2025 School Board VoteDelaware Questionnaire Responses: Brian Jordan

1. Our country’s history is incomplete without acknowledging the legacy of discrimination and lived experiences of historically marginalized communities. Additionally, Delaware passed a law in 2021 requiring schools to develop and incorporate an African American curriculum for K-12 public schools. Nonetheless, some schools have adopted curricula which fail to teach the full history of the treatment of marginalized communities. Do you commit to adopting curricula which include the perspectives and full histories of all historically marginalized communities?

YES
The central question of American history, from education to culture to economics to sports to the law, is race. It is an ongoing question and a curriculum that teaches the majority perspective to the exclusion of minority and marginalized perspectives leaves our students unprepared to identify and overcome persistent racist legacies and consequences. As the current federal administration seeks to promote the majority perspective in museums and cultural institutions to the exclusion of all other perspectives, it becomes the board’s responsibility to ensure our schools are teaching all of our histories. Delaware law requires course instruction on the Holocaust and another law requires instruction on Black history. I firmly believe that these instructions should be supplemented with field trips. For example, Hockessin School # 107C played an important role in dismantling segregated schools in Delaware and America. At the courthouse in Old New Castle, Thomas Garret and John Hunn stood trial because they helped the Hawkins family escape slavery. Our students should be visiting these locations and learning about these events and many others so they are fully prepared to confront injustice and overcome prejudices.

2. Book bans in school libraries are misguided attempts to suppress student ability to explore ideas, encounter new perspectives, and learn to think for themselves. These efforts target LGBTQ+ identities and censor discussions about how gender and sexuality impact people’s daily lives under the guise that such topics are not age appropriate. Will you commit to protecting students’ ability to see themselves represented in the books they’re reading?

YES
Education is about reading books, not banning books. It is important that a child can read about characters and historical figures who look like they do, act like they do, live like they do, and faces the same challenges they do. Representation develops pride, self-esteem, and belonging. To be clear it is just as important that other students also read about characters and historical figures who may not resemble them but who face similar problems that they do. That representation develops shared community values and recognizes that differences exists but they do not have to divide us.

3. The 2023-2024 School Discipline Improvement Plan (SDIP) emphasizes the need to address the disproportionate discipline of Black students, low-income students, male students, and students with disabilities. Schools listed under SDIP are required to submit corrective plans. How will you work with your district to eliminate excessive, unjust, and exclusionary disciplinary practices?

School discipline is a topic that requires careful and ongoing monitoring to ensure that no child is being unfairly punished based on a prohibited class such as race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, religion, or ethnicity. Schools should employ professionals trained in de-escalation tactics, bias recognition, and youth psychology to manage discipline programs. Discipline should be individualized and focused on returning the child to the classroom whenever circumstances permit.

4. Research shows that the presence of police officers also known as school resource officers (SROs) can lead to disparate discipline for Black and brown students. As a school board member, would you oppose adopting or continuing to implement school safety plans which include the use of SROs?

NO
As enforcement efforts by federal immigration authorities increase, it is reasonable to expect they will begin targeting school children and school workers at schools. The SRO will play a role in the school’s response when ICE agents arrive. If ICE agents do not have a warrant and a subpoena, the SRO should be called upon to escort them off the property if they refuse a first request. If ICE have a warrant and a subpoena the SRO should ensure the agents are not roaming freely around the school.

However, SROs should have special training in de-escalation tactics and youth psychology. If the SRO does not have this training, the school should ensure it employs trained professionals who do. Finally, SROs should also be screened to ensure they do not have any complaints against them.

5. How would you ensure that budgets and other resources are equitably distributed to serve high-needs students (i.e. English language learners, students with disabilities, and students from low-income households) across a school district and that those financial decisions are more transparent?

In Delaware, every children is entitled to an education, but that does not mean that every child is receiving an equitable opportunity to learn. One method to more equitably distribute resources is through a funding formula that is weighted to account for various circumstances that have traditionally required more resources to level the opportunity. These factors include whether a student has special needs to be met, whether the student is a native English speaker, and the family’s socio-economic status. Any factors that are ultimately selected and how they are calculated should be easily available to the public.

6. A December 2023 independent report, commissioned by the State of Delaware as a result of education funding litigation brought by the ACLU, found that public schools across the state are underfunded by at least $600 million dollars and recommended increased per-pupil funding, transparency, and the flexibility to allocate resources. What would you propose to ensure districts close the funding deficit to provide a constitutionally adequate education?

The pending property tax reassessment should fill some of the spending gap, but that process is is not dependable, and it seems like state assistance will become necessary. This appears particularly true if expected federal funding cuts are enacted. These cuts will jeopardize free and reduced cost school meals.

7. School Districts such as Red Clay Consolidated and Christina have implemented policies to create a culture in which transgender and gender diverse students feel safe, supported, and fully included by assuring access to the curriculum, social events, clubs, athletic participation, and all other basic curricular and extracurricular activities. Will you commit to adopting or expanding policies in your school district which ensure that LGBTQ+ students are fully included in social events, clubs, athletic participation, and all other basic curricular and extracurricular activities?

YES
Every child is entitled to equal protection and an equitable opportunity to lean and participate in whatever activity they want to. As the district’s governing body, the board’s role is to draft and implement policies that remove barriers and expand opportunities for every student.

8. Immigrant students and their families have the right to access public education without fear of discrimination or intimidation. Will you support a district-wide policy that protects students’ personal information (including immigration status), provides clear guidance on interacting with ICE, and ensures staff, students, and families are aware of relevant state, school, and community resources?

YES
With the increasing activity of federal immigration authorities, it is reasonable to expect that they will target schools. Many families in the Brandywine School District Community are having difficult conversations whether to risk sending their children to school or to protect them by keeping them home. The board must develop and publicize how it will respond if ICE agents arrive at a school. This plan must explain what role the administration will play, what role the SRO will play, what role the district’s attorneys will play, and it must require the district to notify families if an incident occurs.

9. When staff, students, and families know what the law says, they are better equipped to protect themselves and the school community. Will you support distributing Know Your Rights resources—specifically related to immigrant and LGTBQ+ protections—in classrooms, offices, school websites and communications, and other easily accessible locations?

YES
As efforts to stigmatize minority groups increase, it is critical that LGBTQ+ and immigrant students know they have rights and what those rights are. It is also important that other students are aware that these groups are facing increased persecution but that being informed about your rights is a good way to develop a non-discriminatory community.

10. Over the past few decades, many immigrants have chosen to make Delaware their home and have become vital members of our schools. Will you ensure that students and families with limited English proficiency have access to translated classroom materials and in-person translators for school meetings and events?

YES
As mentioned, I believe schools build communities. In practice this means that our families have access to and can understand the school district’s operations and policies in a language they understand.