Kids Aren’t Failing – The System Is
By Philmekia Donato
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a disruptor? Take a second, and really think about it. Was your first thought something negative? I once read, “Not gentle like a flower — gentle like a bomb,” and I chuckled because both can be true. Disruptors aren’t always loud or reckless; sometimes they enter quietly, observe deeply, and challenge the status quo with intention.
I am a learner — I genuinely love learning. In June 2024, I was selected to attend the first Modern Institute on Reading and Writing Pedagogy ever hosted in Delaware, at the University of Delaware. It was an energizing week with brilliant educators committed to literacy and equity. When we reconvened in October 2025, I realized how much I needed that space. I put ideas on the table about where education must go and received feedback that confirmed what I already felt: I am here to build something different.
As I navigate the 2025–2026 school year with my fifth graders, I see in real time how much students need — academically, structurally, and emotionally. Children require more than a standard school day can provide. The more I examine our system, the more I accept that I am, by nature and necessity, a disruptor — not to cause chaos, but to challenge “normal” thinking, push back on bare-minimum expectations, and refuse systems that keep failing the families we serve.
I’ve been in education for over two decades, and what I have to offer can no longer be fully contained in a classroom. We cannot look at data, name the gaps, and then do the bare minimum and expect miracles. It won’t work. Sometimes you can’t fix a broken system — you have to build a new one. No matter how much you scrape burnt toast, it’s still burnt.
This year, I am responsible for eighty-nine fifth-grade students. Their reading levels range from beginner to ninth grade. Only twenty have IEPs, and yet many more need support. Some still phonetically spell to the point that even they cannot read back their own writing. And we expect one pacing guide, one curriculum, and one timeline to meet every need in that room? Where do those beginner-level fifth graders go next? To middle school still behind. Then to high school further behind. We call it a crisis when they reach adolescence, but the crisis started in elementary school — quietly, year by year.
One school year cannot close gaps this wide. Intervention cannot live only in the early grades; it must follow students through upper elementary, middle, and high school. If the bridge is weak at one end, no one makes it across — no matter how well-designed the rest is.
Delaware’s literacy data is plain: 53% proficiency pre-pandemic, 42% immediately after, and most recently 40%. Six years later, we still haven’t returned to already-concerning levels. Meanwhile, teachers are told to follow pacing guides, raise assessment scores, and “beat the state.” It sounds strong on paper until you step into a classroom and see the reality. Some days feel like trying to part the Red Sea with a rake — surface-level shifts when deep transformation is required.
I’ve begun reaching out to senators and council members because change will not happen by hoping. We need creative thinking, Saturday learning opportunities, funded summer programming, and instructional models that meet students where they are — not where a calendar says they should be.
My vision is an alternative learning model where instruction follows skill, not age; where pacing guides do not dictate comprehension; and where we do not move on simply because the calendar turned a page. Children deserve instruction rooted in equity and reality. Teachers deserve systems that support growth rather than punish gaps they did not create. Communities deserve bold thinking and bold action.
I don’t disrupt for attention — I disrupt for outcomes. Our children deserve a system that rises to meet them. And if no one else is building it? I will.
Bio
Philmekia Donato is a Special Education Advocate, consultant, and founder of The Knowledge Nook. She blends lived experience with professional expertise to support families, empower educators, and transform systems. Philmekia uses her voice to advocate for equity, access, and student success. She builds bridges where others saw walls—one child, one family, and one breakthrough at a time.
Testimonials
“Ms. Donato, You are one of the best teachers my son has ever had. You reinforced accountability, hard work, and most of all, teaching him that nothing is given to you in life. You helped my child become a better version of himself. You taught him that he had to work hard and reinforced all the things we taught him at home. You are a shining star. Thank you for pouring into my child as if he was your own. I could never thank you enough. I wish all teachers cared for their students as much as you do. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and if you never get another parent that says thank you, just know that what you do matters.” ~ T. Morrison, New Castle, DE (Parent)
“Dear Philmekia, I have a little job at Belak’s Flowers, and we get the Women’s Journal. I so enjoyed the article with your story and The Knowledge Nook information. My daughter is a teacher of 3-year-olds at Bush Pre-School in the Brandywine School District. I was blessed to work with her for several years as an Academic Tutor (played with 3-year-olds!). The needs of special education students at this young age are only surpassed by the needs of their parents, and I just wanted to tell you how impressed I am by your dedication and great ideas. I wish you many blessings and success in your business that seems more like ministry to me. I will share your story with my daughter.” ~ Most sincerely, Madeline R.
Philmekia Donato
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