Connecticut Coalition For Achievement Now Recognizes Senator Boucher For Leadership On Education Reform

Senator Toni Boucher received the ConCAN Tip of the Cap Award for her education reform efforts during a ceremony at Wilton High School on July 26, 2010. Standing with Senator Boucher (holding the award) is from left to right: Sandy DeFelice, Jim Marpe, Gil Bray, Alex Johnston, Beill Meyer, George Underhill, Janet Bondeson, and Kristin LaFleur.

Senator Toni Boucher (R-26) today was recognized by the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN) for her leadership on education reform issues during an awards ceremony at Wilton High School.

Senator Boucher was presented with the ConnCAN Tip of the Cap Award by Alex Johnston, a nationally recognized education reform advocate and Chief Executive Officer of ConnCAN. Among those who attended the ceremony were local government officials, including members of the Westport and Wilton school boards. Senator Boucher is a former member and chair of the Wilton Board of Education.

“I am so pleased to be able to honor Senator Boucher with the Tip of the Cap award. She has been a strong leader on education reform, and always goes the extra mile to make sure that we are focusing on what will best serve Connecticut’s children. I look forward to partnering with her in the future to further improve outcomes for all of our students,” said ConnCAN CEO Alex Johnston.

Senator Boucher, who learned to speak English as an Italian immigrant child attending school in Connecticut, said she has always considered it an honor and a privilege to work to ensure that all children have access to a quality public school education. She said she is honored to receive the ConnCAN Tip of the Cap Award.

“I became involved in government, first as a member of the Wilton school board and later as a member of the State Board of Education because I so strongly believe that ensuring a good quality education is our moral obligation to all of Connecticut’s children, and the key to our state’s future. My parents brought my brother and me to this country as children in order to provide a better life for us, and part of that was making sure that we valued the opportunity to get a good education. My father’s daily missive was that ‘education is everything; it is the way out of poverty and the path to true freedom.’ That is a lesson that has stayed with me, along with a core value that ensuring a quality education for children, no matter the challenging circumstances they face,is a social responsibility we all share. It is heartwarming to me personally that ConnCAN and our local advocates give of themselves and their resources to lift these children up, as I was once a child who so desperately needed and wanted an education. And, I will continue to partner with ConnCAN and their members, as well as other legislators, to work to ensure that all of the children of our state have that same opportunity to get a good education,” said Senator Boucher.

ConnCAN was founded in 2005 by educational entrepreneurs in Connecticut who believe that closing the education gap requires not only innovative educational models, but also issue-based advocacy. The mission of the organization, located in Hartford and New Haven, is to provide “great schools for all” by running results-oriented issues campaigns. Working with key legislative supporters and local philanthropists such as Andy Boas and Michael Kassen of Westport, they pushed through educational policies that make real changes for kids and go a long way towards closing Connecticut’s deep achievement gap. More information about ConnCAN is available at www.conncan.org.

Local officials offered their congratulations to Senator Boucher for receiving the ConnCAN Tip of the Cap Award.

“As a member of the Westport Board of Education, I am able to have a leadership role in an outstanding, high performance, public school district. But as a board member of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, I see too many school districts in our state that are not delivering the 21st Century education that all Connecticut children deserve,and which will be the basis for a successful future of our State. We are fortunate to have a representative like Senator Boucher who is using her experience and influence to actively seek practical and affordable solutions to closing the education achievement gap that ConnCAN has so effectively identified,” said Jim Marpe, Vice Chairman of the Westport Board of Education.

“Speaking on behalf of the Wilton BOE, we are delighted that ConnCAN recognizes Toni’s unique ability and drive for quality education to the children throughout Connecticut by honoring her with this award. Toni began her public career with the Wilton BOE and understands the issues facing public education today. Her strong knowledgeable voice on educational public policy is very much appreciated,” said Gil Bray, Chairman of the Wilton Board of Education.

