Did a New and Better School Consolidation Process Just Start?

It appeared that way this past Monday night at the Artists’ Collective, where roughly 200 stakeholders gathered to learn about and discuss school quality and redesign, given Hartford’s declining enrollments and the statewide fiscal crises afoot.  The question of the night:  What makes a great school?

In pursuit of the answer, Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez led a discussion of the key characteristics of successful schools, which the attendees discussed at small tables (a sort of huge focus group on steroids!).

Attendees weighed 15 characteristics of strong schools and rated the District’s performance in implementing them.  They included these characteristics, as described:

Even though there was not enough time for discussion outside the scope of the structured “agree or disagree” conversation, the participants at each table did have a chance to each identify their top five characteristics for a strong school from the list.

For what seemed more like a data collection exercise than an in-depth discussion, it will be very interesting to see the ratings when compiled.  Overall, the exercise signified a healthy interest in feedback on the part of HPS.

One clear area of improvement will be to make sure that when residents are engaged in this type of discussion, the materials speak more directly to the urban education experience, as we heard the following four pieces of feedback:

1. “Teachers know their material and teach it well” must include a reference to how well teachers understand social/emotional learning and how well teachers support students who bring the effects of trauma into the classroom;
2. “Parents and other family members are involved” must examine how effectively teachers and staff engage families;
3. “Students and their families feel safe and secure” must take into account whether the school culture and climate are positive (after all, a prison can feel very safe and secure but remain a place where a visiting family member is disrespected, according to a parent at our table); and
4. Somewhere on the District’s list of characteristics that make a great school, a reference must be made regarding [and action taken to grow] the ability of the school to leverage community partners and resources.

The Bottom Line

Dr. Torres Monday appropriately emphasized that the District needs to do things differently.

Her leadership on display was marked by a deliberative tone and a transparent manner.  Being open to feedback (even when fraught with objections and frustrations) exemplifies strong leadership, from our point of view.

Plainly, trust in the District’s capability to lead varies greatly from school to school, neighborhood to neighborhood, zone to zone, magnet to non-magnet, and parent to parent.

Monday night made a good start toward restoring trust.  While the next steps are not precisely clear, sharing the data collected Monday evening seems like the first thing the District must do, along with holding another forum that engages even more parents from throughout the city.

As Dr. Torres put it, we must do things differently – and that starts with even more grassroots organizations joining the effort to engage even more parents.

Judging by the energy in the room on Albany Avenue Monday, this was a great start to a new process.

Pinching Pennies Sends a Signal About How We Value Education

The Hartford Board of Education Friday voted 7-1 to back Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez’s amended Fiscal 2018 budget, which goes forward without a City increase for the ninth consecutive year.  The minus-$12.6 million, or 3 percent decrease from the past year takes into account the State’s day-by-day budget uncertainties (as to whether even further cuts are coming).  The process this year casts doubt on whether the State values its capital city – and whether the State and City value Hartford education.

In a grim special meeting this past Friday, the Board lamented its $3 million in cuts from the art, behavior technician, central office (of school improvement), family resource aide, library/media, music, reading, school nurse, and special education positions.  On the other hand, school-based amendments focused on supporting comprehensive intervention, English, health, kindergarten, math, and science, netting a $1 million increase.  All told, the Fiscal 2018 budget reflects a rather remarkable juggling act; it decreased central office costs by $1 million and used the co-location of the Culinary Arts and Journalism Media Academies to save another half-million dollars.

Here is the superintendent’s detailed discussion from last Friday.

A $2 million “asterisked” placeholder credit is pending adoption of the State budget, which means … it ain’t over until the legislature sings.

The Hartford Parent University (HPU) graduation of 49 parents at The Lyceum Monday brought forward eight newly trained facilitators, coaches, mentors and college students along with City leaders to exhort them to take stands, stick to their goals, and never give up.  It was a significant step forward for Hartford parent engagement.

HPU Executive Director Milly Arciniegas emphasized that since 2012, when HPU launched, no one knew how big it might become.  The theme of engaging parents evolved into empowering parents – and now is gravitating toward mobilizing parents.  City Councilwoman (and HPU Board Member) Cynthia Jennings demarcated parents as the most important part of the school system.  “The parents need to run the school system on behalf of their children,” she said.  “Understand that you own the street.”

Here is the video of the graduation program.

A sampling of the event’s highlights includes:

• Be the Change.  Parent Jane Russell’s commentary was about how she raised her three sons – and received encouragement from Ms. Arciniegas to run for the PTO at Burns and later get involved in HPU.  These experiences taught her about parent rights and the ways to be involved in her children’s schools (at the 23:30 mark of the video).  “Be a part of the change in your child’s school,” she urged the graduates.
• Engage.  Her son, CT State University Junior Joshua Rosario, offered advice on how parents can engage in their children’s learning – and the difference it can make for children feeling worthless – at times of considering dropping out … or being bullied or homeless (at the 33:09 mark of the video).
• Mentor.  His mentor, Achieve Hartford! Lead Writer Kent Ashworth, urged parents and siblings to not be totally self-sacrificial of themselves for their family, and to finish post-secondary school (at the 29:55 mark of the video).
• Keep an Open Mind.  “Imagine being homeless but still encouraging your children,” Councilwoman Jennings said.  HPU Facilitator Richard Afaawua offered views on “Race and Understanding,” (at the 39:13 mark of the video).  Calm down, put yourself in others’ shoes, find, look around, be where they are at, research, then you can understand it better, he recommended.  “We need to understand each other, no matter where we are coming from, no matter the race,” he implored.

The Bottom Line

Hartford Parent University has exceeded the expectations of its founders by opening up an avenue (now a boulevard and headed to become a super-highway), with an on-ramp for parents hard-pressed but determined.  We recognize – and Hartford needs – their success.