DE state rep working with expired teaching license removed from House Education Committee
Rep. Sherae'a "Rae" Moore has been removed as vice-chair of the state House Education Committee, according to a statement issued by Delaware House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown.
Moore's removal comes a little over three weeks after Delaware Online/The News Journal published an investigation that found her among more than 400 public school educators who were working with expired or missing licenses in March. The Middletown Democrat had also not disclosed this while her committee considered legislation surrounding the same subject, as previously reported and noted by Minor-Brown.
Moore could not be immediately reached for comment on May 14.
READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION: Hundreds of Delaware teachers found to be working on expired licenses in public schools
Minor-Brown, in her statement issued late May 13, said it was her responsibility to uphold the integrity of the state's legislative process, especially in areas that impact the lives of children, families and educators. Her decision to remove Moore from this committee came after consulting with House leadership.
"Representative Moore has held a leadership role on a committee that plays a critical part in shaping the policies that affect Delaware's students and educators," she said in her statement. "With that role comes the duty to uphold transparency and serve as a model of accountability."
Moore's actions did not reflect those shared values, Minor-Brown said, adding no one should be shaping state education standards if they are not willing "to hold themselves to those same standards."
Moore's teaching experience began as a second career about seven years ago, but she came to Appoquinimink School District last school year. She was elected to her house seat for the first time in 2020.
As Delaware Online/The News Journal's reporting began in March, the lawmaker appeared to be working as a special education teacher at Louis L. Redding Middle School on a paraeducator permit and a teaching license that had expired in 2020. She also did not appear to have achieved an active certification to teach students with disabilities at any point, according to the state database tracking this information.
In an interview on March 28, Moore told Delaware Online/The News Journal she was accepted and enrolled in a Wilmington University ARTC program in August 2024, to begin satisfying state teacher licensing requirements. She shared a Student Enrollment Services email thanking her for her application.
Some seven months into this school year, the Department of Education had no record of Moore starting a program, which should have resulted in updates to the state database. Then, on April 7, Appoquinimink uploaded a "Welcome Letter" from Wilmington University's Special Education Teacher program, dated April 2, 2025. The letter showed all upcoming courses and requirements unmet.
As this developed, House Education Committee chair Rep. Kim Williams drafted legislation to tighten measures that any public school employee must have a valid permit or license to work unsupervised with students, with certain exceptions for support staff.
Because the state provides 70% of a licensed public school teacher's salary, the proposal also gives the state the power to claw back money from districts and charters if they intentionally retain an employee for more than 90 days after hire without a valid, required credential.
During an April 9 House Education Committee hearing discussing House Bill 97, Moore shared concerns about teachers caught up in delays on the part of universities. During that discussion, all of her questions surrounded this concern.
But when prompted, she directly denied the issue being about her.
"If she believed there were flaws or inequities, she could have used her position to advocate for changes," Minor-Brown said. "Instead, she remained silent until she proposed an amendment to an education bill that would have personally benefited her own certification status. That action undermined the integrity of our committee process."
The bill is now on track to head to the full Senate floor, having already passed in the House.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. Contact Kelly Powers at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware representative booted from state House Education Committee
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
42 minutes ago
- New York Post
Charlamagne slams Jean-Pierre's book, claims ‘nobody wants to hear' from someone who ‘lied' for Biden
Radio host Charlamagne Tha God on Thursday said while he would gladly read former White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre's new book, her credibility is dubious. Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday revealed she was registering as an independent and announced a forthcoming book about her time in the tumultuous administration. The longtime Democratic Party operative is urging Americans to step outside harsh party lines in her new book, 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.' Advertisement 'Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,' she said in a statement, according to The Associated Press. 'At noon on that day, I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes. We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically.' Charlamagne, who hasn't been shy about criticizing either party, offered mixed praise for Jean-Pierre's move during his radio show. 'I respect her being independent because I feel like if you Black in this country, you shouldn't be loyal to any party,' he said on Thursday's episode. 'You should only be voting your interest. You should only be voting for politicians who are implementing legislation and policies for your communities and your people. And if you ask me, none of these parties have done enough for us to be screaming, 'We Republican or Democrat,' so independent is the way to go.' 3 Former Biden White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday revealed she was registering as an independent. Getty Images Advertisement Jean-Pierre's reputation is still questionable in his eyes, however. 