The House chamber at the Capitol
On Wednesday, CGG and I headed to Hartford for a tour of the state capitol and LOB with other bloggers from around the state. We had an awesome time! Thanks to Spazeboy for putting the whole trip together. You can see far better pictures and some video at CT Bob and ConnecticutBlog. I took a ton of audio recordings. Here are a few of them:
CGG and I would like to thank the following Democratic State Representatives for talking to us and showing us around. It was a great experience!
http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf
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Rep. Andy Fleischmann here responds to Maura from MLN’s question about ECS funding and changes to the ECS format. (1:15)
http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf
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Rep. Flesichmann responds to my question about other ways to improve education beyond increasing money sent to towns. (1:06)
http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf
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Rep. Geragosian talks about what we can expect to see out of the legislature this year on health care. (0:44)
http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf
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Rep. Steve Fontana on energy deregulation. (1:12)
http://odeo.com/flash/audio_player_tiny_black.swf
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Rep. Fontana on information technology. In the background, you can hear CGG and I discuss the (shameful) fact that I still have dial-up.
Thanks to the following Democratic State Representatives for talking to us and showing us around! We appreciate it!
Rep. Geragosian
Rep. Donovan
Rep. Drew
Rep. O’Brien
Rep. Tercyak
Rep. Shapiro
Rep. Fontana
Rep. Urban
Rep. Godfrey
Rep. Fleischmann
Rep. Lawlor
CGG and I at the podium. Pic by spazeboy
Connecticut Local Politics 
You mean you have never had a tour there before?
Oh c’mon, Fleischmann’ s response about ECS changes are absurd.. that’s not reform that’s just pouring more money into the abyss. The formula has been so incredibly bastardized over the years that it is hardly equitable, and more tinkering is not going to fix it. Eliminating the caps and raising the foundation does little to actually cut up the pie with more equity – even his own town still loses out. Again the big winners are the ones who always were big winners, and the losers are the taxpayers who are asked to empty their pockets more. I guess that’s no surprise as he has said he wants to grow government as big as it can be and tax people as much as possible.
So he wants to help get better education results by fixing school buildings and adding more teachers (he is such a good friend to the unions) and possibly adopting “best practices” (whatever the heck those are.. does anyone really know?) .. but no mention of abandoning the continuance of unfunded state mandates that are killing school budgets or even examining whether or not currently funded programs are working and producing results. No surprise in his stock answers.
And they are sending this guy to a federal education panel? Well, maybe that’s a good thing if they can get him out of Hartford for a change.
So – were any non-Democrats invited to attend this shindig? LOL.
Well, I was invited. I’m not a Democrat.
Eliminating some of the unfunded mandates (or making them funded) would be a good step. But money really is needed to fix buildings and hire more teachers. Class sizes are too big, and a lot of buildings, especially in the cities, are falling apart.
You may not like the unions (I don’t really like them, either–and I used to be a CEA member), but they are a reality. In this case, what they want (more teachers) is actually a part of what is needed. Many, many studies have shown that smaller class sizes are good for kids.
>>but they are a reality. In this case, what they want (more teachers) is actually a part of what is needed
Okay, my step daughter agrees.
But seeing as she, like virtually every other public school teacher has her masters; what’s with the layers and layers of over-paid do-nothings in administration?
Seems to me we could lop those numbers by 70% and achieve two things.
1:) Let teachers teach. (an interesting concept eh?)
2:) Save most towns something in excess of over 10% of their total annual budget.
Come on GC,
Take the wrapper off the video camera and join the club. It’s like green eggs and ham…it only sounds bad but it taste great!
PPM baby!
ACR,
There we absolutely agree. The state over-legislates and over-regulates education, and administrators are by and large pretty useless.
>>administrators are by and large pretty useless.
That’s no crime, it’s just that they’re so darn expensive!