National education budget, turnaround in MA, and our upcoming district regionalization forum

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: the national education budget, turnaround efforts in MA, and a heads up on our district regionalization forum.

National Budget Cuts to Ed

This week began with news that President Trump intends to cut the federal Education Department by twelve percent (or $8.5 billion). As part of that budget, Betsy DeVos has pitched a $5 billion plan to support scholarships for children attending private schools.

• Trump’s plan to slash Education Department budget (Washington Post)

• Federal tax credit for scholarships (Education Week)

• Response from Shavar Jeffries, DFER’s National President (Twitter)

Lessons on Receivership from Massachusetts

Lawrence Public Schools was one of the lowest performing districts in Massachusetts when it was placed under the control of a state-appointed receiver in 2011. As of 2017, it outperformed Boston in state rankings, and its economically disadvantaged students performed better than their peers in Boston on standardized tests. This report from our counterparts in Massachusetts looks at lessons to learn from the success of the Lawrence turnaround effort.

• Money, Mediocrity, and Making Change A tale of two cities: Comparing progress in Boston & Lawrence (Education Reform Now Advocacy)

Insider’s Scoop: Upcoming Forum on District Regionalization

Mark your calendar for March 29th at 10am, when we’ll be hosting a forum at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford on the benefits of regionalization -- with participation from education and elected leaders. More details coming soon.