BROWN v. BOARD OF EDUCATION RULED SEPARATE BUT EQUAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

THE CCJEF COURT DECISION RULED SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL REALLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL
WHY? SCHOOLS ARE FOR KIDS ALL KIDS!
When the courts get it right and side with justice, such as with Brown v. Board
of Education of 1954, parents of color and/or poor and marginalized
communities seized the moment to ensure educational equality for all children.
When the law was enforced children of color and/or the poor thrived; when the
law was not enforced, children of color and/or the poor struggled to survive.
Sixty-two years later, on September 7, 2016, Hartford Superior Court Judge
Thomas Moukawsher ruled in the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education
Funding (CCJEF) v. former Governor Jodi Rell court decision, that many aspects
of our educational system is unconstitutional for poor children and must be
fixed with deliberate speed! Now Connecticuts parents of color, the poor,
English Language Learners and children with special educational needs have an
opportunity and an obligation to seize the moment, to ensure equitable
educational opportunities are the rule for all children and not the exception!
As a result, the Connecticut Parents Union is excited to launch our
#SchoolsR4Kids Campaign stay tuned for details. Especially in light of the
fact that Connecticuts Attorney General George Jepsen recently filed a petition
to the Supreme Court to Appeal the CCJEF.
Why does the CCJEF ruling matter to parents and students? It matters because
it offers much needed hope. In the communities, neighborhoods, and homes of
Black and Brown families as well the homes of special needs children and/or
the homes where English is not the primary language, there was a palpable
atmosphere of optimism. This optimism was cautiously revealed after being
denied educational equity for decades. Why? Because finally a judge stated in
an unwavering conclusion that Schools are for Kids End of Story!

This landmark ruling in the case outlines very clearly that many Connecticut
school districts have failed and continues to fail poor students by graduating
them without the skills needed for higher education Moukawsher said.
Judges Moukawsher statements about educational standards for Connecticut
children were already established on March 23, 2010 when the Connecticut
Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in CCJEF v. Rell.
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that all Connecticut schoolchildren have a
constitutional right to an effective and meaningful education. In reaching one of
its most important and fundamental decisions in thirty years, the Court stated
that, the fundamental right to an education is not an empty linguistic shell and
must meet modern educational standards. The Court said these standards
must prepare students to participate in democratic institutions, attain
productive employment, and progress on to higher education.
It is clear that in each court decision for CCJEF, equity, fiscal and personnel
accountability must be at the core of the states elementary and secondary
educational plan to ensure the Constitutional rights of all Connecticuts
children.
The bottom line, Schools are for Kids and every educational policy must align
with this fact!
Yet, elected officials from both political parties decided to stand with and
encourage State Attorney General George Jepsen to file an Appeal to protect
the status quo which includes poor performing teachers and their union that
protects their performance and their behavior.
The states position demands of taxpayer dollars to continue to invest into an
educational system that doesnt have meaningful accountability standards for
spending or employee performance. To maintain the status quo is to continue
to deny the constitutional rights of children of color and/or the poor and
marginalized communities.
In addition, a stay is necessary to protect the status quo should this
application be granted. It appears, in accordance with Office of Governor v.
select Committee of Inquiry, 271 Conn.540,546 (2004), that this court may
issue a stay, and the undersigned hereby request entry of that stay.
GEORGE JEPSEN
ATTORNEY GENERAL
However, Hartford Superior Court Judge Moukawsher said in his ruling

"Good teachers can't be recognized and bad teachers can't be removed,"

THOMAS MOUKAWSHER
SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE
In addition, the court ruling states that its an irrational and dysfunctional
teacher evaluation system when the system deems the majority of teachers
are "proficient" regardless of student performance in the classroom.
Many Parents of color and/or poor communities agree that Attorney General
Jepsens act of appealing the CCJEF decision, and the overwhelming support of
his appeal from elected and appointed officials, from both political parties, have
made it clear, with their actions, that the constitutional rights of certain
populations of Connecticuts children do not matter.
But the good news for Connecticut parents and children is the fact that the
Connecticut Constitution is on the side of all children regardless of their race,
zip code or disability. Indeed, Schools are for Kids and their safety, education,
and over all wellbeing is non-negotiable!