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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: a national poll on education policies that voters support, the departure of New Haven Superintendent Birks, and ongoing education mentions on the presidential trail.
National Polling on Education
This week, Education Reform Now Advocacy and Benenson Strategy Group released nationwide polling results, indicating that voters--especially Democratic primary voters and voters of color--want new investments in education to be coupled with new ideas and real change. Democratic primary voters support President Obama's education legacy, linking resources to innovation and accountability. The polling results also indicate that voters support: fairness in school funding; increasing teacher pay where we need teachers most; maintaining/expanding public school choice while strengthening accountability; and making higher education cheaper, fairer, and better for students and taxpayers.
Departure of Another New Haven Superintendent
The New Haven school board has negotiated a severance deal alongside the termination of Superintendent Carol Birks’ contract, just a year and a half into her tenure. Superintendent Birks’ last day is November 1st, at which point current Assistant Superintendent Iline Tracey will take on an interim leadership role. In the past three years, New Haven has also seen the departure of former Superintendents Garth Harries and Reginald Mayo.