A Critical Guide to the School Board Elections
A recap of the candidates & speakers who attended the 'Save Our Schools' town halls as well as the values we share
Delaware School board elections are just ONE WEEK AWAY!
»Why are School Board elections so critical?
»Who can vote, and how?
»How well do you know the candidates who are running in your local school board election?
»Are you aware of the current state of public education?
School board elections are critical!
They directly impact the education and well-being of our communities and future generations.
The importance of local self-governance, a.k.a. Federalism1 and the protection of individual rights are enshrined in our constitution.
Even for residents who do not have children in the school district, school board elections are still critical because education is a fundamental pillar of society. Schools play a crucial role in shaping the values and beliefs of our youth and preparing them for their future roles as citizens and leaders. Moreover, education has a significant impact on economic development, social cohesion, and individual opportunities for success.
*View the footnote to learn more about this great man of integrity2
School board members are responsible for overseeing the policies, programs, and resources of the school district, including curriculum development, teacher hiring and training, budget allocation, and student discipline. The decisions made by school board members can have a profound impact on the quality of education, the safety of students, and the overall well-being of the community.
Residents without children in the school district also have a stake in the success of the school system.
High-performing schools can attract new businesses, increase property values, and improve the overall quality of life in a community. In contrast, failing schools can lead to increased crime, decreased property values, and a negative impact on the local economy.
Furthermore, as taxpayers, all residents contribute to the funding of public schools. School board members are responsible for ensuring that these funds are used effectively and efficiently to provide high-quality education for all students. Residents without children in the school district have a right to demand accountability and transparency from school board members regarding the use of public funds!
School board elections provide an opportunity for residents, by electing responsible and capable school board members, to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have access to high-quality education that prepares our youth for success in the future.
Who can vote, and how?
You DO NOT need to be registered to vote to participate in your local school board election.
Candidates must run based on their specific nominating district, but all residents may vote, regardless of where they live within the school district.
If you can not make it to vote in person on Tuesday, May 9, vote absentee.
Time is limited. You must request your ballot by noon on Friday, May 5. Your completed ballot must be received by end of day on May 9.
A person can vote absentee by mail or at the county Department's office. People who want to vote at the county Department's office must make an appointment by calling the office. Click here for contact information.
You may also vote an absentee ballot in-person.
Per Delaware Department of Elections:
If you do not think that there is sufficient time for the mail system to get the the ballot to the Department of Elections conducting the election, deliver it to the Department or have someone deliver it to the Department for you.
You can go to the Department of Elections for the county conducting the election with proof of identity and address on any normal business day between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. until two days before the day of the election, and between 8:30 a.m. and 12 Noon on the day before the election.
In New Castle County, this would be the Carvel State Office Building.
IMPORTANT: There are TWO candidates to vote for in Christiana and Red Clay School Districts — one from each Nominating District. There is only one at-large candidate to vote for in APPO School District.
Christina Nominating Districts C & E - Vote for candidate in both districts
Red Clay Nominating Districts A & D - Vote for candidate in both districts
In a rare display of fiscal responsibility, Delaware state proves efficient in not holding an election when one isn’t needed. Only the districts where there is more than one candidate running for a specific seat is there an election.
The Department of Elections in each county holds public meetings before and after each election for auditing the voting machines, scanners and the election results. The public is permitted show up and witness these processes.
The following link provides the dates and times of these public meetings. Please add these to your personal calendar and consider attending, if at all possible. They’re informative and our attendance shows we’re watching and are interested.
Do you know the candidates who are running in your local school board election?
Do their views reflect your values?
Here's what you need to know.
Parental education rights movement still going strong3
This year's slate of candidates include a diverse group of Delaware citizens intent on restoring lost trust, integrity & transparency in public education. These stand-up individuals were compelled to run by their desire to see that academic achievement, merit, fiscal responsibility, discipline, and prosperity for all students is reintroduced to public education.
