If you need another example of how out of touch the once-kinda-relevant blogger Jonathan Pelto is, look no further than his latest harangue of Connecticut’s innovative initiative called the Commissioner’s Network.

For those who might not know, the Commissioner’s Network invites Connecticut’s lowest performing schools to submit turnaround plans, and receive extra support and guidance from the state in exchange.

The network is 11 schools strong to date, with room for more and no shortage of interest from districts across Connecticut.

If you listen to Jon Pelto, you’d think the Commissioner’s Network is part of some nefarious plan. Of course, if you listen to Jon Pelto, you have bigger problems.

By way of contrast, let’s take a look at a piece Connecticut Post reporter Linda Lambeck wrote about Dunbar, one of Bridgeport’s two Commissioner’s Network schools, where the motto is “Come here every day ready to be respectful, responsible and ready to learn. [Connecticut Post, 1/31/2014]

School leaders overflow with emotion when they talk about the transformation the school has made since being named part of the network last year.

“I’ve been here four years. I’ve seen a lot of things. This year, they are being given the opportunity to live up to their potential,” Assistant Principal Alyshia Perrin told the Board of Education last week, as Lambeck reported.

When Dunbar joined the Commissioner’s Network, it should be noted that the board voted 7-1 in favor of the plan. The lone dissenter was board-member-turned-political-operative Maria Pereira.

Good job, Maria.

Pereira and Pelto took issue with the involvement of Family Urban Schools of Excellence (FUSE), which had already helped Hartford’s Milner school begin a turnaround process.

FUSE and Dunbar joined forces, and the result has been school leaders, students and parents expressing a feeling of hope.

“Parents are at ease. Children are safe,” Dunbar parent Shavonne Davis said. “We may have been the lowest-performing school, but we are climbing our way back up to the top of the charts.” [Connecticut Post, 1/31/2014]

That is what Pelto hates so much? He’s really working to make sure that doesn’t happen again?

Way to fight the good fight, Jon.

 

 

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