Mercante: What would Lincoln think about our schools?

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Nancy Mercante had a 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.

Perhaps Abraham Lincoln gave the best description of the underlying authority of our government in his Gettysburg Address, when he said it was “of the people, by the people and for the people.” Of all the layers of today’s government — from federal, state, county and city — the one intended to function closest with the people is the local school board, elected to work on behalf of and with parents in overseeing the education of their children.

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 dismal average of 5%.

School board 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.
  • Construction and maintenance of extensive infrastructure.
  • Selection and implementation of curriculum and textbooks.
  • Ensuring the safety of students and teachers.
  • Maximizing student outcomes to the highest degree.
  • Promoting the involvement of parents and community in education.
  • Personnel and human resource management.

So, why is voter turnout so low when the stakes are so high? Could it be that every aspect of our school system is working so well that we face the threat of being overrun with doctors and rocket scientists?

Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Here are the alarming facts, based on information taken from the Delaware Department of Education and the National Assessment of Educational Progress:

  • Delaware spent an average of $20,230 per student in 2023 (13th highest in the nation).
  • Students being promoted through Delaware’s schools simply cannot read, write and do math at grade level. Nationally, Delaware ranked 47th in fourth grade math, 46th in sixth grade reading and 45th in eighth grade math and reading.

High cost and poor outcomes! Are we getting what we are paying for and what must we do?

Study the issues, follow the candidates, spread the word and vote. It’s that simple.

You can visit Citizens for Delaware Schools, a grassroots organization founded to help us improve the quality of education in Delaware, for up-to-date information on what’s happening and information about the school board candidates. Candidates were asked to submit their positions on key issues in their own words by March 28. Their responses will be included in the group’s Voters Guide, to be published on our website in early April. We invite you to ask questions, make suggestions and lend a hand.

Honest Abe once said, “Upon the subject of education, … I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we, as a people, can be engaged in.” Surely, he was right!

Get out and vote in the school board elections May 14.

Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.

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