Terry Gerratana

Gerratana Endorses Governor’s Latest Education Reform Proposals

NEW BRITAIN—Joining Governor Dannel P. Malloy today at Founders Hall on the campus of Central Connecticut State University, state SenatorTerry Gerratana (D-New Britain) endorsed the governor’s latest plan to reform education by attracting and supporting top teachers.

“Governor Malloy is right to make educational excellence a priority this session, and his desire to attract and retain the best teachers available is the foundation of an excellent education,” Sen. Gerratana said.

The governor’s latest educational proposal for the 2012 legislative session—which begins tomorrow—includes $3 million in new funding for teacher preparation and recruitment, and an additional $7.5 million for professional development and the implementation of teacher evaluations.

“We are going to improve education in Connecticut—that means figuring out what works and fixing what is broken,” Gov. Malloy said. “This session we will address how our kids are succeeding in school, and what challenges students, teachers, and administrators are facing. We must examine how schools are working for our kids, how our kids are learning, and who we have at the front of our classrooms.We are proud of the work so many of our teachers are doing, and we are going to do our part to encourage good, successful teachers and get them into the classroom.”

The governor’s education package includes:

• $1 million in new financial incentives to recruit top college students. Candidates must possess strong GPAs, high marks on certification exams, and a commitment to working in high-needs schools.
• Establish the Connecticut School Leadership Academy with $1 million in seed funding. This initiative will partner with school districts to develop customized training programs that graduate leaders prepared to tackle the many challenges that face our schools.
• $5 million to support meaningful professional development opportunities that are aligned to the state’s proposed teacher and administrator evaluation system. Another $2.5 million will fund the build out, start up, and pilot of the evaluation and support system itself.