Connecticut continues to have the largest achievement gap in the country. While we have seen some improvements today more than half of Connecticut’s kids are below grade level and continue to struggle with issues connected to equity.
At ConnCAN we are committed to ensuring that every child regardless of zip code are able to access a great education.
Innovation
The world is changing in bold and dramatic ways. We must embrace the challenge, providing our children with an education that keeps pace. Our students must be agile and creative as they encounter jobs and technologies that have not yet been invented. Our schools must be agile and creative, too, using new technology and finding greater efficiencies to provide students with a personalized education.
To reach this destination, we will embrace our revolutionary spirit by fundamentally reimagining how our education system works—from staffing and budgeting to organizational structures—so every student may travel a unique pathway grounded in the principle of endless discovery. These innovative systems will enable our students to envision their own bold futures, as leaders in our state, our country and the world.
Measurable Results
Where our children are born, how much money their parents make or the color of their skin should not predict their academic success. Our education system of the future must right the wrongs of structural inequities upon which our current system is built and embrace the unlimited potential in every child.
To reach this destination, we will need to level the playing field by providing educational opportunities for all—inside and outside of our schools. That means prioritizing diversity among teachers and school leadership, funding each student’s education based on their needs, creating rich educational experiences beyond school walls and investing in accountability systems that empower families to ensure the best for their children.
Options
No two Connecticut children are the same. The educational pathways we offer students should complement their distinct identities. By creating more high-quality options—each with a different model and unique emphasis—we can provide every child with a foundation for future success while making their classroom experience personally enriching and relevant.
To reach this destination, we will create opportunities for students and families to explore a rich array of possibilities, and exercise their agency to choose what really meets their needs. By expanding successful models and reducing barriers to access, we will create a new generation of students engaged in the learning experience—in turn creating an engaged citizenry that’s ready to push Connecticut forward.
Excellence
The bar for excellence in education keeps rising. We must welcome this challenge to ensure that our kids thrive in this changing world. The first step forward is believing that all students can reach the bar that we set for them. By aiming high we can ensure that excellence is woven through all our educational endeavors.
To reach this destination, we will embrace rigorous standards in all our subjects. We will reimagine assessments to better serve students and teachers. We will celebrate and elevate educators as the individuals and professionals they are. We will empower parents and families to serve as advocates for their children and hold us all to these ambitious goals.