Why Should Delaware Care?
Wilmington’s students have long faced challenges in accessing equitable education, with troubling disparities in academic performance compared to their peers. But city officials say the new Office of Educational Advocacy will help create a unified voice for stakeholders to improve Wilmington’s education system.
The Wilmington City Council has approved the launch of the Office of Educational Advocacy, a new initiative that officials say will work to tackle the ongoing challenges faced by city students.
During their first meeting of the new legislative session, the council voted unanimously to put the office in place, citing a need for better collaboration to improve the educational disparities in the city.
The office will report to the city council with the goal to ensure the concerns and interests of Wilmington students and families are represented in state and local policy and legislation.
“All we need to do is reach out to find out where City Council can get involved and continue to work together because clearly our children in Wilmington are suffering,” 4th District Councilwoman Michelle Harlee said during the Jan. 16 meeting.
Less than half of Wilmington students test at grade level in math compared to their peers outside the city and only 26% of Wilmington students test at grade level for English, compared with 56% for non-city students.
These troubling statistics were highlighted by Council President Trippi Congo in a written announcement to elected officials earlier this month, in which he proposed the establishment of the office.
Congo said the initiative was inspired by local education advocates who voiced concerns about the current quality of education available for city youth and urged council to take action.
“This has been a long time coming. Enough is enough. I am tired of the public school system failing our children,” said Congo during a recent press conference announcing the new education office.
The city council approved allocating $110,000 for the salary of a director of educational advocacy and an additional $45,000, which will compensate consultants and administrative support.
City officials said the initiative will foster relationships with other stakeholders including those from private and charter schools and for students who are bussed out of the city daily so that all city youth are represented.
The office will also allow council to pursue a “whole child” approach to focus on economic stability, affordable housing and safe communities.
For decades, Wilmington has suffered from underperforming public schools, which stem from a combination of historical and systemic issues like racism, redlining and the city’s historic desegregation efforts during the 1970s. This ultimately created the city’s current four-district system.
In 2000, the Neighborhood Schools Act was put in place, requiring students to attend schools closer to their homes to reduce travel times, but it also introduced school choice programs and charter schools, which allowed families to opt out of their assigned schools, deepening the divide between city and suburban schools and worsening existing inequities for the city’s 11,000 students.
“It created an unfair mandate that created high needs, high poverty, racially identifiable schools, which are challenging, both for students, teachers, educators, and parents, to navigate,” Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha (D-Wilmington) said at a recent press conference for the new education office.
While organizations like the Wilmington Learning Collaborative and the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity also advocate for Wilmington’s youth, none focus solely on resident students, according to Congo. These groups also lack permanent mandates and can be dissolved by state leadership, school districts, or school boards, according to Congo.
The Redding Consortium, a state-established entity, has provided $30 million toward Wilmington’s education system since 2020, supported educators through scholarships and expanded pre-K seats for almost 500 Wilmington children.
The Consortium is now working to remove the Christina School District from Wilmington to create a more effective educational structure.
Other groups like WLC and Wilmington Center for Education, Equity and Policy advocate for better educational outcomes and help to streamline services for families and educators.
But despite their efforts, stakeholders are in agreement that the new education office is a needed resource.
Chukwuocha and Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman (D-Wilmington), members of the Redding Consortium, attended the press conference to endorse the office, highlighting its importance in creating a unified voice for the city.
Chukwuocha said that, unlike other areas in the state, Wilmington does not have an established voice in Dover for education, which makes it difficult to advocate for the needs of its residents.
“All of these failed policies are heaped upon our children, and we just accept it,” he said.
Other council members and stakeholders were present to support the office, including Raye Jones Avery of WCEEP; Helen Anderson, WLC council chair; and former Mayor James Baker.
According to the office’s proposal, the first phase will focus on identifying concerns, setting priorities, building relationships with stakeholders, and developing an actionable plan.
There is currently no timeline in place for when the office will be fully established, but city officials said the process for filling positions is actively underway.
