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In the News
January 18, 2012
New Haven Register

 Connecticut lost ground in the annual ranking of state laws that govern charter schools, mainly because other states such as Maine and New Mexico passed more progressive reforms in the past year.

January 15, 2012
Hartford Courant

 When Gov. Dannel P. Malloy put education reform on the front burner for 2012, he caught a wave of public sentiment that has been building for a couple of years in every corner of the state. Everybody from superintendents and the state's largest teachers union to business leaders, advocacy groups, parents and political leaders wants to improve the state's public schools.

January 15, 2012
CT Now / Fox 61

"Major education reforms for Connecticut are planned for this year, and I'm here with Michael Sharpe, Director of Jamoke Academy, one of the fastest rising charter schools in Connecticut, in Hartford, [and] Patrick Riccards, the new CEO/President of ConnCAN..."

January 8, 2012
CT News Junkie

By Patrick Riccards, CEO, ConnCAN

Last week, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy made a passionate case for why we all must commit to education reform in 2012. Speaking at his education reform summit, the governor made clear that school improvement is a team effort, requiring the involvement of all stakeholders.

January 4, 2012
Connecticut Post

About the only top slot the constitution state still clings to is "largest achievement gap in the nation."

So educational reform advocates say much is riding on Malloy's pledge that 2012 will be the year of education reform.

Malloy is hosting an Education Workshop Thursday at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Many invited are convinced the policies that begin to take shape there may lead to legislation that can transform the state's failing schools and ultimately assist in growing the economy.

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The competition

Posted March 10, 2010 at 3:36pm
 in

Now that 16 finalists for round one of Race to the Top have been announced, we think it makes sense to change the way we look at “The competition.” We’ll no longer profile overall front-runners in the Race (since now we know who the top 16 are), but instead look at what the finalists have done on specific issues and what Connecticut can learn as it prepares to reapply in round two. So stay tuned!

This week’s issue: Alternative certification routes for school administrators

More on the issue: States can get up to 21 points for providing alternative certification routes that allow outstanding teachers and school leaders to enter high-need districts. The Department of Education says effective alternative certification policies will have:

  • Flexibility in the types of program providers allowed
  • Selective admissions requirements
  • Limit to amount of required coursework (or an option to test out)
  • Provision of school-based experiences and ongoing support
  • Equal level of certification awarded for completion of traditional and nontraditional programs

Who’s in the lead: Seven finalists—DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Tennessee—stand out for addressing each of the five criteria put out by the Department of Education in their applications. Like the rest of the finalists, they already have policies in place that establish alternate pathways for school leaders. Rhode Island and Georgia were two of a handful of states to propose using Race to the Top funds to strengthen their existing policy. Eight states mention New Leaders for New Schools in their applications—a highly effective program similar to Teach for America that enables talented school leaders to serve in urban schools.

When Connecticut submitted its application in round one, it had no policy that provided alternative routes for principal certification, unlike the 16 finalists. Fortunately the General Assembly has taken the first step in changing that by introducing H.B. 5421, a bill that would create alternative certification routes for teachers and school leaders. Read more about why alternative certification routes are important for Connecticut’s children and how it will help lead us to victory in round two of Race to the Top.  

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