Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor announced Wednesday that he has created seven new positions at the State Department of Education responsible for implementing elements of the education reforms sought by him and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The new positions include a teacher talent officer for teacher preparedness, a school turnaround officer to lead interventions in low-achieving […]
Help Wanted: Education chief creates seven new positions
Posted inEducation
Parents Union calls for allowing students to select which school they attend, no matter what district
A coalition of parents wants to eliminate the school district borders and eliminate penalties for parents who send their child to whatever school they chose. “I am an everyday parent, and I just want my children to have access to a great education,” said Gwen Samuel, the leader of the state’s Parents’ Union and a […]
Posted inPolitics
On GQ list, Dodd makes list of 50 power players in DC, barely
He is four steps below Mike Allen, the Politico reporter/savant and former Connecticut Timesman. But GQ is pronouncing that Chris Dodd remains relevant in post-Senate lifte as one its top 50 players in DC. “Need proof that there’s life after a losing presidential bid and getting drummed out of the Senate? Look no further than […]
Posted inNews
Budget hovers on brink of deficit as Malloy’s fiscal cushion erodes quickly
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s vaunted fiscal cushion has begun to erode quickly, and an underperforming state income tax is the chief culprit. Fiscal analysts for the executive and legislative branches agreed on a consensus revenue report late Tuesday that pushes the current budget to the brink of a deficit — or possibly over it. More […]
Posted inNews
Regents recommend 3.8 percent hike in tuition, fees for CSU system
The Board of Regents for Higher Education is recommending a 3.8 percent increase in tuition and fees at the four Connecticut State Universities and 3.1 percent at the 12 community colleges for the upcoming school year. This recommendation will be voted on Thursday by the full board, just two days after the proposal was released. A […]
Posted inNews
CCM wants education reform now, even if dollars follow later
Connecticut’s cities and towns are hoping lawmakers will spend the next few months deciding to increase local education grants — even if communities don’t start to see the money for a few more years. Following the governor’s lead, education reform topped the 2012 legislative agenda released Tuesday by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. But the […]
Posted inNews
The bear truth
Barely a peep in the last few days on the possibility of a bear hunt in Connecticut, after a flurry of assertions one was in the works followed by a bunch of non-denial denials, and some generally vague answers that left all kinds of doors wide open. (In case you forgot where this all started […]
Posted inNews
To solve DSS delays, more staff or better technology?
It’s not uncommon for a worker’s phone to ring 20 to 30 times a day at the Department of Social Services’ Danbury regional office where Isabel King works. The workers she supervises, who handle applications for the department’s wide range of social service programs, must choose between answering and explaining to a client why they […]
Posted inEnergy & Environment
The bear truth
Barely a peep in the last few days on the possibility of a bear hunt in Connecticut, after a flurry of assertions that one was in the works, followed by a bunch of non-denial denials, and some generally vague answers that left all kinds of doors wide open. (In case you forgot where this all […]
Posted inHealth
Amid contract dispute, closure proposal, Wethersfield nursing home announces 145 layoffs
The operator of a Wethersfield nursing home has notified 145 workers that their jobs will be eliminated as it awaits word on a request to close the facility. The notices also come amid a contract fight between the operator, HealthBridge Management, and the union representing workers at Wethersfield Health Care Center and five other HealthBridge […]
Posted inHealth, Money
Porter named to lead Bureau of Rehabilitation Services
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Tuesday named Amy Porter director of the state Bureau of Rehabilitative Services, which serves people with disabilities and was created last summer by the consolidation of several state offices. Porter, a certified rehabilitation counselor, currently leads the agency’s rehabilitation services division, and previously directed the Department of Social Services’ bureau […]
Posted inHealth
Legislators raise doubts about need for Medicaid restrictions
Key legislators have cast doubt on an effort by the state Department of Social Services to restrict eligibility and benefits in a Medicaid program that had been growing at higher-than-expected levels. In an October “concept paper” sent to federal authorities, DSS officials outlined ways to limit eligibility and scale back benefits in the Medicaid Low-Income […]
Posted inNews
Malloy, Merrill back easier registration, ballot access
As ballot access grows tighter in many states in the run up to the 2012 presidential election, Connecticut’s governor and top elections official said today they will try to streamline voter registration and ease access to absentee ballots. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said he backs Secretary of the State Denise Merrill’s call for legislation and […]
Posted inNews
Despite gridlock, Connecticut delegation has big plans for this session of Congress
Washington — Partisanship and gridlock may have largely defined the 112th Congress, but Connecticut lawmakers still have extensive wish lists for the new session. The lawmakers’ goals for the year range from turning the Coltsville site in Hartford into a national park to guarding against cuts in the Pentagon’s budget that would hurt the state’s […]
Posted inPolitics
Democrats at Wesleyan to file SEEC complaint against Giuliano
The matter was dropped in November, but Democrats and other students at Wesleyan are reviving a complaint against Republican Sebastian Giuliano now that he is designated as the choice of the State Elections Enforcement Commission to be its next director and general counsel. The students say they will file a complaint Tuesday, alleging that Giuliano, […]