WFSB Channel 3General Assembly to discuss education reform bill

The General Assembly is scheduled to meet Tuesday to talk about Gov. Dannel Malloy's plan to reform education in the state.

Malloy said he is making education reform a top priority, and while everyone agrees something needs to be done to improve the system, there are a number of issues raising concerns.

Malloy said he is proposing adding an additional $128 million into the state's public school system, with most of the money geared toward improving low-performing districts.

That's just one of the many proposals the Legislature's Education Committee is considering, holding its first public hearing later in the day Tuesday.

Other aspects of Malloy's bill include plans to encourage good teachers and administrators to work in poor-performing schools and incentives to improve student performance.

The issues expected to meet the most resistance though are dealing with the issue of teacher evaluation and tenure.

The governor's education overhaul would require mandatory teacher evaluations by both peers and parents.

The most controversial part though centers around changing teacher tenure. 

Malloy said he feels it should not be an entitlement and that right now it's too hard to remove under-performing teachers that have earned it.

On Wednesday, the General Assembly is expected to hold a second public hearing and will discuss topics such as low-performing schools, accountability and funding.

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