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In the News
February 6, 2012
Wall Street Journal

 Connecticut would pump more money into charter schools and increase their numbers under a legislative proposal Gov. Dannel Malloy plans to unveil Monday.

February 5, 2012
Hartford Business Journal Online

 Thanks to its strong educational system and manufacturing industry, Connecticut will pace America’s high tech-sector for the next generation.

January 25, 2012
Hartford Courant

 After about two years of wrangling, a group representing teachers, school administrators and school boards agreed Wednesday on a new way to evaluate teachers that places a strong emphasis on student achievement.

Members of the state Performance Evaluation Advisory Council said the breakthrough in their discussions on the contentious issue occurred in the past few months under the leadership of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor.

January 25, 2012
Connecticut Mirror

Years of disagreement have stalled efforts to grade teachers and dismiss those who are ineffective. That all changed Wednesday when a group of educators -- including teachers' unions, superintendent and school board groups -- agreed on how to properly evaluate teachers so those who are struggling are identified and put on a path to improve or be dismissed.

 

January 24, 2012
Associated Press

 Connecticut's policies to improve the quality of teaching in its public schools are mediocre at best, and particularly fall short in efforts to keep the best teachers and remove those who are ineffective, according to a new nationwide assessment of states' regulations. 

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ConnCAN launches “Our Race to the Top” legislative campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- January 19, 2010
Contact: 
Karen Rutzick, ConnCAN
Tel: 
203-772-4017 x19
Cell: 
202-406-0456
Email: 
Karen.Rutzick@conncan.org
New Haven, Conn

On the same day that Connecticut’s education commissioner is submitting the state’s Round 1 application for the federal government’s $4 billion “Race to the Top,” the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) launched a campaign urging public officials to make the reforms necessary for Connecticut to be truly competitive.

 
 
“Connecticut is like a C student applying early admission to Yale,” said ConnCAN CEO Alex Johnston. “We have three months during the upcoming state legislative session to get our education reform grades up before the final application deadline in June.”
 
 
Race to the Top is the Obama administration’s competitive grant program for states that reform their public schools around specific guidelines set out by the administration. Connecticut is eligible to win up to up to $200 million in school funding through the competition. The Race is split into two rounds – Round 1 is due today – but states can apply in both. Applications will be scored on a total of 500 points, more than half of which are based on existing reforms on the books, not those that are in the state’s plan for the future.
 
“ConnCAN believes that the public deserves a voice in our public policies and our public schools,” said Johnston. “That’s why we are calling the campaign, “Our Race to the Top.” Because it is truly our Race to win or lose.”
 
“Our Race to the Top” advocates for changes in four key areas that will help close Connecticut’s worst-in-the-nation achievement gap and put Connecticut in the running for the Race: Measuring Effectiveness, World-Class Standards, Superstar Principals, and Money Follows the Child.
 
The three-month campaign will include letter-writing drives to state officials, public events, and citizen lobbying.
 
Detailed policy goals and other information are available on www.ourracetothetop.org.

 

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