At a time when public education across the country faces deep uncertainty, Connecticut has a rare opportunity—to lead by example, not fear.
Senate Bill 1349 offers a chance to reimagine school choice not as a partisan flashpoint, but as a path to equity, excellence, and opportunity for all students and their teachers.
In Connecticut, choice is not a threat to public education. It is a tool for ensuring public education fulfills its constitutional promise: that every child, no matter their zip code, has access to a great school.
We know this from experience. Connecticut has long invested in diverse public school models —magnet schools, inter-district programs, charter schools— that provide families with options that supplement district offerings. These are public solutions to public challenges, born out of our state’s commitment to fairness and innovation. The landmark Sheff v. O’Neill decision led to bold experimentation that continues to benefit thousands of students across our state. We must do more and better.
Senate Bill 1349 builds on this legacy. It expands access to high-quality public education by giving more families a say in where and how their children learn —while ensuring that transparency, oversight, and public accountability remain central. This is not about shifting public dollars to private systems. It is about expanding public school options to reflect the diverse needs of the students they serve.
When families are empowered to choose, students thrive. Research and real-world results show that the presence of high-performing, non-traditional public schools can help raise the bar for entire systems. Teachers gain the freedom to work in schools aligned with their values and methods. Communities are strengthened by responsive, student-centered learning environments. The whole district benefits. We know it works—because it’s already working here in Connecticut.
Yet far too many families still face barriers. They wait on lottery lists because choice is a chance they are willing to take. While we’ve made progress, inequities persist—especially for children of color, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. If we want every student to succeed, we must support a system that adapts to the learner, not the other way around.
As Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Every child who succeeds becomes a raindrop in the river toward freedom.
Connecticut can lead better. We are not here to dismantle our public system. We are here to improve it, to expand it, and to fulfill its mission with integrity. The choice we face is not between tradition and disruption —but between stagnation and progress. If we fail to act, we deny generations of children the chance to thrive in a system that sees them, supports them, and adapts to their needs.
This is the moment to be bold. To insist that school choice and public education are not enemies, but allies in the urgent work of opportunity and success.
When choice comes to town, let it come with purpose, with partnership, and with the promise of freedom through learning, to ensure that public education truly belongs to all of us—and works for every child.
Instead of running to catch up, let’s choose to do better.
Note: SB 1349 passed out of the Education Committee on a bipartisan basis, 30-14.
Steven Hernández is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), a non-profit advocacy organization committed to promoting high-quality, equitable public education options for all children. He formerly served as the executive director of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity.
