2012: The Year of Education Reform?

State Representative Gail Lavielle143rd district

Norwalk PTO CouncilJanuary 23, 2012

Where We Are Today

• Country’s largest achievement gap

• Persistent state budget concerns

• Complex funding system with many real and perceived inequities

The Process

• December: Governor’s guidelines

• January – early February– Various groups submitting legislative agendas– Task force reports– Legislative proposals from Education Commissioner Pryor and

from legislators

• February 8: Opening Day of session, governor’s proposals

• February – March: Education Committee deliberations

• April – May: Committee referrals and House and Senate floor votes

• Executive branch: governor, Commissioner and SDE

• Legislators

• State Board of Education

• Task forces: ECS, vo-tech schools, achievement gap

• Education professionals: CAPSS, unions

• Advocacy and professional groups: Council for Education Reform, ConnCAN, CBIA, CCM, etc.

Sources of Ideas & Proposals

Governor’s Guidelines• Enhance access to high-quality early education opportunities

• Authorize intensive interventions & enable the supports necessary to turn around lowest-performing schools & districts

• Expand availability of high-quality school models, including traditional schools, magnets, charters, etc.

• Unleash innovation by removing red tape and barriers, especially in high-performing schools & districts

• Ensure the very best teachers and principals, working in a fair system that values their skill & effectiveness over seniority & tenure

• Deliver more resources, targeted to districts with the greatest need – provided they embrace key reforms that position students for success

Areas of Common Ground

• Pre-school & kindergarten• Community approach• Rigorous training, recruiting, and evaluation of teachers

and administrators, and effective development• Need for longitudinal assessment data• Better coordination of K-12 with higher education system• Preserving and enhancing choice (school, schedule,

curriculum)• Reform of funding system• Revising the roles of SDE, SBE• Reviewing mandates on high-performing schools• Chart of accounts

Among the Major Questions

• Tenure and dismissal procedures

• Allocation of state funds

• Need for additional funds

• Charter school funding

ECS Task ForceInterim Recommendations

• Increase ECS funding, establish predictability, use adequate data

• Fund performance incentives tied to student achievement, district & school accountability, and transparency in spending

• Equitable funding for magnet schools

• Fair funding for choice programs

• More access to pre-school and kindergarten

• Fairer approach to funding programs for special needs, ELL, & gifted students

Bullying Law: 2011 Session

• Expanded bullying definition: enumerated classes, cyberbullying

• Increased school responsibility: bullying specialist, all employees must report

• Safe school climate plans: reporting deadlines, no retaliation, police reporting

• Training: Annual for most employees and first-year teachers, immunity for good faith reporting

• Biennial assessment, SDE resources, safe school climate teams, published plans this month

Norwalk

• ECS inequity– Relatively high property values (town wealth)– Otherwise similar to larger urban environments

• Top performer: trend lines exceeding the state’s

• Common Core Standards preparation

• Community involvement: Norwalk ACTS

I Welcome Your Input

Representative Gail LavielleLegislative Office Building

Room 4200

Hartford, CT 06106

Phone: 860-240-8700

Fax: 860 240-0207

E-mail: gail.lavielle@cga.ct.gov

Web: www.replavielle.com