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By Kerri Provost, September 1, 2010 6:13 am

The fourth annual family-friendly community spelling bee will be held on Friday, October 22^nd, from 7-9pm. This event will be at the Theater of the Performing Arts, which is located within the Learning Corridor at 359 Washington Street. It is free to watch teams scramble for correct answers.

It’s not free to play, however. It costs $500 to register a team; the registration deadline is September 30, 2010. This means you have a few weeks to decide whether to compete, study up, find better spellers than yourself to be on your team, and ask for help funding your registration. Team members can be high school age and up, and a word list will be made available so that spellers can study before humiliating themselves in public. A few past teams have included The Goode Spellerz (Asylum Hill Congregational
Church), Habeas Corpses (Law and Government Academy), and Ain’t mis-bee havin The Bee Sharps (Friends of Achieve Hartford!). Participants are encouraged to select names that will make the eyes roll.

Achieve Hartford! — a nonprofit organization that “has been established to monitor, support and be a catalyst for education reform and community involvement in the Hartford Public School District”– says that:

The Community Spelling Bee is our signature special fundraising event.  The funds raised from the Bee will go to support literacy-based resource programs that help students excel in reading.

For more information about the Spelling Bee or the organization, see the Achieve Hartford! website.

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By Kerri Provost, August 24, 2010 7:00 pm

Entering The Hartford Club reminded me of how I felt during my first year of college. It was a monumental crossing of a threshold that seemed so off limits to me. While The Hartford Club is far more opulent than my alma mater, my anxiety level was nearly the same when approaching both places. Would it be obvious that I did not belong? I would learn, of course, that there were others like me — first generation college students. First time Hartford Club crashers. Trespassers. There was paperwork proving my right to enter, but still, a trespasser at heart.

I would observe how others moved about, spoke to one another, sat in certain groupings. In both experiences, even when I gained cultural literacy, when I began to blend, I knew that at the end of the day, there was part of me that would never, ever, feel at home. Today, as I walked home from The Hartford Club, it became much more apparent. The achievement gap that was being spoken of was purely academic for much of the audience. It was one thing to talk about discrepancies in performance and economics; it is quite another for these disparities to be palpable. In the Georgian Revival private club on Prospect Street, there is mouthwash in the “ladies lounge.” In my neighborhood, there is litter strewn across the school lawn. The litter has been there all summer long and the school is one of the lowest ranked in Hartford. It remains so, even after being shut down and later reopened as a “new school.” The kids who can not read, who are dropping out, who are creating all the financial burdens we heard about in this morning’s forum — they are not some sad abstract statistic; they are the kids that I pass every time I take a walk around the block.

Slamming the Door on the Achievement Gap

The MetroHartford Alliance forum held at The Hartford Club this morning was titled Hartford Public Schools Education Reform and Next Steps. Presenters included Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, Dr. Steven J. Adamowski; Executive Director of Achieve Hartford!, James L. Starr; and the Commissioner of Higher Education for the State of Connecticut, Michael P. Meotti. All speakers addressed the issue of closing Connecticut’s achievement gap.

The very phrase “achievement gap” softens the issue. Education Week explains the achievement gap as:

[...] the disparity in academic performance between groups of students. It is most often used to describe the troubling performance gaps between many African-American and Hispanic students, at the lower end of the performance scale, and their non-Hispanic white peers, and the similar academic disparity between students from low-income and well-off families. The achievement gap shows up in grades, standardized-test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates. It has become a focal point of education reform efforts.

While National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results have shown that, over time, black and Hispanic students have made great strides in narrowing the breach that separates them from their white peers, that progress seems to have come to a halt since the mid-1980s.

The achievement gap, to put it in more direct terms, refers to the racial and economic disparities in educational outcome. Connecticut has the dishonor of having the greatest achievement gap in all 50 states, based on the NAEP results. The Superintendent stated that there is a 93% poverty rate within the Hartford school district, based on eligibility for free/reduced school lunch. There are correlations between poverty and other social problems: of those in Hartford who have dropped out of school, 60% have been incarcerated. Continue reading 'Old School, New School'»

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By Kerri Provost, July 27, 2010 3:20 pm

Capital Community College, located on Main Street, has received the Leader College designation from the national nonprofit Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count organization. It has received this honor “for demonstrating sustained improvement and accomplishments on key student achievement indicators.”

The college has recently implemented several initiatives through Achieving the Dream, such as:

• The Black & Latino Male Resource Center: Mentors helping minority men navigate the challenges of college,

• Learning Communities: Interactive environment and tutoring support for students in a developmental sequence, to help them transition to credit courses, and

• Math Intervention: Using embedded tutors and math tutoring software to help developmental math students in and out of the classroom.

Other colleges that have been dubbed as Leader Colleges include: Alamo Community College District, Brazosport College, Martin Community College, Northampton Community College, Northern Virginia Community College, and Yakima Valley Community College.

