The Voice of Children and Education

Jea Street honored with the 2024 John H. Taylor, Jr. Education Leadership Award

BY KIM HOEY

IN 1974, Jea Street was fresh out of college when he was put in charge of the Parent Educational Resource Center and a federal judge told him to be the voice of the children. More than 50 years later, he’s still speaking for them.

“His signature is definitely being passionate about education and kids,” says Janet Kilpatrick who serves with Street on the New Castle County Council, where he’s represented the Tenth District since 2004. “We can be talking about sewers and he can somehow relate it back to education.”

For his passion and the countless number of children he’s helped, Street is the 2024 recipient of the John H. Taylor, Jr. Education Leadership Award.

The John H. Taylor, Jr. Education Leadership Award recognizes leaders within the community who have provided sustained leadership in advancing Delaware education and who, by doing so, have also made our community a better place in which to live and work. It’s practically a description of Street, according to people who know him well.

Starting from his initial role assisting with preparations for courtordered school desegregation in Wilmington, to his tenure as executive director of Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center, and later as Director of Wilmington Parks and Recreation, Street has consistently championed educational initiatives throughout his career. Presently serving as president of Delawareans for Education Opportunity, Street’s commitment remains steadfast, continually advocating for the betterment of children’s education.

“He is an amazing mentor and leader,” says Michelle J. Williams, executive director of Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center. “He’s well loved and respected. People still come to Hilltop looking for Mr. Street.”

Street worked with Hilltop for 35 years. When he arrived, he was told that no one would fund an expansion for that “dump.” Street took that information as a challenge rather than a defeat. He built Hilltop from a 40-child daycare to a 185-child community center with a budget of $2 million a year. Street sits on the board there now.

“Today, when I come out of that building I say, ‘Look at my dump now,’” says Street, who said he worked every job Hilltop needed, from janitor to director. Expanding the building, though, was nothing compared to the children he helped.

Street had a reputation for loving the “baddest” kids the most, says Williams. Street says that’s because he was one of them. His father once described him as a child who “could make Jesus cuss.” People advocated for him to keep him in school and on the right path, he says. Working with kids with difficulties was just returning the favor.

One of those “baddest” kids was Daman Harris, educator and author of The AntiRacist School Leader. Harris, a former Hilltop child, was kicked out of college his first time through. Street gave him a job at Hilltop where the staff mentored Harris and advocated to get him back in school.

“The way he led was instrumental,” says Harris. “The kinds of things he did were contagious. He was a role model for me.”

Street wore a suit and tie to work every day. When Harris asked him why, Street answered, “You wear a suit and tie when you’re doing something important, and you kids are important.” Harris says he wears a jacket and tie every day for that reason.

He might have understood kids with difficulties, that doesn’t mean he tolerated foolishness.

If a teacher called about one of his Hilltop kids, he was at the school in an instant. He wasn’t afraid to talk to students in the hallways, either. “I’d tell them, ‘You all represent Hilltop. If you go to school and act up, you embarrass me. If you embarrass me, I’m going to come to school and embarrass you back.’ In most instances, it worked.”

Street takes pride in achieving several accomplishments, including spearheading the construction of the Route 9 Library & Innovation Center, ensuring the continued operation of inner-city schools, and pursuing legal action against the state and counties to secure equitable funding for all students within Delaware’s public school system.

But out of all Street’s achievements and awards, it is helping the children in his community that has meant the most.

“All of them didn’t listen. All of them didn’t go the right way. But I love them and they love me,” finishes Street.