April 18-20, Citizens for Delaware Schools4 held a series of Education Town Halls. During those town halls we heard speakers addressing Failing Academics, Teacher Shortages, Parental Rights, and School Safety. We also heard from elected representatives, school board candidates, and members from the community. The floor was then opened up to the audience for a 'Question & Answer' session with the speakers.
Education town hall focuses on woke agendas, parental rights
April 19, 2023 | Delaware Live
The New Castle County Town Hall can be viewed in it's entirety here: 👇
Learn more about the candidates by using Citizens for Delaware Schools ‘School Board Candidate Guide’
✰ Speakers and Highlights ✰
Civil Discourse on the tenets of Critical Race Theory [part 1]
Civil Discourse on the tenets of Critical Race Theory [part 2] Proud American Immigrant Stands Tall! 🗽🇺🇸💪
Laurel Middle School Mother Speaks Out Against School Violence in Delaware Public Schools [Full speech]
[CLIP] "The constitution doesn't require a department of education"; Elana Fishbein
[CLIP] “To the parents who say ‘I will take a bullet for my kids’, WHERE ARE THEY?"; Elana Fishbein
[CLIP] Single digit applicants; Celeste Bunting
[CLIP] What's causing Delaware's teacher shortage?; Celeste Bunting
[CLIP] The challenge of classroom management and discipline; Beth Conaway
[CLIP] The real world consequences of restorative justice; Beth Conaway
[CLIP] What is restorative justice?; Beth Conaway
[CLIP] Delaware's Poor Showing in Student Academic Performance; Tanya Hettler
State rep. Mike Ramone talks about creating an environment where all children have the opportunity for success, which does not lower the standards to compensate for weakness, but instead focuses on strengths
"...compliment the teachers instead of displace the teacher"
-VIDEOS OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS WILL BE ADDED
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
PLEASE CHECK BACK!✰ Candidates ✰
Emily Phelan5 - Caesar Rodney [at large]
Marie Fontaine St. Pierre6 - Smyrna [at large]
Christine Gilbert7 - Christina [District C]
Yong “Luke” Peng8 - Christina [District E]
John Shulli9 - Red Clay [District A]
26 years in the Army & the Department of Defense - Thank You for your service!
Carlucci Coelho10 - Red Clay [District D]
Doug Manley11 - Christina [District C]
While Doug Manley & I may agree that ‘Danger’ is a pretty cool middle name, there probably is not much policy wise that we agree on. That being said, albeit vague, Doug took the opportunity to speak to people. Even people of whom he knew share a different view. I also thank him for his service as a volunteer for the fire department.
See the posts below on “Book Banning”, and decide for yourself if the content is appropriate for children under the age of 18. How much sex is too much sex in a school library book?
Doug is correct, books don’t magically appear inside “schools & libraries” (or rather should he have been contextual and have said “school libraries”, to not conflate wanting removing inappropriate books from “public libraries”, because that is not the case if that is what you have been led to believe) Somebody did in fact make that decision to put that book there, and more than likely it was not the parents of the students.
Ironically, so many in his words ring true here. “The modern obsession with children’s genitals is just appalling” Absolutely agree! We do not allow a child to get a tattoo until the age of eighteen because young children are known to make poor decisions, yet that same child at eight, without her parents knowledge, can make the decision to become a boy and permanently mutilate their body? That is a sick, wicked, perversion!
This post gives examples of the deviancy which has infiltrated our society, and warping the minds of our youth by desensitizing them to perversion. A main speaker at the above event is a young girl named Chloe Cole who started transitioning at the age of 13! Chloe had a double mastectomy at 15, and de-transed at 16. She will never be able to breast feed a child!
Do you want to see what “gender affirming care” looks like?
THIS is what “gender affirming care” looks like!
All the above candidates have a donate links which links to a personal donation site such as PayPal…….all except one. Doug Manley’s donation link goes to ACT BLUE, a Democrat Political Action Committee.
Are You Aware of the Current State of Public Education?
