By Chris Powell Social promotion in Connecticut’s schools isn’t just informal policy and practice, implemented by winks and nods. This week Marc E. Fitch of the Yankee Institute’s Connecticut Inside Investigator reported that many school systems, including those in Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, and Middletown, follow written policies virtually prohibiting giving students failing grades. Hartford schools obstructContinue reading “Connecticut’s social promotion makes public education a costly fraud”
Tag Archives: Connecticut Mirror
Hartford schools obstruct investigation of graduate’s illiteracy
By Chris Powell Fifty years ago, during the bad old days of the state Department of Children and Families, when it was called the Department of Children and Youth Services, a clumsy mechanism of unaccountability was used by the political hacks who ran the agency. (For years the only qualification of the department’s commissioner wasContinue reading “Hartford schools obstruct investigation of graduate’s illiteracy”
If new oversight committee is serious, where should it begin?
By Chris Powell Because of the state government scandals uncovered recently by the state auditors, and maybe because of the ones uncovered recently by the Hearst Connecticut newspapers, the Connecticut Mirror, the Yankee Institute’s Connecticut Inside Investigator, and the New Haven Independent, leaders of the Democratic majority in the General Assembly are creating another legislativeContinue reading “If new oversight committee is serious, where should it begin?”
Case of illiterate Hartford girl should become a national scandal
By Chris Powell Hartford’s school superintendent, Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, says she’ll investigate the case of the girl who, the Connecticut Mirror reported a few weeks ago, graduated this year from Hartford Public High School without being able to read or write or do more than rudimentary addition and who then somehow was admitted to the University ofContinue reading “Case of illiterate Hartford girl should become a national scandal”
Poverty devours Connecticut but who will ask its cause?
By Chris Powell Rising homelessness. Growing demand at food and diaper banks. Chronic absenteeism at schools. Brawls at high school football games. Schools closed by threats of violence. Street takeovers and car thefts by young hooligans. More drug abuse, mentally ill children, teen suicides, and abandoned pets. Such news reports indicating worsening poverty and social disintegration inContinue reading “Poverty devours Connecticut but who will ask its cause?”
Slush fund paves the way for subsidizing strikes
By Chris Powell Connecticut state government’s mad dash to the far left produced another ridiculous moment last week when, as the Connecticut Mirror reported, “with no explanation and scant debate” the state House of Representatives approved a bill to establish what essentially would be a slush fund at the disposal of state Comptroller Sean Scanlon.Continue reading “Slush fund paves the way for subsidizing strikes”
Only one Connecticut news organization gets special government aid
By Chris Powell Government in Connecticut now may have more publicists than there are independent journalists keeping watch over it. Indeed, it’s starting to seem as if government in Connecticut has a more or less official news media organization on top of all those publicists. For the Hartford Business Journal reported last week that ConnecticutContinue reading “Only one Connecticut news organization gets special government aid”
Chris Powell column 