But almost always, during the initial stage of the struggle, the oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors, or “sub-oppressors.” The very structure of their thought has been conditioned by the contradictions of the concrete, existential situation by which they were shaped. Their ideal is to be men; but for them, … Continue reading In Hartford schools, which parents and students matter? A preliminary case analysis of Batchelder School and Montessori Magnet →

(Source: Edsight.ct.gov, CT SDE, 2018) This week kicked off a Black Lives Matter Movement Week of Action in Schools. A key demand was the addition of Black teachers, which has become a national discussion. As a result of school closures, the Hartford Public Schools may be going in the exact opposite direction by closing schools … Continue reading In Hartford, do Black and Latino teachers matter? →

  Today kicks off the Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools  (February 5-10). According to the Rethinking Schools, this particular event stems from some action out of Seattle, WA in 2016. The demands of the Black Lives Matter at School national movement are: End Zero Tolerance, and Implement Restorative Justice. Hire More Black Teachers … Continue reading Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools: More Black/Ethnic History, Teachers, and Restorative Justice →

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 →