent, and Kenny Rivera, president of the Red Clay School Board and a local teacher.
The Committee also includes Delaware State Education Association Board President FrederikaJenner and the school board presidents of the school districts that currently serve the city (Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay). Three lawmakers, Wilmington City CouncilmanNnamdiChukwuocha, State Rep. Charles Potter (D-Wilmington) and State Sen. David Sokola (D-Newark), chair of the Senate Education Committee, will also serve.
Five committees within the commission were also announced. They include redistricting, charter and district collaboration, student poverty, funding, and parent engagement. Committees will meet at different times, says Dan Rich, who will serve as the Commission’s policy director.
The pace of each committee will depend on what the timeline is," said Rich. "So redistricting, we are underway, we will continue to be underway. We are working on that daily, weekly, with the districts. Others, as important as they are, and they’re critically important, don’t have quite the same short term demands on timetable.
The commission needs to deliver a detailed redistricting plan to the State Board of Education for approval by December 31st. That plan must include how to fund Red Clay School District absorbing Christina and Colonial city students and schools as part of Wilmington redistricting.
Rich says that plan will then need multiple approvals
The state board, if it approves it, it’s then subject to a joint resolution of the General Assembly, that’s [voted on] by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor," said Rich.
Rich adds the commission's first meeting will likely be held next week. A website showcasing its work will launch September 1st at Solutionsfordelawareschools.org.