Earlier I wrote about the HPS school closure policy and administrative regulations, Policy 3600 (2004). Then somebody asked, what happens if a school board does not follow its own policy? Here's one response from A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law by Thomas B. Mooney (2012, 7th Edition). In Chapter 1 on Board Organization, Authority, and … Continue reading What happens if a school board does not follow its policy? →

While school boards have the legal ability to close schools, many school districts have their own policies on how to go about doing it. At the Hartford Public Schools, there is fairly clear policy on the process of closing a school. In contrast, suburban West Hartford Public Schools does not appear to have a policy … Continue reading What is the Hartford Public Schools policy on school closure? →

Last week, I posted a data visualization that connected public data on enrollment, race, and State-defined accountability for the Hartford Public Schools. The requests came in response to the HPS plans to reorganize the school district, including the closure of 3 schools. I also pointed out here that Batchelder, Simpson-Waverly, and Milner are not the … Continue reading What are the costs and benefits to closing schools in Hartford? →

Yesterday, I posted a data visualization with enrollment, race, and accountability data for the Hartford Public Schools in 2015-16. That was the most recent year with all of these data points publicly available. So I wanted to post enrollment data for HPS in 2016-17, the most recent year of available data, in order to aid … Continue reading A Quick Look at HPS Enrollment 2016-17: Batchelder, Simpson-Waverly, and Milner Are Not the Smallest Schools →

A few people have asked me about enrollment, race, and accountability data for the Hartford Public Schools. The questions have been in the context of judging the merit of a proposal by the Hartford Board of Education to close a number of schools including Batchelder, Simpson-Waverly, and Milner school. So, here you go! Each bubble … Continue reading Hartford Public Schools Enrollment, Race, and Accountability Data 2015-16 →

A common mistake is to think of racial segregation of schools and housing as a natural or normal condition. Over the last several years, renewed attention on racial segregation in housing and education largely as a result of State policy has tried to correct this mistaken idea. In common language, we think of normal as … Continue reading Racial Segregation of Schools in Connecticut is Not Normal →

At the Hartford Board of Education's regular meeting on November 21, 2017, Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodríguez offered her principles and initial plans for reshaping the Hartford Public Schools. The project is entiled, "Restructuring and Reimagined Our School District." You can watch the presentation here after the public comment portion of the meeting. And you can submit … Continue reading HPS “Restructuring and Reimagining Our School District” Presentation & Feedback →

Sample Five-Year Budget for Proposed Charter School in CT   A few weeks ago, Jacquline Rabe Thomas reported that five private operators had submitted applications to CT State Board of Education (SBOE) and CT Department of Education (CSDE) to create and operate new charter schools in Connecticut. This year, the applications for new charters would … Continue reading What are charter school entrepreneurs selling in Connecticut this year? →

Yesterday, I highlighted the failing narratives that try to explain what's happening in Connecticut's cities. In proposing another narrative, I offered the Boston Federal Reserve report that analyzed the financial issues of the state's towns and cities. Here's a bit more information about that report below and you can read it yourself here. First, the … Continue reading More about the Fed’s municipal cost and spending report for CT towns and cities →

At a recent talk, my colleague Professor Davarian Baldwin, explained that the Detroit bankruptcy was interpreted by the mainstream media and whites as (paraphrasing), "blacks got control of the city and ruined it" rather than the structural strangulation of insufficient resources and revenue to run the city. The same racialized narratives operate in Hartford and … Continue reading The Failing Narratives about Connecticut Cities that Undermine Democracy and Why They Are Wrong →