Opinions & Editorials
Editorial, Hartford Courant, June 21 2007
Hartford's decision to hire 25 new teachers from the Teach for America program furthers the city's goal of closing the achievement gap between low-income nonwhite students and middle-class suburban students.
In Connecticut, Teach for America graduates got a good share of the credit for the gains made at the Elm City College Preparatory School, a New Haven charter school where low-income students far surpassed the state average in all categories of the Connecticut Mastery Test.
Hartford can't lose by trying the same approach. There is something to be said for young, cocky idealists who enter teaching through an unconventional path and aren't afraid to be held accountable for the success or failure of their students.
News Articles
Budget Negotiators Give To Get Deal
By Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, June 21, 2007
While nonpartisan "number crunchers" are still finalizing the totals, House Speaker James Amann of Milford said the budget would increase by about 8.8 percent in the first year and about 4 percent in the second year. Education cost-sharing funds, which are the largest grant to cities and towns, would increase by about $180 million in the first year and $80 million in the second year.
Amann and Williams said they hope to wrap up the special session on Friday, although some veteran Capitol insiders said they would not be surprised if the voting spills over into Saturday."The Republicans said the debate would be short," Amann said. "That sounds promising."
School board attracted to magnet idea
By Andrew Brophy, Connecticut Post, June 20, 2007
The mandatory reassignment of McKinley School students to other elementary schools in town appears to be off the table as a solution to McKinley's "racial imbalance."
"Nobody wants to do anything forcing somebody to go to a school they don't want to," Board of Education member Helen Dodson said Tuesday night.
Ed Linehan, an educational consultant who spoke to the school board Tuesday night, said solving McKinley's racial imbalance by giving parents more choices was the way to go.
"I think that the moment you make things compulsory, you define an opposition. We certainly value having options and having choices," Linehan said. "I would not support a system of any kind where movement of kids is compulsory."
By Janice Podsada, Hartford Courant, June 19, 2007
When Malcolm Harrison graduated from Hartford's Weaver High School in 2005, he had a plan: Get a full-time job, buy a car, rent a place of his own. The high school diploma that Harrison believed would land him a job with a big, well-known company such as RadioShack, Wal-Mart, AutoZone, Home Depot or UPS hasn't proved to be the entry ticket he had hoped for. He said he filled out applications but never got a call back.
Even 20 years ago, a high school degree was credential enough to obtain an entry-level clerical or manufacturing job with one of the nation's large regional or national firms. But in the intervening years, both corporate America and the kind of jobs available have become more selective and sophisticated.
Mayo Gets New Contract -- & A Grilling
By Allan Appel, New Haven Independent, June 19, 2007
The Board of Ed unanimously renewed Superintendent Reggie Mayo's contract -- then proceeded to grill him and his team on "Five Bold Goals" they promised to meet by next year. The board heaped praise on Mayo, who has led the system since 1992, at its Monday night meeting. Mayo will receive a 4 percent increase to $184,000 in a new three-year contract, and its approval at the BOE meeting was relatively pro forma.
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