About Us
Mission Statement
Advocates for Children's Education (ACE) is a grassroots
organization that works toward achieving an appropriate education for each
student in Delaware. We believe that people have a wide range of strengths
and weaknesses, as well as highly variable but equally productive goals.
We believe that a rigid and singular academic expectation at the secondary
school level leads to frustration, as well as masks true talents that cannot
evolve in a restrictive environment. ACE believes that education must
assist children to reach not only their full potential, but also to realize
their dreams.
Our principles:
1. Child Development Experts.
ACE supports educational initiatives that have been developed with the input of
pediatric, medical, and other health professionals. We believe that their
expertise in child development, brain development, and acquired knowledge is
imperative in assuring that programs are age-appropriate and, therefore, viable
and sustainable.
2. Comprehensive Educational
Evaluation. ACE supports reliable and comprehensive educational
evaluation. We do not believe that any single indicator can ever be used
to make high-stakes decisions regarding a child's education. A variety of
valid, normed evaluations should be available to assess schools and individuals.
They should be administered and interpreted by highly trained professionals who
can recommend appropriate remediation and placement for each student, while also
providing performance improvement data to schools and districts.
3. Outcome Research.
ACE supports educational reform where efficacy can be verified by long-term
valid and reliable outcome-based research. ACE does not support
initiatives based solely on the perceived needs or influence of special
interests, such as businesses or professional organizations.
4. Variety of Curricula and
Learning Opportunities. ACE believes that all children must
have equal access to a variety of curricula including vocational and computer
training, as well as the humanities, mathematics, and science. These
curricula should be administered in a manner that respects human diversity.
5. Informed Citizens.
ACE believes that employability alone should not be the driving force behind
education reform. We believe that in addition to skills-based course work,
a well-rounded liberal arts curriculum is fundamental to nurturing open-minded
citizens who can participate constructively in our political process.
6. Corporate Responsibility.
ACE believes that if the political and business communities participate in the
educational reform process, they have an equal responsibility to address - with
both financial and personnel resources - the social and economic problems facing
the American worker and family. These problems result in disillusionment
with education and restrict access to achievement. They include, but are
not limited to: sub-standard wages, job exportation, comprehensive healthcare,
affordable childcare, and progressive after-school programming.
ACE Chairs:
Yvonne Johnson, Co-Chair
(302) 998-4744
yvonne_johnson@verizon.net
Rhonda Shulman-Lattin, Co-Chair
(302) 479-9789
acemaven0131@aol.com
ACE Steering Committee:
Ruth Coughlan
Molly Diehl
Judy Pappenhagen
Christine Shiner-Ramsey
Leslie Wagner
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