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On August 8, 2016, The New Haven Register published an article to reflect on public charter schools, and their impact, 20 years after they were first approved by the Connecticut Board of Education. The article cited ConnCAN:
On Feb. 27, 1997, the Connecticut Board of Education voted to approve 12 charter schools, including Common Ground School in New Haven. According to NESCN, 33 charter schools have opened in 20 years, nine of which have closed or transitioned into public schools.
Jennifer Alexander, chief executive officer of the pro-charter educational advocacy group Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (ConnCAN), said the arrangement allows “a high degree of autonomy for a high degree of accountability.”
“I think that the intention of charter schools, both in Connecticut and nationally, was to create schools that were freed from systems and rules that might bind other schools, were highly accountable for results and could innovate to best meet the needs of their kids,” Alexander said.
Alexander and Grace said the overall mission of charters — using alternative strategies to aggressively target underserved children and close the achievement gap — has not changed in 20 years.