by and | Feb 14, 2022 5:15 pm | Comments (63)
Maya McFadden Photo
Sophomore Jayla Anderson: Protest "got out of hand."
Students marched on the classroom of an English teacher — and she was subsequently placed on leave — after she allegedly used a racial epithet in a classroom discussion about the use of a racial epithet.
by | Feb 14, 2022 8:42 am | Comments (10)
Thomas Breen Photo
Hillhouse Principal Glen Worthy: DCF bound.
Emily Hays Photo
Joseph Johnson: Bound for Waterbury.
The leaders of Hillhouse High and King/Robinson Magnet schools are leaving town for new opportunities.
Continue reading ‘Principals Worthy, Johnson Leaving District’
by | Feb 8, 2022 1:37 pm | Comments (1)
NHPS photo
Paula McGovern hits the court with her students.
Meet Paula McGovern (Economopoulos), a physical education teacher at New Haven Academy. She has been with the district for over 30 years.
Continue reading ‘Veteran PE Teacher Brings Class To The Courts’
by | Feb 7, 2022 9:27 pm | Comments (26)
Paul Bass file photo
Sonia Clubb and Supt. Iline Tracey hand out test kits and mask at King/Robinson to prepare to return to school amid Omicron wave.
New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) plan to stay masked up despite Gov. Ned Lamont’s decision to eliminate the statewide mask mandate.
by | Feb 7, 2022 4:29 pm | Comments (7)
Maya McFadden Photo
Parent Dilawar Shamshad at Clemente, where more than 10 percent of the student body is now Afghan.
When mother of four Zarghoona immigrated to New Haven from Afghanistan five years ago, she did not know any English.
She learned it with the help of her daughter, who was picking it up at Clemente Leadership Academy. Then Zarghoona returned to the school helping newer arrivals from her native land adjust to a new country, as an interpreter.
by | Feb 4, 2022 2:10 pm | Comments (5)
Thomas Breen Photo
DuBois-Walton with Harris Tucker School students at a Newhallville ward committee meeting.
Add another civic leadership role to Karen DuBois-Walton’s calendar.
Continue reading ‘DuBois-Walton Named State Board Of Ed Chair’
by | Feb 2, 2022 4:56 pm | Comments (29)
An F is a 50. Not a zero.
At least for the purposes of calculating New Haven public school students’ grades. At least for now during the pandemic.
Asst. Schools Superintendent Ivelise Velazquez informed teachers of that policy in an email message.
Continue reading ‘Teachers To Start Grading At 50, Not Zero’
by | Feb 1, 2022 4:01 pm | Comments (6)
Areas of Goeler's proposed budget that show cost increases.
Teachers’ time, bus rides, and building maintenance will all cost more in the upcoming school year — but how Hamden will choose to manage rising prices remains to be seen.
by | Jan 27, 2022 1:47 pm | Comments (5)
Pastor Valerie Washington with the kids.
“I have a question for each of you,” Pastor Valerie Washington began, seated on the soft carpet in a circle of two dozen 3‑to-15-year-olds in the cozy confines of Grand Avenue’s Upon This Rock Ministries.
by | Jan 26, 2022 4:06 pm | Comments (4)
Maya McFadden Photo
New Schools Chief of Staff Michael Finley: Reports back from listening tour.
New Haven students are looking to get leaky school roofs fixed, more after-school programs, and more help in making the transition from middle to high school.
by | Jan 26, 2022 10:21 am | Comments (2)
Sam Gurwitt Photo
Departing schools chief Goeler: Conversation shifted when "citizens" became "taxpayers."
Jody Goeler has a message for his successor as they pick up the unfinished work of desegregating Hamden’s schools: Have a strong set of beliefs — and learn how to listen to others.
by | Jan 25, 2022 3:27 pm | Comments (12)
Christopher Peak File Photo
Paras union leader Hyclis Williams: Double standard seen.
Classroom aides say they’re getting the raw end of the stick — being told to quarantine at home but not necessarily getting paid for the time, unlike teachers.
by | Jan 24, 2022 3:31 pm | Comments (9)
Nora Grace-Flood photos
Trevor Cadhey: When is mental health day not "skipping school?"
