The two leading candidates in the polls for the Democratic nomination for governor – Greenwich cable television entrepreneur Ned Lamont and former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy – are in favor of the Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling in the long-running funding battle by the Connecticut Coalition For Justice in Education Funding, known as CCJEF.
Some insiders believe the case won’t be resolved for years because the split decision has been sent back to the lower court for a trial.
“I learned the value of a good education from my grandmother, who was a teacher in Puerto Rico,” Lamont said in a statement. “Her dedication to her students inspired me to teach at Harding High, at CCSU, and it will inform my work as governor to revamp Connecticut’s education pipeline from cradle to career. One of Connecticut’s greatest assets is our highly educated workforce, but our advantage is slipping. I applaud the Supreme Court for taking a stand today for all of Connecticut’s kids.”
Lamont added, “Under my leadership, the state will live up to its obligation to provide not just an adequate education for our kids, but a world-class education that prepares them to compete in the 21st century marketplace. Our kids’ future is Connecticut’s future. As governor, I will track the reforms Mayor DeStefano and the AFT have implemented in New Haven and make sure Connecticut gets our fair share of the Race to the Top funds down in Washington.”
The Courant’s Arielle Levin Becker reports that Malloy believes the ruling could ultimately help the state recover its edge in education.
“I think in the long run it is very important to the state of Connecticut,” said Malloy, who was among the group that launched the coalition that brought the lawsuit. “I began these efforts years ago because I firmly believed that the state was not honoring its constitutional requirement and the funding formula for education in poor and urban communities was not fair to those communities.”
Malloy would not say whether he favors shifting the cost to income, sales, utility, hotel or other types of taxes, but added, “In every other state in the nation, some revenue source other than this reliance on property taxes is being used.”
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said, “Lacking a majority for a clear result, this ruling will require the legislature and the executive branch to closely consider the meaning of ‘minimally adequate education.’ The lower court judge who hears the case enabled by this decision faces a similar challenge.”
Blumenthal, who is running for the U.S. Senate, has pledged to continuing defending the case at the Superior Court level.
Our colleague, Rick Green, weighs in at http://blogs.courant.com/rick_green/2010/03/real-education-reform-in-ct-wi.html