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State board reviews republished Regulation 15‑96 after one‑word change narrowing leadership experience
Summary
The board reviewed a republished Regulation 15‑96 that adds the word “instructional” to the leadership‑experience standard, prompting members to seek clearer titles and a proficiency demonstration; charter‑school advocates urged inclusivity and said the change could limit alternative‑route candidates.
The State Board of Education reviewed a republished change to Regulation 15‑96 that adds the word “instructional” to the regulation’s leadership‑experience language, a change the presenter said narrowed eligible experience to administrators with instructional responsibilities in charter schools.
Board member questions focused on two issues: whether the regulation’s title should be changed from “charter school leader” to “instructional leader” to match the narrower definition, and whether the regulation should require a specific proficiency demonstration. One member noted that other leadership regulations and some alternative‑route programs require an assessment such as the Praxis or a portfolio and urged at least a placeholder indicating a required demonstration.
“Purpose of licensure is to protect the public,” a board member said, citing peer‑reviewed research and urging careful attention to candidate preparation and degree expectations. The presenter said the department considers the change substantive (it was republished after publication on Feb. 1) but deferred selection of a specific competency measure to the ARTC (alternative routes to certification) program and the educator excellence work group.
During public comment, Britney Mumford, executive director of Delaware KidsCan, argued the Professional Standards Board’s recent actions “stripped away the authority of the State Board” by preempting a vote and bypassing public feedback. She urged the board to assert its role and to ensure public input is heard.
Hannah Massett, executive director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network, said the regulation’s original intent was to enable individuals from diverse professional backgrounds to become instructional administrators after completing rigorous alternative‑route training. She described the ARTC program as an 18‑month program with coursework, hands‑on experience and mentoring, and warned the revised wording would close that pathway: “This word would prevent individuals from diverse professional backgrounds from becoming instructional administrators even with the support and intensive training of an alternative routes to certification program.”
The presenter acknowledged the title and wording concerns, saying minimal changes were chosen to avoid further delay and that future iterations could address title changes in consultation with charter partners. No vote on the regulation was recorded at this meeting; the presenter noted the board’s approval of the regulation is needed so the ARTC program approval can proceed.
Next steps: the regulation remains republished with the added word “instructional” and the board and department expect further discussion about titles and explicit proficiency measures as the ARTC program and educator excellence work group advance their work.
