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Bridgeport officials at odds over planned state intervention into schools

At a rally in September, Bridgeport teachers and school staff called for better working and learning conditions within the district.
Molly Ingram
/
WSHU
At a rally in September, Bridgeport teachers and school staff called for better working and learning conditions within the district.

Connecticut state education officials have voted to intervene in operations at Bridgeport Public Schools, which is facing a major budget deficit and low student success rates.

The intervention includes a new team to help with special education initiatives, one of the district’s highest costs; mandatory training for the district's board of ed, which has struggled with communication amongst themselves and with district officials; and a requirement that state Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker approve a permanent superintendent before they’re hired.

The decision made at a meeting on Wednesday was met with mixed reactions from city officials, community members, and parents.

Some were concerned that the state would be “taking over” the city’s Board of Education, which oversees a district with more than 19,000 students.

Bridgeport City Councilwoman Maria Pereira was the plaintiff in the 2012 case that overturned a state takeover of the Bridgeport Board of Education.

“When I think of the State Board of Ed, I don't think of one thing they've ever done to help Bridgeport,” Pereira, who is on the Education and Social Services Committee, said. “Understand, we are mobilizing, we are preparing, and we will not accept it.”

But the decision got positive feedback from interim Superintendent Dr. Royce Avery.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with the commissioner, the state board, the Bridgeport Board of Education, and all stakeholders to ensure every student in our district has access to a high-quality education and the opportunities they deserve,” Avery said.

State lawmakers also said they were hopeful the decision would help Bridgeport, but they urged the state to work with the city board.

“We took a constitutional oath to fund our school districts across Connecticut adequately, and Bridgeport students are not exempt from that. We believe that the state should work together with the Bridgeport Board of Education and school leadership to provide adequate funding and appropriate guidance to create a stronger and more financially stable path forward for Bridgeport students,” State Senators Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox and Herron Gaston, both Democrats from Bridgeport, said.

Bridgeport’s public school system had a rocky start to the year. In September, teachers rallied at City Hall for better working and learning conditions in schools. Months later, a union survey revealed extremely low confidence in former superintendent Carmela Levy-David, who has since left the district.

This, compounded with the end of pandemic-era federal funding and a student body where more than 20% of students have disabilities, has proven to be a challenge.

Russell-Tucker said less than 20% of the district's students are reading at grade level, and just over 12% are proficient in math.

“We see the numbers of students who are on track to graduate high school declining. That, to me, is the urgency of this moment, and this is not a call out on the district,” Russell-Tucker said. “This is about the need for all of us to work together and support the educators who are supporting and making a difference for students.”

“The resolution, I believe, is an opportunity to support Bridgeport public schools in a sustainable way and at least the positive, transformative change.”

Molly is a reporter covering Connecticut. She also produces Long Story Short, a podcast exploring public policy issues across Connecticut.