The Winds of Change

I received an email from CABE, the Ct Association of Boards of Education, a few days ago. It contained some surprising news in a deja vu kind of way.

"Over the course of 3 hours, Judge Moukawsher read his decision in the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding v. Rell case. While the Judge did not see it as the role of the court to order specific additional state funding, he issued a series of orders requiring the state to come back within 180 days with plans to revise many aspects of Connecticut’s education system. 

The state must submit proposed reforms consistent with this opinion on the following subjects:

•  the relationship between the state and local government in education.
•  an educational aid and school construction formula that is rational, substantial and verifiable
•  a definition of elementary and secondary education, including an objective and mandatory statewide graduation standard
•  standards for hiring, firing, evaluating, and paying education professionals;
•  funding, identification, and educational services standards for special education.

 
Once the state submits its proposed remedies, the plaintiffs will have 60 days to comment on them and propose alternatives. A hearing will then be scheduled."

At face value and assuming we haven't done this dance a few times before, this looks promising.  Then again, considering the principals involved, it can become a cluster-muck of frightening and expensive special interest featherbedding.

Whatever good comes of this will likely manifest itself as one or more unintended consequences of the measures adopted.