$5 Million Grant Will Expand Two Charter Schools in Hartford

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1. Alan says:

   December 8, 2012 at 9:32 am

   Of course, the Hartford Courant (which has a dreadful pro-reformy bias) says in the headline that the money is for “Hartford schools” rather than for “Two Charter Schools in Hartford.”

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2. Charlie Puffers says:

   December 8, 2012 at 10:01 am

   Hartford is one of those places that has been inundated with reform since the mid 90’s. Everything from the State of CT takeover to a private company (EAI) takeover to reformers like Steven Adamowski and Anthony Amato has been tried. Each has bragged about success and each has lied. The state screwed up their takeover so bad that 4 or 5 superintendents were being paid at the same time. EAI sued to be paid. The schools are more segregated now then before the State’s attempts to integrate the schools as mandated by the Sheff-O’Neill ruling. Millions of dollars have been spent to open 37 new magnet schools since 2000 and they are all competing for the same students and leaving the more expensive to educate students behind. The local newspaper (Hartford Courant) which used to report some semblance of the truth has caved to the corporate agenda and just regurgitates the lies. Blowhards like Steve Perry get their own TV show by lying about graduation and college attendance rates. The reform group Achieve Hartford likes to rally the troops around continuing the two-tiered system of haves and have-nots. Now Bill Gates will step in to be the next savior. When will our nightmare end?

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3. Kenneth Bernstein says:

   December 8, 2012 at 11:26 am

   And yet there are non-profit charter schools trying desperately to help our most needy children. I know because I now teach in one, about which you can read at http://seeforever.org

   Gates would be far better advised to spend money addressing the screaming societal deficits with which our children are arriving, thanks in no small part to the ever increasing economic disparity in this country,

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   • Jon Awbrey says:

     December 8, 2012 at 12:26 pm

     But that would be hard …

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     • teacherken says:

       December 8, 2012 at 12:58 pm

       gee, since when has America been unwilling to take on hard challenges? And THAT should be our response to those who are unwilling to confront the real issues in American education, which are being made worse both by the policies of politicians and the influence of billionaires like Broad and Gates

4. george says:

   December 8, 2012 at 11:30 am

   It will end when poor inner city teachers, administrators and parents join forces and stop fighting against each other. We need to start speaking up on why we are accepting the lack of funding desperately needed in all poor non magnet city and non charter schools. Instead of blaming teachers and administrators working in these tough underfunded schools, let’s join forces and demand more funding. These people want us to fight against each other so they can take over schools. Here is the real question!
   Why do places like Capital Prep where Steve Perry’s claim to fame school only enrolls less than 10 Special Education students and 5 ELL students but gets millions more to educate their child? Look at the data! Answer: Because most educators who work in inner city schools don’t live in the inner city they work in, influential parents send their children to magnet schools so they are not going to tell the truth about funding. Why would they? Right down the street from Capital there are multiple schools that have five times as many Sped and ELL schools but get millions less. Not one central office staff member has their child in one of these poor underfunded school but enroll their child in a magnet school with great resources. They would raise hell and would not accept the lack of funding their child is receiving.
   Parents who have good intentions in these poor communities have so many problems they are consumed with. Actually, we have a lot of students who are not living with their moms or dads and are suffering from poverty. What a mess we have created all over this country!

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5. George Buzzetti says:

   December 8, 2012 at 12:36 pm

   More discrimination by Gates. What else would you expect from a corporatizer privatizer? This is what charter schools do and you cannot have a real look at them without the “Correction Factor” which allows for charter schools not following most ed code and local regulations, cherry picking parents and students, not dealing with behavioral problems, ESL and special education. Even then they do not do so good and with the “Correction Factor” taken into account. Why are we following this failed methodology? Take a look at the latest DOE OIG report on the total failure of any accountability or oversight of charter schools in Florida, Arizona and California. This audit is ED-OIG/A02L0002 for the “True Believers in charter schools.”

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6. DeeDee says:

   December 8, 2012 at 9:48 pm

   Diane and others, here is an interesting story about a charter system in a district that was taken over by the state of Michigan. Amazingly it comes from a conservative news source.
   http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20121204/SCHOOLS/212040358/1409/metro/25-Muskegon-Hts-instructors-quit
   It is just plain sad. These are tough districts and teachers need a great deal of support. Instead, a for-profit chain is able to make tons of money and shortchange staff. This is going on all over Mich. What will happen in Connecticut?

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