“The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.”

American icon Bob Dylan discovered that the education he sought would not be gotten from attending the University of Minnesota.  Robert Cremins, lecturer at the University of Houston, writes in Engines of our Ingenuity, that Dylan created his own “curriculum,” from the New York and Minnesota folk music scenes and the writers, poets, and artists who defined the early 1960s.  Dylan found that the answers were right in front of him all along, in the midst, just blowing in the wind.

Hartford Public Schools thought that the engine of their ingenuity would be the folks from Education Resource Strategies (ERS) and have paid them more than $2 million since 2016 for their advice and consultation on how to best use “time, people, and money.”

Similarly, the folks from billionaire Barbara Dalio’s Connecticut RISE Network have cashed more than a million dollars worth of HPS checks since 2016 to “empower educators to achieve breakthrough results.”

These and other consultants and strategists, or as I like to call them, exploiters, have been the go-to folks for the answers Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez has been searching for in order to create a successful school district.  All the while, the answers were right there in front of her, in the midst, just blowing in the wind.  The answers, my friend, are in the teachers.

While the Superintendent shuns the voice of the teacher, a group of Hartford teachers, in conjunction with the Hartford Federation of Teachers (HFT) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), have taken it upon themselves to show what leadership can look like from within the midst.

Led by HFT Vice-President of Special Projects Syeita Rhey-Fisher, nine teachers from across the district have formed Connecticut’s first Teacher Leadership Program (TLP).   The TLP mission is to leverage a passion for education to orchestrate local school reform and influence education policy at the local, state, and national levels.  Ms. Rhey-Fisher stated that while lifting teacher’s voices, “we want to move the needle and exact real change and progress.”

The TLP members spent the last eight months researching and creating reports on educational questions critical to them and to HPS.  On May 18th, TLP members presented their findings at a “TLP Final Showcase” at Classical Magnet School in Hartford.  Giving credence and support to their cause, in attendance at the Showcase was State Representative Maryam Khan, HFT President Carol Gale, community leader Hyacinth Yennie, along with teachers and friends.

With data driven presentations showing great understanding of the issues, the impact of the issues on teachers and students, along with recommendations and solutions, the TLP members tackled everything from attendance to world languages, all with a focus on Harford’s “beautiful and capable” students.

The teachers talked about the need for a broader understanding of the issues.  Special Education teacher Racquel Barrows talked about the need for clearer understanding of co-teaching to ensure effective delivery of special education in general education classes.  Maureen Gorman, a second-grade teacher at Global Communications Academy, discussed the lack of a consensus understanding of cognitive rigor acting as a barrier to effectively and successfully implementing a program of cognitive rigor.  Conor Quinlan, a teacher at Classical Magnet School, talked about the equity implications of not fully understanding how school funding is directed.

The issue of motivation was highlighted during the presentations.  Suzanne Almon, a first-grade teacher at Dwight Bellizi Dual Language Academy, tackled the issue of student attendance, citing the importance of motivating students to come to school through collaboration and communication.  Heather Pescetelli, a first-grade teacher at Global Communications Academy, said that teachers need to be motivated as well to cut into HPS’ teacher retention issue.  Ms. Pescetell’s research shows that a critical component of motivating teachers is support from the district, a component which the majority of respondents to her survey said does not exist at HPS.

Christopher Clayton, a kindergarten teacher at West Middle School, and Richard de Meij, a Spanish teacher at Global Communications Academy, brought a cultural focus into their presentations.  Mr. Clayton argues that there needs to be a commitment on the part of schools to create culturally responsive classrooms where students will respond to tools and resources that reflect their culture and backgrounds.  Mr. de Meij spoke on the need to introduce young students to other cultures through the learning of world languages, a natural way to increase cognitive ability and an equitable right to which Hartford’s students of color do not have access.

Hartford TLP director Rhey-Fisher said that the group’s research and data will be shared with AFT officials in Washington, D.C. to assist with informing policy at the national level.  Their work will also be shared with the Hartford Board of Education along with proposals to address the many issues facing HPS.

Looking forward, Ms. Rhey-Fisher spoke of the possibility of forming various committees to promote issue solutions as well as the possibility of piloting new programs within HPS based on the research completed by the teachers in the group.

The Teacher Leadership Program is the advisory council so badly needed by the Superintendent and the Board of Education.  It is mind numbing that the folks dealing with the kids on a personal level each and every day are the folks that are listened to the least, are not the go-to folks for policy and programming input, and are not invited to bring their experienced viewpoints into the public arena for school improvement discussions.  Take one wheel off your car and report on its effectiveness as a motor vehicle.

 In their 2023 report, Voices from the Classroom: A Survey of America’s Educators, the country’s top educator advocate, Educators for Excellence (E4E), stated: “Even though policy makers at every level of the system are talking about teachers, they rarely are talking with teachers.”

Yes, the answers are right in front of us, in the midst, “blowing in the wind.”  However, as Bob Dylan also said, “People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent.”