Online Community Conversation: The culture war over America's racial reckoning and its place in public education < Back Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative: Community Conversation Past Event Who: Panelist: John Brittain, Paquita Jarman-Smith, Mark Pazniokas When: May 9, 2022 at 11:00:00 PM Where: Virtual: Register Required Online Community Conversation: The culture war over America's racial reckoning and its place in public education Glastonbury MLK Community Initiative Online Communitcy Conversation about racial reckoning in public education. More Info Register Previous Next

EVENTS PAST EVENTS Racial Equity in Education: Honoring the Achievements of John Brittain THURSDAY, March 31, 2022 ( 6 - 7:30 PM ) UConn School of Law Starr Reading Room or Via Zoom About Event Join the UConn School of Law to celebrate John Brittain and reflect on his many significant achievements as a faculty member, including the landmark 1996 Connecticut Supreme Court decision in Sheff v. O’Neill that successfully challenged the segregation of Hartford-area public schools. This event is part of the Centennial and Diversity Month celebrations at the law school. Speaker John Brittain, Olie W. Rauh Professor of Law, University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law More Info/Register Register PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING SATURDAY, March 19, 2022 ( 10 - 11:30 AM ) Meeting Agenda 1. Welcome 2. Sheff Agreement Update 3. Introduction of Speakers 4. GH Magnet School System Julie Goldstein Salvatore Menzo, Ed.D Sarah Vocca, Ph.D Download Meeting Materials Goodwin University Magnet School System HPS Magnet Schools of America Download Download SHEFF IN THE NEWS WNPR’S “WHERE WE LIVE” DISCUSSES CHALLENGES TO INTEGRATION IN CONNECTICUT OCTOBER 24, 2018 “In the 1996 landmark Sheff v. O’Neill case, the Connecticut Supreme Court found that minority students in Hartford’s public schools “suffered daily” due to racial and economic segregation. Now, 22 years later — Connecticut’s magnet school solution to Sheff’s desegregation mandate has been held up as a model for integration around the country. Yet many […] HARTFORD COURANT OP-ED: LAWSUIT THREATENS SHEFF DESEGREGATION GAINS OCTOBER 16, 2018 In July 1996, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued Sheff v. O’Neill, a landmark school desegregation ruling. Based on the principles established in the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board decision, the state Supreme Court ordered the state to remove the barriers that denied students of all races in Hartford and its suburbs the opportunity to […] UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD MAGNET SCHOOL AMONG 5 CT NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOL AWARDEES OCTOBER 3, 2018 The U.S. Department of Education named five Connecticut schools as 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools, including four public schools and one parochial school. The schools received the awards for high academic performance or for great progress in closing the achievement gap during the past five years. The University of Hartford Magnet School, a Capitol Region Education Council […] “THE HILL”: CONNECTICUT’S EFFORT TO INTEGRATE HARTFORD SCHOOLS IS WORKING, BUT MUST BE PROTECTED JULY 23, 2018 “More than 60 years after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, most public schools in America’s major cities remain starkly divided by race and class. But, the magnet schools in Hartford, Connecticut, are exceptions. While no place is perfect, the Hartford region has achieved racial integration that is largely unknown […] SMC NEWS AND UPDATES NEW NCSD PUBLICATION ADDRESSES SCHOOL INTEGRATION JULY 20, 2019 The National Coalition on School Diversity’s publication (The State of Integration 2018) addresses the Hartford context. Read the “Pacific Legal Foundation Continues Its Efforts to Gut Integration” on pgs. 21-25.

SUPPORTERS We are grateful to all of our supporters--past and present--for their generous contributions to and partnerships with the Sheff Movement. FUNDERS William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund Norflet Progress Fund Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Fund for Greater Hartford Individual Donors COLLABORATORS & PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) Hartford Public Schools Hartford Federation of Teachers Connecticut Education Association (CEA) National Coalition on School Diversity (NCSD) IntegrateNYC (INYC) - learn about the 5Rs of Real Integration State Education Resource Center (SERC) Greater Hartford Interfaith Coalition on Equity and Justice Connecticut Center for A New Economy Our Piece of the Pie Greater Hartford Literacy Council Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding (CCJEF) West Hartford Initiative on Racial and Ethnic Diversity (WHIRED) Center for Children’s Advocacy - Sheff v. O'Neill materials NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) - Sheff v. O'Neill materials Connecticut Fair Housing Center AFFILIATIONS The Sheff Movement is a member of the National Coalition on School Diversity.

MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES OUR MISSION: WHY THE SHEFF MOVEMENT COALITION EXISTS The Sheff Movement is a coalition of parents, students, educators and community members working to assure full access to quality integrated education for every child in the Hartford region. OUR VISION: WHAT WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE We envision a society where all children have access to high performing, well-resourced, integrated schools in inclusive, prosperous communities. In these schools, capable, caring teachers and administrators reflect the diverse composition of the student body. Children learn together, explore together and play together, forging friendships and celebrating differences. Identities are embraced, valued and uplifted. Shared best practices drive positive learning outcomes and students’ social and emotional growth. And in each school setting, students feel valued and families are respected partners in their children’s education. A legacy of this effort is a just, thriving community that transcends geographic borders as well as divisions of race, ethnicity and socio-economic status. For its work in creating such a community, Greater Hartford is known as a national model for quality integrated education and its impact. OUR VALUES: WHAT CORE BELIEFS WILL GUIDE THE SHEFF MOVEMENT COALITION Quality Education : Academic excellence, skilled, committed professionals, culturally relevant instruction, a safe and healthy environment, ample resources, and a diverse student body and educators who look like them are all hallmarks of a quality educational institution. We believe that such factors should be the standard for all schools. Integrated Education : By learning together, children learn to respect and value people whose racial, cultural, and socio-economic characteristics differ from their own. By learning together, they prepare themselves to understand and thrive in an increasingly diverse and integrated world. Extensive research shows that cross-racial and cross-class learning environments have beneficial effects on all aspects of a child’s educational experience, in contrast to the detrimental effects of segregation for children of all backgrounds. We believe that integration is vital to quality education, and to the dismantling of structural racism. Equal Access : We believe that all children deserve access to quality integrated education, opening up a range of opportunities – social, economic, educational – regardless of the town they live in. Constitutional Justice : The Connecticut State Supreme Court has affirmed that the principle of equal access to education is embedded in the constitution of the state. It has ruled that the racial and socioeconomic isolation of Hartford school children violates their constitutional rights. The State of Connecticut is required to provide every student access to quality integrated education. We believe that it is the State’s legal and moral obligation to fulfill that mandate. Honest Communication : Clear, honest information is necessary for people to make good decisions. We are dedicated to increasing people’s awareness about the value of quality integrated education as well as information about programs that promote it. We support an open dialogue and transparent process regarding access to quality integrated schools. Inclusive Environments : Inclusive educational environments feature culturally competent educators and culturally responsive teaching methods and curriculum. All students are consistently held to high standards, and students’ cultural differences are viewed as assets that will help them achieve at high levels. Students feel a sense of belonging and see their cultural backgrounds and identities reflected throughout the classroom, in the instructional materials, and among the educators and school leaders. We believe every school must offer a nurturing, inclusive environment. Community : We view Greater Hartford as a single interdependent community that can thrive only so long as there is constant communication and cooperation across town, school zone and neighborhood boundaries. We are dedicated to building a just and prosperous community by forming coalitions of families, educators, policy makers and concerned citizens drawn from all parts of Greater Hartford. Anti-Racism : We are committed to examining how racism affects the lived experience of people of color; how racism is systemic and has been part of many foundational aspects of society throughout history; how it is manifested in both individual attitudes and behaviors as well as formal (and ‘unspoken') policies and practices within institutions; and how white people participate, often unknowingly, in racism. As leaders of the Sheff Movement coalition, we pledge vigilant, ongoing self-reflection and promise to incorporate this value in all aspects of our work. To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

