Good Policy Efforts in CT

Friends, now that we’ve set up shop at Good Policy Partners, we're launching this newsletter to tease out the trends in the news related to exciting policy work in Connecticut and beyond. These monthly check-ins will cover and link the latest media articles and reports, identify current events, and give you the inside scoop on budding policy ideas. It’s a bustling season, and we’re excited to keep each other in the loop. 

Think your ideas or efforts belong in the newsletter? Get in touch! We can’t wait to hear from you!

Best, 

Amy and Nicki

Connecticut Leaders Poised to Address Affordable Housing Recently, Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas (D-East Hartford) jointly published an op-ed in CT Insider regarding the importance of seeking immediate policy solutions to Connecticut’s housing crisis. The legislature has tasked a working group called the Majority Leader's Roundtable on Affordable Housing with studying existing housing policies across the state, models in other states, and the potential for promoting affordable housing in the state. And the legislature has already adopted several measures, including incentives for municipalities to approve multifamily housing and streamline zoning processes, as well as initiatives to convert unused commercial properties into residential spaces. But there's plenty of work left to do, and these legislative leaders argue that rethinking housing regulations will be key to promoting the building of more homes. 

Want to learn more? The Partnership for Strong Communities is hosting an event on October 21st to build momentum for Connecticut's housing supply reforms.

New Report on Educational Opportunity in CT

This week, a CT Insider story by Natasha Sokoloff looked at a new report on the state of educational opportunity in Connecticut. The ConnCAN report shows that parents and families across the country are concerned about the educational opportunities available to their children. Over the summer, responses from 412 parents and guardians here in Connecticut indicated that only about a third were "extremely confident" that their child would succeed in the workforce or in college. 

The report also shows that less than 1 in 5 Connecticut parents have access to information regarding school performance or spending. Moreover, significant income gaps create disparities in students' access to tutoring, summer programming, and organized sports. "Parents are worried," the article quotes ConnCAN Executive Director Steven Hernández as explaining. "And we saw that, not only in Connecticut, but across the country."

CT Districts Face Fiscal Cliff

In September, Daniel Pearson, Executive Director of Educators for Excellence CT, published a CT Mirror op-ed commenting on the imminent fiscal cliff for districts, as the remainder of their federally funded pandemic relief is set to expire. (See this Politico article for more national coverage on the fiscal cliff.) When this funding drops off, he observes, districts could face layoffs, making classroom environments more challenging for both students and the teachers who remain. 

Connecticut needs a more permanent strategy for meeting public school students' needs. The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, which the state uses to allocate K-12 education funding to districts, will not be fully funded for several more years. Pearson argues that to avoid the fiscal cliff as ESSER dollars expire, the legislature ought to expedite this phase-in.