The Vision Coalition of Delaware‘s 11th Annual Conference on Education will be held at the University of Delaware on October 11, 2018.
The conference will bring together voices from around the state and beyond for an engaging day focusing on collaboration as well as the future of education.
Registration will open in late summer.
Q&A WITH LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER SECRETARY SUSAN BUNTING
Delaware’s Secretary of Education and Vision Coalition Leadership Team member Dr. Susan Bunting has a penchant for quality early learning. The Selbyville native, who previously helmed the Indian River School District, one of the state’s largest districts in Delaware, is a firm believer in the powers of high-quality pre-K. It’s why she helped spearhead the acclaimed Project V.I.L.L.A.G.E. program for four-year-olds who came from low-income Indian River families. During a recent interview with the Rodel Foundation of Delaware, Sec. Bunting shared her early learning priorities.
Q: As a lifelong educator, parent, and grandparent, tell us about your experience with children who get high-quality learning experiences before they get to kindergarten.
A: It can be hard to separate my parent/grandparent and educator selves, but in both areas, I see the need for children to be ready for kindergarten to be able to maximize what happens when they get there.
My mother was an educator, so I think this was always bred into me. I am one of those people who was reading to babies in utero and to infants.
We see the impact of high-quality learning before children get to kindergarten—the vocabulary of children who are read to and spoken with, and those who have context about what they are reading so they can understand the story and the ideas.
We are proud to welcome new Leadership Team member Mike Matthews.
A Delaware teacher for nearly a decade, Mike Matthews has worked in the Red Clay Consolidated School District as a fourth and fifth grade teacher as well as a special education teacher in a resource room setting. He is on leave serving as the president of the Delaware State Education Association through July 2020. In his role as a state leader, he advocates for greater working and learning conditions for both educators and students. Read more.
