The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/author/jrabe/)
Jacqueline won two first prizes from the Education Writers Association for her work in 2012 – one in beat reporting for her overall education coverage, and the other in investigative reporting on a series of stories revealing questionable monetary and personnel actions taken by the Board of Regents for Higher Education. In 2016, she was a finalist in the EWA competition for single-topic coverage for her reporting on how schools are funded in Connecticut. Before coming to The Mirror, Jacqueline was a reporter, online editor and website developer for Southern Maryland Newspapers. She has also worked for Congressional Quarterly and the Toledo Free Press. Jacqueline received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in public policy from Trinity College. She and her husband, two sons and two dogs live in Hartford.
Keith, with Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, won first prize in investigative reporting from the Education Writers Association in 2012 for a series of stories on the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The former State Capitol bureau chief for The Journal Inquirer of Manchester, Keith has spent most of 24 years as a reporter specializing in state government finances, analyzing such topics as income tax equity, waste in government and the complex funding systems behind Connecticut's transportation and social services networks. A former contributing writer to The New York Times, Keith is a graduate of and a former journalism instructor at the University of Connecticut. E-mail him at kphaneuf@ctmirror.org.
State spending on retired teachers’ pensions is set to surge $100 million next fiscal year – an 8 percent increase the state is obligated to fund.
But, strangely, the spike is good news. That’s because this single line item in the state budget is $63 million less than officials anticipated.
Continue Reading →
A reorganization in how the state provides medical care to thousands of inmates will not save the state money this year as promised. Instead, it will cost millions more. Continue Reading →
It has become an annual tradition — politicians and school officials gather to celebrate that more students in Connecticut are graduating each year from high school. This year was no different. But before anyone gets too excited about this jump in graduation rates – from 83 to 88 percent over the last seven years – data shows that many students are not learning what they should before they leave high school. Continue Reading →
Democrats made their first state legislative gains in 10 years Tuesday night, breaking an 18-18 tie in the Senate by picking up three Republican seats and defending vulnerable Democratic lawmakers who were targeted by the GOP. Continue Reading →
Moments after polls closed in Connecticut, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski went to court challenging votes being cast in two traditionally Democratic strongholds, New Haven and Mansfield. Continue Reading →
Which party will control the state legislature? Who will be our next governor? We’ll be updating this page with statewide results, as well as results from your town. These results are based on unofficial vote totals from Tuesday’s general election. We’re continuously monitoring and updating counts as they are posted on the secretary of the state’s election night reporting system. Continue Reading →
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was the 280th voter to cast a ballot at his polling place in Hartford’s West End Tuesday morning — just one of the state’s many residents who flocked to the polls Tuesday as officials reported high voter turnout numbers more typical of presidential elections than mid-term Connecticut elections. Continue Reading →
Just checking in on the election? Or just want a recap? We’re here to help. Continue Reading →
Students enrolled in a magnet school run by the Capitol Region Education Council last school year were already attending another magnet school, but needed to transfer schools because of safety reasons – such as being bullied – or because they were foster children or homeless and requested changing schools. It’s still unclear what happened in Hartford Public Schools’ magnet schools. Continue Reading →
It’s a common refrain during election time: If the state cuts education aid, local school districts will be forced to lay off teachers and other educators. But is that always true? What impact would more cuts in municipal aid have on schools? The answer is complicated. Continue Reading →
The independent candidate for governor spoke with the CT Mirror recently to talk about education. Oz Griebel shared where he stands on regionalization, magnet schools, the length of time students spend in school, and teacher pension payments. Continue Reading →
It was a wave of young voters that propelled Democrat Jahana Hayes into the Fifth Congressional District candidacy, and Sunday she told a crowd of young voters that they continue to be her inspiration as she attempts to become the district’s first black female representative. Continue Reading →
The Republican candidate for governor spoke with the CT Mirror recently to talk about education. Bob Stefanowski shared where he stands on school funding, the teaching profession, desegregating schools, and how he would shore up the state’s troubled teachers’ pension fund. Continue Reading →
The Democratic candidate for governor sat down with the CT Mirror recently to talk about education. Ned Lamont shared where he stands on school funding, the teaching profession, desegregating schools, and how he would shore up the state’s troubled teachers’ pension fund. Continue Reading →
When Rhonda Strycharz first opened a day care 18 years ago in her New Hartford home, only a few states had a rating system to help parents choose a child care provider. Connecticut was not among them. By last year, 41 states had a county or state-wide Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) for parents to use to research safety and educational quality of day cares. Connecticut still does not – despite more than a decade of attempts by state leaders. “How can Connecticut be this far behind?” Continue Reading →