In a landmark decision on the CCJEF v. Rell case, Hartford Superior Court Judge Moukawsher ruled on Sept. 7th that Connecticut’s education funding formula is unconstitutional, on grounds of irrational allocation. Furthermore, he identified other constitutional violations with respect to other major education structures (standards, human resources, and special education), connecting them to the case on the basis of their impact on education funding allocation. The judge gave the Attorney General’s office 180 days to submit a plan that addresses the following:

• That the state has a non-delegable constitutional obligation to educate its students.
• Production of an education funding formula that is influenced only by school needs and good practices.
• Establishing an objective definition of “elementary and secondary education,” such that earning an education degree will be connected to receiving an education.
• Standards for hiring, firing, evaluating, and paying education professionals.
• Standards for funding, identifying, and serving special education needs.

The ruling is notable in its broad scope, and its strongly worded indictment of the system at large. Although it is currently facing appeal, we definitely think it’s worth reading! You can read the full decision here.