by | Jul 7, 2021 11:59 am | Comments (5)
Maya McFadden Photo
Black Lives Matter protest, May 2020.
The Board of Education’s Finance & Operations (F&O) Committee voted unanimously to approve a grant proposal for a series of high school workshops on social justice next school year.
Continue reading ‘Metro Students Link Up With Black Lives Matter’
by | Jul 7, 2021 9:23 am | Comments (1)
Nora Grace-Flood photo
Harlem Pressley: Water-gun wielder.
Isabella Parra: Water-gun target.
“I like to do crafts, art, drawing, music, dancing, video games, I like my phone, my tablet, vegetables, seaweed, and crab legs,” said 8‑year-old Harlem Pressley.
Rising first grader Isabella Parra listened quietly to Pressley’s long list. She also likes a lot of specific activities, but, she reported, “I love camp just the most.”
by | Jun 29, 2021 3:29 pm | Comments (10)
Contributed Photo
Bishop Woods Principal Dina Natalino.
Bishop Woods Principal Dina Natalino will leave the K‑8 school in August for a position downtown focused on helping get students into college.
The New Haven Board of Education approved Natalino’s promotion to supervisor of college and career pathways on Monday evening, along with the promotion of three assistant principals and a pay bump for a hardworking administrator.
Continue reading ‘Bishop Woods Principal Heads To Central Office’
by | Jun 29, 2021 9:02 am | Comments (23)
The Board of Education (BOE) Monday night voted to approve funding for five summer youth programs while leaving a sixth program on hold only days before a scheduled July 1 start.
Continue reading ‘Ed Board Approves All But One Summer Program’
by | Jun 28, 2021 2:45 pm | Comments (4)
Emily Hays Photos
Meryem Bostanci interviews Shelagh Laverty at QU media camp.
Asked by interviewers to demonstrate a hidden talent, rising Wilbur Cross senior Shelagh Laverty touched her tongue to the tip of her nose.
The group was practicing man-on-the-street interview techniques at a media production camp at Quinnipiac University. Rather than asking strangers policy questions, however, the teens asked their classmates to show off talents, jokes and victory dances.
by | Jun 25, 2021 10:15 am | Comments (1)
Mohameth “Mo” Seck with students at District.
District New Haven sent in the following write-up and photos about a summer program for high-schoolers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the number of computer, gaming and information technology jobs will increase by 11 percent from 2019 to 2029.
High school students in the Elm City and surrounding areas have a new opportunity to level-up their web coding, design and digital content skills this summer at New Haven’s technology and innovation campus. District Arts + Education (DAE) is launching Summer DAEz featuring a full slate of free in-person workshops for rising juniors and seniors and recent graduates ages 16 and older.
Continue reading ‘“Summer Daez” Offer High-Schoolers Digital Workshops’
by | Jun 24, 2021 7:42 pm | Comments (7)
Emily Hays Photos
Matthew Gibbs, 17, practices with Hurdles Coach Milani Glass.
To’Rae Wright, 17, dashes ahead in a practice race.
(Updated Friday 2:08 p.m.): Hillhouse is sending seven track stars to the same arena where the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials just took place — thanks to some help from the community.
Continue reading ‘Update: Hillhouse Racers Head To Nationals’
by | Jun 24, 2021 1:45 pm | Comments (3)
Coming soon to the classroom: New book titles.
What is worth teaching? And how do students learn?
by | Jun 23, 2021 12:22 pm | Comments (1)
Carla Garzón, 19, pencils out her desk design.
Look out IKEA —these desks only take a minute to build and take apart.
And they’re compostable.
Continue reading ‘Free Cardboard Desks Help Kids Learn At Home’
by | Jun 22, 2021 6:56 pm | Comments (21)
Ex-Principal Laura Roblee.
A city-hired attorney cited concerns about whether a principal’s dishonesty about her repeated use of the “n word” with subordinates rendered her “fit” to “serve in any capacity” in New Haven’s public schools.
The attorney advised New Haven’s schools administration that they had legal grounds to fire the principal — and advised requiring her to accept a demotion or pay cut.
by | Jun 22, 2021 6:49 pm | Comments (5)
Maya McFadden Photo
New Haven Fire Lt. Samod “Nuke” Rankins, recovering from a near-death experience fighting a fire, is paying it forward — to the tune of $50,000.
Continue reading ‘Lt. Rankins Forwards $50,000 To Future Firefighters’
by | Jun 22, 2021 3:24 pm | Comments (1)
Maya McFadden Photo
Brian Montez, Jennifer Lopez, Isabella Raucci, Maxwell Gamboa, Josh McGree, Alma Mendoza, Jayleen Nieves, Julia Miller.
Forty nine years after the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was originally proposed, seven New Haven juniors joined a national call for its ratification with “equality among all the sexes” in mind.
by | Jun 22, 2021 9:43 am | Comments (1)
Maya McFadden Photo
Seniors Benjamin DeBlasio, Gianie Figueroa, and Johanyx Rodriguez.
A trio of High School in the Community (HSC) seniors finished their high school careers with ideas for life-changing improvements to local education curricula in mind.
