HARTFORD, CT – In an unprecedented display of unity, six of the state’s leading education and business organizations joined together to announce their shared priorities for the 2012 legislative session. The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS), Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) came together to participate in a joint press conference held at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford today to state their common position on important educational challenges facing our state.

Read More »

Every student in Connecticut has a right to a high-quality education, regardless of his or her race, ethnicity, wealth, or zip code. Unfortunately, every student in Connecticut is not receiving a high-quality education, as demonstrated by our state’s largest achievement gaps in the nation and by the gap between what our highest-performing students learn and what they need to know to meet international benchmarks for learning.

The primary reason for this unacceptable situation is the fact that the education system in Connecticut is not designed to guarantee that every child will learn what he or she needs to lead full and productive lives. We, therefore, must take bold actions that change the system if we want to ensure a brighter future for our students, our communities, and our state.

Read More »

NEW HAVEN, CT – “The Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) supports Governor Malloy’s plan to significantly change and improve the way in which Connecticut attracts, develops and retains effective teachers and school leaders. Governor Malloy’s proposal calls for setting higher standards for students who enroll in educator preparation programs while also providing financial incentives to recruit top students into the profession and into our lowest-achieving schools.Read More »

NEW HAVEN, CT – “For those of us who have worked to bring the interests and actions of top leaders in business, government, and education to bear on resolving the challenges faced by today’s public school educators: take a look at Connecticut; today is your day. For those of us who insist that the only real way to bring about lasting change in education is through a portfolio of reforms where policy, funding, and action are intentionally linked to drive meaningful change right down to the learning experience of the child, our time has come.

Read More »

NEW HAVEN, CT – On Thursday, February 9th at 8:30 pm, Connecticut Public Television will premiere a three-part series called Great Expectations: Raising Educational Achievement. This in-depth, behind-the-scenes film takes a look at the challenges and emerging solutions for reforming public education so that every child has the opportunity to receive an exceptional education in our state. Great Expectations: Raising Educational Achievement tells the story of a public school system that falls woefully short in successfully preparing many young people for the present, much less the future, and shares in compelling detail the ways in which forward thinking education leaders are tackling these problems. Read More »

NEW HAVEN, CT – “The Connecticut Council for Education Reform believes that the Malloy Administration is taking another step in the right direction with today’s announcement of a proposal to create a Commissioner’s Network to address and turn around up to 25 of Connecticut’s lowest-achieving schools over the next two years. Based on Federal No Child Left Behind metrics, approximately 135 Connecticut schools have been “In Need of Improvement” for five or more years. This means approximately one out of every five Connecticut children are attending schools that repeatedly fail to meet their needs. Read More »

NEW HAVEN, CT – “The Connecticut Council for Education Reform is encouraged by Governor Malloy¹s proposal to expand the availability of high-quality school models, including traditional schools, magnets, charters, and other innovative school models. Connecticut and local school districts must aggressively use those new opportunities to turnaround the state’s lowest-achieving schools in high-need districts. Read More »

NEW HAVEN, CT – “The Connecticut Council for Education Reform commends Governor Malloy for addressing early childhood education as part of his comprehensive plan for the reform of Connecticut’s education system. Recent estimates indicate that each year on average, 9,000 low-income three- and four-year olds in Connecticut do not have access to high-quality preschool. Given the substantial short and long-term positive benefits of preschool for all children, but in particular low-income children, the Council recommends that Connecticut, using a multi-year phase-in process, provide sufficient funding for all low-income three- and four-year olds to attend a high-quality preschool program. Read More »

HARTFORD, CT – The Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER), a non-profit organization representing business and civic leaders, outlined its legislative priorities today. CCER’s mission is to represent the business and civic voice for comprehensive reform efforts to close the achievement gap while raising academic outcomes for all students in Connecticut.Read More »

The Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) supports Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor’s efforts to reorganize the State Department of Education. Not only does this new structure align with the education reform principles outlined by Governor Malloy, but the creation of these new executive positions align with the recommendations put forth by CCER.

Read More »