While the superintendent of Hartford Public Schools seeks to influence minds on the board of education by loading up her meetings with folks from central office and the leaders of non-profits schlepping for urban dollars (and never inviting a teacher), a new group has formed to bring the voice of the community to bear on the BOE.

The Fight for HPS Coalition (FFHC), led by Hartford community organizer Constanza Segovia, was created to bring the voice of students, parents, and the community, free of district influence, to the BOE.

Claiming over 100 members, the FFHC held their third meeting last week in space provided by the non-profit Make the Road CT on Wethersfield Avenue.  The meeting was attended by 30-40 people.  The meeting provided opportunity for those present to voice many serious concerns about HPS, but was advocacy-lite when it came to discussing just how they will attempt to influence the minds on the BOE.

Following introductions, the group watched a portion of the streamed BOE Teaching & Learning Committee meeting which was taking place at the same time at Weaver High School.  While the assembled discussed the background and role of the BOE, there was no discussion on what they had just witnessed with the BOE.  The portion of the meeting streamed to the FFHC audience captured HPS leadership and the non-profit ReadyCT struggling to convince the board that another $82,000 contract for ReadyCT was justified.

The FFHC then distributed a draft questionnaire which they intend to present to BOE members.  The audience was given time to discuss and recommend edits and additions to the draft questionnaire.  The questions asked covered such things as board member motivation, responsibilities, vision, and experience.  From the questionnaire, one can suppose what the founders of the FFHC see as problems with Hartford schools: “What are your views on open data and transparency of information?”  “In your opinion…how important is parent input/feedback in shaping district policy?”  “What are three questions that you would ask a candidate for district superintendent?”  “Against what metrics will you assess district leadership’s attainment of key goals?”

Then, under the mistaken theory that more school district funding guarantees increased academics, the FFHC, in association with The Alliance to Reclaim our Schools, the Hartford Federation of Teachers (HFT), and others, distributed a draft resolution intended for the U.S. Congress, “calling for full, permanent funding of public schools.”  Also distributed was a flyer linking people to a petition supporting the resolution. 

The resolution contains statements to strengthen the argument for additional funding that are marginally accurate, such as stating that the “realized impact” of COVID funding “…benefitted students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs through targeted and highly effective tutoring programs…”  We have not seen these “realized impacts” in Hartford, and nationally, a study of 5,000 school districts found that COVID funding “wasn’t even close” to restoring learning loss.

The resolution states “research has consistently shown that increased education funding positively affects academic performance…”  However, then there is HPS.  Ranking above average for per pupil spending among 36 Connecticut Alliance Districts, HPS ranks at the bottom of the list in academic measures.

The resolution goes on to say that “the systematic and chronic underfunding of public schools is a strategy by those who want to dismantle the public education system to decimate the quality of education that public schools can provide.”  A bit Trumpian, wouldn’t you say?  While underfunding may harm education in some spaces, there is no “strategy” designed to “dismantle” and “decimate” the education system.  While some districts with poor leadership are creating an environment for educational decimation through mismanagement and backasswards education strategies, it is not an organized dark conspiracy.

What is missing from this groups focus on funding is how the money is being spent and how funding for Connecticut districts will change in the next couple of years based on legislation passed in the spring of 2023.  Granting upwards of $10 million a year to outside consultants and non-profit groups without demanding or questioning the effectiveness of that spending is a spending problem, not a funding problem.  Increasing the cost of administration at a rate greater than any increase in the cost of direct education spending is a spending problem, not a funding problem.  Also, with Connecticut legislation HB5003, passed in the spring of 2023, districts will see an increase in state funding (HPS will receive an additional $27 million a year), and district spending on tuition payments for students attending other districts will be drastically cut; “going away,” stated Senator Douglas McCrory.

HPS had nearly $50 million more each year to spend over the past three years due to federal COVID monies.  With effective spending oversite, together with increased funding and cost savings from state legislation, by 2026, HPS will realize nearly the same amount in extra funding as they had during the COVID funding fiasco.  Look at the spending, not the funding.

The next meeting of the Fight for HPS Coalition will be held at the Albany branch of the Hartford Public Library (1250 Albany Ave) on Wednesday, October 30th, at 6 p.m.