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With Thanksgiving upon us, we’ll keep today’s edition of Wednesday Weekly short and sweet. Here’s a quick rundown of the week’s top stories—as well as a list of several charities that we think are doing great work for children.
Quick Rundown
For the latest on teacher shortages in CT, read Alex Putterman's analysis this week. His story reconciles the consistent vacancies in many districts with data showing that staffing levels have actually increased across the state. (READ: CT Insider: CT has more teachers than ever. Why are many school districts still facing a staffing shortage?)
This year, the legislature passed a new law shifting the kindergarten start date; while the previous cut-off allowed an incoming kindergartener to turn 5 by January 1st of a school year, kindergarteners must now be 5 by September 1st. The sudden shift has raised concerns about costs and capacity for both parents and early childcare providers. To learn about how Norwalk is offering an exemption to address this problem, check out Kalleen Rose Ozanic's piece from Friday. (READ: The Hour: Norwalk schools offers exemption for CT kindergarten age cutoff: 'Support families in transition')
The election saga continues in Bridgeport, where Judge William Clark just set a January date for a re-do of Bridgeport’s Democratic mayoral primary—after allegations that a Joe Ganim supporter had stuffed ballot boxes during the original primaries. While this trial was underway, Ganim won the general election for mayor. But if challenger John Gomes wins this second primary, that will mean a second general election for Bridgeport mayor. To stay abreast of this unusual turn of events, we recommend stories from Dave Altimari and Christine Stuart this week. (READ: CT Mirror | CT News Junkie)
Connecticut US Senator Richard Blumenthal is one of the co-sponsors of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) currently before Congress—which would require social media companies to proactively protect minors from online harms. According to CT News Junkie, a poll released last week shows 87% of the electorate want Congress to act promptly to address this issue, and that support for KOSA is bi-partisan. (READ: CTNewsJunkie: Majority of U.S. Voters Support Bipartisan Bill to Shield Youth from Online Harms, Poll Reveals)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are some worthy charities that are combating childhood hunger and food insecurity—give if you’re able!
Happy Thanksgiving! - The DFER CT Team -