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By Kerri Provost, June 25, 2010 5:58 pm

Community gardens are a valuable resource for those of us who have postage stamp (or smaller) yards. They provide a place for gardeners to relieve stress by pulling weeds; having beautiful flowers and growing our own food is another bonus.

Garden space is relatively inexpensive and allows one to know exactly where her food is coming from that season, depending on how able of a gardener she is and how much she chooses to plant. I have seen people successfully grow tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, beans, peas, chard, cabbage, fennel, collard greens, corn, brussels sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, squash, zucchini, carrots, thyme, rosemary, basil, mint, beets, radishes, onions, garlic, spinach, broccoli, ginger, cauliflower, and pumpkins in Hartford. Continue reading 'Community and Food'»

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By Kerri Provost, May 27, 2010 8:03 am

This has been the question posed, but the definition of caring is one that I reject. The Courant has framed the issue as follows: Hartford residents do or do not care about the city based on political corruption and/or low voter turnout.

As if those were the only indicators of caring!

Don’t Blame Me for Perez
I have voted in every election. Because I am not able to see the world through rose-colored glasses, I know that people can be corrupt, evil, or just plain stupid, regardless of party affiliation; thus, I do not vote along any party line. Although I do not despise him as many do, I have never voted for Perez. And guess what? Many others in Hartford did not vote for him either. Citing as proof that Hartford residents do not care because Mayor Perez was reelected is like saying Americans did not care because GWB was elected twice. I do not understand why some would cast their votes in favor of certain candidates, but they do.

Low voter turnout is a problem, but it is not a problem unique to Hartford. Even in presidential elections, Americans do not take part as they could. Do we blame voters for not participating in a system that they view as broken or unable to be affected by the people? I don’t. I’ll admit to not always believing that my vote matters, but I do it anyway…in the same way that I wear a seatbelt or a bike helmet. It might be futile, but then, it might not, and it does not hurt me to do so.

Instead of framing the outcome of an election as a sign that Hartford residents do not care, why do we not ask instead why better candidates are not running for political office?

I do not care about Perez
Sure, I care about him as a human being. He’s never been unpleasant in my very few interactions with him. But I do not care about his trial. There. I said it.

The media cares about the Perez trial because it is scandalous (low grade scandal is what I would call it) and scandal sells papers, gets viewers, and allows “reporters” to sit in a court room tweeting inane, irrelevant observations, passing that off as news.

It’s not that I am a supporter of corruption. If the Mayor did in fact do something illegal, he should be punished appropriately for it. But — here’s a shocker — his fancy counter tops do not affect my everyday life. They are not the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing before I go to sleep. No, the last thing I think about when going to bed is how the “noise ordinance with teeth” is more like one with dentures, in that when residents call for enforcement, the teeth have been removed. I care about the need for stronger enforcement of leash laws. There are people who let their pit bulls roam, which causes problems when they tangle with other dogs; there are some in my neighborhood who are afraid they will be bitten. Another thing I care about is how lackadaisical traffic law enforcement is. The police only need to park themselves at the corner of Broad and Capitol to meet any ticket quotas they might have. Every single time I am at this intersection I see people running red lights, speeding through the intersection, and doing other amazingly idiotic things, like texting while turning. Sit by the highway on and off ramps. I would feel safer standing in the middle of a driving school parking lot. I care about low literacy, bullying in schools, and the lack of employment for residents. I care that in certain neighborhoods where there are high rates of diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, I see prominent billboards advertising alcohol and fast food. I care about the way downtown landlords price out low income residents or new small businesses, how the city demolishes buildings they own rather than maintain them so that they can be used, how the parks are not maintained as they should be, and how a minority of violent thugs make life unbearable in small sections of the city.

When I do not have so many other things to care about, then maybe I will have room in my brain for caring about a rather minor accusation made of a politician, who, by the way, has not gotten us into a war (or two), permitted torture, or wrecked the economy. Let’s prioritize our outrage. If Perez acted illegally, then he should be punished, but there is no need to sensationalize the trial, as this is not worthy of sensationalism.

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By Kerri Provost, March 9, 2010 6:28 am

Other than the military personnel who are armed to the teeth with coffee and junkfood from Dunkin Donuts, I rarely see significant foot traffic near the Legislative Office Building. Mostly, people drive to the parking garage and enter the building through the pedestrian entrance, never needing to come into contact with sunlight. Yet, there are large, well-marked warnings painted on the driveway, warning motorists to slow down. There are stop signs posted in places that make them more noticeable. There are even neon yellow signs telling motorists to stop for pedestrians — the signs are posted right in the crosswalks. I do appreciate this, as I use the area as a safer passage to downtown, given that the alternative of continuing along Capitol Avenue means having to cross the I-84 on/off ramp. Even with the stoplights all working and with the pedestrian walk signal on, the cars do not stop. Last week I saw a noticeably pregnant woman pushing a stroller across and the cars were not even obeying the law for her. It seems strange that few such safety features exist along a major street, but within a parking lot, traffic is managed quite well.

