An attempt was made in the final hours of the General Assembly session last week to negate adopted legislation making charter schools subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act. It’s unclear whether the attempt will be renewed in the upcoming special session since no one is taking responsibility for it.
Andrew M. Fleischmann
Posted inEducation
Senate votes to drop Smarter Balanced test for high school students
The Senate voted Thursday to do away with the requirement that every high school junior take the Smarter Balanced Assessments, the controversial exams aligned with the Common Core State Standards. Instead, every student would take either the SAT or ACT college-entrance exam. But not everyone is convinced it’s a good idea.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Teachers rally against Smarter Balanced test at Capitol: ‘Put the test to rest’
Hundreds of teachers, parents, teachers union leaders and students descended on the state Capitol Tuesday, objecting to the Department of Education’s use of the Smarter Balanced test associated with the Common Core Standards. Some key lawmakers, however, appear to be unmoved.
Posted inEducation
For students with limited English, glaring gaps in achievement and state remedies
One of every 15 students in Connecticut’s public schools speaks and understands only limited English, and their academic achievement lags far behind that of their classmates. The achievement gap in Connecticut is among the highest in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Posted inEducation
The charter debate: More schools, transparency and oversight?
Legislators are grappling with whether to fund new charter schools in Bridgeport and Stamford, put a moratorium on new charters while existing schools are assessed, or demand more transparency and oversight in the wake of financial and management failures at a charter school in Hartford.