Hartford mayor highlights Blue Ribbon Commission report, budgets teacher pay raises and early-childhood investments

Hartford Mayor (name not provided) told the Court of Common Council on March 24 that education and youth programs are a top priority in the proposed budget and administration agenda.

The mayor said he nominated a slate of five new members to the Board of Education last July and that Hartford's Blue Ribbon Commission on Education — co-chaired by representatives from the superintendent's office, the teachers' union, the council, the board of education, parents and state funders — released a full report after seven months of work.

"We're gonna work together in the days and months ahead to make sure that we work to implement these findings," the mayor said.

He also said the new board of education supported 15 raises for Hartford Public School teachers over the next three years, and that the submitted budget includes investments in early-childhood education, including raises for early-childhood teachers on the Department of Children and Families roster. The mayor framed these steps as measures to make sure children arrive in kindergarten ready to learn.

The mayor underscored out-of-school programming as part of student safety and enrichment. He described a recent summer in which "over 1,000 kids in our city were part of our sports and rec night gyms over the summer," and cited new lifeguards, improved pools and expanded swim classes as part of the city’s investments in youth services.

No formal board or council action on education items occurred during the address; the mayor said implementation would follow in collaboration with the Board of Education and other partners.