Connecticut

English Language Learners’ Bill of Rights passes Connecticut House

Published

2 years ago

June 2, 2023

English Language Learners’ Bill of Rights passes Connecticut House

A proposal to enact an English Language Learners’ Bill of Rights passed the House Thursday in a 129-19 vote as part of an education omnibus bill that now heads to the Senate for final approval.

The legislation would require the Connecticut State Board of Education to draft a bill of rights to guarantee and safeguard the rights of parents and students who are multilingual learners. It outlines 15 different rights to a bilingual education, including the right to an interpreter.

“I believe that this is a very important provision that we have a real tremendous increase in our bilingual language learners in our school,” Education Committee Ranking Member Rep. Kathleen McCarty said. “It’s critical that they receive the bill of rights and that their parents are also brought in with the translation services so that they can help their students achieve academic success by understanding what’s being asked of them.”

In the last five years, the number of students identified as English language learners by CSDE has jumped nearly 30%, from 38,368 during the 2017-2018 session to 49,833 this year.

Education Committee Chair Rep. Jeff Currey said the bill of rights would ensure that parents can request translation services for communications with teachers, board of education meetings, and their members.

In written testimony, the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education said that the organization “believes implementation of the section of the bill dealing with translators would be difficult because of the numerous languages spoken by students and their parents and the lack of certified translators.”

CABE cited a 2019 CSDE report, which found that among high school English language learners, 77% percent spoke Spanish and 14% spoke either Portuguese, Creole-Haitian, Arabic, Mandarin or French. The remaining 9% of English Learners spoke one of 89 other languages.

“There may be few or no certified bilingual and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) staff who speak these languages in Connecticut,” CABE said.

When asked about language options, Currey said school districts could use an online translation service at a cost of $125 to $175 an hour.

“For a five-hour board of ed meeting, that could be nearly a thousand dollars.” Rep. Tammy Nuccio said. “They have board of ed meetings, I know my towns’ are every other week, so that could be a rather large cost for a municipality.”

Nuccio, who voted against the bill, said that she could not support the financial burden the new requirements placed on municipalities.

“I’ve been very forthright since being here that I just don’t feel comfortable voting on anything that’s going to be an additional financial mandate on the boards of ed because it just puts more pressure at the local level. And all I hear from every superintendent I have is ‘No more mandates,’” Nuccio said.

Nuccio also raised concern with a section of a bill that would provide a right to non-English class instruction in cases where 20 multilingual learners speak the same dominant language.

“I’m kind of worried that we would have dual classes going all the way from kindergarten through graduation, throughout the whole process, without having a solid plan in place to make sure these children are also learning English, which is the primary language of this country,” Nuccio said. “So I’m a little, again, concerned with the cost on that piece there.”

The bill of rights proposal was supported by Gov. Ned Lamont, CSDE and the State Child Advocate in addition to dozens of parents and students with a native language other than English who say that the legislation will better support multilingual learners, remove barriers to parent engagement, and increase equity and inclusion.

Many parents testified that the current lack of translation services for conferences, board of education meetings, and school communications created obstacles that impede education, reduce opportunities and even endanger well-being.

“A couple months ago the school sent me a document in English and I did not know what it said, it was that my daughter could not see well and that I should take her to the doctor. Several days passed until someone translated the document for me and I was able to take action. In the end my girl was diagnosed with astigmatism,” Flor Callazos, a mother of a 6-year-old student in Trumbull wrote. “I am here supporting the approval of the bill for parents of English learners since all mothers deserve that our children’s important documents be sent in our language, especially if it concerns their health.”

The new bill of rights will additionally alleviate the strain on students.

“I grew up as a first-generation immigrant, and having to translate my own parent-teacher conferences and every permission slip I was sent home with is a memory I cannot describe as fond,” Cristian Corza of Hartford said in written testimony. “No student should have to be faced with that burden, and parents should have every tool at their disposal to stay involved in their child’s education.”

