State groups find common ground on education reform plan

Hartford - Five education interest groups and the state's leading business association joined hands at the Capitol complex today to announce their "basic agreement" on the principals of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education reform proposals.

"Our organizations have some different positions on different issues," said Joseph Cirasuolo, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, "but on the following issues, we have some common agreements."

The organizations said they're generally on board with proposals for tougher teacher evaluation guidelines, setting a higher bar for teacher tenure and giving salary increases to teachers who receive high evaluation ratings.

They also support proposals to overhaul the state's lowest-performing schools immediately, and to rewrite the state binding arbitration law so that "students' learning needs" become a primary factor in contract negotiations.

The six organizations were the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, Connecticut Association of Schools, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Connecticut Business and Industry Association, Connecticut Council for Education Reform and Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now.

The state's two teacher unions were not invited to the announcement. A spokesman for AFT Connecticut, Eric Excell-Bailey, said his union is still evaluating the governor's reform package, but has serious concerns about the proposed changes to binding arbitration.

j.reindl@theday.com