The CT Mirror (https://ctmirror.org/category/education/)
The Connecticut Mirror provides comprehensive coverage of the state’s K-12 school system, institutions of higher education and child welfare issues. Find all of our stories on those topics here.
For a deeper look at inequality in Connecticut’s public schools, read Jacqueline Rabe Thomas’ acclaimed seven-part series, “Troubled Schools on Trial.”
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 →
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 →
Child care inspection reports in Connecticut are public documents, but there’s no useful way to search for them online. So we built one. Although the state does license programs to ensure the facilities and homes are safe for children and staff are equipped to handle emergencies, the state’s online database only provides the date that an inspection took place, not any violations found or abuse allegations substantiated. It also does not say which facilities have received NAEYC accreditation. In an effort to give parents a window into the safety and quality of their day care, the CT Mirror compiled a database of safety violations and resolutions, and inspection history. 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 →
BRIDGEPORT — A federal judge will soon determine whether his court should get involved in how the state awards enrollment to students in high-performing magnet schools located throughout Connecticut. At issue is whether the lottery’s algorithm – which is designed to limit enrollment of black and Hispanic students in a school to 75 percent – is discriminatory, and therefore a violation of the U.S. Constitution. Continue Reading →
In the Hartford region, a difference in philosophies about whether segregation contributes to poor educational outcomes divides parents, educators and lawmakers. Most magnet schools have no problem attracting enough white students from the suburbs to go to school with city kids, but some struggle. This means seats in some schools are left open to maintain diversity – a reality that is causing a rift among neighbors about what should happen next. On Tuesday, a federal judge will consider whether the state must stop considering race when awarding seats. Continue Reading →
WASHINGTON – This is not only the “Year of the Woman” in politics, it is also the “Year of the Teacher’ with more educators running for public office across the nation and in Connecticut, union officials say. Continue Reading →
Despite plans to provide them with alternative and more suitable housing, juvenile offenders who require secure facilities will continue to reside in the two state pre-trial detention centers for the indefinite future. Continue Reading →
Connecticut’s public college and university system may need to seek additional state funding next year to maintain the programs it currently offers students, administrators warned Wednesday. At the same meeting, administrators explored potential new tuition and fee policies in an effort to incentivize students to complete their degrees. Continue Reading →
Seven years have passed since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy forced a merger of the state’s community colleges, regional Connecticut State Universities, online college and Office of Higher Education. Many promises were made by the freshman governor: tens of millions would be saved, more professors hired, and transferring between schools would be seamless. “This won’t be easy,” Malloy, a Democrat, warned during his first weeks in office when proposing the shakeup. “Certainly there are a lot of people listening to this who believe things are fine just the way they are. I disagree.” Continue Reading →