The Connecticut Parents Union (CTPU), an educational advocacy group, is holding an “Education Super Bowl Press Conference” highlighting the disparities within the state’s public education system at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, on Feb. 28.
The event will feature discussions on the achievement and opportunity gaps that predominantly affect Black and Latino students — a situation that has worsened in the aftermath of the pandemic.
In a press release, CTPU accused lawmakers of “ignoring the demand from their constituents and the process for expanding educational opportunities by moving the goal post for Black, Latino and/or poor children, families, and communities in their fight for fair access to the necessary academic and life tools needed to prepare young people for the future — especially disconnected youth.”
Ultimately, the group, led by CTPU founder and educational equity advocate, Gwen Samuel, wants the government to “stop fumbling our kids and start funding,” advocating for the necessary resources to ensure every child has access to quality education.
CTPU points to several “stories from the Field” that are evidence of lawmakers’ shortcomings, including the Danbury Charter school (DCS) that was approved in 2018 to address the city’s growing English Language Learner (ELL) population.
According to the press release, a petition with 6,800 signatures fell on deaf ears as the school has yet to receive funding despite 50% of Danbury’s ELL students dropping out of high school compared to the states average of 35%.
Additionally, a situation in Middletown is facing a similar challenge. The press release highlights that the Capital Preparatory Charter School (CPREP), approved in 2023, is experiencing funding hurdles as well.
Designed to address overcrowding in the only high school in the district and address educational shortcomings, CPREP’s funding was pulled at 11:48 p.m. — 12 minutes before the 2023 legislative session ended.
This last-minute decision led to a petition demanding the removal of Middletown Sen. Matt Lesser from the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus (BPRC) who, according to Samuel, the petition’s author, “should not be on a caucus when he votes against the interest of Black and Puerto Rican people.”
In response to a Yankee Institute inquiry, Samuel expressed her frustrations by highlighting that “the Black and Latino communities are still struggling with getting back on track academically post-pandemic” and that “every time vulnerable communities bring solutions to the table, the status quo keeps moving the goal post.”
She also underscored the importance of the upcoming 2024 election year as a pivotal moment for change, stating, “If current lawmakers don’t want to invest in our children,” she will encourage voters to “vote for the other guy.”
Samuel then expressed her gratitude towards those in the legislature who “have the moral courage to put children first over politics.”
The “Vote 4 the Other Guy” campaign launched in October by Samuel is a parent-led civic education organization that was founded over concerns about “the future of the great state of Connecticut and country due to fiscal mismanagement and poor fiscal oversight in every aspect of government, especially education.”
They call for vulnerable communities to “become selfish voters to help strengthen their families in the ongoing political fight for power.” The group has a “laser focus to help expand educational opportunities” and supports voting for candidates “regardless of political affiliation” that “put our children’s academic and life needs over their political ambitions, egos and ideologies.
The latest figures from the Connecticut State Department of Education reveal that students across the state, regardless of race, did not reach the levels of proficiency in math, English language arts and science seen before the pandemic (2018-19). An outlier to the trend is the performance of Asian students who have shown a slight improvement in science.
