Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr.
Rev. Anthony Bennett
Rev. Kenneth Moales, a Bridgeport City School board member and Rev. Anthony Bennett, pastor of Mt. Aery Baptist Church, are among two dozen people to tell the state they are potentially interested in running a state-funded charter schools. Also, three of the potential applicants appear to be partnering with urban school districts. Aquila E. Hayes says she wants to partner with Bridgeport Public Schools and two other applicants want to partner with Windham Public Schools.
In all, 9 of the letters are from people who want to open a charter school in Bridgeport. One is for Danbury, another in Stamford. Last month, the state invited those interested to submit “Letters of Interest.” A formal Request for Proposals process is anticipated early this year, even though the state is facing a budget deficit.
Charter schools are publicly funded schools that run independent of local school board control. Currently there are 17 in the state including four in Bridgeport: Bridge Academy, Park City Prep, New Beginnings and Achievement First.
Preference is being given to schools developed in high need areas and who want to focus on dual language or English as a Second language students as well as schools that can address the racial and ethnic isolation in Hartford. A letter of interest is not mandatory for those that ultimately seek to apply.
Those that expressed interest include:
Kenneth Moales, Bridgeport, partnering with the Wilmington Delaware Prestige Academy Charter School
Patricia Erin Lichtenstein, Bridgeport
Tony Sidall, Bridgeport, partnering with Achievement First
Aquila E. Hayes, Bridgeport, partnering with Bridgeport School Dist
Dr. Anthony L. Bennett, Bridgeport
Linda Brown, Bridgeport
Michael Thomas Duffy, Bridgeport
Kathleen Sullivan, Bridgeport
Toni Giannone, Bridgeport, partnered with Speech Express, LLC
Eugene Campbell, Stamford, partnering with Yerwood Center
Gregory Middleton, Danbury
Rev. Lindsay E. Curtis, Norwalk
Susan Zerio, East Haven
Dr. Isaak Aronson New Haven
Althea Cordner, Hartford
Bernard Thomas, Hartford
Ismail Agirman, New Haven
Chaka Felder, New Haven
Valarie Shultz-Wilson, New Haven, partnered with Urban League Southern CT
Jill Bongiolatti, Winsted, partnered with First Robotics
Elsa M. Nunez, Windham, partnering with Windham School Dist
Ron Ward, Norwich, partnering with the Center for Montessori Teacher Ed. NY
Dr. Barbara L. Ruggiero Waterbury The Childrens Community School
Bob Rath, Windham, partnered with Windham Public School
The idea of running state-funded charter schools is a good one option towards educational development of many of the areas of our society and a good beginning towards a new approach
I’m proud of them. I wish there was someone who would decide to found a new group of charter schools in Minnesota. Thanks for sharing!
Mike,
The public will soon see that all charter schools will not be the cream of the crop next year. They are going to be just like the public schools. They’ll have to take all children which include ESL, Special Needs, and behavioral problems as well. Let’s see how their test scores fare next year. Hee Hee. The public will be scratching thier heads, “Gee whiz, now I see why the public school teachers have such a hard time.” everyone sit back abnd watch as they fail terribly. As for rev. Holy Moly, he needs to get off the board since he is sitting on a PUBLIC BOARD but getting money for his own little School business on the Stratford Avenue side of town. Charter Folks, your kids will be mixed up with all kinds of children next year, not just the lottery picked ones of the past. Get ready for all the classroom interruptions public school teachers deal with every day!
My kid’s teacher has to be put on a pedestal in her school because she truly cares about her children but there is hardly any parental involvement. Get with it Mike! Your charter schools are not going to be so wonderful soon with the new mandates coming. Get ready for charter changes.;)
Does the Rev Holy Moley know what a conflict of interest is. This man should be removed from the school board!
@Percy Smith: Perhaps you didn’t actually read the article, which explains that Bridgeport doesn’t need to provide any money, as charter schools are funded by the State.
Just what we need a prek – 3 tech school. Parents are dying for more time in front of a device. It will be like The Office for babies….tiny cubicles, tiny chairs and desks, staring at devices while reading ebooks, drawing with ecrayons and making efriends in this virtual school. Do this at home and it is child abuse..and this is considered progress? Not for my kids!
Moales..did you have a point? I missed it.
Wow! So, what next? Will our children’s present teachers be forced out of their positions. Where will these charter schools be? Bridgeport has no money so where will the money come from to build them? Will us taxpayers have to give more of our hard earned money to finance this so called boys town?
Guess who wants to open a charter school??