Yesterday, for The CT Mirror, Jacqueline Rabe Thomas reported that while Connecticut will continue with a school choice lottery that originated many years ago as an attempt to desegregate schools in Hartford, the state Department of Education did not clarify whether it will fund additional seats for students in desegregated magnet and suburban […continue]
Yesterday, The Hour’s Kevin Schultz reported that education advocates in Connecticut are calling for a change in how the state allocates funding for public education. Specifically, as part of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding v. Rell case, the coalition, Advocates for Educational Choice, is asking the state Supreme Court for […continue]
Today, the students and parents who brought the landmark educational equity and adequacy lawsuit Martinez v. Malloy filed a response to the State of Connecticut’s motion to dismiss their case. The Martinez lawsuit challenges Connecticut’s “Anti-Opportunity Laws” — a magnet school moratorium, a cap on charter public schools and the laws discouraging the Open Choice enrollment program — that prevent […continue]
On Wednesday, education advocacy group Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) launched a new statewide campaign, Schools R4 Kids, that urges the Connecticut General Assembly “to take immediate action to address the education equity issues outlined in Judge Thomas Moukawsher’s recent CCJEF v. Rell decision.” As Jennifer Alexander, chief executive officer of New Haven-based ConnCAN […continue]
On Wednesday, The CT Mirror’s Jacqueline Rabe Thomas examined the odds stacked against Hartford families as they attempt to win a seat in the region’s school choice lottery. According to information provided by the Connecticut State Department of Education, “Slightly more than 20,000 children sought a seat in a regional magnet […continue]
On Wednesday, The CT Mirror’s Jacqueline Rabe Thomas kicked off the first of a seven-part series examining Connecticut’s troubled school system, focusing on education inequities for students from low-income families compared to their peers across the state. The state’s growing achievement gaps were at the center of the five-month CCJEF […continue]
Last week, Connecticut state officials filed a motion asking a federal judge to dismiss the education equality lawsuit, Martinez v. Malloy. The case, filed by a group of Connecticut students and their parents with Students Matter’s support, challenges the state’s moratorium on magnet schools, cap on charter schools and penalties […continue]
Yesterday, New Haven Register’s Brian Zahn reported that nine faith leaders joined education advocacy organization Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) in calling upon the state’s General Assembly to take immediate action in creating an equitable education funding model according to the Superior Court’s ruling in CCJEF v. Rell. The […continue]
Yesterday, USA Today’s national education reporter Greg Toppo reported on U.S. Education Secretary John King’s remarks at the National Press Club, in which he criticized “arbitrary caps” on the growth of high-quality charter public schools. Secretary King’s stance directly aligns with the goals of the federal education equity lawsuit Martinez […continue]
![\"Jennifer](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/2_16_2015-150x150.jpg\")
\u201cWe stand with the plaintiffs in this case who \u2014 as other civil rights and social justice advocates before them \u2014 are seeking relief from the courts when other methods have failed them. This case is fundamentally about addressing our highly inequitable access to quality schools. Our current state laws knowingly force children to attend chronically failing schools and systematically deny them access to better-performing ones. When all other methods have failed them, the parents have turned to the courts to resolve this unconstitutional inequity.\u00a0Generations of students have suffered because of barriers that restrict access to quality public school options, especially in areas where our students are most vulnerable. This systemic inequality of opportunity for parents and students who have few other choices hurts everyone over time. Improving these outcomes is a moral and economic imperative.\u201d\r\n![\"shavar-226x300\"](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/shavar-226x300-150x150.jpg\")
\u201cWe support the four Connecticut parents and families who are choosing to fight to ensure that their students \u2013 and students across the state \u2013 have access to a high-quality public education, no matter their zip code. Every child deserves the chance to fulfill his or her limitless potential, and while it\u2019s unfortunate the families had to turn to the courts in order to receive the equitable opportunities they are entitled to, we stand with them in their commitment to addressing one of the greatest civil rights and social justice issues of our time. We look forward to this case\u2019s next steps and are hopeful that Connecticut\u2019s students and their best interests will prevail.\u201d","post_title":"Martinez v. Malloy Press Kit","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"press-kit","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2016-08-26 13:10:18","post_modified_gmt":"2016-08-26 20:10:18","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":6035,"guid":"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/?post_type=case&p=6069","menu_order":0,"post_type":"case","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6065,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2016-08-24 07:44:49","post_date_gmt":"2016-08-24 14:44:49","post_content":"","post_title":"Timeline","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"timeline","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2018-01-31 12:40:25","post_modified_gmt":"2018-01-31 20:40:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":6035,"guid":"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/?post_type=case&p=6065","menu_order":1,"post_type":"case","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6035,"post_author":"8","post_date":"2016-08-23 14:40:32","post_date_gmt":"2016-08-23 21:40:32","post_content":"Every child deserves to go to a quality public school that helps him or her achieve the American Dream. Unfortunately, for too many Connecticut students, that isn\u2019t the reality. That\u2019s why a group of parents and students filed Martinez v. Malloy<\/em><\/a>, a federal lawsuit against the State of Connecticut challenging a set of state laws and policies that knowingly and actively prevent students from accessing even minimally acceptable public school options.<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThroughout Connecticut and across the country, many public schools \u2014 including magnet, traditional and charter schools \u2014 are delivering a world-class education to students of all backgrounds. With the same amount of public funding, students in high-performing schools are learning Mandarin, playing instruments, coding and computing, thinking critically and preparing to meet the challenges of the 21st<\/sup> century. We know what works. But miles-long waitlists prove that while there is an overwhelming demand for great schools across the state, we just don\u2019t have the seats to accommodate every child.\r\n\r\n![\"Empty](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Empty-Classroom.jpg\")
\r\n![\"Martinez](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Martinez-v.-Malloy_Jose-Martinez-outside-US-District-Court-in-Bridgeport-arms-crossed_8.24.16.jpg\")
Martinez v. Malloy<\/em> Student Plaintiff Jose Martinez[\/caption]\r\n![\"Martinez](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Martinez-v.-Malloy_Jaidyn-Bryan-Dahlia-Bryan-Jorr-Moorley_Case-Filing.jpg\")
Martinez v. Malloy<\/em>\u00a0Student Plaintiffs Jaidyn (left) and Jorr (right) with\u00a0Their Mom, Parent Plaintiff Dahlia Bryan[\/caption]\r\n![\"StudentsMatter](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/StudentsMatter_NewsMemes_Testimony_1.jpg\")
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\r\n<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"StudentsMatter](\"http:\/\/studentsmatter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/StudentsMatter_NewsMemes_Testimony_3.png\")
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