Angela Socorso, Ed.D.
Angela Socorso, Ed.D., is an accomplished education professional with over 35 years of experience across private and public school systems. She has served in multiple roles, including classroom teacher, math specialist, instructional coach, administrator, and adjunct professor. Currently, she is an Education Associate in Educator Development at the Delaware Department of Education, where she focuses on teacher and specialist evaluation initiatives designed to strengthen leadership, instructional effectiveness, and continuous professional growth. Angela’s approach centers on fostering collaboration, evidence-based feedback, and coherence across systems to ensure educators thrive. Throughout her career, Dr. Socorso has been a consistent presence in national and state education initiatives. She has presented at the Learning Forward Annual Conference and the Council of Chief State School Officers, sharing Delaware’s aligned strategies for educator development, evaluation, recruitment, and retention. She has also served on the Steering Committee for Delaware’s teacher evaluation system redesign and participated as a panelist at prominent conferences such as the Policy and Practice Institute and the Strategic Data Project Annual Convening. Her work emphasizes actionable, practical solutions that support educators and administrators in meeting high standards of teaching and leadership. Dr. Socorso holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Delaware, an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wilmington University. Over the years, she has been recognized for her contributions to education, including being named Teacher of the Year and receiving the Governor’s GEAR P3 Innovation and Efficiency Award. Committed to lifelong learning and mentorship, she continues to guide Delaware educators in advancing instructional excellence, shaping the next generation of teachers, and fostering meaningful, student-centered learning experiences.
• Teacher of Middle Level Grades
• Teacher of Middle Level Social Studies Grade 6-8
• Teacher of Middle Level Mathematics Grade 5-8
• Elementary Teacher 1-8
• Teacher of Exceptional Children Grades K-12
• Teacher of Elementary K-6
• School Leader I
• Principal/Assistant Principal
• Teacher of Middle Level English Language Arts Grades 6-8
• Central Office Personnel
• Wilmington University - EdD
• Governor's Award GREP Award
• Teacher of the Year award
• Learning Forward
• CCSSO
• SEEK Collaborative
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my ability to build relationships and connect with people. It's really about understanding where people are at and meeting them there. I have a way of reading the room and understanding what people need to get them on board. I break things down into steps that people can understand and move them slowly through the process of growth - that's what I need as a learner, so I project that and bring that to the table. I'm very intuitive to people's needs and I respond to them because I'm a helper and a giver. As project lead for the statewide rollout of the teacher evaluation system, I strived to provide clarity throughout the process and minimize confusion by engaging in ongoing monthly meetings with district leaders. These meetings created space for stakeholders to share feedback, raise questions, and surface implementation challenges. I worked to validate their perspectives and, when appropriate, made adjustments based on their input.
I prioritized creating opportunities for open dialogue and followed those conversations with action to support implementation. Whether working with struggling students, teachers, or administrators, my strength lies in building connections, honoring where individuals are in their growth, and supporting them through encouragement and targeted next steps.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is supporting educators in moving from a compliance-oriented view of evaluation to one that is truly focused on professional growth. Evaluation systems are most effective when feedback is understood not as something “good” or “bad,” but as information that supports continuous improvement. Shifting this mindset requires building trust, consistency, and stability within systems so that educators experience feedback as a meaningful tool for growth rather than as a measure of judgment.
This work involves aligning expectations, clarifying what high-quality practice looks like, and ensuring that feedback processes are implemented in ways that are transparent, fair, and supportive. When systems are coherent and educators trust that feedback is intended to support their development, evaluation can become a powerful mechanism for strengthening instructional and support practices across the profession.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are building authentic relationships, committing to continuous growth, and serving others with purpose. I strive to create environments grounded in trust where individuals feel seen, supported, and encouraged to grow. I believe that growth happens through honest reflection, meaningful feedback, and consistent support, and I work to ensure that the systems and relationships around me honor that belief.