You are invited to celebrate with us at The Heroines of Hartford unveiling ceremony and view portraits of the honorees painted by renowned D.C.- based artist Levi Robinson. The paintings will remain on display for the community to appreciate < Back Heroines of Hartford Unveiling Ceremony Past Event Who: w/ Master of Ceremony Abdul-Rahmaan I. Muhammad When: May 12, 2022 at 5:00:00 PM Where: EHI Equestrian & Therapeutic Center. 337 Vine Street, Hartford, CT You are invited to celebrate with us at The Heroines of Hartford unveiling ceremony and view portraits of the honorees painted by renowned D.C.- based artist Levi Robinson. The paintings will remain on display for the community to appreciate Elizabeth Horton Sheff to be Honored at Heroines of Hartford Unveiling Ceremony RSVP - info@ebonyhorsewomen.us Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. will pay tribute to eight women who have served the Hartford community through acts of kindness, advocacy, and leadership on Thursday, May 12, 2022. You are invited to celebrate with us at The Heroines of Hartford unveiling ceremony and view portraits of the honorees painted by renowned D.C.- based artist Levi Robinson. The paintings will remain on display for the community to appreciate. The event, made possible with grants from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and the City of Hartford, will start at 1:00 PM at EHI Equestrian and Therapeutic Center at 337 Vine Street in Hartford. The special occasion will be hosted by Abdul-Rahmaan I. Muhammad and includes remarks by EHI CEO and President Patricia E. Kelly. Our heroines include women who have had an immeasurable impact on our community, both past and present - attorney Cynthia Jennings, community activist Elizabeth Horton-Sheff, former councilwoman rJo Winch, activist and former city official Patricia M. Williams, social worker and advocate Elba Cruz Schulman, politician and change maker Ella Cromwell, Artists Collective co-founder Cheryl Smith, and environmental leader and "Hartford's Tree Lady", Charmaine Craig. Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. would like to remind Hartford just how appreciated our community and its leaders are. Please join us for this special occasion! Info cited from ebonyhorsewomen.org - https://ebonyhorsewomen.org/heroines-of-hartford Previous Next

SMC Updates < Back February 2016 Meeting Who: Led by SMC Staff/Leadership What: SMC Updates Where: SMC Offices - 75 Charter Oak Ave. 06106 When: February 27, 2016 at 3:00:00 PM Previous Next

SMC Updates < Back May 2019 Meeting Who: Led by SMC Staff/Leadership What: SMC Updates Where: SMC Offices - 75 Charter Oak Ave. 06106 When: May 18, 2019 at 2:00:00 PM Previous Next

SMC Updates < Back May 2017 Meeting Who: Led by SMC Staff/Leadership What: SMC Updates Where: SMC Offices - 75 Charter Oak Ave. 06106 When: May 20, 2017 at 2:00:00 PM Previous Next

SMC Updates < Back November 2008 Meeting Who: Led by SMC Staff/Leadership What: SMC Updates Where: Hartford City Hall, Council Chambers When: November 22, 2008 at 2:30:00 PM Previous Next

