Connecticut is facing a lawsuit over its restrictions on magnet schools, charter schools and school choice programs. Three parents and a grandmother filed the federal suit Tuesday on behalf of seven children.
The lawsuit claims that the current restrictions on school choice are unconstitutional and that they have forced thousands of low-income and minority students to attend low-performing schools.
Governor Dannel Malloy, state Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell and other officials are named as defendants in the suit.
The nonprofit group, Students Matter, of Menlo Park, California, is supporting the plaintiffs.
Students Matter says the state's restrictions, which include a moratorium on new magnet schools, have deepened one of the largest achievement gaps in the country.
The state Education Department counters that Connecticut has high quality public education. They cite record high graduation rates, rising test scores and more school options.
