Connecticut's Report Card

In January, Connecticut received a D+ in an evaluation of education.  Connecticut was assessed by StudentsFirst, an organization lead by former Chancellor of DC public schools Michelle Rhee. StudentsFirst was formed in 2010 in response to an increasing demand for better education. The nation-wide test judged state laws regarding education policies that allows control in low-performing schools and teacher salary, placement, and layoffs. However, the evaluation didn't take into consideration more traditional factors such as test scores.

Out of the three categories on the report card, CT received C’s in “Elevate teaching” and “Spend wisely and govern well” and an F in “Empower parents,” with a GPA of 1.35 overall. Twenty-six other states received a score of D and the highest score was a B-, awarded to Louisiana and Florida.  

Despite the fact Connecticut made improvements to reward good teachers and principals last year, the evaluation said that seniority is still a strong factor in layoff decisions. Furthermore, teachers still remain locked into the existing outdated pension system, which prevent districts from offering more attractive retirement plans.

Connecticut also "does very little to empower parents." The report suggests more meaningful school performance information in order for parents to make better informed choices for their kids.

Lastly, Connecticut needs to remove the remaining barriers to charter establishment.  According to StudentsFirst, "strengthening accountability and providing access to comparable funding and facilities" will improve public charters. The state should also hold school boards accountable for increasing student outcomes with their investments. 

You can read the full report at: http://reportcard.studentsfirst.org/state-detail?state=Connecticut