By Nancy Mercante
Citizens for Delaware Schools
Matthew 19:14 – But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
Our moral obligation to the children of which Jesus spoke is clear: we must nurture and educate them well. It’s time to apply this Biblical teaching to all children by fixing the failures of our public education system.
All children have a right to get a good education. It requires close teamwork among parents, teachers and students. Parents are solely responsible for the education and upbringing of their children in four areas: spiritual, moral, health and academic motivation. Teachers provide students with instruction in reading, writing, math, and critical thinking that enables children to achieve their full potential as productive members of society. Together, parents and educators should teach young people how to become good citizens who can think for themselves and make morally and socially wise decisions.
Generations of children are being left behind
Too many children who attend K-12 public schools in Delaware enter adulthood unprepared to lead successful lives. For decades, Delaware public schools have failed to provide all children with an adequate education in a safe, caring environment supported by involved parents.
Many factors contribute to this sad situation. The most obvious one is the crowding out of emphasis on the basics: reading, writing and math. Leading causes are inefficient bureaucracy, ideological interference, and social media in and out of the classroom. We rely too much on teachers to manage and resolve long-standing social issues from within the classroom, limiting their time and ability to teach core subject matter in a controlled and predictable environment.
Despite spending an average of $20,000 per student in 2023 according to the Delaware Department of Education, children are promoted through the system without achieving grade level proficiency in the basic knowledge needed to prosper in life.
While Delaware spending on public schools is near the top in the nation, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) ranks Delaware students near the bottom in ability to master core subjects:
- 47th in fourth-grade reading
- 48th in sixth-grade reading
- 45th in eighth-grade math and reading
This means that about seven of 10 Delaware public school students graduate without the skills they need in these core subjects.
For minority students, it’s much worse. In at least 17 schools with mostly minority students, fewer than one in 10 students can read or do math at grade level. Research tells us that if children can’t read at grade level by third grade, they rarely recover. Instead, they get trapped in a system where they never catch up. This gives rise to a lifetime of underperformance that often leads to poverty, crime, drugs and even prison.
In short, the decline in Delaware’s public education system is devastating for these students, our communities and our state.
Parental involvement starts with awareness
Parents at private schools tend to be more involved with their children’s education from the start by choosing which school they will attend. Parent involvement at public schools is more uneven because of a greater number of low-income households, broken homes, absenteeism, and chaotic classrooms. Public pressure could bring more change, but our voices aren’t loud enough yet.
In fact, the general apathy about this situation is shocking. Many parents may not notice; they think their kids are doing well because they get passing grades at school just to move them through the system. Some parents are too busy working two jobs to make ends meet. Many others may simply lack the motivation or knowledge to help their own children.
Many public-school districts actively promote ideologies that conflict with and undermine high moral values without parents being aware of what’s being taught. Increasing awareness among parents is not an easy task but a necessary one in the secular melting pot of American culture. Like-minded parents, citizens and organizations must unite to constantly reinforce the power of faith in the Judeo-Christian principles upon which our nation was founded.
What can you do?
Whatever the reason for such apathy, we must change it and recognize the moral imperative to educate all children. Nothing will get better until parents and the public at large become aware of the true state of public education in Delaware and demand better. As Delaware Catholics, we can contribute immensely by leading an effort to promote a campaign of awareness as a starting point to motivate people to act. We must accept responsibility for the education of all children whether or not they are all Catholics, because we are Catholics.
Jesus gave us this mission to bring children to him. As Catholics, we know that improving the education of children is not only a good thing to do, but also something that pleases God immensely. Now is the time to commit to improving education to put all children within reach of the potential God has given to each and every one of them.
You can start now by sharing this article with others.
Nancy Mercante is founder and president of the nonprofit Citizens for Delaware Schools.
