Recently a family has been in the news for their disappointment in their child’s education from Hartford Public Schools, especially in her lack of preparation for higher education. And as a 21-year veteran teacher of Hartford Public Schools I am incredibly saddened at this harsh reality, but, unfortunately, not surprised.
Of course she can’t read.
In the last 7 years, policies for Hartford Public Schools have widened the cracks for our most vulnerable students to slip through.
Attendance requirements for graduation have gone by the wayside, along with truancy officers and attendance compliance officers to ensure our students attend school regularly. Without accountability and support some of our students miss hundreds of days of school putting them further and further behind.
Understaffing of special education teachers and paraprofessionals have had a detrimental and irreversible impact on our special needs population of students. With many special education teachers having upwards of 80 students on their caseload resulting in nearly 1,000 hours of essential services.
Additionally our multi-language teachers have had a huge influx of students from varying levels of English proficiency speaking hundreds of languages. Stretching themselves thin to service these students have caused many to leave the district for others that have more resources and support; which again leaves our students without the necessary tools to succeed.
The district standard for passing has also inflated over the past 7 years with the increase of a district minimum of 50 for all failing grades, which means a student need only pass one quarter and never return to school and still “pass” the class.
The increase in social promotion, opposed to retaining students who have not mastered the appropriate skills or content knowledge, has saturated upper grades with students 5, 6, 7 years below grade level.
Recent cuts to essential staffing at the school level has increased class sizes to an almost untenable level. Reducing the amount of 1:1 time or small group instruction our students need, and will only result in more and more students falling behind.
To reiterate all of these policies were created by the top heavy district and not by individual teachers or schools. Policies with polished PowerPoints toting the increase of our graduation rate without pulling back the curtain of what a Hartford Public Schools diploma actually means.
This burden is too great for individual schools, and overworked staff to handle, and does nothing to serve our “beautiful and capable” students.
Tiffany Washington, Hartford resident and teacher of 21 years
