May 8, 2012
REP. RYAN LAUDS APPROVAL OF EDUCATION REFORM LEGISLATION
District Towns to Receive Additional ECS Funding
State Representative Kevin Ryan hailed the education reform bill approved Tuesday as a victory for area children.
“I’m pleased with the additional Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) funding, especially in these tough economic times,” said Rep. Ryan. “This initiative invests in education by putting our children first.”
The bill now goes to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who is expected to sign it.
The bill allocates additional funding to all 139th House District towns based on the existing ECS formula, which includes population and wealth criteria:
Rep. Ryan said the legislation recognizes the value of early childhood education. The legislation
(SB 458) creates 1,000 new pre-K School Readiness seats, focused in high need, low-performing communities.
The components include the creation of intensive reading intervention programs for underperforming schools, the introduction of technology based reading assessments, which will improve the quality of assessments and the speed at which they can be given and provides resources for the addition of highly trained reading specialists in our most challenged schools.
The bill establishes the Commissioner’s Network, which provides the intensive supports and interventions needed to turn around 25 of the most chronically low-performing schools in Connecticut. It grants the state commissioner of education the needed authority to develop or modify plans with teachers and parents at “turnaround” schools, while respecting collective bargaining rights.
The legislation will result in the creation of 10 Family Resource Centers and at least 20 new or expanded School Based Health Centers to be located in education reform districts.
The bill reforms the teacher tenure system by increasing the frequency of teacher evaluations and linking tenure to evaluations. It also requires the education commissioner to administer an evaluation pilot program in 8 to 10 districts for the 2012-2013 school years.