'When it comes to her in particular, I'm probably going to read the book, but nobody wants to hear from anyone who got up there and lied for the Biden administration,' he said. 3 Karine Jean-Pierre is urging Americans to step outside harsh party lines in her new book. AP 3 Charlamagne, who hasn't been shy about criticizing either party, offered mixed praise for Jean-Pierre's move during his radio show. Youtube/Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM Advertisement He argued such proclamations from people like Jean-Pierre are too little, too late, even if he approves of her general points. 'It's like a lot of these folks are having a come to Jesus moment way too late,' he said. 'They should have been talking like this two or three years ago, and she had a very interesting quote in her press release. The quote was, 'We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically. We need to be clear-eyed and questioning rather than blindly loyal and obedient as we may have been in the past.' And that right there is the problem with Democrat supporters, especially Black ones, just blindly loyal and obedient for no damn reason.' When asked by a co-host about whether such loyalty is referring to Biden or to the presidency as an institution, Charlamagne argued it ultimately resulted in betraying the American people. Fox News' Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Bernie Sanders's Take On Kamala Harris's Election Loss
Democrats are still reeling from Kamala Harris's loss in the 2024 presidential election — and Senator Bernie Sanders thinks he has the answer as to why she lost to Donald Trump. Sanders recently gave an interview to BBC Radio 4 while in London for his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour (he completed several US stops on the tour alongside fellow leftist Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). HuffPost reported that the Vermont senator "said it was wrong to pin Harris's defeat on then-president Joe Biden's late retreat from the race." Rather, Sanders said, "To my mind, that was a campaign that absolutely should have been winnable." He said that the loss "was the fault of Kamala Harris and her consultants" and that Democrats failed to "run a campaign designed to speak to the American working class." Sanders said that instead of focusing on the concerns of the working class, Harris and the Democratic Party instead bumped elbows with "billionaire friends" and people like Liz Cheney — Republicans outspoken against Trump. "Kamala spent more time with Liz Cheney almost than with anybody else. What is that message out to working-class people?" he said. People did not hold back their thoughts in response to the HuffPost article. Here are a few of the over 850 comments: "We love Bernie, and he's way more tactical than I am. He's almost certainly aware, as I am, of the deep ignorance and credulous religiosity of the electorate generally. The subtext of his tactical advice seems to be to tell 'the working class' what they want to hear. That's surely what DonOld Dumpenstein and his Trumpian minions did, and continue to do." "Democrats, yes, but not what you think. It was the 6 million pearl-clutching Democrat voters that voted for Biden, then chose to sit at home this last cycle." "Sanders is correct as to what the Harris campaign 'should' have run on policy-wise, but Harris didn't, and doesn't, really have enough of a broad-based constituency, which would have resulted in getting the votes necessary to win a national election." —Ronnie Goodson "Bernie is, basically, saying that Harris didn't have an effective campaign but how effective is it for Bernie to take his 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour to London where, except for Americans living in the UK, a very small percentage of the people living there, people can't vote in American elections? As for Harris spending too much time with Liz Cheney, as Bernie is saying, I don't know if that's true because, outside of them appearing together in Wisconsin, I'm not aware of how much time they were together. Would have been a mistake to spend too much time with Liz, but also a mistake to spend no time with her." "So, how effective was Bernie when he ran for president? Oh, wait, he lost in the primaries, yet he presumably did all the things he accuses Harris of not doing. Folks here are making it seem that Harris was clobbered by Trump. She lost by 1.49%, the slimmest margin since Nixon-Humphrey. Let's be blunt and honest — the electorate is at fault." "Four million fewer voters showed up compared to 2020. Eighty-nine million registered voters never voted, more than either candidate received in total votes. Willful ignorance and apathy led to a really stupid political decision. Let's move on and fight the good fight to thunderously shout for all to hear: 'ENOUGH! Trump is a psychopathic authoritarian and must be stopped.'"—Dan Rothwell "Harris may not have succeeded with her messaging, but Trump knew how to scare the dumbest among us, and that's what resonated. You'll never go broke betting on the stupidity of half the country." "You mean the 'Opportunity Society' and 'We're not going back' didn't stir the hearts of people living paycheck to paycheck, who can't afford healthcare, and who each month are squeezed through rising prices and inflation? Why, I'm really." "K. Harris's first run had her as too far left, and the last run she was boxed in by convention, running against a sitting president she served under. On her other flank was this big donor push reining her in on policy. Her VP choices only added more drag on performance, no matter who her camp chose. Many objectives achieved, but ultimately, she couldn't carry it off. Now we all bear the weight of a Trump presidency." —Transplant West "'Democrats can only blame themselves for the results of the 2024 election.' Truer words were never spoken." "The Democrats mounted the single worst campaign in living history against Trump. Harris gave every indication as VP that she was not a viable candidate and then went on to prove it. So far, it doesn't look like they've learned anything." "Not helpful. Keep blaming the Dems when the GOP and the ultra rich spent decades