Residents Express Need for Excellence, Equity Review

Windsor residents filled town hall council chambers Tuesday evening, showing either support for or opposition to Windsor High School's recently-canceled excellence and equity review.

Organized by resident and Windsor Public School mom Jill Jenkins, the meeting largely served as an opportunity for Jenkins and others to reinforce the need to engage in work to close the achievement gap -- the difference in standardized test scores between Windsor's black students and white students.

The effort also saw support from The Greater Hartford NAACP and the state African-America Affairs Commission.

"The achievement gap affects every individual in our town. We are here to pledge our solidarity and commitment to actually do something about it and affect change," Jenkins told those in attendance. "Our goal os simple and clear: to improve the quality of education for all Windsor students, no matter who they are, no matter what family thy come from, no matter what their life circumstances are."

While the excellence and equity review was canceled last week, Jenkins said she and others still believe in the mission of the study, given that its cancellation does not rid the town of a persistent educational problem.

Additionally, Jenkins expressed a commitment to the continuation of work that was to be completed in years two and three of the excellence and equity review, "regardless of who completes the study, and no matter how it is funded."

Jenkins said she took steps to seek support for local achievement-gap initiatives from organizations outside of Windsor when opposition to the study failed to yield despite having their questions and concerns addressed.

"When the original argument was about money, and then when the money issue went away and new arguments popped up, and when I started to see the hateful comments written in [Windsor] Patch, I realized that this is not an issue that is going to be resolved by talking to people one by one," she said. "I saw that we needed support because, up until now, there's been only one side written about, promoted."

Both Amim Muhammed Ansari of The Greater Hartford NAACP and Cassis addressed the audience, as well, with Cassis urging those in opposition to the study to "question their true motives."

"If you indeed want to see your children advance, if indeed you want to see your children receive the best education, you need to roll up your sleeves, Windsor, and give Loyola University the tools to do so," sais Cassis.