Cindy Marten named new Delaware Secretary of Education

The state of Delaware has a new secretary of education, and she’s been plucked from her role as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

Cindy Marten will replace current secretary Mark Holodick, leaving an agency that President-Elect Donald Trump has sworn to close.

“I am honored to join Governor-elect Meyer’s team and help lead Delaware’s public schools into a new era,” Marten said in a news release Wednesday.

Marten was unavailable for an interview Wednesday.

 “I believe deeply in the power of education to change lives, and I am committed to working with teachers, parents, students, and communities to ensure all of Delaware’s children receive a world-class education,” she stated.

About Cindy Marten

Marten has spent over three decades in education, including 15 years as a classroom teacher and several as an administrator.

“Governor-Elect Meyer has promised to put education front and center in his administration, and his nomination of Cindy Marten is a great first step toward achieving our shared goal of improved educational outcomes for all Delawareans,” said Julia Keleher, executive director of First State Educate.

The Delaware Charter Schools Network released a statement saying it is encouraged by Marten’s agreement that change is needed in the First State. 

“We have been fighting for these very changes for the last 30 years, advocating for a more equitable, flexible, and innovative approach to education,” the statement read. “For us, it’s about making sure all students, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to succeed.”

As the deputy secretary of education, she is responsible for K-12 initiatives while serving as chief operating officer, overseeing a $230 billion budget and more than 4,000 federal employees. 

She served as superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, the second-largest school district in California, for eight years, where she successfully implemented policies to close opportunity gaps, support educators, and increase graduation rates. 

Throughout her career, she has championed community engagement, student-centered learning, and the empowerment of educators as key drivers of success. 

She’s a strong proponent of multilingual education, which has become more popular in Delaware with more schools offering immersion programs, where students essentially have half their school day in classes taught in English, and half their classes in another language.

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Governor-elect Matt Meyer has outlined his plans for education, which includes comprehensive reform focusing on increasing per-pupil funding, modernizing the state’s school funding formula, expanding access to early childhood education, investing in universal pre-K, and addressing the teacher shortage crisis by raising educator salaries and improving working conditions. 

“Cindy Marten is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the challenges that students and educators face,” Meyer stated. “She has spent her career working to ensure every student has the tools and resources they need to thrive.”

Meyer said she will guide the state’s classrooms into a brighter future where equity, opportunity, and excellence are at the heart of everything.

“[Marten’s] story is one of resilience, strength, and grit,” said Evelyn Edney, school leader of Early College School at Delaware State University. “She is a champion for all students, and as a charter leader, I know that she will work hard to fight for equitable education for all students in our great state of Delaware, and I am excited to begin working with her.”

Kendall Massett, executive director of the charter school’s network, said she’s confident in Meyer’s selection of Marten.

“As a charter public school teacher, Governor-elect Meyer harnessed the power of autonomy in exchange for accountability to make the changes needed for the children in his classroom,” she said. “I know that he believes in the potential of an excellent public school—charter and district—to provide opportunities for all children to succeed in life.”

Delaware’s education community is filled with individuals and organizations who have worked tirelessly to advance student success, Keleher said. 

“Our collective insights and experiences provide a strong foundation for Secretary-Designate Marten to build upon and we wish her success in this important role,” she said.