Archives for category: Connecticut
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Laura Chapman on 50CAN

By dianeravitch
May 27, 2017 //
15

50CAN is a corporate reform organization that originated in Connecticut as ConnCAN. It was led by the billionaire Jonathan Sackler. Sackler owns Purdue Pharmaceuticals, which created the drug OxyContin, which is a highly addictive painkiller. The drug financing the expansion of charter schools made the Sackler family very wealthy (at last count, a net worth of $14 billion), but it is also implicated in the nation’s opioid crisis.

ConnCAN went national as 50CAN. (I learned from reading Elizabeth Young Bruelh’s book “Childism” that CAN is an acronym in the psychiatric literature that stands for “child abuse and neglect.”

Laura Chapman did some research and this is what she learned:

“According to Media Matters.org, 50CAN stands for the 50 State Campaign for Achievement Now. 50CAN is a network of state-level organizations pushing for pro-voucher and free-market education policies across the country. It has affiliates in Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island, and “fellowships “in California, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, and Wisconsin.

“The 2016 policy goals focused on passing state legislation in affiliate states to spur the rapid expansion of charter schools and to reduce state oversight of these schools.

“50CAN “partners” with many conservative and rightwing organizations that want to control school policy. Among these partners are the Commonwealth Foundation (a member of the State Policy Network) which, according to Politico includes these “associate members”: ALEC, David Koch’s Americans for Prosperity Foundation, FreedomWorks, Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform, the Cato Institute and The Heritage Foundation. Add the Thomas B. Fordham Institute (see Wikipedia and board of directors); and Policy Innovators in Education Network (PIE) active in 34 states promoting market-based education.

“Each state in 50CAN has strategic partners and interlocking directorates among members. This inbreeding is planned and extensive. It is masked by the ambiguous language of “strategic partnerships” for policies and for advocacy, a relationship of “affiliate status,” and for “campaigns” (lobbying initiatives) with right wing organizations and projects. 50CAN state affiliates know how to find and to co-opt groups that should be defending public education. Go to jonathanpelto,com for a chilling report from early this year about the activities of ConnCAN.

“Here is another example. PIE (Policy Innovators in Education Network) is a sprawling network of deep-pocket and dark money power-brokers promoting market-based education in 34 states and Washington, DC. Members can be found here: http://pie-network.org/pie-network-members/

“Who finances PIE? Foundations set up by billionaires who have no respect for public education and othe institutions with democratic governance. PIE is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, New Venture Fund, and McKnight Foundation.

“In March, 50CAN and Michelle Rhee”s StudentsFirst announced that they would merge and begin operating under the 50CAN name nationally, although state chapters of StudentsFirst will, for the most part, retain their “brands.”

“All of that is a a fraction of what’s going on, and with tax breaks for the “non-profits” who are working together for a “collective impact.”

https://www.mediamatters.org/research/2016/04/27/here-are-corporations-and-right-wing-funders-backing-education-reform-movement/210054#50can

My addendum: the PIE Network was launched by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

Categories Billionaires, Charter Schools, ConnCAN, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Privatization

Is This the “Best” High School in Connecticut?

By dianeravitch
April 28, 2017 //
48

Here are the U.S. News rankings of the “best” high schools in America. Allegedly. Apparently no one bothered to look at attritionrates.

Amistad Academy is identified as the “best” high school in the state. No one noticed that 75% of its students disappeared between 6th and 12th grade. Hmmm.

After reading Gary Rubinstein’s post this morning about KIPP and the U.S. News’ rankings, a reader sent this data about Amistad Academy:

 

https://www.publicschoolreview.com/connecticut/amistad-academy/900024-school-district/high

Notice anything about their enrollment trends?

of Students in Pre-Kindergarten: – –

of Students in Kindergarten: 92 92

of Students in 1st Grade: 93 93

of Students in 2nd Grade: 90 90

of Students in 3rd Grade: 90 90

of Students in 4th Grade: 79 79

of Students in 5th Grade: 102 102

of Students in 6th Grade: 102 102

of Students in 7th Grade: 81 81

of Students in 8th Grade: 79 79

of Students in 9th Grade: 59 59

of Students in 10th Grade: 57 57

of Students in 11th Grade: 34 34

of Students in 12th Grade: 26 26

of Ungraded Students:

And here are their scores –

Click to access hss_ct_pub2015.pdf

Hey! Why did the 102 students in sixth grade dwindle to only 26 in senior year? Where did they go?

Obviously, the folks who do the rankings at U.S. News don’t screen for high attrition rates–like losing 75% of your students.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, Hoax, Privatization, Testing

UPSET: Working Families Party Candidate in CT Wins Seat in Legislature

By dianeravitch
April 26, 2017 //
11

Joshua Hall, a teacher and VP of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, won an upset victory in the race for a seat in the Connecticut legislature on the Working Families Party line.

