Mary Glassman for Connecticut

Connecticut is one of the smartest and most highly educated states in the country.  However, the “achievement gap,” or the disparity between the most educated in the state and least, is one of the highest in the nation. That is unacceptable.  In order to ensure that every student in the state has the opportunity for a high quality education we need to begin an extensive reform of our education system that will include reforming the way we fund education,  and encouraging new and effective ways of teaching.  Studies show that students who cannot read well are more likely to drop out of school, commit a crime or be limited to lower paying jobs. As a result, substandard reading can lead to increased crime and a stagnant state economy. Education is an emergency and it is unacceptable that nearly 61% of fourth graders in the state read below the national standard – with the number jumping to nearly 88% and 86% for black and Hispanic fourth graders. More coming soon…