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This year especially, we reflect on our progress, recommit to our values, and refresh our sense of optimism and belief in the potential of our public education system. In 2025, ConnCAN is excited to share its modernized Mission & Vision, as well as our Policy Priorities for the road ahead. Together, these principles center on what matters most to us: a high-quality public education for each child in the state of Connecticut.
We look forward to working alongside you with an urgent sense of clarity and vision for what our world would look like should we make the changes necessary to spark a new generation of innovation and learning. The stakes could not be higher, and we are committed to getting this right for our children. Connecticut stands as a model for what is possible.
ConnCAN’s Refreshed Mission and Vision
Mission
ConnCAN is a leading advocacy organization that ensures each child in Connecticut has equitable access to a high-quality public education.
Vision
We envision a Connecticut where each learner has access to an exceptional public education system that:
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- supports diverse learning environments with personalized paths to academic, civic, and economic success, and lifelong fulfillment;
- attracts and retains educators that pursue excellence in every learning space, with rigorous student-centered standards to measure success; and
- empowers families with the tools they need to guide their children toward that success.
This vision relies on a family’s ability to make informed choices about where their children learn and thrive.
2025 Policy Priorities
ConnCAN’s 2025 legislative priorities reaffirm our fundamental belief that children will succeed when nurtured, supported, and challenged through a model of education that works for them.
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The Innovative Schools Families Demand
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- Expand and simplify access to high-quality charter schools – eliminate barriers on location and funding of new charter schools;
- Fund state-approved, community-vetted charter schools;
- Create the “Race to Innovate” – an initiative supporting districts to reduce administrative burdens and invest in new innovate school models and programs.
Literacy as a Civil Right and the Building Block of Opportunity
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- Enhance professional development and technical support for educators, while reducing burdens;
- Introduce targeted Individual Reading Plans (IRPs) to support accelerated learning for students performing below grade-level after grade 3;
- Expand high-dosage literacy tutoring for grades 4 and 5, including summer and afterschool options.
Let them Learn, Let them Teach
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- Support new Educator Certification Standards Board to create more pathways into the educator profession, especially for shortage areas, including candidates of color;
- Promote educator retention strategies through mentorship, quality ongoing professional development, and coaching.
Language Access & Opportunity Goes Beyond the Schoolhouse
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- Create Connecticut’s Language Access Plan & Strategy (evergreen and multi-tiered);
- Fully implement Multilingual Parent Bill of Rights;
- Support expansion of high-quality multilingual learner instructional models and interventions.
Family-Driven Investment for our Education System
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- Permanently expand weighted funding to all students in Connecticut;
- Empower families to engage with schools to support informed decision-making and improve student outcomes;
- Pass a Child Tax Credit to increase student access to enrichment activities and tutoring.
While a lot of the work happens in Hartford, our work is parent and community driven, with our parent and family advocates leading the way to drive innovation and demand quality for their children. We understand that each policy and budgetary decision has reverberating effects throughout our state. We know how important this work is for our collective future, and we hope you’ll join us in making this student-centered, quality-driven change possible. As you know, our door is always open, so let’s chat soon.