Author: robertcottojr

From Hartford to Providence: A Five-Year to Twenty-Year Agreement for A Semi-Private Charter School to Use A Closed Public School Building?

Over the last year, families, educators, and responsive political leaders have questioned school closures happening in Providence, Rhode Island. One of the key issues of these school closures is the way that closed public school buildings have been taken and then given to semi-private charter schools. Today the city council is grappling with this exact … Continue reading From Hartford to Providence: A Five-Year to Twenty-Year Agreement for A Semi-Private Charter School to Use A Closed Public School Building? →

Unanswered Questions On New Charter Schools in CT: Case of Capital Prep Schools, Inc. – Part 3

Several weeks ago, community advocates held a meeting online to share concerns about a proposal to start a semi-private charter school in Middletown. Most people in this group had major concerns about the negative impact of a new charter school managed by a private company. Many issues emerged such as the possible use of a … Continue reading Unanswered Questions On New Charter Schools in CT: Case of Capital Prep Schools, Inc. – Part 3 →

Capitalizing on the Closure of a Latino School: The Case of Capital Prep Schools, Inc., – Part 2

The Barnard-Brown School where Capital Prep Magnet School is now located - 1304 Main St., Hartford, CT. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the proposal to make a new Capital Prep charter school in Middletown as part of a land development scheme. In order to better understand this case, it helps to understand its … Continue reading Capitalizing on the Closure of a Latino School: The Case of Capital Prep Schools, Inc., – Part 2 →

Seeing A Charter School Proposal As A Redevelopment Scheme: The Case of Capital Prep School, Inc.

Over the last few months, there has been debate about proposals for new semi-private charter schools in Connecticut. Recently, the State Board of Education pushed forward two new charter school proposals in Connecticut. We must revisit the merits and rethink what is behind these proposals. Analyzing the proposed Capital Prep, Inc. charter school in Middletown … Continue reading Seeing A Charter School Proposal As A Redevelopment Scheme: The Case of Capital Prep School, Inc. →

Hartford City Hall 101 Workshop, Part 2: Hartford Public Schools Budget Intro

Last Saturday, I* participated in former Hartford Councilman Luis E. Cotto's** Budget Workshop entitled, Hartford City Hall 101, at the Hartford Public Library. The workshop featured an innovative "human library" approach where small groups rotated to ask questions of different experts for about 20 minutes. For this workshop, I discussed Hartford Public Schools budget and Carlos … Continue reading Hartford City Hall 101 Workshop, Part 2: Hartford Public Schools Budget Intro →

Does consolidating school districts save money and lead to greater efficiency? It’s not so simple.

source: screenshot of Google Images for "Spidey Sense" Earlier this year, various proposed bills emerged at the Legislature that would require small public school districts to consolidate. While the bills have inspired a great deal of controversy, one key aspect has been left unexamined. In short, it has been simply assumed that consolidating small school … Continue reading Does consolidating school districts save money and lead to greater efficiency? It’s not so simple. →

Quality Integrated Education – Next Steps for School Desegregation in Hartford, CT

Here is a summary of steps I would take moving forward on school desegregation in CT. This is based on my reading of history and research in schools and communities now. These are some ideas of how we can build on the historic investment in racially diverse schools in Hartford, CT area prompted by the … Continue reading Quality Integrated Education – Next Steps for School Desegregation in Hartford, CT →

Recap of Moral Monday CT Event on (Ideology of) White Supremacy in Education & Upcoming Sheff Event (11/17)

Yesterday, Moral Monday CT convened a discussion that examined the ideology of white supremacy in education at the Trinity College Liberal Arts Action Lab in downtown Hartford. Put simply, panelists and attendees critiqued the pervasive belief that white people are superior and should dominate all aspects of society. Panelists included Richard de Meij, a Hartford … Continue reading Recap of Moral Monday CT Event on (Ideology of) White Supremacy in Education & Upcoming Sheff Event (11/17) →