Hamden High Freshman Trevor Cadhey knows he’s allowed to take up to two “mental health days” off from school this year, but he isn’t sure under what circumstances he should use them.
School staffers and Board of Education members are grappling with the same question facing Cadhey and his peers — what is a mental health day? — while determining how to translate new state legislation concerning kids’ psychological health into district policy.
Continue reading ‘Schools Seek To Define "Mental Health Days"’
by | Jan 24, 2022 2:32 pm | Comments (7)
Jody Goeler with BOE members Mariam Khan and Melissa Kaplan.
Hamden Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler announced his plans to retire on Monday in an email to students’ families. Read his message below.
Continue reading ‘Hamden Superintendent of Schools Announces Retirement’
by | Jan 21, 2022 3:29 pm | Comments (2)
Hamden High memes.
As Hamden’s school administration continues to roll out implementation of metal detectors at Hamden High, the town’s Legislative Council questioned whether the emergency purchase of four devices intended to screen for weapons was rushed.
Continue reading ‘Hamden Council Questions "Emergency" Purchase Of School Metal Detectors’
by and | Jan 14, 2022 2:33 pm | Comments (13)
Thomas Breen photo
NHPS Supt. Iline Tracey and Mayor Elicker at Friday's presser.
Five seventh-graders went to the hospital Friday after ingesting THC-laced candy at school, while a half-hour later a paraprofessional at a separate school was arrested for bringing a loaded handgun on the premises.
by | Jan 14, 2022 2:06 pm | Comments (7)
Augustine in his Hillhouse art classroom.
Elm City Comics
A masked superhero has walked the halls of Hillhouse High School for almost a year, mostly in secret.
by | Jan 12, 2022 12:12 pm | Comments (3)
Melissa Bailey File Photo
Looking for silver linings to the pandemic? The Fair Haven-based kindergarten-through-sixth-grade independent Cold Spring School just found one.
by | Jan 11, 2022 5:03 pm | Comments (7)
Reelected board leaders Edward Joyner, Yesenia Rivera, Matt Wilcox.
At 1st 2022 Board of Ed meeting:
by and | Jan 11, 2022 1:40 pm | Comments (16)
More masks. More tests. The option to go remote — just for a few weeks until the Covid-19 Omicron-variant surge passes.
Teachers are pressing those requests at a statewide “wear-black” event planned for Wednesday. Some students and board members joined in those requests at Monday night’s New Haven Board of Education meeting. And New Haven teachers union President Leslie Blatteau went into depth on the issue — and its place in the current national political dialogue — during a Tuesday radio appearance.
Continue reading ‘Teachers Press State For More Masks & Tests, & Short-Term Remote Option’
by | Jan 11, 2022 9:39 am | Comments (5)
Maya McFadden Photo
Mr. Williams with seventh-grade class in March 2020.
Something was missing when staff and students arrived at Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School Monday morning.
Continue reading ‘Mauro-Sheridan Mourns Loss Of A Mentor, Friend’
by | Jan 10, 2022 2:40 pm | Comments (3)
New Haven and Hamden teachers got help dealing with the extra duties and health hazards brought on by the Omicron-fueled Omicron surge.
by | Jan 7, 2022 3:03 pm | Comments (8)
Nora Grace-Flood photos
Social worker Glenn Xavier: Without us, where would the kids be?
Upon learning that his colleague had tested positive for Covid-19, Matt Tremper did double duty: He taught history to his seventh-graders on one side of the library while overseeing a science experiment for another class assembled across the stacks.
Learning continued — even though the Omicron variant was doing its best all week to render schools inoperable.
by | Jan 6, 2022 8:54 am | Comments (15)
Maya McFadden Photo
Alajah Tucker: "It feels like I'm just wasting time at school."
Despite bus driver shortages and dozens of absent teachers, New Haven students like Amil Soweol and Tylanna McCrea managed to get class time on Wednesday — at least part of the day.
by | Jan 5, 2022 5:04 pm | Comments (14)
ESUMS's Aron Meyer.
Aron Meyer received the text Tuesday at 9:54 a.m. In 11 minutes, students would return to his classroom.
He decided to move fast.