Was it the sudden breaking of the news that Hartford Public Schools is being sued over their neglecting two years of reports of bullying (“I Don’t See That, States Hartford Superintendent”)? 

Or was it the sudden announcement at the Board’s February Regular Meeting that a new committee will be formed to carry out advocacy initiatives which Board Bylaws and the City Charter already require them to do?

Or was it the news that Meghan Markle will not be attending King Charles’ coronation?

Although any one of these could elicit a Board response of, “I didn’t see that coming,” rather than the more appropriate response of, “Well, duh,” what I’m referring to here today occurred at the Board’s May Workshop held earlier this week.

HPS Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez’s agenda for this Board meeting, which is in itself problematic and telling, was to introduce a new player in her six-year quest to “reimagine education” at HPS.  Because, after six years and various partners tasked with the same objective, the Superintendent says “HPS seeks to understand how it might best design additional school models.”

The new thinking on the block will be done by Attuned Education Partners.  I know a lot of folks will laugh at the fact that this superintendent is bringing into HPS a company called “Attuned,” when she herself is not well attuned with issues at HPS.

Attuned is a company, stated the Superintendent, that has a “proven record of guiding schools and systems to excellence.”

Attuned was founded in 2016 and lists 45 public and charter school districts where they have built this “proven record” of guidance to excellence. 

So, while HPS’ Superintendent has spent six years, millions of dollars, countless meeting hours, and a whole bunch of lipstick on guiding one district to something well below excellence, Attuned has created “excellence” in 45 districts in seven years. 

That’s an amazing record.  However, don’t expect Attuned’s fast rate of success here in Hartford, since the Superintendent’s approved slide presentation contains the following caveat: “This is Year One of a multi-year process.”  Which means, don’t hold your breath.

In her Attuned website bio, Attuned’s Director of Instruction, Nisha Vasavada, takes credit for great “growth” numbers in student assessment scores at KIPP Pueblo Unido Upper school in Los Angeles over the past three years.  Growth is a target, not a bullseye.  And KIPP is not coming close to the bullseye. 

According to the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), this KIPP school, for the school year 2021-2022, found only 17% of students meeting or exceeding state standards for ELA, and only 20% reaching the same level for math.  Hell, HPS students beat that.

Yet the Superintendent says Ms. Vasavada is part of a team with a “proven record” of excellence, and naturally she believes the Board will swallow this line, hook and all, so why bother providing them and the community with data to back up the claim - trust me, I’m attuned to their success.  Trust me, I’m attuned to the B.S.

But getting back to the Board stunner.   Attuned’s Chief Schools Officer Natalie Gordon, who is also a Director on the Board of RISE, another well paid partner of HPS, presented a Superintendent approved slide on the topic of innovation at HPS that asked five questions of Board members on what innovation means and looks like to them.

Uh, say what?

Board Member Johnson gave the sense that the whole “innovation” presentation was a surprise to him and wondered if the Board was given adequate detailed information on what this meeting was going to ask of them, stating, “this is more engaging that we thought it was going to be tonight.”  Mr. Johnson felt so uncomfortable with the track this meeting was taking, that he asked other Board members if it ought to continue or wait until they were given the answers to the quiz first.

Board Member Browdy, despite saying that this was “something new” to her and that she didn’t understand where this was all coming from, said, “Well, we are here, do it.”  Board Member Walker stated that they should continue as long as this wasn’t a “one and done” conversation, that members reserve the right to modify their remarks at a follow up meeting.

So, the Board members present went ahead and answered the questions as put forth by the RISE Board Director…er, the Chief of Attuned, Ms. Gordon.  She’s going to have to wear an identifying hat so that folks are able to discern which interest she is representing on a particular day.

As to the Board answers, Mr. Johnson wants to make HPS more attractive to outside athletes who would move to Hartford and bring championships to the community.  Board Member Escribano wants HPS to enter the real estate business and assist in increasing home ownership in Hartford, which means more kids and increased enrollment.  Board Member Walker stated that it would be innovative if HPS removed barriers to community involvement in their schools.  Board Member Leger wants HPS to adopt every child in Hartford, stating the need to engage the “whole child” with “wrap around services.”

Board Member Browdy went another way.  Ms. Browdy stated that she’s “been around for a long time” and has seen folks promising “innovation” come and go, and we are “no better off.” 

Ms. Browdy stated that rather than innovation, the community is telling her that HPS must “get back to basics.”  The “basics” she described as offering basic classes, like home economics, woodshop, auto shop, photography, and film, and to change the inequitable process of trade and tech schools screening student applicants which leaves out many wishing to attend these career-oriented schools.

So, while the Superintendent heads off with her seeing eye dog to court to answer charges of neglect, and while Board members find existing rules and regulations to dust off and ignore, and while the King gets a new set of clothes, Attuned is firing up the engagement engine to come and ask you what innovation at HPS looks and feels like.

Meanwhile, be wary of folks promising innovative single ply toilet paper made with breakthrough technology.