Veteran columnist and OIB friend Chris Powell shares this commentary about the state’s intervention in Bridgeport’s financially struggling school system:
Last week Governor Lamont and his education commissioner, Charlene Russell-Tucker, went to Bridgeport to discuss what news organizations described as state government’s “intervention” in the impoverished city’s horribly performing schools. But the “intervention” was mainly for show.
For the State Board of Education’s three-part plan for the city’s schools practically proclaims that improvement is impossible.
The state board will appoint a “technical assistance team” to supervise the school system’s “special education” efforts with its most disadvantaged and handicapped students. That is, the school system is incompetent with “special education.”
The state board will provide training in proper behavior to members of the city’s Board of Education, which is notorious for incompetence and fractiousness.
And since Bridgeport has gone through five school superintendents in the last seven years and now is looking for another one, Commissioner Russell-Tucker will have power to approve or reject the city board’s next choice. That is, the board can’t be trusted with its most important hiring decision.
Pandering to the teachers in his audience, the governor said he wanted the city’s schools to spend their money on what happens in the classroom, not on administration. But his commissioner’s plan signifies that Bridgeport’s schools grossly lack administration, and most of the money they spend is already spent in classrooms — that is, on teacher compensation.
It seems that the Bridgeport school system problem that has gotten the attention of the governor and commissioner is just the system’s $32 million deficit, which had begun to prompt budget cuts when the latest superintendent put herself on leave. Spending cuts are not allowed in Connecticut schools, since that would enrage the teacher unions, a big part of the regime’s political army.
Being so superficial, the commissioner’s plan for Bridgeport’s schools seems meant mostly to provide political cover for a financial bailout by state government. For the big false premise of education in Connecticut remains in force — that student learning correlates with spending, even though learning actually has been declining as more money is spent and correlates mainly with how much parenting students get and how financially secure their parents are.
Really, what could even the best school superintendent and the best teachers in the world do with a student population like Bridgeport’s?
Bridgeport’s schools have almost 20,000 students and 92% are classified as “high needs” — that is, they live in poverty at home or are homeless; they have only one parent, if that; they have physical, mental, or learning disabilities; and they don’t speak English well if at all. Nearly a third of all Bridgeport students are chronically absent; nearly half of high school students are. Only 20% perform at grade level in reading and only 12% in math.
Last week Commissioner Russell-Tucker said the situation with Bridgeport’s schools is urgent. Nonsense — it is routine, the same catastrophe it has been for years, like the longstanding catastrophes of the schools in Connecticut’s other cities. All Connecticut’s cities are poverty factories by design. If not for the recent administrative chaos in Bridgeport’s schools, no one in authority in state government would have noticed even now.
School systems so overwhelmed with neglected children should be broken up and their students distributed to less overwhelmed systems, and state government should figure out where all the child neglect is coming from.
A few weeks ago two Republican state senators, Stephen Harding of Brookfield and Eric Berthel of Watertown, asked Commissioner Russell-Tucker what she thought about the formal social promotion policies of many city school systems, including Hartford’s, school systems that were recently exposed as prohibiting teachers from giving failing grades to students even if they never learn anything and never show up for class. Last September a recent graduate of Hartford Public High School sensationally confessed that she is illiterate, and now she is suing for $3 million in damages.
The commissioner replied that her department has a committee studying school grading practices and it plans to report to the legislature … next January. By then another year of education will have been lost. So much for urgency.
An excellent editorial.
Chris Powell asks the absolutely essential question: “…Really, what could even the best school superintendent and the best teachers in the world do with a student population like Bridgeport’s?…”
And he raises the essential points: “…Bridgeport’s schools have almost 20,000 students and 92% are classified as “high needs” — that is, they live in poverty at home or are homeless; they have only one parent, if that; they have physical, mental, or learning disabilities; and they don’t speak English well if at all. Nearly a third of all Bridgeport students are chronically absent; nearly half of high school students are. Only 20% perform at grade level in reading and only 12% in math…”
But, perhaps, the point that really hits the bullseye of Bridgeport’s education conundrum is: “… For the big false premise of education in Connecticut remains in force — that student learning correlates with spending, even though learning actually has been declining as more money is spent and correlates mainly with how much parenting students get and how financially secure their parents are…”
And he hits the nail on the head with the nearest thing to a possible solution to the problem when he proposes that: “…School systems so overwhelmed with neglected children should be broken up and their students distributed to less overwhelmed systems, and state government should figure out where all the child neglect is coming from…”
So, let’s see how the ‘burbs and their “protector,” Ned Lamont react to the prospect of that remedy for the problem of our cities’ school system! (They might even feel that it’s better to give Bridgeport the $32 million!)