Sunday morning, when I read about the volunteer crossing guard who was threatened with arrest for keeping children safe, my heart sank. I read the article a few more times, trying to find a hidden clue that would make this story make sense. In a nutshell, a grandfather, who happens to be a disabled Vietnam Vet, decided to contribute to society by helping children safely get across the street to the Achievement First Academy in the Blue Hills neighborhood. He began this back in September. He had been honored by the school in the school newsletter and by being given a vest and stop sign. That sounds like his actions had been more than merely approved of by those he was interacting with directly.

Why threaten a man with arrest for helping society? Continue reading 'Whose Interests Are We Guarding?'»

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By Kerri Provost, December 23, 2009 1:12 pm

ConnCAN has released its school reportcards. The data shows overall student performance (Average percentage of students meeting state goals across all subjects), performance gains, improvement, low-income student performance, African-American student performance, and Hispanic student performance. Findings reflected the oft-discussed racial and class-based achievement gaps. The Milner School, located on Vine Street in Hartford, and listed as Core Knowledge at Milner on the Hartford Public Schools site, had 5.2% of students meeting state goals across all subjects. Continue reading 'Report Cards'»

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By Kerri Provost, December 22, 2009 8:10 am

Three more schools are in the works for the next school year. The Achieve Hartford! site explains that “In May of 2007, the Board approved a five-year framework that would guide the opening of at least 22 new schools in Hartford.” Here’s what is planned:

Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School (k-8)
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. There was little to be impressed by until I reached the sample curriculum in the design specs, where, I saw that 4th graders might design water filters and alarm circuits. The school will have a number of partnerships, including with the Connecticut Science Center and the Children’s Science Museum.

Dwight-Bellizzi Asian Studies Academy (pre-k - 8th)
This school will feature:

A robust, engaging curriculum that seamlessly integrates district and state academic mandates with global content and competencies to foster high academic achievement and to create awareness and understanding of the world and its workings
Language instruction, on a daily basis, from kindergarten throughout the elementary experience, with widespread exposure to native speakers

The language featured? Mandarin Chinese. The language and culture was chosen based on its growing popularity worldwide. Opportunities for students will include:

Two representatives from each classroom will serve as student ambassadors. Student Ambassadors
create activities around global awareness and run the school’s Global Council. The Global Council
will make recommendations for monthly activities and school improvement to the leadership team.
Students will also have opportunities to participate on a mock United Nations Council using multiple
languages at grades 7 and 8.
Students in grades 7 and 8 will read the “Book of the Month” with students in grades 1 and 2.
Students will participate in a competitive Debate Club in grades 5-8.
Students in grades 1 and 2 will practice Mandarin with grades 7 and 8.

Beyond building language and rhetorical skills, this seems promising as it enables students to work with those in other age brackets. This helps the older students to reinforce their knowledge via teaching/tutoring, and provides younger students with another possible way to learn material. The possible lesson plans for 6-8th grade contain material that many are not exposed to until college, if ever:

1. East Asia: An Overview
A broad overview is given of Asia’s great cultural traditions as well as the development of this
region throughout the twentieth century. Due to colonialism, Japanese militarism, World War II
and the Cold War, particular attention is given to changes within the region.
2. Politics in East Asia
Students are introduced to the political developments of the post-colonial period, with an emphasis
on the rise of communism after World War II and the evolution of more Western-style
democracies. Also included are discussions about the differences between Western and Asian
views of democracy and society.
3. The East Asian Economic Miracle
The materials give an analysis of how post-colonial countries created economic policies to
promote growth. Special attention is directed at economic policies which encouraged foreign
investment and the development of export-based industries.
4. Social Issues, Human Rights, and the Environment
Topics such as poverty, crime, environmental degradation in the wake of economic growth, the
changing role of women, the legacy of Japanese militarism, and the conflict between Western and
Asian views of human rights are introduced.
5. U.S. Interests in East Asia
The role of the United States in East Asia is explored from a framework of economic and military
interests. Topics of interest include U.S.-Japan trade relations, the wars America fought on Asian
soil, and the future of U.S. security amidst the growing economic and military power of nations
such as China and North Korea.

Humanities Studies at Bulkeley Upper School (11-12th)
I don’t really get this one. There’s block scheduling, which I think is a positive framework for a course, and a few intriguing classes, but really, isn’t “humanities” the general studies taught in most high schools? Is it specialized because of the number of math/science and performing arts type of schools emerging in the city? I don’t know. I like that there will be a Logic & Rhetoric course, as well as a Hartford, Connecticut Studies course. There are some courses offered that will gain students college credits. Aren’t these the types of things we should expect from all schools?
Continue reading 'Choosing Your School Choice (part one)'»

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By Kerri Provost, November 6, 2009 5:53 pm

Some people I have spoken with in the past few days were totally unaware that there was an election on Tuesday.

Others, however, are sharply aware. Check out the latest posts on Live in Hartford and IonHartford.

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By Kerri Provost, November 4, 2009 1:38 pm

Heather Brandon has published the results of yesterday’s Board of Education election on her blog, Urban Compass.