Hartford - General Assembly Republicans are fuming over being shut out of weekend closed-door meetings to iron out the details of a controversial education reform bill.

Minority Leaders Rep. Lawrence Cafero and Sen. John McKinney told a gathering of reporters Friday that the Education Committee's co-chairs - Sen. Andrea Stillman, D-Waterford, and Rep. Andrew Fleischmann, D-West Hartford - are meeting privately with Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and representatives of the state's two teachers unions.

The talks could decide what revisions are made to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's education proposal to overhaul the state's teacher certification and tenure system and allow for takeovers of failing schools and districts, among other things.

The education committee is expected to vote on a revised version of Senate Bill 24 as early as Monday.

"I think all of the people of Connecticut and all of our constituents should be rightly upset and shocked that they would take this issue, that is this important, and put it behind lock and key this weekend," McKinney, of Fairfield, said.

Stillman did not return multiple phone calls seeking comment.

"We're talking about one of the most major pieces of legislation in the past quarter century that is being negotiated behind closed doors without any Republican input," Cafero said. "This is not the fault of the governor; it's the fault of the chairs."

Roy Occhiogrosso, Malloy's senior adviser, said Friday night that the governor's office doesn't control the actions of a legislative committee, but is trying to keep Republicans informed about developments with the bill.

Malloy is finishing up a series of town hall-style meetings across the state on his education proposals.

j.reindl@theday.com