“An educated workforce is imperative toattracting new business, creating jobs and improving Connecticut’s economy. We owe it to our children to ensure that all children in Connecticut have access to quality education that prepares them for employment in the 21st century. It is important to their future and to ours,” said Kristin LaFleur, former member of the Westport Board of Education.

Remarks by State Senator Toni Boucher (R-26)
2010 ConCAN Tip of The Cap Award Ceremony, Wilton High School

Thank you, Alex, for this extraordinary honor. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and fellow crusaders for joining me here today. Together, we will continue the good fight, and our “race to the top” for educational excellence.

I am privileged to have served with some of you as a member and chair of the Wilton school board.     Our mission was to serve up a strong curriculum and high standards as we prepared students to reach their full potential and did our best to imbue them with the desire to be life long learners.

It is so fitting that we are standing in front of one of our region’s best high schools under a sign that reads: “Striving For Excellence”.  Formally recognized, or not, that is really the motto of all of our area high schools: Staples, Wilton, Joel Barlow, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Bethel and Weston

I began my journey in public service wanting to “Make a Difference.” What I have learned over the years is that the too often cited noble goal of “Making a Difference” is extremely elusive. Very few endeavors even come close to making a true difference in this world.  There are only two places where we have a real fighting chance to make a lasting, life-altering difference– in the home and in the classroom.

And if a home fails a child, there is only one place left with any hope of success: his, or her, school. This is where the rubber truly hits the road of a young person’s life.

So, that is how I became involved in government – first as a member of the Wilton school board and later as a member of the State Board of Education. I so strongly believe that ensuring a good quality education is a moral obligation we have to all of Connecticut’s children, and the key to a better future for our state. 

My parents brought my brother and me to this country as children in order to provide a better life for us, and part of that was making sure that we valued the opportunity to get a good education. My father’s daily missive was that ‘education is everything; it is the way out of poverty and the path to true freedom.’ That is a lesson that has stayed with me, along with a core value that ensuring a quality education for children, no matter what challenging circumstances they face, is a social responsibility that we all share.

That was also brought home to me as a State Board of Education member where we were confronted with Sheff v O’Neil, the Supreme Court decision that challenged Connecticut to provide an equal education to children in failing Hartford schools. Later, as a new state representative on the legislature’s Education Committee, I saw a lot of proposals to reform education through a lot of initiatives intended to make changes in bilingual education, deal with social promotion, create preschool programs for the disadvantaged, and many others.

Successfully addressing the problems in our intercity schools seemed insurmountable – until I met the brilliant and relentless young advocates of ConnCAN. They tackled Connecticut’s achievement gap head-on. They focused a spotlight and energy on Connecticut’s educational system that was – and still is – desperately needed.

We need to remember that Connecticut’s education system – once number one in the United States – is the only reason we are not at the complete bottom when it comes to job creation and the ability to attract business. Today, we are falling behind in our ability to create jobs and attract business.  We must pick up the pace.  We are not just in a national race but also in a global race to the top.

As the stakes rise in this global competition, we must raise our own expectations about what our schools can and should accomplish. That means implementing more rigorous standards for all students, including inner city children. The state must also help our high performing charter schools by ensuring that money follows the child into the classroom where they are taught. By rewarding high performing schools, we encourage a culture of excellence in education.

ConnCAN believes that closing the education gap requires not only innovative educational models, but also issue-based advocacy. Their mission is to provide “great schools for all” by running results-oriented issues campaigns. Working with key legislative supporters and local philanthropists such as Andy Boas and Michael Kassen of Westport, they pushed through educational policies that make real changes for kids and go a long way towards closing Connecticut’s deep achievement gap. It is gratifying to me personally that ConnCAN and our local advocates give so much of themselves and their resources to lift these children up, as I was once a child who so desperately needed and wanted an education. I pledge to continue to work with ConnCAN and their members, as well as other legislators, to ensure that all of the children of our state have that same opportunity to get a good education.