News Brief
Things Looking Up for Connecticut's Education Reform Program
New Haven Register (05/18/13) Stannard, EdConnecticut Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said that he is confident much of the education reform money cut from Gov. Dannel Malloy's 2013-15 budget proposal will be restored. Fears about the future of the program - which includes state oversight of turnaround schools, more support for charter schools, and revamped teacher evaluations - arose when the state's Appropriations Committee released its revised budget and reduced the reform program's funding from $49.1 million to $14.7 million. "Thus far there's been receptivity on the part of legislative leadership," Pryor said. "I remain optimistic that there will be very significant restoration" of education money. State Sen. Toni Harp (D-New Haven), chair of the committee, and state Rep. Toni Walker (D-New Haven) said now that lawmakers have received more information from the Education Department, they too are "optimistic" that a good compromise will be reached for both sides. The school reform package and proposals include the commissioner's network of turnaround schools and 10 pilot school districts for a teacher-evaluation system overseen by the state, in which student learning will account for up to 45 percent of the measure and observation of the teacher in the classroom comprises 40 percent, Pryor said. "For the first time in Connecticut's history, the standard for entry into tenure status is effectiveness," he explained.
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