Over 100 Delawareans Launch Coalition to Fund Delaware's Future

New Castle – More than 100 parents, teachers, childcare providers, local nonprofits, and education advocates filled the Route 9 Library on Tuesday to help launch Fund Delaware's Future – a new grassroots, community coalition fighting to make the First State a place where families and children can thrive.

“Delaware's future – and the future of our families – depends on a strong public education system where every child is given an opportunity to succeed,” said Tameka Mays, president of the state's largest labor union and co-host of the Fund Delaware's Future kick-off event.

“That's why Fund Delaware's Future is uniting families, neighbors, and community groups,” she said. “Together, we are fighting for the transformational investments needed to deliver an affordable, early childhood education system that prepares all children for success; fully funded K-12 schools where all students can read at grade level; and an education system that gives our children the skills they need to compete for good-paying jobs here in Delaware.”

In addition to individual parents, providers and educators, Fund Delaware's Future includes more than a dozen advocacy groups and community organizations. They include the Delaware State Education Association, Rodel, Network Delaware, the Latin American Community Center, DEAEYC, the Delaware AFL-CIO, the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, AAUW of Delaware, the Central Delaware NAACP, and more.

“Delawareans are tired of hearing the same excuses year after year,” said Meedra Surratte, an FDF coalition member, parent, advocate and former executive director of the Parent Information Center of Delaware.

“Our children and families deserve better,” she said. “We want early childhood education to be accessible to every child. We want our students, educators, and families to have the resources and support they need to be successful. And we want those investments to be transparent, accountable, responsive, and focused on real outcomes. That's how we begin to rebuild trust with the communities we serve and start to create the educational system we need for our children thrive.”

Delaware families cannot afford to wait any longer.

The average cost of childcare for one toddler in Delaware now equals roughly 20% of the median family income, while the average cost of infant care now outpaces the cost of college tuition.

And yet, only 1 out 5 Delaware children ages 5 and younger are able to access publicly funded early care and education programs, while 1 in 3 Delaware early childcare teachers are on some kind of public assistance.

Chronic underfunding is also leading to underperformance by Delaware's K-12 public schools. Only 38% of Delaware public school students are reading at grade level by Grade 3, and yet Delaware's per student investment in public education is among the lowest in the region while Delaware's K-12 teachers earn the lowest starting salary in the Mid-Atlantic.

Delawareans say they want a change. A recent poll of Delawareans found that 93 percent say they want elected officials to prioritize policies that will make the First State a place where children and families can thrive. The same poll found 90% of Delawareans believe we should pay teachers and early childhood educators a fair wage, while 85% said making early childhood education affordable would help parents make ends meet.

“Whether a family makes $23,000 a year or $123,000, their children are deserving of quality care,” said Dr. Dannaé Orisamolade, a FDF member and director of Delaware State University's Early Childhood Laboratory School. “Fund Delaware's Future is about giving those families and our communities a unified voice to demand better for our children and grandchildren.”

Fund Delaware's Future is advocating for strategic, accountable investments in high-quality, affordable childcare and pre-K programs, stronger K-12 schools; fair pay that helps attract and retain qualified educators; safe and healthy school facilities, stronger reading and writing instruction; and career and technical programs that prepare students to join the workforce.

The coalition also acknowledges that any new investment must come with the capacity and infrastructure to make sure any new funding supports students' needs, including the training, systems, and support necessary to put resources to work effectively.

“While the work must start with giving schools and districts the training and resources needed to support their students, for us to make the case for more funding, it should also come with greater transparency about where it's going as well as clear accountability for how it's improving student outcomes,” said Paul Herdman, president and CEO of Rodel.

For more information about Fund Delaware's Future, visit us at FundDelawaresFuture.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.