Finances of Bridgeport’s cash-strapped school district have been exacerbated by the budget chaos in Hartford. With no state budget in place the stunted money flow from Hartford to Bridgeport is forcing local cuts to education services.
From CT Post reporter Linda Conner Lambeck:
The state’s budget crisis is costing the school district many of its reading coaches–even though the city’s students have the worst reading scores in the state.
Some 13 of 28 literacy coaches who used to work with struggling students have been cut from the district’s 2017-18 budget, and that is just the beginning.
Faced with continued uncertainty as the new school year approaches without a budget, some 38 staff positions have already been axed, along with a small alternative high school program and much of the parent center staff. Some of those cut can move into vacant positions, others will get pink slips.
Full story here.
Education – world class competition? Financial Time reports this morning on Chinese online learning: “Education is prized as a means of getting ahead in China’s competitive jobs market. Web companies have learnt to capitalize on accompanying middle-class angst….According to research by JMDedu, a Beijing based education media company, Chinese families spend at least a quarter of their income on education….In 2015 that market was worth $240 Billion…the government is supportive, encouraging schools and private companies to collaborate.”
How goes CT? With courts pointing towards the need for corrective action to provide equality of opportunity for decades? With lack of priority and action by Governor, legislators, Mayor, City Council, etc. to Bridgeport’s 21000 youth? Compare an entering Kindergarten youth in neighboring communities with those in Bridgeport where at least 1/3 fail to have a quality pre-K experience? Where about 25% of each entering class may have no familiarity with the alphabet symbols or meaning? And where budget constraints have eliminated para-professional assistance at that level last year, and half of the existing reading intervention staff this year? Do you need a computer to plot the course of outcomes? Is this a trend to reverse in conversations with those running for office this fall? Time will tell.
Where’s Scott in all of this?
He and Joe must have saved millions in all of their efforts to far. What’s he gonna do? Make the kids take all of the brunt of the cut back in state funding?
Scott is committed to education. Lets see how he handles this.
The Connecticut State Board of Ed really ought to take over the Bridgeport public school system, at least until all the many ongoing lawsuits (including those brought by Maria Pereira) are disposed of by settlement or outright dismissal. Unless and/or until that happens the BOE is useless, unable to put the needs of student before the pettiness and bickering. Partisan politics at its worst, dysfunctional, completely FUBAR.
What happened to the Moukawsher decision??