Exceptional Delaware

Education News in The First State

  • Controversial Delaware Charter School Leadership Bill Still Hasn’t Been Signed By Governor Carney

    Man, you go away for a few years and look what happens! I missed a two-year battle between Charter Schools and the Delaware Professional Standards Board. What was this over? Licensure for Charter School Leaders in Delaware. The saga began way back in April of 2022 when the Delaware Professional Standards Board first began discussing… Read more

  • Tarbiyah School Shedding Students

    The past few months have been very revealing for the Tarbiyah School, the Muslim private school in Newark, Delaware. The Head of School, Dr. Amna Latif, has spent a great deal of time overseas in Pakistan. Allegations against the school seem to be piling up. Latif’s husband, Dr. Naveed Baqir, seems to have moved permanently… Read more

  • Thère And Back Again: The du Pont Influence On Delaware Charter Schools & Public Education

    When it comes to Delaware education and charter schools, one person towers over the rest. You don’t see him at education meetings, and you don’t see quotes from him, but behind the scenes he is running the show. He comes from one of the richest families in America with a net worth of over $18… Read more

  • Christina Board Meeting Agenda Up: Conflict Resolution, Educator MOU, Bob A, & Baqir’s Residency

    The Christina Board of Education put up their agenda today. It is filled with twists and surprises, as usual. And as we have all learned, it could change at any given moment! Like this one: President’s Report: Just earlier today I heard this would NOT be on the agenda. And here it is. Oh well,… Read more

  • Donald Patton Dumps His Controversial “President’s Report” From Future Board Meetings

    Editor’s Note: I was told by numerous people this would NOT be on the board agenda for the September 11th. I guess Patton just can’t let it go. So the below post is FALSE!!!! Cause one man’s ego cannot be fulfilled! Christina School District Board of Education President Donald Patton has (wisely) made the decision… Read more

  • A Monumental Task

    Taking the day off from writing posts aside from this one. Delaware education can wait a day! I did take a beautiful hike yesterday at Monument Mountain in Massachusetts. I was driving around in Connecticut and Massachusetts and saw it and said why not. It’s about 1600 feet high. But the path to get there,… Read more

  • The Donald Patton Public Apology Countdown Day Eighteen

    Something dawned on me today Donald. You can’t see the forest through the trees. You have such limited tunnel vision and that makes you what you are. I don’t know what forces shaped you but I firmly believe none of them have interactions with you as a board member. There’s this thing called hope and… Read more

  • Christina 4 Spotlight: Alethea Smith-Tucker & Her Anti-Teacher Pro-Standardized Testing Stances

    I haven’t written much about one of the members of the Christina 4, Alethea Smith-Tucker. While she is very much a member of the coalition that brought down Dr. Dan Shelton as Superintendent, she is probably one of the most dangerous of the four board members due to her beliefs. She is a crucial member… Read more

  • In Memoriam: Sister Mujadilah Kemba El-Shabazz

    On May 31st, a beloved teacher at the Tarbiyah School passed away. She was considered to be one of the best teachers at the Delaware Muslim private school. El-Shabazz was a middle school math teacher. Her devotion to her students was unwavering, even in her final days. Due to her respiratory issues and an injured… Read more

  • The Donald Patton Public Apology Countdown Day Seventeen

    I hope you got my email Donald. I know you did because it went out to the entire board and I have confirmation it was received. I guess things are settling into an almost sense of normalcy. It isn’t but I can see you thinking that. In any event, here we are Read more

  • The Rules Of Exceptional Delaware

    This is a public place for folks to comment but there are some rules. Read more

  • The Time Naveed Baqir Invited Me Over For Tea

    Four years ago I almost wrote an article about Dr. Naveed Baqir. This was during Covid and folks reached out about Baqir wanting a board seat in Christina. The address he used, 688 Old Baltimore Pike, didn’t even have a certificate of occupancy attached to it. I reached out to Baqir about it and we… Read more

  • Folks, YF Lou Needs Some Love!

    Christina School District Board of Education member YF Lou wants attention. In a recent WHYY article, Lou laments that journalists don’t reach out to him. He clearly feels neglected by the media. Poor guy. It’s like being picked last in a game of Red Rover. But it appears the lack of love has resulted in… Read more

  • The Donald Patton Public Apology Countdown Part Sixteen

    Good evening Mr. P. I’m sure you saw I began branching out of Christina. But don’t think for one minute I forgot about you and the other members of the Christina 4. Cause I haven’t. For newer readers, you’re probably wondering what the hell this now 16 part series is. Back on August 13th I… Read more

  • Prediction: Newark Charter School Will Try To Modify Their Five-Mile Radius

    Sources tell me it is starting already. The infamous five-mile radius around Newark Charter School is about to get bigger. If you play football that is. This is the first year NCS is playing high school football. But the charter wants top players. They need to get them from outside of their radius. There is… Read more

  • Smyrna Refuses Pay Raises For Teachers But Sits On $22 Million

    Poor Smyrna teachers. They just can’t catch a break. Three years ago the district went out for a referendum and got $22 million to build a new intermediate school. Three years later and they still haven’t bought the land. Even though there is a sign that says future home of New Smyrna Intermediate School. Why… Read more

  • The Donald Patton Public Apology Countdown Day Fifteen

    So I was doing some Googling today and I came across an annual report from your good buddy Margie’s ASPIRA empire. I didn’t realize you were on their board for six friggin’ years! And then you went straight to Christina. Add in your almost year at DAPPS and you got some serious school boarding time… Read more

  • Has Bob A Lost His Mind? Or Just His License?

    Last night at the Citizens Budget Oversight Committee (CBOC) meeting, Christina Interim Superintendent Robert Andrzejewski (Bob A) openly stated he wanted to recruit Newark Charter School and Margie-Lopez Waite to promote the upcoming referendum the district is going out for in 2025. Although Bob A initially forgot the name of the Head of School for… Read more

  • Appoquinimink: What Happened To TJ Vari?

    Last month, Thomas J. Vari, the Deputy Superintendent of Secondary Schools and District Operations for the Appoquinimink School District seemed to disappear from the district overnight. There was no “official” annoucement from the district. Sources tell me it was not voluntary. So what did Vari do? He was with the district a long time. Apparently,… Read more

  • The Time Margie Lopez-Waite Bamboozled ASPIRA Parents

    Today’s special guest post is brought to you by Former ASPIRA Parent! This is classic Margie here folks! It reminds me of the classic rally at Legislative Hall from ten years ago! And there is a little bit of Patton in here as well! When Don Patton was running for school board, Aspira had a… Read more