ConnCAN's Education News Roundup

November 5, 2007

Opinions and Editorials

What Every Child Needs
By Ann Hulbert, The New York Times, October 28, 2007

Calling for an overhaul of the current patchwork of uneven preschool programs, UPK proponents invoke neuroscientific evidence of brain growth rather than child-care needs. They cite the long-term economic benefits of an early investment in boosting “cognitive skills” and “school readiness,” especially for low-income children. There is little mention of, say, pretend play in the pitch for government-subsidized pre-K, which supporters argue should be affordable and available (though not necessarily mandatory) for all.

The universal-preschool mission, too often dismissed as nanny-state meddling, capitalizes on the inclusive No Child Left Behind drive to close the K-12 achievement gap: the moment is ripe to reach downward to the post-diaper and pre-backpack stage, where disparities between white and minority students start.

News Articles

Schools: A Shift Of Views On Sheff
By Rachel Gottlieb Frank, The Hartford Courant, November 5, 2007

A decade after the state Supreme Court ordered the desegregation of schools across Greater Hartford in the landmark Sheff v. O'Neill case, the goal of integration remains elusive.

Magnet schools, the cornerstone of the state's plan to bring together white children and children of color using voluntary incentives, have fallen short. Hartford's schools still have a population that is predominantly black, Hispanic and poor.

Now, as the Sheff plaintiffs head back to court Tuesday to demand the state make good on its assurances, advocates of integration are facing increasing skepticism on the part of both state lawmakers and city officials over both the cost - and value - of continuing down the same path.

Shelton receives state grant for school readiness classroom
By Gabriella Doob, The Shelton Weekly, November 2, 2007

The Shelton Board of Education was recently awarded one of four new State Readiness Grants from the Connecticut Departments of Education and Social Services. The grant of $107,000 will go to fund a full-day, full-year preschool program for Shelton children ages 3 to 5.

The purpose of the program is to make affordable preschool available to Shelton families, said Patricia Curran, chair of the School Readiness Council and director of instruction for the Shelton Board of Education.

School board candidates facing big issues
By Christine McCluskey, The Journal Inquirer, November 1, 2007

MANCHESTER - Board of Education candidates have proposed a lot of big ideas over the past several weeks, from an achievement gap task force to report cards for parents, as they hope for a future on a board for which improving student achievement will be more important than ever.