SHEFF MOVEMENT PUBLICATIONS NOTE: THIS PAGE IS CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED (MARCH 2022) 2017 Sheff Movement Legislative Priorities 2017 - Read more about the coalition's three 2017 legislative priorities: 1) Ensure that state education finance reforms strongly support and incentivize racial and economic integration both at the district and interdistrict levels. 2) Develop a unified and sustainable statewide school integration program. 3) Require that “progress toward racial and socioeconomic integration” be included in Connecticut’s education accountability systems. 2016 Sheff Movement Legislative & Advocacy Agenda 2016 2015 SMC Policy Brief: Pre-K Availability and Access in Hartford Region Magnet and Open Choice Schools - This Policy Brief will address some of the common questions about the scope and demand of the Greater Hartford Area’s Magnet and Open Choice Pre-K program (“RSCO Pre-K”) program including: How many Hartford and suburban students are in publicly funded Pre-K programs of all types? How many RSCO Pre-K seats are available? How do available RSCO Pre-K seats correspond to demand, particularly between Pre-K and Kindergarten? And finally, what are potential obstacles for families in accessing RSCO Pre-K programs? Sheff Movement Legislative Agenda 2015 2014 SMC Policy Brief: Simplifying the Lottery Process: Preferences - This policy brief provides an in-depth look at the system used for lottery preferences for regional integration programs (interdistrict magnet schools and the Open Choice program) in Greater Hartford. We believe that the preference system for student admission needs to be more transparent. An Introduction to the Voluntary Two-Way School Integration System in the Hartford Area Sheff Movement Legislative Agenda 2014 2013 An Introduction to the Voluntary Two-Way School Integration System in the Hartford Area Sheff Movement Newsletter: Winter 2012-13 - Our newest issue of Integrated Voices features the following articles: School Fairs Draw Large Crowds Test Scores Helping to Close State’s ‘Achievement Gap’ in Education Where Are They Now? Magnet School Diversity Struck a Chord with a Wethersfield Music Student Magnet School Settles Into Long Awaited Glastonbury Home Higher Graduation Rates for Magnets 2012 A Parents’ Guide To the Voluntary Two-Way School Integration System in the Hartford Area (2012) Sheff Movement Newsletter: Summer 2012 - In this issue of Integrated Voices: CREC Magnet Schools Under Sheff Settlement Outperforming State Averages and Reducing the Achievement Gap Magnet School Spotlight: Annie Fisher STEM Hartford Area Parents Attend National Conference on School Diversity A City Magnet Inspires A Former Suburban Student To Teach D.C. Youth Parent’s Corner by Lorenzo Blake Sheff Movement Newsletter: Spring 2012 - Our first issue of Integrated Voices features the following articles: Increase in Number of Children and Families Seeking Magnet Schools and Open Choice Programs New research on benefits of diversity in early education State of Integrated Education in the Hartford Region Magnet School Spotlight: Environmental Sciences Magnet School at Mary Hooker 7 Sheff Movement Legislative Agenda 2012 2011 Sheff Movement Legislative Agenda 2011 2010 A Parents’ Guide To the Voluntary Two-Way School Integration System in the Hartford Area (2010) 2008 Sheff Movement Survey Study by Alexis B. Browne, Lauren H. Friedman, and Sean T. Harrington - A new poll released by the University of Connecticut examines public attitudes toward voluntary school integration. The poll found that Connecticut residents strongly support the voluntary two-way integration programs that are the backbone of the Sheff v. O’Neill settlement agreement. Magnet School List (2008) 2007 Boston’s METCO Program: Lessons for the Hartford Area by Erica Frankenberg (2007) Improving and Expanding Hartford’s Project Choice Program by Erica Frankenberg (2007) To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

Discussion on the right to equal education, Sheff v. O’Neill court case, and Glastonbury’s participation in the Open Choice program. < Back Opening Doors for Open Choice Past Event Who: Speakers: Elizabeth Horton Sheff, Martha Stone, Tracy-Ann Johnson When: May 11, 2022 at 11:00:00 PM Where: Virtual Zoom Webinar Discussion on the right to equal education, Sheff v. O’Neill court case, and Glastonbury’s participation in the Open Choice program. Register The Glastonbury nonprofit TALK (Truth in Action with Love & Kindness) invites the public to “Opening Doors for Open Choice: Glastonbury and the Sheff Civil Rights Settlement,” a free Zoom webinar on Wednesday, May 11, at 7 p.m. Presented in collaboration with Welles-Turner Memorial Library, this community conversation will cover the constitutional right to equal, integrated education, and the Sheff v. O’Neill recently settled lawsuit on Connecticut’s failure to meet its constitutional obligation. It also will focus on Glastonbury’s participation in the Open Choice program, which enables urban students to attend public schools in suburban districts, and suburban and rural students to attend public schools in urban areas. Speakers will include Elizabeth Horton Sheff, Sheff Movement Co-Chair and plaintiff in the landmark civil rights lawsuit; Martha Stone, Co-Counsel for the Sheff case from its inception through recent settlement; and Tracy-Ann Johnson, parent of a Glastonbury Open Choice student and member of Glastonbury’s former Racial Justice and Equity Commission. Sheff will share how she and her then 10-year-old son, Milo, and the nine other plaintiff families, joined together in 1989 to sue Connecticut over the disparities in education available to Hartford vs. suburban public school students. She will explain why the Sheff case and movement continue to be vitally important today, and will describe the role of the magnet and Open Choice programs in helping to ensure access to equal education opportunities. Stone will explain the state constitutional protections at the heart of the Sheff lawsuit, and provide an overview of the case’s three-decade trajectory in the courts. Johnson will discuss why she decided to send her child to a Glastonbury public school through the Open Choice program, and will describe her own and other families’ experiences with the program. Registration is required. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y2hrp5zk to register Previous Next

SMC Updates < Back March 2018 Meeting Who: Led by SMC Staff/Leadership What: SMC Updates Where: SMC Offices - 75 Charter Oak Ave. 06106 When: March 17, 2018 at 2:00:00 PM Previous Next