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Senate honors charter schools and educational support professionals; students and service providers address lawmakers
Summary
The Senate designated May 10–16 as Charter Schools Week, recognized Delaware's Educational Support Professional of the Year and heard testimony from students and nonprofit leaders about student opportunity, school funding disparities and services for children and families.
The Delaware Senate used part of its May 12 session for ceremonial recognitions and brief testimony from students and nonprofit leaders.
Charter Schools Week and student testimony: Senators read and approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 185 designating May 10–16, 2026 as Charter Schools Week. Student speaker Mohammed Alvi, a senior at Odyssey Charter High School, described the variety of classes and one-on-one staff support that kept him engaged and helped him launch a student food-equity organization. Kendall Massett, introduced as executive director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, praised student leadership and the network's role in expanding educational choice.
Educational support professionals: House Concurrent Resolution 1 24 recognized Donna Ward of Laurel Middle School as Delaware's Educational Support Professional of the Year. Donna Ward told senators she grew up in Laurel and urged lawmakers to modernize Delaware's school-funding system because reliance on referendums and local property wealth leaves lower-wealth districts with fewer resources. "We need to modernize Delaware school funding system... Move beyond a model where operational stability depends on local wealth and referendum outcomes," Ward said.
Children and Families First: Senator Cruz introduced House Concurrent Resolution 1 27 to recognize Children and Families First during Foster Care Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. Kirsten Olsen, CEO of Children and Families First, described the organization's scale: "We offer more than 20 programs, we employ more than 200 Delawareans, and we serve more than 20,000 kids and families each year," and emphasized partnerships with state agencies and schools.
Why it matters: The testimonials highlighted gaps in funding and the roles of non-school service providers and support professionals in day-to-day student success. Senators from across the chamber thanked witnesses and noted pay and support issues for ESPs were a policy priority.
Next steps: The recognitions passed unanimously; senators asked staff to circulate information and sponsors noted they would follow up on funding and staffing questions through committee work.
