After backlash from teachers throughout Connecticut, state officials and education leaders Wednesday voted to scale back the sweeping changes approved less than two years ago on how every teacher must be evaluated.
Changes to CT teacher evaluations depend on federal approval
Posted inMoney, Politics
CT House delegation unanimous against farm bill
Washington — Connecticut’s House members, all Democrats, voted unanimously Wednesday against a farm bill that would spend nearly $1 trillion on farm programs over the next five years — but would cut food stamps.
Posted inEducation
House GOP, teachers’ union want to revisit Common Core
With the 2014 General Assembly session one week away, House Republican lawmakers Wednesday called for a public review of the controversial Common Core education standards.
Posted inHealth
Free dental clinic coming to Hartford after all
Although it seemed unlikely months ago, the Connecticut Mission of Mercy free dental clinic is coming to Hartford this spring, with plans to provide free care to more than 2,200 people.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
Cutting Connecticut’s trees sparks disagreement
Updated: 5:00 p.m. The management of Connecticut’s trees – what, where and how much to cut – has become contentious, pitting those who are most concerned about keeping the lights on against those who believe we are verging on literal overkill in taking down trees.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Connecticut advocates blast farm bill’s food stamp cuts
Washington — Most lawmakers are calling it a good deal, but Connecticut anti-hunger advocates say a new massive farm bill’s cuts to food stamps will leave thousands in the state hungry.
Posted inEducation
CT teachers upset with rollout of new evaluation system
Hundreds of teachers from across the state are airing their grievances about the rollout of Connecticut’s new teacher evaluation system. “If Obamacare was rolled out poorly, well, this was worse,” said one.
Posted inPolitics
Jeb Bush to keynote CT GOP’s Bush Dinner
Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and son and brother of U.S. presidents, will keynote the Connecticut Republican Party’s major fundraiser, the Prescott Bush Awards Dinner. The dinner is named for the former U.S. senator from Connecticut, who was the grandfather of Jeb Bush. The event is April 10 in Stamford. Bush, 60, has not […]
Posted inHealth
Companies in four CT towns to produce medical marijuana
Portland, Simsbury, Watertown and West Haven will be home to facilities that produce medical marijuana for patients to use in accordance with state law, officials announced Tuesday.
Posted inPolitics
Metro-North, MTA sought delay of federal safety rules
Washington – Crisis-plagued Metro-North and its parent company sought to delay and weaken proposed federal safety measures that could have helped prevent some of the accidents the rail company suffered in the past year. Less than two weeks before a foreman was killed by a train, Metro-North pressed the Federal Railroad Administration to delay a safety rule requiring trains to slow to 25 miles per hour when passing a work site.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Child Protection: A system crying for change
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families has adopted a “differential response system” that allows its caseworkers more flexibility in reacting to various kinds of child abuse and neglect, depending on the risk to the family. Families and staff say this new kind of intervention is more effective, satisfying and respectful.
Posted inNews
Child Protection: A system crying for change
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families has adopted a “differential response system” that allows its caseworkers more flexibility in reacting to various kinds of child abuse and neglect, depending on the risk to the family. Families and staff say this new kind of intervention is more effective, satisfying and respectful.
Posted inPolitics
Boughton shakes up GOP race for governor
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton stirred up the race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination Tuesday, naming an early running mate, Heather Bond Somers, in a bold bid to boost his appeal to donors and delegates.
Posted inEnergy & Environment
No hazard mitigation funds for Connecticut shoreline homeowners
About a half-dozen shoreline communities are angered that none of their homes damaged by Storm Sandy will receive hazard-mitigation funding for elevations or buyouts.
Posted inHealth
In UnitedHealthcare doctor cuts, some see larger trend
UnitedHealthcare sparked an intense backlash last fall when it notified more than 2,000 Connecticut doctors that they would be dropped from its Medicare Advantage network. Many people in health care believe that what UnitedHealthcare is trying to do — cover fewer doctors and other health care providers — is likely to become increasingly common in Connecticut. And to some doctors, the fight against UnitedHealthcare’s network changes is in part about pushing back against the larger trend.