Continue reading ‘Seniors Offer Green, Mental Health Curriculum Plans’
by | Jun 22, 2021 9:39 am | Comments (2)
Nora Grace-Flood photo
Graduate Blessing Boateng with her parents.
“Be present, be bold, be yourself,” Hamden High Valedictorian and Class President Ezekiel Daye urged his peers. Then he broke out into song.
Continue reading ‘Graduating Hamden Dragons Told: Time to Spread Your Wings’
by | Jun 21, 2021 3:35 pm | Comments (43)
Ex-Principal Roblee: Reading “White Fragility.”
Releasing a previously withheld investigatory report, school officials revealed that the principal of a majority-minority school had used the “n‑word” at least four times on two occasions with staffers, in addition to incidents involving “hysterical shouting” and “slamming on the desk.”
Continue reading ‘“N-Word” Report Released; Principal Apologizes For “Disgusting” Remarks’
by | Jun 19, 2021 9:52 pm | Comments (2)
Maya McFadden Photo
Graduate Nouria Ntite.
Three years ago Nouria Ntite didn’t know any English. She spoke only French.
Continue reading ‘Common Ground’s “Perseverance Class” Crosses The Threshold’
by | Jun 18, 2021 12:50 pm | Comments (59)
Editor’s Note: The following letter was signed by over 30 Brennan-Rogers teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians and other staff, concerning the Board of Education’s handling of a complaint involving the use of the “n word.” Scroll to the bottom to read a statement from Superintendent Iline Tracey about the incident.
In an email message attached to letter, a signatory wrote: “Throughout the last several months our voices at Brennan have been silenced in the investigation and incident that happened concerning Laura Roblee’s use of a racial slur. Today, we speak.”
by | Jun 17, 2021 10:09 pm | Comments (25)
Emily Hays Photos
Board member Darnell Goldson: Mayor should return to donors any funds raised on this incident.
Paul Bass Photo
Elicker: My opponent started it.
Two Board of Education members blasted Mayor Justin Elicker for sending a campaign fundraising email claiming a slur-uttering principal’s demotion as a victory for “accountability” and “transparency” — while withholding information about what really happened in the incident behind it.
Elicker responded that he is pushing behind the scenes for public release of the full investigatory report leading to the demotion.
Continue reading ‘Mayor Blasted For “N-Word” Flap $-Raising’
by | Jun 17, 2021 1:27 pm | Comments (8)
John Lugo Photos
Demonstrators showed up Wednesday afternoon to the newly named Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration (FAME) — to argue that it should have received a different new name.
by | Jun 17, 2021 10:19 am | Comments (2)
Emily Hays Photos
Rev. Quavon Newton reveals “winner’s mindset.”
Rev. Quavon Newton spoke Wednesday at the James Hillhouse High School graduation he never had.
Newton told the 170 Hillhouse seniors assembled on Bowen Field how he found his way from expulsion from their school … to graduation this year from Yale Divinity School.
Continue reading ‘16 Years Later, He Made It To Commencement’
by | Jun 17, 2021 9:52 am | Comments (1)
Nick Perkins Photo
Soon-to-be graduates of Mauro-Sheridan “become firefighters” and thank their families.
Fire Chief John Alston Jr. addressed a new group of “firefighters” Wednesday — 51 eight-graders about to obtain their diplomas from Mauro-Sheridan Interdistrict Magnet School.
by and | Jun 16, 2021 5:02 pm | Comments (1)
Natalie Kainz Photo
“I finally realized that I am worthy of being alive.”
Continue reading ‘339 “Cross” the Finish Line; Valedictorian Recounts Battling Depression’
by | Jun 15, 2021 8:55 pm | Comments (1)
Natalie Kainz Photo
Patel and Rodriguez at Tuesday’s graduation.
Shakshi Patel and Johanyx Rodriguez studied together and bonded over sandwiches at a local “Subway.” Tuesday they walked together as co-valedictorians, praised for their diligence, intellect, and unusual study habits.
by | Jun 15, 2021 8:35 pm | Comments (0)
Melissa Bailey, Emily Hays Photos
Incumbent Cicarella (left) won twice as many votes as his challenger (right).
Teachers have elected Dave Cicarella to be New Haven Federation of Teachers president — for the third time this term.
In the union’s re-re-election, 470 for Cicarella and 228 for his challenger Vincenzo Sullo.
The election do-over occurred under supervision by the U.S. Department of Labor, per the orders of a federal district judge this spring.
Continue reading ‘Cicarella Wins Right To Finish Term In 2nd Do-Over Teachers Union Election’
by | Jun 15, 2021 7:08 pm | Comments (23)
Emily Hays Photo
Black Lives Matter New Haven Co-founder ala ochumare: The board chose white supremacy.
Thomas Breen photo
Mayoral challenger Karen DuBois-Walton (center): Roblee investigation must be transparent.
Parents, protesters, and political leaders called for a transparent investigation and a public apology from the former Brennan-Rogers School principal, one day after the Board of Education narrowly voted to demote her for using the “n‑word” in an antiracism workshop.
Continue reading ‘Critics Protest Principal’s Use Of N-Word, NHPS Opacity’