SB-31
Sponsor[s]: Sokola, Townsend
Co-sponsor[s]: Poore
Repeals the sunset provision for Teach for America allowing the program to continue operations in Delaware while maintaining other elements of the state’s TFA program rules. Status: Signed into law
I am thrilled that House Bill 90, which will require annual suicide prevention training for public school employees, passed in the Senate on Wednesday, May 13.
I worked hard with House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst to get this critically important legislation to Gov. Markell’s desk.
The legislation strengthens the safety net for at-risk youth by requiring educators and administrators to learn how to identify warning signs. It also requires schools to establish suicide prevention and response committees, as well as craft suicide prevention policies that include procedures for confidential and anonymous reporting of at-risk behaviors. Those components must be in place by the time the 2016 school year begins.
The legislation was announced last month at a press conference at the Delaware City Community Center, which has a mentorship program for at-risk teenagers in the Police Athletic League’s Suicide and Violence Education (SAVE) program.
Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth between the ages of 10 and 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A survey of American high school students found that 16 percent had considered suicide in the last year, 13 percent made plans to end their own lives and 8 percent attempted to do so.
We owe it to our kids to make sure the right people and processes are in place in our schools, so it’s more likely our kids get the help they need, when they need it.
Some significant legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Senator Poore during the 2014 session.
Changes student testing and assessment procedures, allowing severely disabled students to receive special exemptions from taking the state’s standardized assessments and enabling them instead to take specialized assessments. The legislation also allows interventions for students who show evidence of having dyslexia, a condition that causes problems with reading and word recognition.
Senate Co-sponsor[s]: Blevins, Henry, Peterson, Sokola, Townsend
Synopsis: Major overhaul of the state’s school choice program that standardizes choice application forms and the deadline for filing applications to enter the choice program and requires schools to hold public information sessions about the choice program and enrollment by 31 October. It holds open the date by which students can be accepted and eliminates discrimination based on grades or special needs.
Status: Signed
Senate Sponsor[s]: Townsend
Senate Co-sponsor[s]: Ennis, Henry, Poore, Sokola
Synopsis: Reaffirms compulsory attendance for K-12 students and requires truancy charges to be brought after 20 unexcused absences instead of 30 days.
Status: Signed
Sponsor[s]: Sokola
Co-sponsor[s]: Ennis, Henry, Poore, Townsend
Synopsis: Increases preparation requirements for new teachers by requiring Delaware teacher prep programs to increase admissions standards and completion requirements to include high-quality student teaching experiences with ongoing evaluation of participants. Requires programs to track and report on program effectiveness. Requires new teachers to pass a content-readiness exam and performance assessment before getting their tickets.
Status: Signed