But, to address what is illuminated as the glaring root problem of Bridgeport’s education conundrum, it must be realized that the real solution is redevelopment of the cities according to Connecticut’s “Stamford Model” — bring lots of living-wage jobs and abundant tax base to the cities by pulling out all the stop$ at the state level, such that families can prosper in a functional municipal atmosphere and raise healthy, school-ready kids in “one job,” single wage-earner homes where a parent, or parents, have the time and energy to “raise” families per being able to meet all of the economic and attentional needs of their children.
And furthermore, this excellent editorial is an indictment of the mayors of our largest cities and the Governor and GA for allowing our cities (excluding Stamford) to bottom-out in the second richest state in the country. Clearly the mayors of our largest cities — especially Bridgeport (in Fairfield County!) — and Governor Lamont are utter, Third-World-level failures for allowing our cities to decay to this point where our education systems are essentially unviable and unsalvageable…
Two thumbs up to Chris Powell for his editorial that slams Governor Lamont, Mayor Ganim (et al.), right in the side of the head with the hard truth of their total failures in their roles as leaders of Connecticut, and Bridgeport (et al.), respectively.
Excellent? Not! Did I miss any mention of out of district Special Education? I have 2 daughters and a truly amazing wife as far as our daughters needs goes. My wife is a true Supermom. Their journey started at birth to three. My oldest daughter is now 22 years old and on her 16th year with CES in Trumbull. CES gets a grade of A +++ from my wife and my self.
My 16 years young is on her third year of High School. She is in the Bridgeport School district. Her level of Autism isn’t as severe as my 22 years old who is non-verbal, while she just won’t shut-up. The Bridgeport School district gets a grade of C from my wife (BOE not considered). The Bridgeport School district gets a grade of D- (BOE considered).
Governor Lamont is at least paying attention to our plight. What could one expect from a school district in a DISFUNCTIONAL city with a corrupt government, full of mostly immigrants, from over 50 different countries?
Chris Powell, do you have any children in the Bridgeport School district or out of district? What is your and or your wife’s experience as parents. Any one interested in walking in 👞?
Chris Powell seems to be a lone journalist in the wilderness, speaking truth to power. Almost every time I read the CT Post Editorial Page, I am amazed at how off-base they are.. On target with CT education as he is on most other CT topics.
While still a registered Democrat, I have become very conservative in everything other than social issues. CT demise rests overwhelmingly on Democrat GA. and governors.
On a national level, Peggy Noonan’s column in today’s Wall St Journal (Trump and the Collapse of the Old Order) finishes perfectly regarding cities, all Democrat-dominated, “Most of all, make something work. You run nearly every great city in the nation. Make one work—clean it up, control crime, smash corruption, educate the kids.”
You want everyone in the country to know who you are? Save a city.
Well said Siskel and Ebert👍
However, I think you were a bit hard on P Lamont🤣
There were some valid points, perhaps though they are in the shallow end.
Let’s see if we can tread some water on these Essentials. One at a time of course. For click count 1111😜
“Chris Powell asks the absolutely essential question: “…Really, what could even the best school superintendent and the best teachers in the world do with a student population like Bridgeport’s?…”
Like a Tootsie Pop how many licks does it take to get to a center Tootsie Pop . We will never know until do we have the best superintendent and teachers. As of now we had five superintendents in 7 years and from what I read we don’t even have enough qualified certified teachers in our classrooms perhaps we should start with that at least take a gander. Don’t you think
Though I heard it takes three licks🤣
https://youtu.be/O6rHeD5x2tI?si=SvsyDbrpssGmfyCn
In the words of John, time will tell how much of a show P. Lamont’s ” intervention” is going to be with its three point plan. We will have to see how much assistance the technical team will provide in improving bridgeport’s school system. Will the training for Board of education members bear any fruit and combining their dysfunctional tendencies. Well the commissioner see to it that a superintendent will be competent and be able to fill out its contract/ term. Things that have been seen to be in utter failure.
