Robert Cotto, M.Ed.

A free, equal public education is the right of every child. A quality public education system should provide a well-rounded, balanced curriculum and help prepare children for their adult lives. While Connecticut has a strong public education system, we need better ways to assess our children’s learning and the work that schools perform. 

This brief for electoral candidates makes several recommendations to improve and broaden educational opportunities:

• Public education should support a broad set of goals for children’s development and well-being. The state’s educational system should continue to provide a broad educational program that serves all children’s learning and developmental needs including academic skills, critical thinking, the arts and literature, preparation for skilled work, social skills, citizenship, and emotional health.
• Use a variety of methods and indicators, in addition to standardized tests, to assess whether children receive a quality education.
• Require schools to adopt initiatives that promote a positive school climate and to regularly report on their suspension, truancy and attrition rates.
• The ECS funding must keep pace with students’ need in the coming years.

Issue Area:

Education