I have jam packed this post with resources of various policy issues facing public education in America.
This is not about politics.
This is about values.
You may be surprised to learn just how many people share similar values, but many never now. Politics takes away from that necessary civil discourse.
Please take the time to know and understand the issues plaguing our government funded education, and please, share this post with others.
Screaming over Book Banning is all the rage these days, but is wanting sexually explicit material out of the hands of minors really “banning”?
Gaslighting, Disingenuousness & Exaggeration: The "Book Banning" Debate
by
, author of "Black Victim To Black Victor"12We are in a culture of DEI or die! Do you want your child to be told they are ‘less than?’ A recap of a series of articles from the
![Six Unsettling Features of DEI in K-12 [Abridged]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fafc00a86-c998-4704-a86a-9f9a19c61f7e_648x864.png)
Wednesday, December 15, 2021 Red Clay school board narrowly passed policy 8005 which eliminates gender, establishing Red Clay as a “gender neutral” school.
In what can only be seen as a deceitful fly-by-night decision, the debate on the policy that would eventually be sent to the full school board for a final vote was held during a week where school was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. During this meeting, the draft policy was modified to REMOVE the provision in which would have provided for the notification of parents if a child requests to change their gender identity at school.
To put it bluntly, in a fly-by-night meeting, of which many residents were unaware of, cloaked by a national holiday, LQBTQ groups from all over the state, who were very aware of this meeting, stripped out a provision for the sole purpose of hiding gender transitions from the parents…. All in the name of inclusion!
Proposal 8005 passed by ONE vote. Two of those board members who voted in the affirmative have seats up for election this year.
Delaware Students proficiency during the 2021-2022 school year
42.36% English language arts (ELA)
29.48% Math
87.02% Graduation Rate (This statistical anomaly can only occur if the students are being pushed through the system)
In Glasgow High School, 94% of students can not do arithmetic at grade level, yet the principal feels it is okay to remove students from classroom learning to attend Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Club!
The Delaware ACLU wrote a letter to remove School Resource Officers13 from the Red Clay School District.
Removing School Resource Officers and Constables is a continuation of this important work of building inclusive school environments that are not rooted in fear and bias but instead nurtures and values ALL of our children.
—Shannon Griffin
Policy Advocate, ACLU of Delaware
While simultaneously, Appoquinimink School District votes to install metal detectors!
Appo to lease weapon detectors amid schools’ focus on safety14
March 16, 2023 | Delaware Live
This is a podcast dedicated to the mind of America’s greatest intellectual, Thomas Sowell.
This episode features a January 1993 interview with Thomas Sowell about his book "Inside American Education."
This interview plays as if were from today, yet it was recorded 30 years ago!
Here is a heartwarming video from a father along side his adorable daughter who understands what is at stake. We need more fathers like him.
They know no bounds.
Through this journey, I have found inspiration in so many amazing Americans I have met and read.
Integrity is not lost!
Federalism—a measured balance of national and state governance
“the great experiment which shall prove that man is capable of living in society, governing itself by laws self-imposed, and securing to its members the enjoyment of life, liberty, property, and peace; and further to show, that even when the government of its choice shall manifest a tendency to degeneracy, we are not at once to despair, but that the will and watchfulness of its sounder parts will reform its aberrations, recall it to original and legitimate principles, and restrain it within the rightful limits of self-government.”
—Thomas Jefferson; 1825
THOMAS JEFFERSON’S FEDERALISM, 1774‒1825
June 8, 2015 | ISI Archive
Booker T. Washington was born into slavery on April 5, 1856 in Franklin County, Virginia. Booker T. Washington, through hard work, perseverance, and a desire to educate, became a dominant figure in American history. He exemplifies what it means to overcome adversity through hard work, perseverance, merit, and individual self-worth. In fact, it is this man's quote that is the first thing new readers are greeted with when they visit the Schooling Delaware newsletter.
Booker T. Washington Bio from the Tuskegee Institute, the school Booker T. Washington founded.
