Disclaimer:
Before starting this conversation, I’m disclosing I am the husband of Laura Harris, a member of the Derby Board of Education. I admit to a favorable bias towards the Board and how they operate. This letter is a rebuttal of recent commentary made by the Mayor of Derby regarding the performance of the Derby School District and its leadership.
The Mayor of Derby states that there is a stigma associated with the Derby School District being identified as an Alliance District. He also accuses school leadership of spending state and city funding including Alliance grants with no plan and no accountability. These two premises are completely wrong.
Being an Alliance School District is not a problem…. it’s an opportunity. And in Derby, it hasn’t been wasted.
Alliance Districts are identified by the State of Connecticut as the lowest scoring districts based on an accountability index. The index is a numerical factor derived from 12 metrics including test scores, graduation rates, and attendance. The value is used to rank all the states districts, with the lowest 30 eligible for additional funding.
The program is a multi-year initiative with the goal of improving performance across all 12 performance measures. The expectation, as stated on the Connecticut Board of Education website is to “dramatically increase student outcomes and close achievement gaps by pursuing bold and innovative reforms.”. There is no expectation or requirement for a district to rise to the top of the list with this investment. They are expected to get better, which the District of Derby has and continues to accomplish.
Accountability is crucial to being awarded an Alliance District grant. From the website “each Alliance District’s receipt of its designated ECS funding is conditioned upon district submission and the Commissioner of Education’s approval of a plan, district progress and performance relative to that plan, and subsequent annual amendments, in the context of the district’s overall strategy to improve academic achievement. The CSDE reviews district plans on an annual basis and approves plans aligned to the goals of the program. Annual plan approval is predicated upon district implementation and performance during the prior year.”
This means that awards are based on how closely the district has met achievement goals of prior grants. There are annual reviews and a requirement for the grant to be aligned to an overall academic improvement strategy. A review of Derby’s plans show that many are enhanced methods to accomplish educational goals sustained without extraordinary increases in future city funding. Or in other words, do a better job for the same money.
To be blunt, the Mayor is wrong; Derby’s designation as an Alliance District is not detrimental. It has provided resources to make tangible improvements. He is wrong about the lack of accountability. Awards are based on continual performance improvements and alignment to an overall strategy.
I suggest he take some time to look over the Alliance District overview on the State Board of Education website. A study of the plans which Derby has submitted and follow-up with the Board of Education on how these plans align with an overall education strategy would be beneficial for future conversation regarding education in Derby.
William C. Harris Jr.
DERBY
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