Stephanie Ingram for DSEA President

Yesterday was a lot to deal with personally and professionally. The news stream was unrelenting and I decided I needed some time to process and to . I wanted to make sure I had the words to convey the message I was feeling in my heart in just the right way.

Thank you to all of the leaders who put their hat in the ring for the various positions up and down the DSEA 2022 Ballot. Your passion and dedication to our members and public education gives me the motivation to continue to work for change here in DE. Congratulations to all, but especially to Tameka. I look forward to the spirit and energy you will bring to the Leadership Team in July.

Thank you to the members who voted in this election. A special shout out goes to those members who worked to spread the word about my campaign. I cannot say enough about how I appreciate your support, encouragement, advice, and wonderful ideas about how we can work together to make our union stronger.

DSEA is my home. It has been for a while and I am proud to say it will continue to be for the next few years. Thank you for believing in me and my vision for the future. Collectively, we will strive to make public education in DE the best place for our students and all of our staff across the state.

DSEA Members,
We have done so much together for the past almost five years since I took on the role of President of our esteemed association. During this time, I have helped our members to realize that working together we can make big things happen in our state. I am proud to have worked to ensure the passage of the legislation that is making a difference in the lives of our public-school students and the educators that work with them each day. In the 151st General Assembly, working together with our legislators, I was able to help DSEA and its members move more than twelve bills signed into law by the Governor that directly impacted the conditions in our schools. Because of our efforts, DE has established maintenance and air quality standards for our schools. This helps to ensure our schools are safe and healthy for our staff and students. HB100 and 300 create funding for additional mental health services to be provided in elementary and middle schools. These additional educators will help support our students and help to make sure they are ready to learn when they arrive at the classroom door. The most recent piece of legislation that I have worked to create is SB 100, our Public Education Compensation Committee charged to increase salaries for ALL educators by 2024. The committee is working to increase minimum salaries and provide methods to supplement educator compensation to keep DE competitive and show that we value the work all of educators do in our schools. Because of this work and the advocacy around our profession, the Governor has proposed an increase of 3% for all educators and an additional 6% for teachers and specialists.

In my role as DSEA President, I have worked passionately every day—as you do as well—to bring energy and enthusiasm to this role as we advocate for better working conditions and continue to increase the strength and outreach of our union. As President, I realize the tremendous responsibility with which you have entrusted to me. I recognize that I represent each union member, Pre-K to 12, ESP and certificated, active and retired, in this state.

I believe now is the perfect time for an experienced leader such as myself to work to create and cultivate lasting and transformational relationships with all of our local associations. As we continue to deal with the challenges and changes caused by the endemic and with society as a whole, now is the time to reimagine what our role as educators is in the public school system, here in Colonial and on a larger scale, in Delaware as a whole. What do we, as the professionals in the field, believe public schools of the future should look like? As a local and state association, we must speak up to demand change to make our chosen careers more liveable and doable. No one should have to consider leaving this important profession for the sake of a larger paycheck or more respect at the workplace. Think about the changes you would like to see at your job site and on your buses. With the passage of the Public Education Compensation Committee, we have the ear of the government officials who can make those changes happen. We need to work together, you and I, to speak up and bring your ideas to Dover over this next year and a half. DSEA is your union and your ideas drive this organization to do great work on your behalf.

Re-electing me as the DSEA President of this great association will allow us to keep this member led and member directed organization moving forward in the best direction. It means you realize that I am the right person to lead and have the experience we need when working with decision makers at the local, state, and national level who determine the conditions in our school systems. We need to have experienced leadership to continue to navigate the challenges that will undoubtedly arise as we work to improve our working conditions and re-evaluate the demands placed on us at all levels, to increase compensation for all educators,regardless of job category, and continue advocating for mental health resources for not only our students but our members as well. Together we must work side-by-side using our collective voice to ensure our union reflects and represents the interests and needs of ALL members as we continue to make strides toward the best public education system in DE.

Being the DSEA President is more than just a job description for me. It has become such an integral part of my way of life, it is my passion and working and advocating for DSEA members and our students is my purpose. I would be honored and humbled to be able to continue to serve in this role moving forward. Today is the last day for you to make your voice heard. Choose experience and proven leadership. Vote for me and together we can make our way together, as Amanda Gorman says, “the road ahead is not a road we TAKE. The road ahead is the road we MAKE.”

Today was a huge win for educators across the state. I am pleased to have been a part of this amazing decision to increase educator compensation. It is past time we were recognized for our efforts to transform the lives of our students. This is the type of quiet leadership that I bring to our union. These are the moves made behind the scenes. I am not normally one to brag on my accomplishments but this announcement and the work that went into making it happen is amazing!!

It goes without saying that this is why I am the proud President of DSEA and why I am running to continue to be the leader of this great organization. With my help, we were able to deliver a historical increase of 9% for the state share of your salary and we are just getting started.

If you haven't voted yet, there is still time to choose to keep an experienced and proven leader in office. If you have voted, pass on the message to your fellow members who may not have voted. Your vote matters.

https://governor.delaware.gov/live/

DSEA friends, have you voted yet? If you haven't received your ballot to vote for the contested positions, please check your junk or spam email box. Let Sandy Dearman at DSEA know if you check and don't have a ballot. Voting ends on January 24th.

Remember your vote is your voice! .

Elections open tomorrow and voting ends on January 24th. Thank you in advance for any support you may consider offering me for my re-election. Please vote. Encourage your fellow members to vote as well. Look for this email address that will contain your ballot: [email protected]. Remember that we need an experienced and competent leader like me to make sure we continue to strengthen our public schools and do better by our educators.

I had the opportunity to return to visit with members and leadership of the Caesar Rodney Support Association this afternoon. I was pleased that Jossette Threatts was able to join me this time as we were able to reaffirm our resolve to lead DSEA for the next three years. We answered member concerns and asked them questions about their experiences and their upcoming round of negotiations.

Voting begins on Monday. Please be sure to check your email and remind your fellow members to vote for , the IT crew! Jossette and I are the most capable and experienced leaders needed to steer our Association's future endeavors.

Leadership experience matters. I am not by nature someone who likes to brag or boast, but I have truly learned and grown as the President of the Delaware State Education Association. My road to the Presidency was not traditional, nor was the times in which I had to lead. No one expected a pandemic to completely up disrupt our lives in such a way. Now we must face the conditions that the pandemic brought to light. We must stop and reimagine what public education in Delaware means for our students and for us as educators. It is time for us to reevaluate what we have done in the past and to ensure what we are doing will serve us in the future. As educators, we are called to this profession with a single purpose. We are committed to providing for our students' learning, well-being, and potential.
I sincerely believe that I am the right person to continue to lead and work side-by-side with the strong advocates here in Delaware as we secure advances for the best public education that all students and educators deserve. It has not been an easy road since I had to take the helm at DSEA under challenging conditions. I have made it my purpose to make sure your union was in the places where the decisions were being made that concerned your working conditions and well-being.
Together we can continue to use our collective voice to ensure our union reflects and represents the interests and needs of ALL members. I look forward to being able to continue to serve as DSEA President and moving our collective agenda of increased compensation for all educators, improved working conditions through a systems of building standards for all schools, increasing funding to provide for the schools our students deserve, and to advocate for enhanced workload protections for educators. We must stand together to expand opportunities for our students, work to eliminate educator shortages that are taxing our staff, address the morale issue among our profession, and ensure all educators earn a good living and are valued for the work they do for our students.

Voting begins on January 9th. Please remind your DSEA friends, coworkers, and family members to vote for me to continue to lead our esteemed organization.