OP-ED | A Strong Step Forward on School Improvement
by Patrick Riccards | Aug 17, 2012 11:51am
(12) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Opinion
In May, the Connecticut General Assembly took the history-making step of establishing the Commissioner’s Network. After decades of watching children in Connecticut’s lowest-performing schools denied the opportunity to attend a great public school, our state leaders finally said the status quo could not stand.
When Governor Dannel P. Malloy first proposed the establishment of the Commissioner’s Network in February, we heard a chorus of voices stating such a plan was unnecessary and untenable. The Network was nearly eliminated in the legislative process, with opponents offering no alternative ideas, and was ultimately saved by those legislators whose communities and constituents are most affected by the scourge of failing schools.
Even after its passage, there are some who still hope for an early end for the Network. Those who want to delay or derail implementation. Those who hope to deny additional funding. Those who wanted to keep talking, rather than doing. Those who wanted to protect the system, no matter how poorly it may be educating children.
But last week, those who choose to solve our pressing education problems took a major step forward. Less than four months after being signed into law as PA 12-116, the State Board of Education made the Commissioner’s Network a reality, approving the turnaround plans for four schools – Bridgeport’s James J. Curiale School, Hartford’s Jumoke Academy at Milner, New Haven’s High School in the Community, and Norwich’s John B. Stanton School. Many of these schools have already taken significant steps towards implementing their plans.
The Commissioner’s Network is no longer an abstract concept. It is now a very real action, impacting actual students, teachers, and communities across the state. And it is doing so by adopting significant turnaround efforts that reject the status quo and engender hope in those school communities most in need.
These turnaround plans introduce much-needed steps to improve student outcomes. For example, all schools have extended learning time for both teachers and students, and have introduced new ways to hire, retain, and assign staff. In Bridgeport, the Curiale School will require that any teacher hired or retained must earn high performance evaluations. In Hartford, Jumoke at Milner will increase the school year by 34 instructional days, including longer days and Saturday academies. Norwich’s Stanton Elementary is hiring “resident teachers” who will support master teachers in each grade level. And at New Haven’s High School in the Community, outdated school models based on seat time will be replaced with a competency-based instruction, meaning that students will advance once they have mastered content and skills.
Equally important is how these ideas moved into actionable goals. In each of these four cities, all corners of the education community came together to act quickly, with support and guidance from the state, to take decisive action that will result in real student achievement. Through turnaround committees established this summer, Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Norwich acted in the best interests of their students. School district administrators and community leaders, parents and teachers, union leaders and charter management organizations collaborated to act in the best interests of the students we are all committed to helping.
The challenge before us – all of us – is how we sustain this forward momentum and continue to take the steps necessary to transform and improve the lives of our highest-need students. The work isn’t done just because P.A. 12-116 was passed, the Year for Education Reform is concluded, or those first Network schools are named.
We must continue to push forward. As we implement reforms, we must learn from year one to improve the law and better empower our communities. We must build from these first four Network schools to the 25-school network that was established in P.A. 12-116. And we must take the lessons learned from the Commissioner’s Network and put those best practices in place for all students who need them, regardless of the school they attend. We must also continue to reform—to expand all students’ access to high quality public schools, ensure great teachers and great leaders for every school, and improve instruction in all communities.
Connecticut has begun to take control of our future. We have made clear the status quo will not stand and we are committed to providing all children – regardless of race, family income, or zip code – with a world-class public education. Through reforms like the Commissioner’s Network, we have taken big steps toward achieving that goal. We must now remain steadfast in our commitment to reform, to school improvement, and to all of Connecticut’s public school children.
Patrick Riccards is the chief executive officer of the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now, a statewide education advocacy organization.
(12) Comments
posted by: Speak up | August 17, 2012 2:19pm
Did you note that many of the unionized teachers and their administrators are a part of these solutions as well? Did you note the union representatives and PUBLIC school educators who attended the recent state BOE meeting to propose their plans? Yes, Riccards public school teachers, protected by their union and collective bargaining rights, are also a part of the solutions. We are moving ahead with our improvements despite your rhetoric and hatred.
posted by: justsayin | August 17, 2012 9:30pm
What did the teachers, administrators and union workers do with all the funds before this “reform”? Who is being held accountable for all the previous-current failures?
posted by: lkulmann | August 18, 2012 9:26pm
This is so refreshing and proactive…I loathe the status quo…doing the same things over and over and over expecting better results is just insanity…
posted by: brutus2011 | August 19, 2012 11:59am
Interesting op-ed. Very focused and easy to defend.
The key is in the second and third paragraphs.
Given ConnCan’s attacks on teacher’s unions, teacher tenure, and teacher effectiveness, one can only conclude that the “those” Riccards refers to are those who offer opposing views to proposals made by the State ED Commish.
Riccards wants to scapegoat and demonize those in the trenches and he wants to exalt those in so-called leadership positions.
He misses the point entirely.
It is the top of the system that needs real reform—the boardroom and not the classroom.
