Kate Ariano ’18
EE Staff Writer
Thursday, March 10, in the Senior Lounge, state educational leaders and legislators offered students and parents an opportunity to ask questions to a panel of legislators. The event, hosted by the Trumbull Business-Education Initiative (BEI), was officially titled the Legislative Forum on Education: Preparing for Post-High School Success. The major focus of the night was to supply the public, especially students, with a chance to interact with their legislators and understand what is to come of their lives after high school.
Moderator Tony Hwang, State Senator for Connecticut’s 28th District and a former State Representative for Trumbull, explained that this “incredible privilege for Trumbull” was to help inform students of the importance of “constant connectedness,” and the night was to “be a resource to all of [us]” to “see what the next chapter is.”
He also mentioned that the forum “tie[d] into what BEI really stands for,” putting forth the effort to “nurture great talent” with “opportunities to learn hands-on” and form a “unique relationship” with everyday partners in the business, education, and day-to-day community.
The forum also introduced the attendees and viewers to the distinguished panel of Stephen Wright and Dr. Dianna Wentzell, board member and commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education, as well as our Superintendent Dr. Gary Cialfi. In addition, three of Trumbull’s four elected State Representatives, Laura Devlin, Ben McGorty, and Dave Rutigliano, offered their knowledge to the public.
One of the topics in the hot seat that night was the issue of Advanced Placement courses, something strongly suggested for students to take. Seniors Ava Gallo, Matt Buckwald, and Aravind Sureshbabu were some of those who questioned AP courses and students’ enrollment in them as well as the cost of the AP test itself.
According to Dr. Dianna Wentzell, 70% of a school’s overall ‘score’ that comes from the government is derived from students’ involvement in AP or other rigorous classes. In answering the questions students had regarding their education, she mentioned that the No Child Left Behind law that we are familiar with has become the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), as of December 2015.
The U.S. Department of Education says, “This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.”
It also mentions that “The new law builds on key areas of progress in recent years, made possible by the efforts of educators, communities, parents, and students across the country.”
Although there was no heated debating, the legislators thoroughly expressed their opinions on issues like these that students are genuinely concerned with. For the second consecutive year, the forum was an overall success.