“I am going to keep this job till someone says I can’t”
Ah, Paul… A Connecticut Superior Court Judge said you aren’t qualified to hold the job of superintendent in the state of Connecticut. In fact, she actually ordered you to leave the post immediately….and you refused. Now you are using upward toward $100,000 in precious taxpayer funds to fight the fact that someone DID tell you […]The post “I am going to keep this job till someone says I can’t” (Pa
Bridgeport Community Bank that Bridgeport’s BOE Chair Kenneth Moales Jr won’t pay back goes under
In an article entitled, “State Has First Bank Failure In A Decade, the Hartford Courant reported last night that, “The Community’s Bank, with its headquarters and one branch in Bridgeport, came under the receivership of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. late Friday afternoon amid mounting losses from commercial real estate loans.” “Shocked and saddened” is what Bridgeport Mayor Bill […]The post
My kid is not an idiot…Hooray for Standardized Testing?
Good News! My kid is not an idiot… Like parents all across Connecticut, I’ve been waiting patiently – and not so patiently – for my child’s Connecticut Mastery Test (Fourth Generation) results to arrive in the mail. The CMTs were, of course, given last March but the results are arriving late because Connecticut’s Commissioner of […]The post My kid is not an idiot…Hooray for Standardized Testing?
Meanwhile in Bridgeport… “Mayor Finch will hold on to Vallas as long as he can.”
When Governor Malloy and Mayor Bill Finch tried to have the state takeover Bridgeport’s schools, The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled the move illegal. When Mayor Bill Finch tried to change the charter to do away with a democratically elected board of education and replace it with one appointed by him, the voters of Bridgeport overwhelmingly […]The post Meanwhile in Bridgeport… “Mayor Finch will ho
Jepsen/Malloy move to destroy most important school funding lawsuit in modern times
Next Monday, on September 16, 2013, Attorney General George Jepsen, with the help and support of Governor Dannel Malloy, will go before a Connecticut Superior Court judge in what could be termed a despicable attempt to dismiss the most important school finance lawsuit in nearly five decades. In fact, the case, CCJEF v. Rell, may […]The post Jepsen/Malloy move to destroy most important school fund
SEP 12
Connecticut Post editorial writers continue to pump out powerful pieces
“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” - Edward R. Murrow I’ve used that quote before here at Wait, What? I believe it to be one of the most important political statements in American history. It was uttered by the […]The post Connecticut Post editorial writers continue to pump out powerful pieces appeared first o
Adamowski Pension Charade continues
On August 29, 2013, “Special Master” Steven Adamowski was completing his second year under a $225,000 no-bid contract that the Malloy Administration had run through the State Education Resource Center. The next day, August 30, 2013, “Special Master” Steven Adamowski was a Connecticut state employee, holding the title of Durational Project Manager. Same duties, different […]The post Adamowski Pensi
SEP 11
New York Times runs major profile on public education champion Diane Ravitch
Diane Ravitch is the Patron Saint of the movement to take back our schools from the corporate education reform industry. Leading up to the release of her new book, Reign of Error, the New York Times ran a profile today of Diane. While the Times has a tendency to blur the lines of news and […]The post New York Times runs major profile on public education champion Diane Ravitch appeared first on Wa
Education Reform Industry goes down to a stunning defeat in Bridgeport, Connecticut
The tide continues to turn in Bridgeport’s Board of Education challenge slate wins big The Connecticut Post made the story clear as they began their primary coverage with the news that, “The Democratic machine lost its grip on the city school board Tuesday with the stunning victory of all three challengers in the primary. The […]The post Education Reform Industry goes down to a stunning defeat in
SEP 10
Bridgeport challenge slate winning big in early returns, Malloy candidate defeated in Stamford
Although the counting has just begun, the anti-Mayor Bill Finch, anti-Paul Vallas, anti-education reform industry slate of challengers are winning big across Bridgeport in today’s Democratic primary for the Bridgeport Board of Education. Challengers Andre Baker, Howard Gardner and Dave Hennessey are beating the party endorsed slate of Kathryn Bukovsky, Simon Castillo and Brandon Clark. […]The post
NEWS FLASH: Steven Adamowski hired as state employee before State Board of Education met to extend Special Master’s role.
