This week, let’s talk about the top three existing authorities that the State Board of Education should be using to reform public education!

The State Board of Education has the statutory authority to prepare a comprehensive five-year education plan, complete with long- and short-term goals, cost analysis, benchmarks, and methods for achieving their goals and objectives. The statute also says that, in order to create such a plan, the Board is allowed to build an advisory committee, whose membership is basically left to the Board’s discretion.

The Board’s last 5-year plan extended through 2011.
Now that it’s time for a new plan, this is exactly the moment for the Board to demand accountability in Connecticut, to set high standards, and to take a leadership position in driving educational change. The next 5-year plan should make closing the achievement gap while raising student performance overall the top priority.  With a clearly articulated mission, the Board can set a plan of action in Connecticut, create awareness, and foster consensus so that we can all collaborate to improve the educational opportunities given to our children.

And, by the way: if the Board is looking for members of an advisory committee who can help build a strategic plan replete with instruments for measuring benchmarks, and methods for holding itself accountable to meeting it’s own goals – we’re sure many of Connecticut’s business leaders would jump at the opportunity to lend a hand. After all, developing goals and plans to achieve them, reporting on their successes and amending their plans accordingly –are tasks that the business community is particularly suited to assist with!

Tune in Wednesday to learn about more of the Board’s powers that we think should be put to good use!