HigherEd solutions, how housing + ed access connect, + ongoing ed mentions on the presidential trail

This weekly segment by Democrats for Education Reform CT looks at the top education stories Democrats are watching, providing bite-sized analysis and links to recent articles. On the roster this week: continued coverage of report on CT higher ed and suggested solutions; the connection between housing and educational access; and ongoing ed mentions on the presidential trail.

Now What? Addressing Challenges Raised by the Less For More Report

You’ve now heard about the release of Education Reform Now CT’s report, Less for More, which uses national data on completion rates and costs to analyze how well Connecticut’s four-year colleges are serving their students. Following the identification of some troubling findings, what’s next?

In our Hartford Courant opinion last week, we identified three pressing solutions: (1) robust mentorship and guidance in higher education; (2) an honest conversation about how to address declining enrollment in our schools without ramping up prices for students; and (3) high standards in K-12. The latter two ideas have already been highlighted in Connecticut opinion pieces this week. (Stay tuned for more on solutions from us in December!)

• Opinion addressing declining enrollment (CT Mirror)

• Opinion addressing social promotion in K12, with ERN CT mention (Journal Inquirer)

• ERN CT Op Ed (Hartford Courant)

• More report coverage since last week (Westfair | The Day | CT Post | Yale Daily News | Hearst CT Media Editorial)

• Full report, Less for More (ERN CT)

The Intersection Between Zip Codes and Educational Access

Over the past week, both the New York Times and the Washington Post have published stories about communities pursuing integration efforts. In Maryland, the Howard County superintendent is proposing a plan to bus thousands of students to new schools in pursuit of racial and socio-economic integration. Closer to home, New York City—one of the nation’s most segregated school districts—has become a laboratory for efforts to balance school demographics.

Here in Connecticut, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim has signaled that he too appreciates the layered challenges that students in the district face, and he has committed to doing better—recently announcing the launch of an Education Task Force and a Housing Authority Task Force, which are expected to work collaboratively for the betterment of their community.

• ”Where Civility Is a Motto, a School Integration Fight Turns Bitter” (New York Times)

• ”What happened when Brooklyn tried to integrate its middle schools” (Washington Post)

• On Joe Ganim task forces (CT Post | Hearst Connecticut Media Editorial)

Ongoing education mentions on the presidential trail

• This week, Senator Cory Booker penned a New York Times opinion on the need to stop dismissing public charter schools, especially when local communities are calling for them. (New York Times)

• We hope to hear more about the candidates’ education platforms in tonight’s primary debate in Atlanta! Tune in at 9pm EST on MSNBC.