As if it couldn’t get any more unethical or bizarre, official State of Connecticut documents reveal that “Special Master” Steven Adamowski became a $162,000.09, Durational Project Manager on August 30, 2013…. Five days before the State Board of Education meet to receive the Special Master’s report on his work in Windham and New London and […]The post NEWS FLASH: Steven Adamowski hired as state emp
CT Democratic State Central Committee attacks Tom Foley on his Public Finance position…
Today’s headline from of the Democratic State Central Committee press release reads, “TOM FOLEY WAS AGAINST PUBLIC FINANCING BEFORE HE WAS FOR IT…” The release seeks to mock Tom Foley for changing his position from being against Connecticut’s campaign finance system to now being for it. The Democratic State Central Committee’s move is pretty damn […]The post CT Democratic State Central Committee a
“The Governor was referring to a fact that everyone in this state knows — that our economy…”
As the blind man led the deaf man toward to edge of the precipice he was heard to utter….”things are looking up, we are almost there…” Those words and that image could certainly be used to describe Governor Malloy’s approach to the Connecticut economy and his so-called economic development strategy of giving away hundreds of […]The post “The Governor was referring to a fact that everyone in this s
In Bridgeport, The Power of a Student’s Voice
Today is Democratic primary day in Bridgeport. On one side is an endorsed slate of candidates dedicated to keeping Paul Vallas in power and continuing the effort to privatize and undermine Bridgeport’s schools. On the other side are students, parents, teachers and citizens dedicated to supporting, empowering and rebuilding Bridgeport’s public schools. The following is […]The post In Bridgeport,
SEP 09
News Flash: Mystery solved: Pryor’s appointment of Adamowski as state employee will push up Special Master’s pension!
Governor Malloy and his Commissioner of Education have figured out a way to circumvent the Connecticut General Assembly and push up Special Master Steven Adamowski’s pension. As a result of a 2006 change in the Connecticut State Statutes, Steven Adamowski was able to serve for five years as the uncertified superintendent of schools in Hartford, […]The post News Flash: Mystery solved: Pryor’s appoi
Achievement First Inc. pushing Finch/Vallas slate in Bridgeport Democratic Primary
Bridgeport’s Democratic Primary to select Board of Education candidates will be held tomorrow and campaign finance reports filed last week reveal that Achievement First Inc., the charter school management company co-founded by Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, continues to play a dominate role in the effort to control Bridgeport’s public education system. The latest effort […]The post Achie
SEP 08
Look Ma…. No hands! Another Charter School accused of doctoring the books…
So this time it is the “South Bronx Charter School Accused of Firing Whistleblower.” South Bronx Charter School: Enrollment of students with IEPs: 5.4 % compared to District average of 18.3 % Enrollment of English Language Learners: 7.7% compared to District average of 19%. South Bronx Charter School loses nearly 50 percent of the students […]The post Look Ma…. No hands! Another Charter School ac
Commissioner’s Network Turnaround Plan: Strategy #1: “Increase fidelity”…
As if calling Steven Adamowski a “Special Master” wasn’t odd and disturbing enough, a recent document coming out of Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor’s office highlighted the bizarre, and quite frankly demeaning, approach taken by the corporate education reform industry when it comes to public education and public schools. An official document entitled “Commissioner’s Network […]The post Comm
SEP 07
Our Orwellian education policy, Part 2
Two weeks ago, Wendy Lecker, Connecticut public education advocate and commentary writer for Hearst Media, Wendy Lecker, wrote Part 1 of a piece about George Orwell’s definition of “doublethink” explained Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s education reform strategy. (Part I can be found at: http://jonathanpelto.com/2013/08/27/orwellian-education-policy-wendy-lecker/). As she explained so clearly, Malloy’s pl