Here is the background.

The WFP calls itself the “progressive conscience of Connecticut.”

Joshua Hall Becomes First Working Families Party Candidate to Win State House Election

Joshua Hall Wins in Historically Democratic Stronghold

Working Families: We can help you win and we can also help you lose

Hartford – With five polls and absentee votes reporting in the 7th State House District, Joshua Hall has won the election with approximately 625 votes. The endorsed Democrat Rickey Pinckney received 512 votes and petitioning candidate Kenneth Green, a former Democratic State Representative, received 367 votes.

Joshua Hall, Vice President of Hartford Federation of Teachers:

“I’d like to thank all the candidates for running a competitive race focused on issues that Hartford voters really care about. And I especially want to thank voters and our union brothers and sisters for the outpouring of support they’ve given me throughout this race.”

“The 7th district made it clear tonight that they’re not satisfied with the direction that our economy and state are moving towards. They’re concerned about the quality of education in our schools, having good jobs and vibrant neighborhoods, and making sure that we have a just budget that strengthens their ability to earn a good living and care for their families. That starts with eliminating backdoor tax increases on working families and setting budget policy that generates revenue without harmful cuts.”

“I look forward to working with Democratic and Republican legislators, and representing my constituents as we work to fix our budget in a way that is fair for hard working taxpayers.”

Hall’s victory marks the first time that an independent Working Families Party (WFP) candidate wins a State House election, and the second time a WFP candidate wins a legislative seat in Connecticut. Ed Gomes was the first WFP candidate to win a State Senate seat in a 2015 special election. Prior to 2015, the last time an independent party candidate won a legislative seat was in 1938.

Lindsay Farrell, Executive Director of the CT Working Families Party:

“The Working Families Party congratulates Joshua Hall on a hard fought victory, and thanks him for his hard work on the campaign and deep commitment to the residents of the 7th district.”

“Joshua ran a campaign that all North End voters can be proud of and the results show it. He’s a lifelong 7th district resident. It’s communities like his where the harm created by bad budget policies is usually felt first and deepest. Joshua has been fighting for the 7th his whole life. Voters know that and they know that he stands for working families. As a public school teacher, he’s seen first hand how education cuts have hurt students and families in his district. His connection to the community, record of hard work and strong progressive vision is what motivated voters to come out and vote for him on a rainy day. He’ll bring fresh, new leadership to the 7th and will be a great State Representative.”

“Joshua Hall’s victory comes at a time when more strong, progressive leaders are sorely needed in Hartford and in our state. The city is in fiscal crisis and without state help, Hartford residents will be hurt by deep cuts, the effects of which will resonate across the region. The health of Hartford’s economy affects our entire state, making it critical that legislators step up and find progressive economic solutions that help families thrive and bolster our economy. Joshua gets this and so did voters today.”

“With budget negotiations underway, his election could not come any sooner. His voice at the Capitol will be a welcomed addition to the growing list of legislators fighting hard for fair and sustainable budget solutions that generate revenue for our state and creates jobs. He’s not afraid to go against the grain at the Capitol. He’s a fighter.”

“Joshua’s victory today is further proof of the growing appetite among voters for progressive reform, budget justice and fair taxation. Despite all the doom and gloom, voters in the 7th have demonstrated their support for tax reform and a fair budget proposal that doesn’t shift the state’s economic burden onto lower and middle income families struggling to stay afloat.”

“In a city with arguably the strongest party machine in the state, tonight’s results show that the WFP can help you win and we can also help you lose.”

Hall’s victory may reflect the Trump effect, bringing progressive voters to the polls, or a backlash against the conservative policies of Governor Malloy, or just on-the-ground organizing.

Categories Connecticut

Connecticut: Charter-Loving Dem Governor Malloy Will Not Seek Re-Election

By dianeravitch
April 13, 2017 //
4

Jonathan Pelto reports that Connecticut Governor Malloy will not run for a third term.

He has spent his time in office promoting the charter school agenda and undermining public schools, the teaching profession, and higher education, which are major drivers of Connecticut’s economy.

Connecticut teachers and parents: Get involved and find a candidate who supports public education. Get active or get overlooked.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Privatization

GOOD NEWS! Connecticut Drops Test-Based Teacher Evaluation!

By dianeravitch
April 6, 2017 //
10

Jonathan Pelto reports that Connecticut will no longer use scores on SBAC or SAT to evaluate teachers.

http://jonathanpelto.com/2017/04/06/connecticut-will-no-longer-use-sbac-sat-part-teacher-performance-evaluations/

Since this approach has failed everywhere, this is a great development.

Every state should drop this failed methodology that was promoted by the Gates Foundation and Arne Duncan but has not worked.

Categories Connecticut, Teacher Evaluations

URGENT MESSAGE TO PARENTS IN CONNECTICUT: Your Child’s Privacy at Risk!

