2012: The Year for Education Reform in Connecticut

Governor Dannel Malloy has declared it. Voices support or dispute all sides of the proposed package of school reforms designed to pave the way for a major “transformation” of the state’s education system.

Find the latest news, developments and resources on Education Reform in Connecticut.

State Board of Education (SBE) approved the appointment of Diane Ullman as the State Department of Education's interim Chief Talent Officer.

Education Committee: Find the leadership and membership (with contact info) of the Education Committee.

CBIA's State Bill Tracker: Search for bills by number, category, or title or phrase.

Governor's Bill SB No. 24: An act Concerning Educational Competitiveness. Find the Bill status here.

Analysis of SB No. 24: CONNCAN's analysis compares the original Senate Bill 24 as introduced on February 8th with the version approved by the Education Committee on March 26th.

HB No. 5350: An Act Concerning Achieving Universal Literacy by Grade Three, To establish a reading program that improves the reading skills of students in kindergarten to grade three, inclusive.

This bill was proposed by the Education Committee and was the work of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus and Elaine Zimmerman at the Commission on Children. This bill does a number of things to ensure that Connecticut’s children are reading at grade level by grade 3. The bill was voted out of the Education Committee and is also on its way to the Appropriations Committee. Read the Joint Favorable Report.

2012: The Year for Education Reform in Connecticut
The Governor's roadmap of the measures to take in 2012 to restore public education in Connecticut to a position of excellence, including details of a strategic reorganization of the State Department of Education and six guiding principles of reform.

Connecticut State Department of Education Organizational Strategy
January 18, 2012 - The Connecticut Department of Education has published its new Organizational Strategy that lays the foundation for realizing reform in the state’s educational system.

Organizations and Resources

Current News

  • Pryor: It's up to school districts to improve - CTPost
    August 22, 2012 (HARTFORD, CT) On Wednesday, State Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor told superintendents, that they must bring about the change that is going to lift stagnant test scores and close the nation's worst achievement gap.
  • Malloy: Education reform delivers greater access to early education - ConnecticutPlus.com
    July 11, 2012 (HARTFORD, CT) Governor Dannel P. Malloy, together with Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman and Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor, announced Tuesday that 1,000 new school readiness slots have been identified and awarded to providers throughout Connecticut as a part of the education reforms the Governor championed earlier this year.
  • South Windsor Resident Named CEA Executive Director - SouthWindsorPatch
    July 10, 2012 (SOUTH WINDSOR, CT) The CEA Board of Directors has appointed long-time classroom educator and teacher leader Mark Waxenberg, a South Windsor resident, as the teachers' union's new executive director. Waxenberg retired from CEA in 2011, but decided to resume his service to focus on implementation of Connecticut's new education reform.
  • More Preschool Slots In 38 Cities And Towns, Paid By State - Hartford Courant
    July 10, 2012 (HARTFORD, CT) Thirty-eight cities and towns will be able to offer state-funded preschool to more children from low-income families this fall as a result of education reform legislation passed in May. On Tuesday, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a strong proponent of improved preschool access, released a list of where the 1,000 new preschool slots — funded at $6.77 million — will be.
  • New teacher evaluations linked to student outcomes approved - CTMirror
    June 27, 2012 (HARTFORD, CT) The State Board of Education Wednesday approved teacher evaluation requirements that pave the way for up to a third of a teacher's grade to be linked to how his or her students perform on standardized tests.
[More]