Equity in Education Series: Supporting Students’ Needs

Bettina Tweardy Riveros, is responsible for leading health policy and engaging community stakeholders in partnerships to advance ChristianaCare’s strategy, mission and commitment to achieve health equity and advance population health. Riveros leads work to improve the health of every person in every community ChristianaCare serves by advancing an integrated social care framework, ensuring culturally and linguistically appropriate care, addressing disparities and advocating for policies to achieve health equity. As senior vice president for government affairs and community engagement, Riveros is responsible for identifying and addressing legal, regulatory, policy and relationship issues to advance ChristianaCare’s strategic objectives, with particular focus on legislative policy development, innovative population health and information technology solutions, health care reform and business development efforts. Riveros joined ChristianaCare in January 2016. She serves as co-chair on the ChristianaCare Community Engagement and Advisory Council, on the Board of REACH Riverside, and as co-chair of the REACH Health, Wellness and Safety Committee. Additionally, Riveros serves as vice chair on the Board of Directors for Serviam Girls Academy; on the Delaware Business Roundtable Education Committee Steering Committee; and on the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors and Annual Dinner Committee. Prior to joining ChristianaCare, Riveros served as senior adviser for health policy in the office of Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and as chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission. Among her many accomplishments, she was responsible for developing the strategy to implement the Affordable Care Act in Delaware, including the Health Insurance Exchange partnership model and Medicaid expansion that expanded access to health care for thousands of Delawareans; and for leading the development of the State Innovation Model to support Delaware’s transition to new health care delivery and payment models and an increased focus on population health. Riveros was a founding member of the Delaware Center for Health Innovation and served on the DHIN Board and Delaware Health Resource Board. Riveros received her law degree from Villanova University in 1988 and her undergraduate degree from Juniata College in 1985.

Dorrell Green has dedicated his career to serving children across New Castle County, as a teacher and as an educational leader for three of Delaware’s largest public school districts. Green’s career in education began 20 years ago in the City of Wilmington, when he served as a teacher at Bancroft Elementary School and Stubbs Elementary School. After honing his skills in the classroom, he embarked on a path to leadership, serving as an Assistant Principal at Stubbs and then as the Principal of Harlan Elementary School. Green made a natural transition to district leadership in 2011, when he was named the Director of Elementary Education and Title I Services for the Brandywine School District. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brandywine School District, overseeing district operations in the areas of transportation, discipline, nutrition, facilities, finance, and human resources. Green joined the Delaware Department of Education (DOE) in 2017 as the Director of Innovation and Improvement. While at the DOE, Dorrell was instrumental in leading many of the Trauma Informed practices that are currently in many of our Delaware schools. He currently serves as Superintendent of the Red Clay Consolidated School District. Green earned his degree in elementary teaching education from the University of Delaware in 1998 and his master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from UD in 2004. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington University.

As one of the founders of Las Américas ASPIRA Academy, Margie López Waite was instrumental in opening the first dual-language charter school in Delaware. She has been involved with ASPIRA of Delaware as a volunteer and board member since 2004. Margie later transitioned into the head of school role shortly after the school charter was approved in April 2009. Prior to becoming a teacher, Margie worked at MBNA/Bank of America for 16 years. After the merger with Bank of America, Margie decided to pursue her life-long goals and passion in education. She earned her master’s degree in secondary education and school leadership certification from Wilmington University in May 2008. Margie earned her undergraduate degree in marketing from Delaware State University in May 1990. She taught in the Appoquinimink School District as a Spanish teacher.

Michael Griffith is a Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at the Learning Policy Institute. He is part of LPI’s Equitable Resources and Access team, where he focuses on school funding issues. Before joining the LPI team, Griffith was a school finance expert, first with the Education Commission of the States and then as an independent contractor. Over the past 20 years, he has worked with policymakers in all 50 states to help them reshape and reform their school funding systems, always to improve student achievement and education equity. His research work has focused on the condition of state and district budgets, the adequacy and equity of state finance formulas, and promising practices in funding programs for high-need students. Griffith holds a B.A. in Political Philosophy from Michigan State University, an M.A. in Public Administration from The Ohio State University, and an M.A. in Education Management from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.