Hundreds of people were scheduled to testify Friday on a bill that could change how Connecticut school districts are funded.
school funding
Posted inEducation
Five things to know about Stefanowski’s plans for public schools, if elected governor
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.
Posted inEducation
Five things to know about Lamont’s plans for public schools, if elected governor
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.
Posted inEducation
Towns told to make up for state education cuts
Shortly after the governor imposed $58 million in midyear cuts to state education aid for 130 communities last November, the state informed superintendents their districts would lose even more state funding if they coped by cutting their own budgets by more than the administration has determined the law allows.
Posted inEducation
A last try: Lawyers ask Supreme Court to reconsider school ruling
Lawyers representing the coalition of parents, teachers and locally elected officials suing the state argue that the trial provided abundant examples of deficiencies in school districts. The coalition also asks the court to reconsider its conclusion that the state is not constitutionally responsible for paying to help students overcome societal deficiencies, such as poverty and other issues at home.
Posted inEducation, Money
Massachusetts spends less per poor student than we do and gets better results
In both states spending on education has increased greatly over the last 25 years – with one key difference: Massachusetts tied increased state aid to ambitious reforms it credits with spurring remarkable advances in student achievement. Connecticut relied more heavily on local educators to use increased state aid to improve things. Second of three stories in a special report.
Posted inEducation
Massachusetts is like Connecticut, but does a better job educating the poor
Massachusetts over the last 20 years has moved to the top of the national rankings for achievement by students from low-income families while Connecticut has lagged. Here’s how they did it. First of three articles in a special report.
Posted inEducation, Money
Separating fact from fiction on state school aid
How the state funds public schools is so messy and complicated that dozens of parents, educators, legislators, the governor, and a Superior Court judge have characterized the setup as broken. However, some of the criticism that regularly surfaces is based on skewed perceptions of reality.
Posted inEducation
School funding reform: Three tough questions facing lawmakers
Leaders at the state Capitol agree that changing how the state distributes public school aid is necessary – but that consensus quickly crumbles when specific changes are floated.
Posted inEducation, Money
Two legislative leaders proposing sweeping school funding changes
A plan backed by two Democratic legislative leaders to boost state spending for public schools by $53 million next year and shake up how the state funds charter and magnet schools is causing disagreements among members of their own party and with the leader of the state’s largest teachers union.
Posted inEducation, Money
Education funding reform: More for the cities — or maybe less
As proposed, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s state budget would be a financial boon for Connecticut’s cities, but nothing in it ensures that any additional money headed their way will go to their troubled schools. Here are the major elements of the educational funding plan that state and municipal leaders must address in the weeks ahead.
Posted inEducation, Money, Politics
Some education aid increases might not be spent on schools
In his new budget Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is proposing to increase state education grants to 52 cities and towns with struggling schools by about $230 million, but it will be up to the municipalities to determine whether to actually spend it on their schools – or use it to close their own local budget shortfalls or make up for other state budget cuts.
Posted inEducation, Money
See how your town fares in the governor’s proposed budget
Seven impoverished communities stand to gain more than $10 million each, but 145 municipalities would lose aid.
Posted inEducation, Money
Malloy proposes shaking up state education aid
NEW BRITAIN — Standing in the library of an elementary school that was at the center of a recent school-funding trial, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy Monday released his plans for redistributing existing levels of state education aid in ways he said would help the most impoverished school districts.
Posted inEducation
School funding reform: Ideas and challenges aplenty
With the governor set to lay out his proposals for education aid this week, numerous advocacy groups, rank-and-file legislators and a group suing the state over school funding have been pitching changes they would like to see. The bulk of the ideas are not new – but most would be controversial or expensive.