Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom.

Led by Erik Hines, assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, students and faculty advisors from University of Connecticut’s ScHOLA2RS House traveled to the Bahia region of Brazil this spring to learn about the low access rate to higher education among Afro-Brazilian adolescents. Hines is the faculty advisor for the ScHOLA2RS House Learning Community.

Casey Cobb said research overwhelmingly shows that wide-open school choice models like those in Florida and Milwaukee that use vouchers to allow parents to choose which school their children attend haven’t demonstrated improved outcomes.

Shaun Dougherty, the author of the Arkansas research and a professor at the University of Connecticut, praised aspects of the recent international study but said that it had limited ability to guide policy in the U.S.

By state Department of Education standards, Kristina Wallace isn’t eligible to be chosen as Connecticut’s teacher of the year because she doesn’t work in a classroom. But that didn’t stop Wallace’s peers in the Windsor School District from naming her as its 2017-18 educator of the year.

Jean A. Wihbey introduced herself to Polk State College faculty, staff, students and the community with a simple statement: “We are here in an enterprise that changes people’s lives.”

The aim of the University of Connecticut awarded research project is to gather best practices for creating supports for universities and public school teachers to help students of color and students from urban areas to major in music and become music teachers.

“While constructs of equity and adequacy are realities we face everyday,” Nathan Quesnel responded, “I am disappointed and puzzled by the characterization of East Hartford Public Schools and teachers made by Secretary DeVos.”

Preston Green III, a professor of educational leadership and law at the University of Connecticut, took his criticism of the burgeoning charter sector a step further, likening the industry to Enron and the subprime mortgage market.

The administration’s budget proposal includes money to expand school vouchers and charter schools, but also appears to cut some education funding. I spoke earlier with Preston Green. He’s a professor of Educational Leadership and Law and the University of Connecticut and I asked for his initial takeaways, based on what we know now.