If Riccards defines “those” as the incompetent and corrupt education administrative class, then his op-ed piece would be more firmly grounded in reality instead of pure propaganda.
posted by: ctperson13 | August 19, 2012 9:24pm
Ikulmann—Yes, doing the same things over and over is insane. Everyone agrees with you—teachers, administrators, politicians, parents. The problem is, this “ed reform” movement isn’t designed to benefit children. It’s designed to benefit Stephen Pryor, Patrick Riccards, Paul Vallas (Bridgeport “turnaround” specialist), Steven Adamowski (New London and Windham), and numerous cronies and associates. Stats are juked to make it look like these guys are improving test scores. In the meantime, they are siphoning off our tax dollars to benefit everyone BUT the children. Take a look at this post from Jon Pelto’s blog to get just a glimpse of the way these folks operate: http://jonathanpelto.com/2012/08/16/bridgeport-yet-another-no-bid-contract-for-a-vallas-colleague-comes-to-light/
posted by: lkulmann | August 20, 2012 8:42am
As long as the job gets done educating kids, it doesn’t matter if they designed the program using a jello mold. Nobody is going to do it for free. I am all about advocating for education and I know that the system is corrupt, but the bottom line is seeing results. This is something that needs to be watched closely and that’s what we are doing. The whole country is corrupt! At least the education system is being openly discussed and real solutions are being implemented. Try advocating for improvements in the world of nursing! Huh! I have to put on a bullet proof vest when I get dressed in the morning… Something happens to people who make a lot of money in powerful positions… I don’t think that will ever change. I just focus on the end result and I expect better. Afterall, we are paying for it.
posted by: Bronx | August 20, 2012 8:44am
Conncan, which Patrick Riccards represents, received the “Bunkum” award for “presenting the most compellingly lousy educational research the past year.” So everyone should take what he says with a grain of salt. The guy is basically a 300 pound parrot for education reformers who are simply attempting to generate revenue using children, while costing Connecticut taxpayers millions. Riccards likes to talk about the efficacy of evaluation systems that haven’t even been used in a pilot study yet,so how does he know they will be successful. He also likes to talk about “outdated seat time” which essentially means students will be promoted to the next grade level or even be allowed to graduate if they simply demonstrate a limited sub-set of skills to pass standardized tests. Essentially, they can be absent from school the majority of the year, and still pass. Does this sound like the best interests of the students are represented, or rather the interests of these “special masters” and “ceo’s” of the schools who like to trumpet their graduation rates so they can pull down another 6 figure job somewhere else when people realize they do things with smoke and mirrors???
posted by: ctperson13 | August 20, 2012 4:04pm
Ikulmann,
Let’s try this again…
This ed reform movement isn’t designed to benefit children. Stats are juked. You talk about seeing results. Which results are you referring to? Test results? That would be part of the “juked stats” to which I referred. Test scores are manipulated to make it look like things are improving. Did you go to Pelto’s blog? Here’s the link again: http://jonathanpelto.com/
Do you live in Bridgeport? If you do, you’re being reamed twice—through both your municipal and state taxes. ALL CT citizens are being ripped off by these guys via state income taxes/ECS funding. If you’re in Bpt. it’s a double whammy. You owe it to yourself to become better informed. You owe it to Bpt. kids. You say “as long as the job gets done educating kids…” That’s my point. The job ISN’T getting done. They’re just screwing around with scores and other stats to make it LOOK like the job is getting done. Not only are they not improving things, they’re RIPPING YOU OFF at the same time. You and me—all of us.
posted by: lkulmann | August 20, 2012 11:24pm
I stand my ground…trust me, I know the system is not financially responsible. Very wasteful, inefficient, and all that…this is nothing new. I’m glad it’s exposed and talked about and its an overdue conversation. BUT, the education reform in CT just started…I’m going to wait until it actually fails and then I’ll be complaining too…with you.
PS Consultants have always made a ton of money and they work in several districts at the same time. They’re consultants. That’s what they do! They go around consulting to people…
posted by: justsayin | August 21, 2012 8:40am
Did anyone read the July 9th Wall Street Journal article titled “America has Too Many Teachers”? it states public school employees have doubled in the past 40 years while student enrollment has increase in the same period by 8.5% and academic results have stagnated. What this tells me is all these “reform” programs add layers and bureaucracy and really do not help the student. This latest miss-guided effort will be more of the same. The costs are the only thing rising not the results. Time for real change…
posted by: RJEastHartford | August 21, 2012 10:29am
Reformers, like ConnCan, are all about monetizing education. The WSJ Article Justsayin refers to is part of that agenda.
Cuts in government spending and tax cutting for the wealthiest American’s are also part of that agenda. Look at the city of New Britain, especially the school system (also other public services, the Police Department). The Republican Mayor was a small government tax cutter yet is not called to account for the results of these policies. After causing the damage the system now needs reform? School staffing includes social workers, pupil services, Psychologist, reading specialists, occupational therapists, etc. We all should know teaching to “middle class norms” in a lot of schools is a thing of the past.
Check this video link:
http://wethepeoplehartford.blogspot.com/2012/08/hartford-we-have-problem.html
and ask yourself, not only what classroom teachers need but what can I do to change this, especially if I have previously ignored this while living in suburbia.
posted by: justsayin | August 21, 2012 8:14pm
RJ East Hartford the WSJ article states that special-ed accounts for 5% of the increase from K-12. You reference “social workers, pupil services, Psychologist, reading specialists, occupational therapists, etc”. That is my point all this extra distracts from what reaches the students. I have no idea where the suburbia comment came from. This is an issue of poor direction and excess in the wrong areas, that effects all CT students.