Charter Schools Help

In his recent op-ed “Next Governor Must Focus On Schools” [Oct. 9], Robert Hannafin correctly argues that the next governor must prioritize fixing Connecticut’s public education system, particularly for children in low-income, urban communities who have been deprived of a quality education for far too long.

Hannafin’s call for a moratorium on new public charter schools, however, will only hurt children in our low-income urban communities, not help them.

There are many factors that contribute to a child’s success, but it is clear that Connecticut’s public charter schools in the state’s low-income communities are helping their students perform at levels above wealthy suburban districts.

On the 2018 Smarter Balanced assessments, the percentage of students scoring at grade level in Connecticut public charter schools improved three points in both math and reading, roughly triple the improvement made by students statewide over the same period.

Connecticut has some of the largest achievement gaps in the country, and the state’s public charter schools are a critical part of the solution to deliver a great education to kids. The next governor should view them as an integral part of his plan to improve our public education system.

Yamuna (Yam) Menon The writer is the Connecticut director of the Northeast Charter Schools

Network.