Some people think that teacher tenure is a guarantee of a job for life. It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be. The American Federation of Teachers in Connecticut has worked closely with the chairs of the General Assembly’s Education Committee to draft legislation (Senate Bill 1160) that will redesign teacher evaluation systems and align them to […]
Making teacher evaluations work
House Democrats propose overhaul of federal budget process
WASHINGTON–Imagine that after you filed your taxes this month, the IRS sent you back a receipt, showing how much of your income tax went to pay for everything from foreign aid to education, transportation, and entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security. That’s one provision of a bill, introduced by Rep. Jim Himes and several […]
With medical records going digital, patient control becomes subject of debate
Say you end up in the emergency room. It’s not connected to your doctor’s office and you don’t have a list of the medications you’re on. But because your doctor keeps your medical records electronically, and because his system is connected to a larger network, the emergency room doctor can tap into the network and […]
The perks of Congress: Members tout their work in free mailings
WASHINGTON–“Next Stop: 8,000 New Jobs,” beckons the headline of a flashy four-page flier, featuring a fast-moving train and a photo of Rep. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from the 5th District who is running for Senate. The mailing has all the trappings of a savvy campaign piece. It touts Murphy’s support for a new “cutting-edge” high-speed […]
Midwestern states joining the clean energy party
Leadership on clean energy issues is often thought to be a bicoastal affair, with states in the West and Northeast in the forefront, Oakley Brooks reports at Miller-McCune. But a new report says some Midwestern states are stepping up. Seven of the top 10 states cited for clean energy leadership still are on the East […]
OPM’s word of the day: ‘dekatherm’
The Office of Policy and Management said today it has secured new fixed-price contracts to supply natural gas to state agencies at a savings of $660,000. One contract provides a new price for 453 natural gas accounts of $6.68 per dekatherm, compared to the old price of $10.73 per dekatherm. Another contract for a dozen […]
Flag lowered for Moosup soldier killed in Afghanistan
A Capitol police officer appeared in the press room moments ago on his way to lower the flag atop the State Capitol. Access to the east wing roof of the Capitol is through our fourth-floor office space, and a midday appearance by a cop often signals the loss of another Connecticut soldier. An email from […]
Malloy won’t mess with Calhoun, not this week
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy can be brash and brusque in his public comments at times, but he declined an invitation to take a shot at Jim Calhoun at a town-hall meeting on the budget last night in Windham, not far from the UConn campus where Calhoun is prepping for this weekend’s Final Four. Leroy Hollis, […]
Americans want to know how teachers are performing
Americans want to know more about their local schools, a new Brookings report says, and the No. 1 item on their list is teacher performance. The report, based on a national telephone survey, says the most common source of information about schools is family and friends, followed by daily newspapers, school publications and local television. […]
From Windham, Malloy takes on New York’s budget deal
WINDHAM–The residents of this struggling eastern Connecticut community were his audience, but Gov. Dannel P. Malloy opened a debate Wednesday night with another Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo of New York. Doffing his suit coat and rolling up his sleeves in a middle school auditorium, Malloy defended his budget for maintaining state aid to municipalities, while […]
Decades later, a belated welcome home for Vietnam veterans
An older veteran rose to speak the other night at a public meeting about Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget. First, he pointed to two young servicemen, both recently returned from Afghanistan. The audience rose as one and applauded. It’s kind of story Ted Graziani enjoys hearing, even if reminds him of how he and his […]
New wind speed data suggest more viable turbine sites in state
New measurements of Connecticut wind speeds show that many more sites than previously believed could be economically viable for wind power, potentially expanding the range where turbines could produce electricity. The data suggest that with today’s taller turbines and improved blades, wind power could work even in lower-lying areas, not just the higher elevations in […]
Advocates worry adults in HUSKY could lose out under health reform
The federal health reform law is meant to expand health insurance coverage, but some advocates worry that it could inadvertently leave some low-income adults in Connecticut worse off. They want the state to take action now to ensure that doesn’t happen, but that idea has critics, including, for now, the Malloy administration. Sharon Langer Beginning […]
Senate president strongly backs Malloy’s approach to the budget
Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, sat in tonight on Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s 13th town-hall meeting on the budget, a cordial meeting in Windham, a stop on the senator’s drive home from Hartford. Williams didn’t hear anything that made him think Malloy needs to take another approach to the budget. “The […]
Retired FBI agent to kick off congressional campaign
Mike Clark kicks off his campaign for the Republican congressional nomination in the 5th District next Tuesday, promising supporters he’ll get them home in time for the tipoff of the women’s basketball championship game. Clark is a retired FBI agent, whose expertise was pursuing white-collar fraud and corruption. He now serves on the Farmington Town […]

