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In the News
Charter schools won't get federal jobs money
September 1, 2010
Connecticut Mirror
By Robert Frahm
The state's allocation of federal stimulus money intended to save teaching jobs in cash-strapped school districts excluded charter schools, many of which serve students in Connecticut's poorest communities.
The experimental charter schools, along with the state's technical high schools and some public magnet schools, were left out under a formula used by the state to distribute the $110 million in stimulus funds approved by Congress in August.
Time to stop whining and make serious education reforms
August 31, 2010
Hartford Courant
By Rick Green
Maybe you saw what New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did last week after he learned about the bungling behind his administration's failure to win $400 million in the federal Race to the Top competition that rewards states that adopt aggressive education reforms.
Christie fired his education commissioner.
Bravo. At least we know what matters to Gov. Christie, a Republican making waves across the country. That's more than I can say for Connecticut, land of timid leadership.
Hot topic: Connecticut misses out on another school reform grant
August 31, 2010
New Haven Advocate
By Betsy Yagla
For the second time, Connecticut lost out on millions of dollars in competitive federal grants for education reform. Connecticut was not one of the 19 finalists announced in July. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced 10 winners, among them Connecticut’s neighbors Massachusetts ($250 million), New York ($750 million) and Rhode Island ($75 million).
Hwang to receive education award tomorrow at Fairfield U.
August 30, 2010
Trumbull Times
By Donald Eng
Conn. learns why it lost out on fed funds
August 28, 2010
New Haven Register
By Abbe Smith
In the most recent round of federal Race to the Top awards, Connecticut scored lower than every state it borders.
The state learned last month that it did not make the list of finalists, but didn’t get details about why it missed out on the $175 million it was seeking until final scores and reviewer comments were released this week.
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A team of education reformers.
Alex Johnston
Chief Executive Officer
Alex Johnston is Chief Executive Officer of ConnCAN. As ConnCAN’s first employee, Alex launched what is now regarded as one of the nation’s leading state-level education reform organizations. In the five years since, he has led ConnCAN’s effort to advocate for state policies that will ensure every Connecticut child has access to a great public school. In 2009, ConnCAN achieved three major legislative victories through its ‘Mind the Gaps’ campaign: overhauling the state’s teacher certification rules, opening up stores of longitudinal student achievement data to the public and securing $8 million of funding for the expansion of high-performing public charter schools in the midst of an $8 billion state budget deficit.
Before helping to found ConnCAN, Alex Johnston directed operations at the New Haven Housing Authority, working as a member of the management team tasked with turning the agency around from the brink of receivership. A graduate of Harvard University, Alex received a D. Phil. in politics from Oxford’s Lincoln College on a Rhodes Scholarship, where he studied the impact of government funding on nonprofit service providers. Alex serves on the state commission charged with developing Connecticut’s P-20 data system, is a member of the National Charter School Resource Center Advisory Board and sits on the New Haven Board of Education.
Alex.Johnston@conncan.org
203.772.4017 ext. 11
@Alex_Johnston
Marc Porter Magee
Chief Operating Officer
Prior to joining ConnCAN, Marc worked in Washington, D.C., as research director of the Partnership for Public Service, founding director of the Progressive Policy Institute's Center for Civic Enterprise, and as a contributing editor of the policy journal Blueprint. He is co-editor, with Will Marshall, of the book The AmeriCorps Experiment and the Future of National Service (PPI) and serves as an advisory board member of the Edwin Gould Foundation. Marc is a graduate of Georgetown University and received his Ph.D. in sociology from Duke University.
Marc.Magee@conncan.org
203.772.4017 ext. 14
@marcportermagee
WHY I'M HERE I have always loved politics and the idea that citizens coming together can solve problems that up until now people have taken for granted as simply “the way things are.” Being at ConnCAN means having no doubt that your work matters and spending your workdays with passionate, creative, driven people committed to making the world a little more just.
Jennifer Harmon
Director of Research and Policy
Before joining ConnCAN, Jennifer worked in Washington, D.C. as a consultant whose clients included the Center on Innovation and Improvement. She also served as Senior Research Analyst at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where she advised studies of Title I implementation and managed national policy centers on comprehensive school reform and supplemental educational services. Jennifer also worked on the Redesigning Low-Performing Schools Initiative at the American Federation of Teachers. She has written numerous research, policy and technical assistance tools. A Connecticut native, Jennifer is a graduate of George Peabody College at Vanderbilt University and received a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.
