Education gets budget boost

(June 26, 2007) Early childhood education and education reform were popular topics in the 2007 session, with Connecticut businesses supporting efforts that would improve their prospects for a skilled and competitive future workforce.

Ultimately, reform proposals to increase investments in education and measure schools’ effectiveness were contained in the new state budget. These include:
• A $180 million increase in the educational cost sharing program in the first year and $80 million in the second
• Authorization for the State Department of Education to help turn around underperforming schools. The SDE will be allowed to reorganize schools not making adequate yearly progress into themed academies with team leaders and teachers working collaboratively
• Funding for local school readiness programs
• Accountability measures to gauge the effectiveness of local school readiness programs and requiring ineffective programs to be replaced by programs that have already proven effective
• Increased funding for magnet and charter schools

Connecticut’s economic future depends on the availability of a highly skilled workforce — and an education system that can keep providing it. These steps should help strengthen efforts to ensure both.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Kevin Hennessy at 860-244-1979 or hennessk@cbia.com.

CBIA Action Center

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