In April, the Appropriations Committee didn’t just propose to cut new funding for Common Core State Standards; they completely eliminated it.

In 2010, Connecticut became one of the now 46 states that are adopting the Common Core State Standards. Along with standardizing expectations, CCSS encourages depth in learning and mastery of rigorous subject matter while making sure that our students become competent and competitive workers. In essence, CCSS changes the focus of classroom learning from quantity to quality. (Read more about CCSS here.)

Governor Malloy’s original budget proposal included $16.6 million over the biennium to support local implementation of the Common Core State Standards. This money is intended to train teachers and leaders to adopt the new standards in schools, develop aligned assessment tools, and create online reference materials for educators.

The Appropriations Committee’s Budget would be devastating to the progress made towards ensuring a quality education for all students.  Without any initial funding for CCSS implementation, educators will not have the support they need to make these vital changes. “The majority of teachers support the Common Core Standards but don’t feel prepared to teach them”, says CCER Executive Director, Rae Ann Knopf. “We need to make sure that teachers are confident in their abilities by providing focused professional development and training if we want to see positive changes in Connecticut Schools.”

We must follow through on our commitments in order to improve.

We must support Connecticut teachers in implementing higher standards and expectations for every student.

We are asking much of Connecticut’s educators, and, in return, CCER is urging legislators to restore funding for Common Core implementation. It is time that we support our teachers and administrators to ensure that ALL students have access to an effective and fulfilling education.