Massachusetts, one of the leading states on education reform in the nation, in a monumental decision has abandoned Common Core testing. The Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, Michael Chester, in a stunning reversal, has walked away from the very test he helped to create. Now it remains to be seen if other states in the nation, including Connecticut, will follow Massachusetts, a state that is considered to be “the gold standard” in successful education reform.
Sheila Cohen
Posted inEducation, Politics
Warring camps emerge over federal education bill
WASHINGTON — Efforts to fashion a new federal education bill have created a big divide between civil rights organizations and teachers unions – and between many Connecticut educators and Sen. Chris Murphy, who has been active in trying to shape the legislation.
Posted inNews
Op-Ed: Connecticut charter schools — a good idea gone awry
When confronted with the fact that the unwarranted expansion of charter schools is diverting sorely needs funds away from neighborhood public schools, Connecticut voters are clear in their response: cease and desist.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut charter schools — a good idea gone awry
When confronted with the fact that the unwarranted expansion of charter schools is diverting sorely needs funds away from neighborhood public schools, Connecticut voters are clear in their response: cease and desist.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Malloy celebrates Pryor, but makes gesture to union critics
NEW BRITAIN – By turns wistful and upbeat, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor put a positive spin Thursday on Pryor’s announcement he will leave the Malloy administration, a departure sought by unions important to the governor’s re-election. He later named a leader of a teachers’ union to the State Board of Education.
Posted inEducation
Teacher evaluations: State asks court to ‘compel’ districts to turn over assessments
The top lawyers for the state are asking a Superior Court judge to “compel” nine of the state’s lowest-performing school districts to turn over individual teacher evaluations so they can prepare for a trial set to begin this fall over whether the state is properly funding education.
Posted inEducation
Teachers’ union calls Common Core rollout ‘botched,’ ‘mishandled’
“These goals which we want to achieve are falling out of reach and out of reality due to the implementation,” said Sheila Cohen, an elementary school teacher in Orange and the president of the 43,000-teacher Connecticut Education Association.