Education funding: An investment in Connecticut’s future
The lawsuit decided last fall and currently in appeal, CCJEF v. Rell, confirmed what we already know about the way we fund public education in Connecticut: while we might spend enough to educate our...
View ArticleWe need higher standards of high school competence, not looser
It is truly sad that the legislature has voted and sent to the governor a bill to loosen graduation standards. Frankly, I am aghast that the children who will most likely suffer are low income and...
View ArticleWhy keep a ‘promise’ that hurts birth mothers?
One of the most persistent myths surrounding adoption is that birth mothers like me were “promised” privacy to hide the shame of having had sex (and getting caught at it). Single pregnant women like me...
View ArticleAn ECS tale of two cities: It is the best of times, the worst of times
For some Connecticut cities and towns, it has been and continues to be the best of times, at the expense of others for whom it has been and continues to be the worst of times. And those at the state...
View ArticleConnecticut college funding cuts killing our intellectual souls
Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, wrote more than a century ago about “the sickness that is not until death.” He did so in an essay about despair, loss, and fear. Notwithstanding the gloomy...
View ArticleIs our state legislature failing Connecticut’s immigrant communities?
In times of open hostility, from the President of the United States, trickling down to our institutions and communities toward immigrants and people of color, we find it outrageous that the Connecticut...
View ArticleThe true crisis in Connecticut higher education
I recently had the honor of speaking at an event to support the Student Crisis Fund at Charter Oak State College, my alma mater. This is a fund that helps students – and their education – survive...
View ArticleOne teacher to others: Our voices can shape Connecticut education
In some ways, it can be easy as teachers of young children to understand the power our voices have in our students’ lives, and in their self-esteem. Our words can urge a child to struggle through a...
View ArticleProposed federal cuts jeopardize programs that save children’s lives
In the time since the Trump administration released its budget proposal, many have raised alarms about cuts to well-known, popular programs and agencies like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,...
View ArticleParent: Racism is at the heart of Connecticut’s ELL failures
Connecticut’s school policies don't value the language and the culture that English language learners bring to the societal table. Said differently, the people who make laws and set educational...
View ArticleConnecticut can have dual language programs — if it has the political will
Research confirms that good dual language programs are effective in closing the achievement gap and promote brain development for all students. It is also evident that both majority and minority...
View ArticleConnecticut’s ELL problems are complex, urgent
While I enthusiastically support the idea of more dual immersion schools, I also believe that the problems facing English Language Learners in Connecticut are so complex and urgent that they require a...
View ArticleFocus educational help on improving minority high school graduation
Government funding for underprivileged students to attend college is not an effective way to close the education gap because it does not address the core problem, which is that many low-income students...
View ArticleDoing better for all Connecticut Learners
Learning a new language could be daunting and especially more challenging for new immigrants that not only come face to face with a new culture, but to a totally different environment. Most times...
View ArticleConnecticut’s millionaire migration myth
As the legislature toils to come to consensus on this year’s budget, we urge them to make decisions grounded in facts, research, and long-term planning. Questions about how to build on state strengths...
View ArticlePublic charter schools deserve equitable funding for continued success
Having sent my daughter to public schools for more than a decade, I can see the difference between a normal school and an extraordinary one. An extraordinary public school guides students from...
View ArticleWill our children become casualties in the state budget battle?
Any family enduring a budget crisis is faced with a difficult task -- prioritizing where to cut back on expenses. They must decide which expenses are unnecessary, which can safely be postponed, and...
View ArticleEarly childhood: An effective long-term investment in Connecticut’s children
Usually, but especially when resources are limited, good investments are those that are based on research about what really works and have promise for making a positive and long-term impact. One of the...
View ArticleTalk about Connecticut’s educational inequity, but no action
“Equity is great to talk about until someone has to give up something.” Quesnel’s quote, in particular, struck me because it perfectly encapsulates the situation here in Connecticut. For all the talk...
View ArticleA new approach to Connecticut juvenile justice — with better results
At any given time many children are in the care of Connecticut’s juvenile justice system. Everyone agrees their personal stories are troublesome, but it is also important to understand each story can...
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