“And he raises the essential points: “…Bridgeport’s schools have almost 20,000 students and 92% are classified as “high needs” — that is, they live in poverty at home or are homeless; they have only one parent, if that; they have physical, mental, or learning disabilities; and they don’t speak English well if at all. Nearly a third of all Bridgeport students are chronically absent; nearly half of high school students are. Only 20% perform at grade level in reading and only 12% in math…”
Jeff, while Chris points out some data regarding ports educational system you seem to deflect the realities of the circumstances and blame The Burbs in Greenwich Stamford Gold Coast. Are you sure you are not the “protector”
I believe, Joe Clark had a different take I’m blaming the”white” man.
https://youtu.be/_SbkHgx6YIo?si=jgxjscifjssUbO4e
Jeff, you bring up the Burbs, you find at least somewhat interesting that’s The Burbs were able to poacher Port’s superintendent, perhaps because of it’s this dysfunctional split?
I depart with the prophet
https://youtu.be/ryr75N0nki0?si=hD_2eAr-iJ9qs2xP
Speedy, I am sure Chris is using mental and physical disabilities very loosely.
“Bridgeport’s schools have almost 20,000 students and 92% are classified as “high needs” — that is, they live in poverty at home or are homeless; they have only one parent, if that; they have physical, mental, or learning disabilities; and they don’t speak English well if at all. Nearly a third of all Bridgeport students are chronically absent; nearly half of high school students are. Only 20% perform at grade level in reading and only 12% in math.”
I would bet the number of students that have real mental and physical disabilities it’s quite low shouldn’t be any no higher or lower than any other community regardless of wealth or poverty because it is a born treat that is not based on monetary funds or lack of
If it is, then there should be some studies and data that show what is being done in the poorer communities is creating these mental and physical defects.
That being said, the term learning disabilities in the poor community should be describe as learning barriers/ obstacles that revolve around financial means and family stability.
Chris touched on a few points regarding this financial instability and learning barrier. Single parent, if that. Which would be the root cause of The Chronic absentee at 30% not sure how a School Board task force is going to solve a problem that a parent can’t, won’t, or doesn’t care to remedy in getting their child to school. Though I suspect the increase since the pandemic is the lack of caring if a child shows up is a creation of the Bridgeport Board of education, considering nobody fails.
If they don’t speak English, then it’s safe to say they are new in this country legally or not, and that’s a different challenges to get them on track at grade level. But the overall quality of has been perhaps minimal at best. Perhaps there’s a lot of neglect particularly within the communities/advocates when the focus is always funding as the answer.
Which goes to another one of Chris’s points I guess you can throw all the money you want and it won’t make a difference. Though, he framed it in a very different way with “you can have the best superintendent and the best teachers and it won’t make a difference.”
John, has brought up the term ” white supremacy” quite often regarding the police department and in City Hall where the communities tend to protest and advocate against, perhaps rightfully so. However, you have never seen the protest in advocacy with regards to the racial systematic system embedded in the educational system like you have seen with regards to law enforcement system, considering on some levels the targeted people while minority, were those reeking havoc their very own community or on the political stage where there tends to be personal gain or influence for their side. Wouldn’t you say Disingenuous?
Yet you hear very little about the racial systematic system within the educational system. I mean the the three greatest methods to keep a race/ community subjugated/Down is A, break down of the family structure and education, or lack of, and financial means., trifecta 😇
I’m not a history buff, and correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t their laws forbidding education to racial groups? Yet we see no Purge and the educational system where white supremacy probably thrives and flourishes in urban/ rual eductional systems. In fact they/ teachers are honored as heroes blindedly by those very communities and advocacies, and the the only evil present in the educational system by the white supremacy tends to be funding.
I mean black people are you telling the world that white supremacy in America only exist within the police force or Corporate America and not in the system that has the most profound effect on one’s prosperity a d groth, where laws were enacted making it iilagl to educate. Just saying.
Perhaps the port’s dysfunction is part of that white supremacy that John speaks of, as efforts to ensure that the education coming out of the Ports education system is equally dysfunctional, just a thought
As for the teachers union, I can assure you like the police Union they are for its members not the criminals they arrest. So too the teachers union is for its members, the teachers not the students. Be it white supremacist members or not.
https://youtu.be/2H5uWRjFsGc?si=KDkYqFEveUsJqks0