In January of this year, the CT RISE Network, backed by billionaires Ray and Barbara Dalio, appeared before what serves as a Board of Education for Hartford Public Schools to secure the first of its bi-annual contracts with HPS, something they have been doing since 2016. 

Madeline Negron, HPS’ Chief of Academics at the time and now superintendent of New Haven schools, stated that since the HPS/RISE relationship began in 2016, the aim has been for HPS to “build structures” whereby HPS could continue the RISE program on their own. 

Apparently, after seven years those “structures” are as close to being in place as are new roads in the west end of Hartford.  On July 11th of this year, the BOE met to discuss issuing RISE another contract.

Part of RISE’s claim to fame is their stated ability to increase the number of high school freshman who are “on track” to graduate.  However, in March of this year (“Passed or Pushed Through?”), the district presented data to the BOE which showed that HPS’s on-track rate for first time freshman was 70% in 2018-19, and 81% in 2019-20, but now stood at 66%. 

One would think that after 7 years of working with people who professed to be experts in keeping students “on-track,” HPS could have gone it alone and shaved 15% off the number of “on-track” students over the past four years.

During the July meeting to discuss their most certain future with HPS, RISE executive Sam Purdy underscored the question of RISE’s future relevance at HPS without meaning to do so.  A member of the BOE questioned if RISE’s “deliverables” were “more strategy and support” while teachers and principles did the heavy lifting of executing the program.  Mr. Purdy stated, “Yes, that seems right.” 

After seven years of HPS/RISE planning, meetings, and cross-school sharing, one would think that all the multi-degree holding folks in central office would have a clue to RISE’s “strategy” by now and could oversee this type of program from within.  Christ, you are allowed to run a school district after seven years of instruction which has little to do with running a school district.

One portion of the RISE program that HPS can relate to and could easily handle if Ray and Barb suddenly disbanded this billionaire’s hobby non-profit group, would be where they do not operate in the sunlight as they keep a lid on the data required to prove their effectiveness and relevance.

RISE and HPS trumpet the “RISE Dashboard” as their attempt at being transparent, but access to that data is only available to those within HPS (if there is a teacher willing to send me RISE data on first time freshman chronic absenteeism, first time freshman “on-track” data, and data on RISE student cohort graduation rates, that would be great).

At the most recent meeting, HPS stated that chronic absenteeism among first time freshman is at “the lowest levels since 2017-18.”  However, when they presented the data chart, it only went back to the 2020-21 school year and comparable numbers for then and now weren’t even spoken.  As for grade 9 “repeaters,” no data was given at all.

During the January meeting and again in July, members of the BOE requested teacher feedback on the program, with Board Member Browdy stating at the July meeting that since RISE is stating that teachers and principles are doing the heavy lifting, the BOE should be hearing from them.  Each time the Board was told that teacher feedback was available on the RISE Dashboard.  Yes, but we are at a meeting discussing your contract extension, it would behoove you to bring those folks with you.  Perry Mason wouldn’t think of leaving a witness behind.  Unless of course….

When a Board Member asked about a comparison of RISE’s results at HPS with results from other RISE client districts, Mr. Purdy said that he would be happy to share that data “offline” at some point.  With little or gray facts and data, an incomprehensible view of an issue is created and decision making on that issue is affected while the presenter creates a nontransparent and inauthentic narrative…but this BOE always votes “Aye” anyway.

The HPS/RISE relationship started with the stated intent for HPS to stand on its own two feet at some point.  From what can be gleaned from the half-ass RISE presentations this year, it appears that RISE’s relevance is overstated and their standing as a perennial HPS contracted partner is money not well spent.  However, show me a public official that will not tell a billionaire that his joke of a non-profit is no longer needed, and I’ll show you someone with a greater self-agenda than what is currently being observed.