Three months of negotiations between Gov. Dannel Malloy and Connecticut's lawmakers resulted in a compromise and bill that passed the state House and Senate Tuesday. The bill will provide for $100 million in state funding for schools, though the final version sent to Malloy's desk lacked the full scope of the proposals that governor announced in February.
Increased charter school funding, school readiness slots for early childhood education and expanded teacher evaluation programs all survived the deal, according to a Boston Globe report. Other key elements include a Commissioner's Network of under-performing schools, as well as a streamlined process for firing tenured teachers and a new literacy program for low-performing elementary schools.
As The Wall Street Journal points out, the Connecticut Education Association and teachers union raised heavy objections to Malloy's plans. Nevertheless, the pared-down reform package weathered edits and deletions to advance significant changes for Connecticut's schools.