By dianeravitch
March 5, 2017 //
6

Parents in Connecticut, pay attention and take action!

The Parent Coalition for Student Privacy has sent out an urgent message to parents in Connecticut.

The legislature is holding hearings on Monday (tomorrow) on a bill that would strip privacy protections from your children.

In January, a legislator proposed to remove all privacy protections from student data. Because of outrage expressed by parents, he withdrew his bill.

But now another bill has emerged. The hearings were hurriedly scheduled. Are they trying to put something over before parents know about it?

This past week a new bill, 7207 to “revise” the student data privacy law, was introduced, and will be heard by the CT Joint Education Committee this Monday, March 6. This kind of a rush job could imply that they are hoping to pass this bill without giving parents time to react. This new bill, 7207, wants to repeal the data privacy law and delay further implementation until July 1, 2018. This would remove existing protection of school children for over a year. WHY?

The Student Data Privacy Law has been in effect since Oct. 1, 2016; it only applies to NEW contracts, only asks for transparency, the CT Edtech Commission has already done the work to implement it. WHY, would Connecticut want to now repeal protection and transparency?

Please email your comment or testimony in Word or PDF format to EDtestimony@cga.ct.gov . Testimony should clearly state your name and the bill you are commenting on: Bill 7207- AN ACT MAKING REVISIONS TO THE STUDENT DATA PRIVACY ACT OF 2016.

Connecticut citizens please contact your legislators directly. If you are not sure who they are or how to contact them you can look that up here: https://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/cgafindleg.asp

Is it asking too much that when a company contracts with a school and collects and uses and shares children’s data, that the data be kept safe and parents be able to see how that data is used, breached, and not sold?

By repealing or delaying this law, who are they protecting?

Categories Connecticut, Data and Data Mining, Parents, Privacy, Resistance, Students

That Was Fast! Charter Backer Withdraws As a Nominee for Hartford School Board

By dianeravitch
January 30, 2017 //
12

Minutes after I blogged that the mayor of a Hartford was set to name Harold Sparrow to the Hartford School Board, I learned that the candidate withdrew his name because of controversy that was distracting.

Who caused that controversy? Blogger Jonathan Pelto, who brought to light Sparrow’s history as a corporate reformer, founder of a charter school, trustee of elite private schools, etc.

http://jonathanpelto.com/2017/01/30/hartford-courant-reporting-harold-sparrow-withdraws-candidacy-hartford-school-board/

#bloggersmatter

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Connecticut, Education Industry, Privatization

ALERT! Jonathan Pelto: Mayor of Hartford Names Founder of Failing Charter School to Local Public Board

By dianeravitch
January 30, 2017 //
8

Jonathan Pelto warns that the vote is likely to be today.

The mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, has named the founder of one of the lowest performing charter schools in Massachusetts to the public school board in Hartford. Harold Sparrow previously served as a trustee at two elite private schools. He also was instrumental in closing down a successful early literacy program at the YMCA in Hartford.

What qualifies him to serve on the Hartford Board of Education?

Jonathan Pelto’s blog is the most valuable education news in Connecticut. You can help keep his blog going by sending a contribution.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Connecticut, Corporate Reformers, Education Industry, Privatization

Connecticut: Ignore the Hype! Charter Schools Do Not Outperform Public Schools

By dianeravitch
January 16, 2017 //
11

 

 

Robert Cotto Jr. says on Jon Pelto’s blog that charter cheerleaders have oversold the “success” of charter schools. Many charters have fewer students with disabilities and fewer English language learners than public schools.

 

When demographic differences are taken into account, the charter “success story” goes up in smoke.

Categories Charter Schools, Connecticut

Connecticut: Legislator Proposes Bill to Eliminate Student Privacy Protections

By dianeravitch
January 7, 2017 //
23

Jonathan Pelto reports that Steven Harding, a Republican legislator, has proposed legislation to roll back Connecticut’s Student Privacy Act.

 

When it comes the Connecticut General Assembly and education policy, one of the most important developments was the passage, last year, of a new Connecticut Student Data Privacy Act that requires school districts to institute reasonable safeguards when selling, sharing or providing outside entities access to student information, student records, or student-generated content.

 

Without this law, many school districts had failed to adopted appropriate policies associated with contracts between school districts and corporations that are interested in collecting, buying, selling or using what should obviously be confidential student data.

 

Now, in an astonishing, baffling and extremely disturbing move, State Representative Stephen Harding (R-107th District) has introduced legislation (HB 5233) to repeal this important law (Public Act 16-189)

 

Why would he do this? Did he get a contribution from Bill Gates or Booz Allen Hamilton or some other corporate group that wants to data mine children?

Categories Connecticut, Data and Data Mining, Privacy and Privacy Rights
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