Jan. 18, 2018 (Hartford, CT) — Educators for Excellence-Connecticut (E4E-Connecticut), a teacher-led organization, expresses their disappointment in the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling that the state’s educational funding meets the expectations of the state constitution.
"It is a sad day when our state’s highest court rules that their only responsibility to Connecticut children is to ensure they receive a ‘minimally adequate education,’” said Justin Boucher, Executive Director for E4E-Connecticut. “E4E members will not stop advocating for equitable school funding until every student in Connecticut has access to an excellent education that prepares them to succeed in college, career and life. What this ruling does clarify is that the responsibility to fix our funding formula lies squarely on the shoulders of our state legislature. E4E educators look forward to meeting with legislators to spur them to action on behalf of their students.”
In the coming months, members will connect with legislators, district decision-makers and their colleagues to provide them an on-the-ground perspective of the barriers that prevent students of color and children experiencing poverty from receiving a quality education.
In 2016, E4E-Connecticut members collected input from educators throughout the state and crafted recommendations to improve adequacy, equity, accountability and transparency in school finance, outlined in their policy paper One State, One Future.
In 2017, through visits to the state house and a letter writing campaign, E4E educators provided policymakers an on-the-ground perspective of the damage the current complex and opaque funding formula does to their students’ learning and shared their recommendations for a new funding formula, including:
- Establishing a single adequacy-based funding system and adjusting the comprehensive funding formula for equity;
- Prioritizing student impact by providing accurately and sufficiently for student need and ensuring state funding effectively serves kids; and
- Supporting districts with fiscal accountability and transparency, including a single, uniform chart of accounts.
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