planning, the unholy relationship with evangelical Christians, the ruining of unions, setting up entities like the Heritage Foundation, getting their judges in place, and carefully crafting the message that socialism was coming à la the Dems, all while the seeds of fascism were sown insidiously." —Tanya Cabala "'I ran all over the country trying to elect Kamala Harris and begged them: Talk to the needs of the working class. Talk about raising the minimum wage to a living wage...' What Sanders doesn't get is that Democrats are as reluctant to do any of that as Republicans are. Politicians answer to the people who own them: the donor class. No one else." "I like Sanders, but I definitely disagree with him on this point, and his comments are not helpful at all. For those 'Bernie Bros' who are still salty that the DNC didn't back him in the 2016 primaries, this is an insight as to why. The man is not a Democrat. So why should he have ever gotten the nomination to be the Democratic candidate?" "Regardless of whether or not Kamala Harris spoke on issues, the overall impression of her campaign was more like The View than a serious, professional campaign. Less dancing and 'joy' might have made people take her more seriously. I voted for her. I definitely think she would have been a good president. But her campaign came off as presidential-lite!" "I think that female political leaders outside the US come across as having more credibility — they seem to act with more inherent confidence and dignity — as if they expect to be taken seriously. And they win. Does anyone think that's true?"—B A "While I agree Cheney was a huge misstep, Kamala talked about all that other stuff. Americans didn't care." "Of course Bernie is spot on. These establishment Dems will continue to use the same old consultants, pollsters that got them to a 25% approval. Recently, liberal super PAC Future Forward hosted a gathering of Dems in the Ritz-Carlton resort in wealthy Half Moon Bay, California, to apprise donors on what went wrong in 2024. What kind of message does that send?" "Or, maybe it was because Kamala only ran for 100 days and Trump has been running since 2015." —J. K. Doyle What do you think? Sound off in the comments.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jessica Ramos endorsing Andrew Cuomo for NYC mayor weeks after questioning his ‘mental acuity'
NEW YORK — In an extraordinary about-face, back-of-the-pack mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos is endorsing her front-running rival Andrew Cuomo — just weeks after questioning his 'mental acuity' and comparing his mental state to former President Joe Biden's. Ramos, a Queens state senator who was also among scores of lawmakers to call for Cuomo's 2021 resignation as governor over sexual misconduct accusations, is expected to formally throw her political weight behind his mayoral bid at a press conference in Manhattan on Friday morning, sources confirmed to the Daily News. Ramos and her campaign didn't immediately return multiple calls. But she told the New York Times, which first reported her surprising decision, that she's going with Cuomo because 'he's the one best positioned right now to protect this city.' Cuomo, who's polling as the favorite to win the June 24 Democratic mayoral primary, 'knows how to hold the line and deliver under pressure,' she added, citing uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump. Ramos, who identifies as a progressive Democrat, said she's not dropping out and her name will still appear on the primary ballot. But her endorsement of the centrist Cuomo is an effective acknowledgement she has no path to victory. Most polls of the mayoral race have shown Ramos pulling 1% or less in support. On the fundraising side, she hasn't taken in enough cash to qualify for matching funds and her latest filing from last month showed she had just about $9,000 in her war chest. The Cuomo nod marks a drastic flip-flop for Ramos, who said in April she believes Cuomo's 'mental acuity is in decline.' 'I don't think the City of New York can afford a Joe Biden moment,' she said at the time, referring to the former president who ended his reelection bid last year after serious concerns emerged about his mental fitness. 'I think that there are real reasons why [Cuomo is] not answering questions.' In response to her mental fitness broadsides against Cuomo, his spokesman Rich Azzopardi shot back in April: 'Was she sober when she said it?' Azzopardi didn't immediately return a request for comment Friday. Ramos has been a harsh critic of the centrist Cuomo on a number of other fronts, too. 'People may want to be courteous to Cuomo's face but they don't forget the people he sent to die, the women he touched or the people he left in our streets needing mental health care and housing,' Ramos wrote on X in March, referring to accusations that Cuomo mismanaged the COVID pandemic, sexually harassed more than 10 women and shuttered psychiatric institutions statewide as governor. Cuomo has denied the sexual harassment and pandemic mismanagement claims. Ramos' change of heart comes just days after the progressive Working Families Party ranked her its No. 5 candidate as part of an anti-Cuomo mayoral endorsement slate. On Friday, the party, which has had a rocky relationship with Ramos over the years, said it's 'sad and disappointed' by Ramos' announcement, but vowed to not 'be distracted by this desperate move.' Party leaders declined to immediately say whether they will formally remove Ramos from the slate. Ramos, the chair of the State Senate's Labor Committee, was the first woman to enter the 2025 mayoral race and had hoped to build a coalition rooted in union and Latino communities. But she never gained momentum on the campaign trail, as other progressives in the race, like runner-up candidate Zohran Mamdani, capitalized on a surge in enthusiasm for left-wing politics among young voters. During the first mayoral debate this week, Ramos lobbed a barb at Mamdani, Cuomo's top rival in the race, saying she wished she had run for mayor in 2021. 'I thought I needed more experience, but turns out you just need to make good videos,' she said, a reference to Mamdani's social media strategy. -----------
