Presentation notes from a presentation delivered on April 28, 2013 Defending Public Education Cradle to College Conference at Central Connecticut State University

1. Connecticut
The State of Education 2013
Are we there yet?
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2. The Impact of Poverty, Language
Barriers and the need for Special
Education services
vs.
“When it comes to K through 12
education, we see a $500 billion
sector in the U.S.” – Rupert Murdoch
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3. The Truth about Education in Connecticut
Percent of Connecticut students at Goal in 8th Grade Reading
 ALL 83%
 WHITE 91%
 BLACK 66%
 LATINO 66%
 LOW INCOME 68%
Percent of Louisiana students at Goal in 8th Grade Reading
 ALL 66%
 WHITE 78%
 BLACK 52%
 LATINO 63%
 LOW INCOME 57%
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4. 4
 CT Per Capita Income: New Canaan $83k , Darien $78k,
Weston, Greenwich, Westport all $74k vs. Hartford
13k,Bridgeport, New Haven, Windham all 16k
 CT 2001 7.3% live in poverty (242,421)
 CT 2011: 10.9% live in poverty (377,856)
 Hartford (36.0%), New Haven (30.1%), Bridgeport (25.7%), New
Britain (25.5%), Waterbury (21.5%)
 CT 2001 10.2% live in poverty (81,583)
 CT 2011: 14.9% live in poverty (118,809)
 Hartford (47.9%), New Haven (41.4%), Bridgeport (39.9%), New
Britain (35.7%), Waterbury (34.5%). Danbury (17.9%), Stamford
(17.5%)
 White 6.2%, African American 22.9%. Hispanic 27.3%

5. Income Growth in CT
 Change in income by income group since 1970s:
 Poorest 20% -4%
 Middle 20% +40%
 Richest 20% +110%
 Change in income by income group since 1990s:
 Poorest 20% -9.8%
 Middle 20% +2.5%
 Richest 20% +17.2%
Greatest increase income inequality between the Top and
Bottom and Top and Middle since 1970s
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6. Education Spending
Town Bridgeport Westport Simsbury
Educational
Spending
$13,479 $17,454 $19,252
Free/Reduced
Lunch
98% 2% 2%
Non-English
Speaking
14% 1% 1%
Home to
households where
English not
primary
40% 4% 4%
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7. The Charter School Access Gap
District/School % Latino % ELL* % Homes non-
English
Hartford 52% 20% 43%
AF-Hartford 10% 5% 5%
Jumoke Academy .4% 0 0
New Haven 37% 13% 28%
AF-Amistad 35% 11% 12%
AF-Elm City 21% 4% ?
Bridgeport 48% 13% 40%
AF- Bridgeport 42% 8% ?
Park City Prep 36% .4% ?
Bridge Academy 30% 1.1 ?
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8. The Enrollment Decline
District/School 4 year decline
New Haven 46%
AF-Amistad 51%
AF-Elm City 59%
Wilbur Cross High 49%
James Hillhouse 49%
Cooperative High 23%
Hill Regional Career 28%
Sound School 29%
Hyde School of Health 44%
High School in the Community 51%
New Haven Academy 43%
Metropolitan Business High School 36
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9. Commissioner Stefan Pryor’s “Commissioner’s
Network”: Hartford’s Milner Elementary Given
to Jumoke Academy
Milner Jumoke
% Not Fluent in English 26% 0%
% students in households were English is
not primary Language
39% 0%
% students with special education needs 39% 0%
% students with special education needs 11.4% 2.3%
% Free or Reduce Lunch 100% 72%
% Attended Preschool, Nursery School or
Head Start
69% 89%
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10. The Renzulli Academy
for Gifted Students
Milner Renzulli
% Not Fluent in English 26% .8%
Latino 52% 33%
% students with special
education needs
11.4% 5%
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11. The Major Advocacy Organizations
 StudentsFirst (Michelle Rhee)
 Teach for America
 Democrats for Education Reform
 Stand for Children
 50CAN (Expanding ConnCAN around the country)
 Students for Education Reform (50CAN/TFA)
 National Association of Charter School Authorizers
 National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
 Educators 4 Excellence
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12. Lobbying Malloy’s Bill
Organization Lobbying Expenses Jan – May
GNEPSA (StudentsFirst/Michelle Rhee) $669,589
ConnCAN/ConnAD $800,000+
CT Council for Education Reform $109,195
Students for Education Reform $15,159
CT Assoc. of Boards of Ed (CABE) $6,132
CT Assoc. of Public School Supers $20,997
Achievement First $55,482
CT Business & Industry Assoc. (CBIA) $795,995*
CT Assoc. of Schools $10,000
Teach for America – CT Chapter Did Not Register
Excel Bridgeport Did Not Register
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13. Bridgeport Referendum Campaign
 Residents for a Better Bridgeport $275,671.80
 Excel Bridgeport $101,803.36
 StudentsFirst/GNEPSA $185,480
 TOTAL $562,955.16
 Aquarion Water Company which donated $14,000
 Bridgeport Hospital which donated $14,422.90
 Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Company $14,000
 Charter Oak Challenge Foundation (Andy Boas, AF)
 CT Coalition for Advancement Now (ConnAD) $14,000
 Harbor Yard Sports & Entertainment which donated $14,442.90
 Jarvis Group LLC, NY (in-kind video) $14,376.40
 Mellon Bank $5,000
 Pullman and Comeley law firm $7,000
 St. Vincent Medical Center which donated $14,400
 United Illuminating which donated $10,000
 Webster Bank $10,000
 Mayor Michael Bloomberg $25,000
 Jonathan Sackler $50,000
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14. Prosperity for Connecticut PAC
 Most successful ($42,000+) of PAC’s 15 fundraisers with
Malloy held on May 30, 2012 at Jonathan Sackler home.
 6 members of ConnCAN’s Board, numerous members of ConnCAN’s Advisory
Board, 2 officers of Excel Bridgeport, ConnCAN’s former CEO, spouse of the
Connecticut Director of Teacher For America, Vice Chair of Eva Moskowitz’s
infamous New York City based Success Academy Charter, officer of Newark’s
Team Charter School chain.
 COO of Michelle Rhee’s StudentsFirst, couple board members of Teach For
America, members of KIPP’s national board of directors and one of the founders
Democrats for Education Reform.
 Donations for the event came from as far away as Miami Beach, West Palm
Beach, Vero Beach, Pacific Palisades, Teton Village, Wyoming, McLean, Virginia,
Los Angeles, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, along with multiple checks from education
reform/hedge fund managers from New York City.
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