STATE of CONNECTICUT
BY HER EXCELLENCY
M. JODI RELL
GOVERNOR
Executive Order No. 40
WHEREAS, a severe Achievement Gap exists between the scores achieved on state exams by our public school low income and middle income students in grades 4 and 8, despite our state spending more than 30% above the national average per pupil on education; and
WHEREAS, improving the educational achievement of our low income population is vital to reducing high school dropout rates, unemployment and the quality of life experienced by those graduating our public schools; and
WHEREAS, improving the educational achievement of all our public school students is vital to the quality of our future workforce, job creation in the state and our tax base; and
WHEREAS, Connecticut’s historic commitment to education and workforce development has been a major factor in the state’s economic success in the past by generating the skilled talent and innovative industrial processes required to support economic growth; and
WHEREAS, it is vital that this legacy continue so that Connecticut business and industry will have the skilled talent necessary to support the high levels of innovation that will be required in the future to successfully compete in the global knowledge-based economy; and
WHEREAS, new product advancement, new company formation and business relocation into the state -- all critical components of growing new jobs – are increasingly dependent upon the availability of skilled talent; and
WHEREAS, the achievement gap that exists among our school districts and our students not only limits the career opportunities of too many students across Connecticut but also impedes the state’s ability to effectively compete and prosper; and
WHEREAS, growing 21st century talent is no longer the province of any single agency, but necessarily involves multiple entities functioning in collaborative ways with a unified purpose;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, M. Jodi Rell, Governor of the State of Connecticut, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Connecticut, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. There shall be established The Connecticut Commission on Educational Achievement which will be comprised of citizens from across the state as selected by the Governor;
2. The Commission will report on why this achievement gap in Connecticut’s educational system has become the largest in the nation, make recommendations to the Governor, the legislature and other relevant state and local institutions and the public on how to close it, and suggest ways to lift the educational accomplishment of all of our state’s students.
3. The Office for Workforce Competitiveness shall provide administrative support for the Commission and shall coordinate efforts among state agencies to assist the Commission. The Office for Workforce Competitiveness shall also coordinate efforts of public and private colleges and universities and quasi-public agencies whose missions relate to the charge of the Commission; and
4. The Commission itself may receive funds from outside entities or individuals to support its work and such funding may come through a community or other foundation.
This order shall take effect immediately.
Dated at Hartford this ______ day of March 2010.
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M. Jodi Rell
Governor
By Her Excellency’s Command:
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Susan Bysiewicz
Secretary of the State
