Author Archives: Monica Disare

Over the weekend, New Haven educated an inaugural class of parents with the launch of the city’s latest school reform initiative ­— Parent University. Designed to teach parents how to help their children succeed in school, Parent University offers workshops and educational resources for parents of New Haven public school children. On Saturday, Gateway Community »

New Haven has a lot at stake in this year’s presidential election. In addition to $12 million from a federal education grant, the city has received $26,477,616 in federal funding so far this year that has been used to support housing, transportation and security throughout the city. But with the possibility of a new party »

Following one of the most devastating storms to hit the northeastern U.S. in recent memory, political campaigns and designated polling stations in Connecticut are struggling to recover from the wrath of Hurricane Sandy. As of Wednesday afternoon, an estimated 100 polling locations throughout the state were without power. Meanwhile, political campaigns, such as the race »

Latino voters may have the power to swing this year’s Connecticut Senate election. A report released by Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill on Oct. 25 counted 176,000 registered voters of Hispanic origin in Connecticut, which represents almost nine percent of all registered voters in the state. Both campaigns are making an effort to »

After months of aggressive ads, debates and campaigning, the Connecticut Senate race is entering its final week before elections. As of Monday, polls show Democratic candidate Chris Murphy building a slight advantage over Republican competitor Linda McMahon, but the race nonetheless remains close. State Senate majority leader Martin Looney said Murphy’s lead is a result »

In hopes of spurring economic development, Gov. Dannel Malloy visited New Haven last week to announce a series of policies designed to foster new business growth and create “innovation hubs” throughout Connecticut. Malloy’s policies are part of the state’s Innovation Ecosystem program, which aims to grow the Connecticut economy through an array of financial, technical »

Science Park has taken another step forward in its transition from an industrial wasteland to a livable area. On Wednesday, the City Plan Commission approved detailed measures for the renovation of two vacant Winchester rifle factory buildings into 158 new loft-style apartments in Science Park. The project, which is called Winchester Lofts, will cost about »

With the November elections in two weeks and a debate over the direction of the country’s school system taking place nationwide, ongoing education reform in New Haven has become the subject of praise from local, state and national political officials. On Sunday afternoon, Mayor John DeStefano Jr. attended Hill Central School’s dedication ceremony to celebrate »

Starting Nov. 3, children will not be the only ones taking classes in New Haven public schools. Top city officials, including Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and Superintendent Reginald Mayo, met at Gateway Community College Wednesday to discuss the launch of Parent University — a program designed to teach parents how to help their children succeed »

C8-Kids, a program designed by Yale psychiatrists, is teaching students to focus across Connecticut and throughout the world. Part computer program and part physical activity, C8-Kids aims to strengthen cognitive abilities like memory, focus and attention, concetrating on elementary school-age students whose mental tools are underdeveloped due to socioeconomic status or ADHD. But Yale psychiatrist »

At 9:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, roughly 50 people, from toddlers to company CEOs, met in Hill Career Regional High School’s cafeteria for a key Elm City education reform initiative. They met on the brisk October morning to walk the streets of Fair Haven and southwestern New Haven and inform local parents about two education »

School reform initiatives in the Elm City may be paying off, as the results of New Haven’s 2012 teacher evaluations showed marked improvement in faculty performance. New Haven’s teacher evaluation system, which places teachers into one of five categories ranging from “needs improvement” to “exemplary,” saw an uptick in “exemplary” teachers from 8 to 13 »