Just when you come across something Hartford Public Schools is doing that you can get behind, the shady, controlling leadership style of Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez raises its ugly head and makes the thing as gray and welcoming as a battleship.

Far outnumbered by members of central office and members of non-profit groups, a few members of the Board of Education gathered earlier this month at a Committee of the Whole meeting to discuss (I assume that “at the discretion of the Committee Chair,” no teachers were invited to participate in the discussion) the renewal of contracts for the Hope Academy/Our Piece of the Pie alternative education program for HPS students.  Contracts totaling more than $800,000 for the 2023-24 school year.

This program provides educational, special education, social and emotional, and career and post-secondary services to at-risk HPS students.  The contract allows for up to 75 students, however, capacity could be expanded to allow for 150 students.

The program is run by Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) (I urge you to visit their website) and managed by the HPS Office of Academics, the Office of Enrollment, and the Office of Family and Community Partnerships.  None of which brought data to the meeting.  Since this meeting was the vetting (so called) meeting before the BOE gives formal approval to spend the money, one would have expected program assessment data on student attendance, test scores, graduation numbers, and college application and FAFSA data for students taking part in the program.  Well, most assessment and accountability type folks would have expected such information, our BOE members didn’t even blink.

Assessment information for the program does exist, however.  According to the contract’s scope of service, OPP will hold bi-weekly meetings with the HPS to review enrollment and attendance data.  OPP will produce quarterly reports on attendance, credit attainment, and earned credits toward graduation.  OPP will also produce an end-of-year summary report.  None of these reports have ever been attached to BOE meeting documents for public consumption.  But they do exist.

HPS Chief Operating Officer, Sherri Davis-Googe, will be getting a stern talking-to from the Superintendent as she let the cat out of the bag during the meeting.  Ms. Googe stated that OPP had given HPS the latest end of year summary report, however, it wasn’t quite ready for BOE (or public, I assume) consumption and she didn’t bring it with her.  Ms. Googe said the report “will be shared with all once an internal meeting” was held to discuss the report…or how to spin it. 

What is this, a secret CIA debriefing?  Another Donald Trump indictment?  The BOE is tasked at this meeting with making an assessment for renewing more than $800,000 in contracts and a report detailing service results from the previous contract term is not available!  This is at a higher height than ridiculous and it’s also a huge middle finger to the community who may be watching the committee meeting and expecting to see some meat on these damn bones.

Now, BOE members may get the report before the Regular Meeting’s contract approval vote, but if one accountability minded member (yes, there is at least one) begins asking questions about the report, it has been Chairman Rigueur’s habit to condescendingly squash such inquiry, noting that members had the opportunity to vet the report during committee meetings, which in this case, that was not the case.

A visit to the OPP site is a well informed one, they even post their financials for all to see (without first having an internal meeting).  Hopefully this program is as great as it sounds and it is doing as right by HPS students as they claim, in spite of the house of cards they report to.