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In Hartford, Officials to Promote Education Bill

By Kerri Provost

February 29, 2012

As Governor Malloy’s approach to education reform receives criticism, some proponents of the bill rush to its defense, leaning on false dichotomy to alienate those who do want youth to experience more quality education, but do not believe that SB 24 is the way to best achieve this.

The result: the lobbyists’ message — promoted heavily through social media and slick email blasts — is the one readily taken as factual information by lazy and/or understaffed news outlets.

The Office of Legislative Research, in its analysis of the bill, pointed out many ambiguities and potential legal challenges. One such issue, they wrote, could arise from disenfranchising voters by replacing elected local board of education members with those of the State’s choosing.

This potential legal challenge became very real yesterday when the Supreme Court ruled that the state’s takeover of the Bridgeport Board of Education was in violation of the law.

Despite the clear legal challenge to the section of the bill which would reduce local control of public schools, Malloy himself will be embarking on a statewide promotional tour for his bill, beginning with a stop in Hartford on March 1, 2012. His one-hour engagement at the Village South: Center for Community Life (331 Wethersfield Avenue) will begin at 7pm.

On the morning of March 5th, the MetroHartford Alliance along with Achieve Hartford! will be sponsoring an education forum featuring Stefan Pryor, the Commissioner of Education, from 8-10 at The Hartford Club (46 Prospect Street). This breakfast and networking event is not free.

To educate yourself about the specifics of this law, read the bill itself, the OLR analysis, or the Real Hartford look at key sections of the bill.