Wilmington, DE –
Delaware charter schools celebrated the incredible educators, leaders, board members, students, and families within their community during the Delaware Charter Schools Network 10th Annual IDEA Awards this National Charter Schools Week. The IDEA Awards – Innovation, Dedication, Education, Admiration – were started 10 years ago to recognize the phenomenal work happening in all charter schools across the state. These awards honor individuals and groups of individuals who positively impacted their charter school and the community, utilize charter school flexibility to find innovate and creative solutions for student and community needs, and are dedicated to the education of not only those students within their classrooms, but in classrooms across the state and country – regardless of the type of schools those classrooms are in.
“The IDEA Awards are very special to the charter community. They represent what charters do for education in Delaware, not only for the children that attend our schools but for all children in Delaware schools. We believe it is important to recognize those who go above and beyond for children today and for the future,” said Chuck Taylor, Delaware Charter Schools Network board president.
After two years apart, the community gathered in person at Evergreen Farms in Dover, a beautiful venue that allowed for an open-air event with time and space for members from Delaware charter schools and the community members that support them to celebrate together. The charter community was honored to be joined by elected officials including Representatives Rae Moore, Ruth Briggs King, and Mike Smith. The community was incredibly grateful to Representative Moore, who presented Tributes to each IDEA Award winner.
Las Américas ASPIRA Academy, CEO, Margie López-Waite, was named this year’s Impact Award winner. This recognition is similar to the naming of the school districts’ Superintendent of the Year.
“I am honored to receive the Impact Award on behalf of our amazing ASPIRA familia. As school leaders, we all strive to have a positive impact in our school communities. I am grateful to work with a network of charter schools that are dedicated to making that happen every day. I believe every educator, school employee, and leader deserves a medal of honor for navigating through these past two years with care and resiliency,” said Margie López-Waite.
“When we started the IDEA Awards ten years ago, I had no idea that it would become as special as it has become. I love the IDEA Awards. Every nomination is a story of amazing work happening every day in our schools for our students. These stories are inspirational. They put into words the incredible impact that our schools are having, as well as the awesome opportunities that are available for our students. Every one of our nominees deserves an award. I am honored to be able to advocate on their behalf, every day,” said Kendall Massett, executive director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network.
Find the full list of the 2022 IDEA Awards Nominees here and the Awards Recipients here.
About Public Charter Schools
Public charter schools are independent, public, and tuition-free schools that are given the freedom to be more innovative while being held accountable for advancing student achievement. Since 1996, Delaware has provided parents the opportunity to choose the school that is best for their child(ren). Today, there are 23 charter schools in Delaware, serving over 17,000 students. Four of the top ten high schools in Delaware as noted by U.S. News and World Report are charter schools Separate studies by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Mathematica Policy Research have found that charter school students are more likely to graduate from high school, go on to college, stay in college and have higher earnings in early adulthood.
About the Delaware Charter Schools Network
The Delaware Charter Schools Network is a non-profit organization created in 2001 to support the charter school movement and charter schools in Delaware. The Network educates the public about charter schools, provides assistance to existing Delaware charter schools and those yet to open, and serves as a unified voice for the state’s charter schools at the state and national level. For more information, please visit www.decharternetwork.org