Author: Shawn Kornegay



How a Connecticut School District Improved Elementary Math Scores Amid a Nationwide Decline

December 8, 2022

When Dan Crispino took the job overseeing the curriculum for elementary schools in Meriden, Connecticut, it was 2019 and he had a big problem to solve. The low-income district, where nearly 75% of kids receive free or reduced lunch, was struggling with math.

“When I would go into classrooms all over the district, I could see that kids didn’t seem as excited about math,” Crispino said. “And it didn’t surprise me that our results were depressed in math.”

Crispino said math classes were 60 minutes then. They are now 90 minutes, beginning with a 30-minute lesson followed by an hour-long block where every minute counts. The class is made up of tightly timed segments, where students and the teacher rotate through small groups.


State Sen. Patricia Billie Miller (Opinion): A Right to Modern Reading Curricula

December 5, 2022

The “Right to Read” bill that I sponsored went through a democratic process that began in the Joint Committee on Education in 2021. It was then the subject of a public hearing, during which members of the committee heard testimony from constituents across the state — who, by and large, were enthusiastically supportive. Among them were the dean of the UConn Neag School of Education, the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, urban superintendents, district-level curriculum professionals, classroom teachers, parents, literacy experts and researchers.


Can School Finance Reform Support Reparations?

December 1, 2022

In a recent article, Preston C. Green III of the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education, Bruce D. Baker of the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, and Joseph O. Oluwole of Montclair State University argue that school finance litigation incompletely remedies the harms imposed upon schools serving Black communities. Green, Baker, and Oluwole instead call for a reparations program for Black Americans that includes a school finance reform agenda. They argue that this agenda should be enacted through state-level legislation and subsequently supported and regulated by federal actors.



Anne D’Alleva Selected as UConn’s New Provost

November 29, 2022

Del Siegle, the committee’s chairman and the Lynn and Ray Neag Endowed Chair for Talent Development in the Neag School of Education, said the University Senate is excited to continue working with D’Alleva and Maric to advance the institution’s vision.

“Dr. Anne D’Alleva has been an outstanding interim provost and is an excellent permanent appointment for provost. She is a thoughtful leader with a strong commitment to student success and has a comprehensive knowledge of the UConn community,” Siegle said.