(L-to-R) Charles R. Venator-Santiago, Olga Delarosa Moya, Victor Quinones, Ana-Maria Garcia, Madelyn Colon, y Evelyn Mantilla
The gymnasium of St. Anne / Immaculate Conception Church on Park Street was the venue for a true community dialogue about the history and current state of the Latino vote in Hartford. The dialogue did not dwell in the past, nor did it center on the panelists’ contributions, as audience members readily joined in.
Evelyn Mantilla, who served as the event’s moderator, explained that of the approximately 54,000 individuals registered to vote in the city, 38% are Latinos. Of the small number who voted in the 2012 primary, only 13% of those voters were Latino.
“Why don’t more Latinos vote in Hartford?” was the question that held this conversation together. Everyone had theories.
Panelist Victor Quinones said, “we are not educated politically.” People will vote all Democrat instead of thinking about the individual candidates.
“There is also the hours,” he said. Very few people stop by the polls between 6-9am, and then people work all day. He said the polls should open and close later. Continue reading '¿Ausente? Indeed.'»
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Those paying close attention to the relationship between the Hartford Board of Education and Superintendent Kishimoto knew this was a long time coming. Initially, the BOE was hesitant to speak up; one member of the school board said that because the Superintendent is female, they had tiptoed around in an effort to be sensitive to potential gender dynamics issues.
That free pass, however, has been tossed.
The Board of Education is recommending that Dr. Kishimoto “pursue services offered for additional professional development,” to address areas in which she received low grades from the board in her annual performance evaluation. Continue reading 'Board Gives Superintendent Low Marks'»
The Hartford Office of Talent Management — the Hartford Public Schools’ version of human resources — was not involved in the interviews for teachers applying for positions at Milner/Jumoke, Andrea Johnson of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, explained in a message to the Superintendent. Dr. Michael Sharpe, the Chief Executive Office of Jumoke Academy, conducted the interviews and made hiring decisions. According to Johnson, teachers at Milner/Jumoke have “legitimate concerns about the lack of honesty on the part of their new employer.”
Newly hired teachers attending orientation during the week of August 13th had not received acceptance letters from Hartford, Johnson says. These were letters that teachers should have been sent to sign. After learning about this, Natasha Durrant of the Office of Talent Management was tasked with sending the letters.
Fast forward another week.
Newly hired teachers disclose to the Hartford Federation of Teachers in a meeting about the Memorandum of Understanding — to which the HFT had agreed — that they were not informed during the hiring process that they would be required to work additional days during the summer months. Continue reading 'Milner/Jumoke Teachers Rejected MOU Because of Hiring Process'»
Teachers at Milner/Jumoke, one of the schools absorbed into the Commissioner’s Network, did not ratify the Memorandum of Understanding — a move that has stirred the Superintendent to threaten holding the Hartford Federation of Teachers union accountable and taking the matter to arbitration. According to state law, the matter would go to expedited arbitration if rejected by teachers; it is not driven there by the Superintendent. Continue reading 'Turnaround Plan for Milner? Not All On Board'»
The children at the Burns Latino Studies Academy have experienced a lot of change this past school year. One more is headed their way, but they have been afforded some respect by receiving notice and preparation this time.
Before it becomes official, there is just one more step. Continue reading 'New Principal Selected for Burns'»
The community will have the opportunity on Wednesday to discuss how Jumoke Academy may be partnering with the Milner Core Knowledge Academy in the 2012-2013 school year. Continue reading 'Another Meeting About Milner’s Fate'»
When the Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School community signed appearance waivers for a camera crew a few months ago, they did so under the impression that the footage was going to be used by CPTV and would show the evolution of the school. Continue reading 'Something Fishy at Annie Fisher'»
Kishimoto met with parents at Milner yesterday to inform them that the school would definitely be redesigned for the 2012-2013 school year. Continue reading 'Parents Grill Kishimoto about Redesign of Milner'»
Teachers at The Core Knowledge Academy at the Thirman L. Milner School have been speculating about what will become of their school for awhile.
Tonight, it is expected that Superintendent Kishimoto will be proposing that what has been dubbed as a failing school for not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress be converted into some form of a charter school. Continue reading 'Board of Education Public Hearing Tonight at Kinsella'»
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