“Let’s speak bluntly: many parts of our system of public education are broken.”
“Let’s be honest with ourselves, and let’s speak bluntly: many parts of our system of public education are broken.”
– Gov. Malloy introduces the topic of education in his State of the State Address
The 2012 Legislative Session is now underway. For those of us who insist time and again that the only way to bring lasting changes to Connecticut is to introduce a portfolio of reforms that link issues of policy, funding and action to the needs and experiences of the students (rather than the adults) – our time is now.
In the past few weeks, Governor Malloy and Commissioner Pryor have unfolded a bold and impressive proposal for education reform that is highly aligned with the recommendations put forth by the Connecticut Commission on Educational Achievement, CCER’s precursor organization, in its 2010 Report. From intensive school turnaround strategies to forward-thinking models of educator preparation, certification, evaluation, compensation, retention, and professional development – we believe the Governor is on the right track. What follows is a discussion of a few of the areas of alignment between CCER’s recommendations and Governor Malloy’s education proposals:
Our Thoughts on the Governor’s Call to Simplify Teacher Certification
Rae Ann Knopf, Executive Director of the Connecticut Council for Education Reform
We at the Connecticut Council for Education Reform applaud Governor Malloy for acting swiftly to eliminate unnecessary barriers faced by Boards of Education and Superintendents as they work to place the most effective teachers and principals in our schools. Revising Connecticut's teacher certification and employment policies as Malloy has proposed will facilitate the raising of student achievement by
helping to ensure that we have great teachers and leaders working side-by-side on behalf of Connecticut's children. Similarly, creating
flexibility in support of reciprocity with other states will open the doors for Connecticut schools to attract the best and brightest from across the country. These most recent proposals are highly aligned with many of CCER's 65+ policy recommendations on how to close Connecticut's achievement gap while raising academic excellence for all students. The momentum is truly building for meaningful education reform in Connecticut this year and we salute Governor Malloy and his administration for leading the way.
Our New Executive Director Shares What Excites Her About Working at CCER in CT
Rae Ann Knopf recently joined the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) as its new Executive Director. After formally introducing her at CCER’s press conference at the State Capital yesterday, we’ve asked Rae Ann to share her thoughts on assuming the leadership role at CCER and what excites her about CCER’s role in supporting education reform efforts in the state.
This is, perhaps, the most exciting time in education that our country has ever known: it’s a time when the citizens of this nation have openly begun to demand a dynamic education system that will ensure a transformative learning experience for every child.
In particular, the circumstances in Connecticut this year make it ripe for educational reform because we have two of the key ingredients necessary to propel the needed changes:
The Role of the Community in Ed-Reform: Part 1, The Business Role
Peyton R. Patterson, Chair of the Connecticut Council for Education Reform. Former President & CEO of New Alliance Bank.
We are fortunate to live in one of the wealthiest states in the country. However, we are here today because we also live in the state with the widest achievement gap in the country. This gap has an enormous impact on our state’s low-income students, 40% of whom do not graduate from high school in four years. Studies have shown that high school dropouts have an unemployment rate that is nearly two-and-a half times the rate for high school graduates. They also earn a mere 2/3 of the income of high school graduates, and each cost the state more than $500,000 in net fiscal lifetime benefits. These results are not acceptable outcomes for the state's students or their parents. They also do not bode well for Connecticut’s business and economic viability.
Connecticut’s Year of Education Reform
For advocates of comprehensive education reform in Connecticut, 2012 holds tremendous promise. Governor Dannel P. Malloy has proclaimed this year as “The Year of Education Reform” in Connecticut. He got a jump on the calendar in late December when he outlined his bold principles for reform in a letter to the state’s legislative leaders.
Malloy continued to build on that momentum by convening a multi-stakeholder workshop, bringing together national thought leaders, local education advocates and other interested parties to Central Connecticut State University. The workshop addressed key issues such as low-performing schools and districts, cultivating the best teachers and principals, college and career readiness, and school finance.
Commissioner’s Role in Turnaround, Part 2: New Authority Needed
Recently, the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) highlighted Massachusetts’ five-tiered Framework for District and School Accountability, and explained why it might be a useful model for Connecticut. Given the importance of a clearly defined and effective intervention framework for Connecticut, we’ve asked Jesse Dixon, the Director of the Office of District and School Turnaround in Massachusetts, to share three main takeaways from Massachusetts’ process and success with their school-turnaround plan and intervention framework.
In 2010, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education began a partnership with nine districts to turn around the Commonwealth’s lowest performing 34 schools. A new law was passed in January that gave flexibilities to superintendents to turn around the schools, but required each school to turn around in three years or face state takeover.
Powers of the SBE, Part 1: The 5-Year Plan
This week, let's talk about the top three existing authorities that the State Board of Education should be using to reform public education!
The State Board of Education has the statutory authority to prepare a comprehensive five-year education plan, complete with long- and short-term goals, cost analysis, benchmarks, and methods for achieving their goals and objectives.
Update on the Achievement Gap Task Force
The CT Achievement Gap Task Force had its first meeting on November 14th at the Legislative Office Building. The eleven-member group is responsible for developing a master plan that will identify the academic achievement gaps that exist across various groups, focus efforts to close those gaps, and establish annual benchmarks while implementing their recommendations. The legislation establishing this task force set a goal to close Connecticut’s achievement gap by January 1, 2020.
This is the “second chapter” of the original task force that met over several months in 2010 and issued its report in January of 2011. Recent legislation requires the establishment of an Interagency Task Force, representing the government’s key stakeholders, to develop and, more importantly, implement the plan.
The Achievement Gap - Economic Implications
Did you know that Connecticut has the largest achievement gap in the country?
This means that there’s a huge difference between the way our low-income and non-low-income students perform academically.
In addition to the obvious moral issues this raises, the economic implications are huge. According to the former CEO of New Alliance Bank, Peyton Patterson, the achievement gap “could have a crippling financial impact on Connecticut’s economy.”
Now, if you’re thinking that this gap can be explained through the stellar performance of our state’s wealthier students - think again: