Educator Equity

Delaware's plan to ensure equitable access to excellent educators for all students.

Educator Equity Plan Overview

In June 2015, Delaware submitted its Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators for All Students (Educator Equity Plan) to the US Department of Education.

Through Delaware's Equity Plan we are working to ensure that the

• 43,780 public school students living in poverty,
• 78,648 students of color,
• 13,363 students who are English language learners, and the
• 22,478 students with disabilities

have access to truly great teaching and leading in every one of their classrooms, in every one of their schools, every single day.

The term equitable access refers to the idea that every student in any classroom in any public school in Delaware should have the same opportunity as any other student to be taught by a great teacher who is supported by a great leader.

Across the nation, poor and minority students do not always have access to a level playing field with their nonminority and more affluent peers when it comes to obtaining an excellent education. In Delaware, although many student achievement and access gaps continue to persist, there are several schools and districts that have begun to demonstrate that history need not repeat itself. Delaware has long focused on closing educator equity gaps because we, as a state, believe that we will only close the achievement gap for our highest need students if all students have equitable access to the most capable and well-prepared educators. Despite our concerted efforts to date, our student achievement data persistently tell us we have more work ahead. The good news is that many of Delaware's educators and local leaders are already showing what is possible for ALL students by re-doubling efforts to ensure that "excellent educators for all" is a statewide reality.

This plan charts a course for 2015-2025 by detailing Delaware's equity gaps, stakeholder engagement, root cause analysis, potential strategies and solutions, plan for ongoing monitoring of strategies and results, and plan for reporting progress to stakeholders and the public.

Delaware recognizes that achieving its teacher and leader equity goals will require implementation of a comprehensive, multifaceted strategy built on a vision of organizational change at the state and local levels. Delaware's plan to ensure equitable access to excellent educators, therefore, is built on the following theory of action, which conveys that if the strategies detailed in the plan are put into place, Delaware will address the root causes behind the equity gaps and, in time, the equity gaps will cease to exist.

The Delaware Department of Education will continue to meet with districts, charter schools, and other groups (including additional teachers, students, parents, community and civic leaders, teacher preparation programs, and legislators) to determine how the state can best support effective implementation of the strategies set forth in the plan.