WHO WE ARE
Citizens for Delaware Schools exists to educate the public about the alarming state of Delaware’s public education system and the rise in behavior problems in the classroom.
We also promote common sense, proven solutions that could help our kids.
If you are parents or grandparents, taxpayers, have no kids of your own, or even send your children to private school, join us to advocate for common-sense education reform and increased parental involvement for the good of all our children and community.
Change occurs only when residents of Delaware insist on better schools that provide academic instruction to children in a safe and supportive classroom environment. This means effective, proven solutions for:
parental involvement in their children’s education and upbringing,
radical improvement in student academic achievement, and
policies that protect children from violence and bullying in schools.
WHY SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT
Most people pay virtually no attention to school board elections, which occur in May.
This function is so important on so many levels — children, families, future work force, and the nation — that it seems unconscionable for a community not to take an active interest in the workings and performance of the school board. But here we are in Delaware where the voter turnout in school board elections is a miserable average of five percent.
Yet, local school boards are the unseen decision makers in your child’s schooling. Effectively accountable only at the ballot box at election time, school boards members wield considerable power over the education and social development of children. While their primary function is to elect and oversee the superintendent, let’s drill down on what that includes.
- Allocation and oversight of millions of taxpayer dollars.
- Maximizing student outcomes to the highest degree.
- Construction and maintenance of extensive school buildings and infrastructure.
- Selection and implementation of curriculum and textbooks.
- Ensuring the safety of students and teachers at school.
- Promoting the involvement of parents and community in education.
- Oversee personnel and human resource management.
- They decide whether the superintendent is doing his/her job.
OUR VISION
Every Delaware student (K-12) receives an excellent education that includes advanced knowledge and critical thinking needed to achieve their maximum potential and success in life.
OUR MISSION
Create an informed citizenry about the state of education in Delaware and highlight policy solutions that enable kids to realize their full potential and lead successful lives.
FOUNDER
Nancy Mercante
Nancy Mercante had a successful career in corporate communications for major companies in the financial, pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries. She founded Citizens for Delaware Schools, a nonpartisan nonprofit, two years ago to advocate for a better education for every student in Delaware. She earned a bachelor’s in mass communication from the University of South Florida and master’s from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She remembers fondly the teachers in her life who guided her to do her best and achieve more than she ever thought she could. She wants all kids to have access to that same experience. The life lesson she learned is that one’s history does not define one’s future.