203.772.4017 ext. 13
WHY I'M HERE Right now, too many children are sitting in classrooms and schools in Connecticut and nationwide that will ultimately fail them. Research and data might seem boring to some, but I think they are key to driving real change that will improve our schools, transform kids’ lives, and make our world safer, healthier, and more prosperous.
Lisa Whitfield
Executive Officer for Human Resources and Operations
Before joining ConnCAN, Lisa Whitfield worked as a corporate legal office manager. Prior to that, Lisa was director/educator of the Business Management Program for a college-level proprietary school. She is a graduate of the University of New Haven.
Lisa.Whitfield@conncan.org
203.772.4017 ext. 18
WHY I'M HERE The success of this great world’s future depends on generations after us having access to great public schools…and that is why I work at ConnCAN. Everyday, my passion is satisfied and fulfilled because I am part of an organization that champions and advocates for education reform.
Jessica Stram
Government Affairs Manager
Prior to her arrival at ConnCAN, Jessica was a public policy intern for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, where she conducted research for their national anti-bullying legislative campaign. Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and her master’s degree in public policy and administration from Southern Connecticut State University.
Jessica.Stram@conncan.org
203.772.4017 ext. 23
WHY I'M HERE I enjoy being a part of ConnCAN because our movement is capable of making real change that will directly impact the students of Connecticut. I’m excited to be working with the political leaders of our state to make sure that each child has a terrific public school.
Jessica Bloom
Communications & Civic Engagement Manager
Before joining ConnCAN, Jessica was the knowledge manager at Root Cause, a nonprofit research and consulting firm in Cambridge, MA. In this role, she shared lessons learned from partnerships with nonprofits, philanthropists, and government leaders with the broader community. Prior to serving as knowledge manager, she was a research associate in Root Cause’s consulting practice, which works with nonprofits around the country to develop business plans to increase their social impact. Jessica is a graduate of Harvard University.
WHY I'M HERE I benefited tremendously from schools that prioritized and delivered on excellence to their students. When schools are able to prepare students for success, incredible things can happen. I’m at ConnCAN to help make sure that all students have access to great schools and the education they deserve.
Rebecca Greenberg-Ellis
Development Manager
Before joining ConnCAN, Rebecca worked as a furniture buyer for Pottery Barn. In this role, she served on the Sustainable Development Leadership Team and introduced socially and environmentally responsible product offerings. Previously, she was part of an international franchise start-up within Gap Inc. In addition to her work in corporate retail, Rebecca has consulted for fair trade and economic development organizations. She is a regular contributor to several green business websites and blogs. Rebecca holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco, CA.
rebecca.greenberg-ellis@conncan.org
WHY I'M HERE I came to work at ConnCAN because I truly believe that education reform is a crucial component of poverty alleviation. Having worked in struggling public elementary schools, I’ve seen firsthand the impact that state policy has on principals, teachers, families, students and communities. The children of Connecticut deserve a promising future.
Lourdes Fonseca
Community Relations Associate
Prior to joining ConnCAN, Lourdes Fonseca was a community organizer at Hartford Areas Rally Together (HART). Prior to that, Lourdes worked at the Hartford Board of Education for seven years, where she was most recently a family resource aide. Lourdes earned her child development associate credential at Goodwin College in East Hartford.
Lourdes.Fonseca@conncan.org
860.727.9977 ext 11
Cell: 860-634-9092
WHY I'M HERE Since I was a little girl, my parents, who dropped out of school at the elementary level, made sure that my education was a priority and the foundation of a good future. Like my parents, I am here to make sure that race and economic status do not hold children back from their dreams.
WHY I'M HERE I went to the New Haven housing authority to tackle poverty through affordable housing, but one of the surprises of that job was witnessing the impact of amazing charter schools like Achievement First on the kids living in my developments. Rewarding as it was to help the housing authority’s residents reclaim their communities from years of neglect, once I began to appreciate how powerful schools could be in turning the cycle of poverty on its head, I was hooked.