Education in New Haven

United Way of Greater New Haven has focused for the last three years on education, income and health because we realize that these are the areas most important to success in life.  While the three are inter-related, education is at the heart of our societal challenges.  The nature of our economy today requires increasingly sophisticated skills for people to command a sustainable income. The future economic development of our region will depend on the available talent living here. 
 
When we conducted the region-wide needs assessment under Tom Sansone’s leadership, virtually all leaders in the region agreed that the most important issue for us to address was the disparity in educational achievement between the suburbs and the central city.  Since then, the challenge has been addressed in a variety of ways.  One of the most notable has been the extraordinary work done on early childhood development with such efforts as Success By 6.  There have also been great volunteer tutoring programs conducted by partner agencies like New Haven Reads.  We are making progress but the challenge is profound and requires significant leadership.
 

Mayor John DeStefano and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Reginald Mayo are undertaking an unprecedented, multi-year effort to reform the New Haven Public Schools.  This effort is a bold and important act of leadership, one that will be difficult and require the support of all those concerned with the future of the region.  They have set challenging goals and have a plan that will require fundamental changes in the way we structure and manage the education system in New Haven. 
 
The effort is in its beginning stages but already engaging all sectors of the community in what will be a transparent process.  This undertaking must succeed.  The prosperity and quality of life in the region requires that the children in our inner city have the same opportunity as the children who grow up in our suburbs.  United Way will do everything we can to support this effort and, as specific opportunities surface, we will find ways for people in the region to give, advocate and volunteer on behalf of this great undertaking.
 
Click on this link to review the outline of the restructuring plan.    http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/KidsFirst/pdfs/BOE.pdf
 
Please take a few minutes to look it over.  Thank you for your leadership with United Way and with our community.     
 
Jack Healy
President & CEO
United Way of Greater New Haven