“Access to quality education is a right all children should have regardless of the language they speak. Clear rights help our community know where they can turn for support and guidance,” Corza added. “By guaranteeing parental rights in ELL students’ education, children will improve in school; parents will be able to advocate for their child’s needs and ensure they receive the best education.”

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Connecticut

Video shows plane wreck near Connecticut, not New Jersey drone crash | Fact check

Published

7 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Video shows plane wreck near Connecticut, not New Jersey drone crash | Fact check

The claim: Video shows drone crash in New Jersey

A Dec. 16 Facebook reel (direct link, archive link) includes a video of emergency vehicles surrounding what appears to be an aircraft resting on a guardrail on the side of a highway.

“Drone Crashes!” reads the post’s caption, which includes the hashtags #newjersey and #ufo.

The post was shared more than 1,000 in two days. The footage and a similar claim were also shared on Instagram.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

The video does not show a drone crash. The footage is from a Dec. 12 plane crash near the border of New York and Connecticut, according to media reports.

Video shows aftermath of plane crash near New York

A deluge of reports of drones flying unusually in the northeastern U.S. began circulating in mid-November, with more than 5,000 sightings reported as of Dec. 17. The sightings have sparked concerns about national security and airspace safety, but federal authorities have said there is no public safety risk.

The video shared on Facebook, however, does not show a crashed drone. Rather, it shows a small plane that crashed along Interstate 684 in Westchester County, New York, on Dec. 12, killing one person and injuring another, according to various news outlets. Footage and images from the scene match the scene shown in the Facebook video, showing the same small white plane in the same position on the side of the highway.

Fact check: No, that’s not a crashed drone. It’s a TIE fighter replica

A Federal Aviation Administration report about the incident said the pilot reported engine issues before the crash.

The New York State Police posted about the crash on X, alerting drivers to traffic closures on Interstate 684. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also issued a statement about the accident on Dec. 12, which confirmed one person died and another was injured.

White Plains is about 100 miles north of New Jersey, where the Facebook video claimed the crash happened and where witnesses have been reporting supposed drone sightings since mid-November.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who posted the Facebook video but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories and PolitiFact also fact-checked the video

Our fact-check sources

FAA, Dec. 12, FAA Statements on Aviation Accidents and Incidents
FAA, Dec. 13, FAA Accident and Incident Notification(s): Notice(s) Created 13-DEC-24
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Dec. 12, Statement from Governor Kathy Hochul
New York State Police, Dec. 12, X post
Connecticut State Police, Dec. 13, Troopers Assist National Transportation Safety Board with Aircraft Accident on I-684 in Greenwich
CBS News, Dec. 13, One dead in small plane crash along I-684 in New York’s Westchester County

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

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Connecticut

Xavier vs. Connecticut Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, December 18th

Published

14 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Xavier vs. Connecticut Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, December 18th

The UConn Huskies have emerged from its poor showing in Maui last month to look the part of a Final Four contender yet again as we draw closer to the full swing of Big East play.

The Huskies are off an impressive win at Madison Square Garden against Gonzaga and return to Stoors to face a Xavier team that is going to be short-handed on Wednesday night. The Musketeers will be without leading scorer Zach Freemantle, who suffered an injury over the weekend in a tight loss against Cincinnati.

What’s the drop-off for the Musketeers? Let’s break it down with our betting preview.

Spread

Moneyline

Total: 147.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Xavier

Dayvion McKnight: With Freemantle out, a lot of the pressure will turn to McKnight, the team’s lead guard. The senior is a dead-eye three-point shooter, hitting 45% of his shots while leading the team in assist rate, but he’ll need to create more for himself to offset the loss of Freemantle, who can play both inside and out.

Connecticut

Liam McNeeley: The freshman has done a bit of everything in his first 11 games with the program, second in scoring and rebounding with nearly 14 points and more than six rebounds per game while providing sturdy defense on the wing. In UConn’s motion-based offense, McNeeley has slid in nicely as someone who can create his own shot, evident in getting to the free throw line 12 times against Gonzaga over the weekend.

The market has rightly moved against Xavier on the news that Freemantle will be out indefinitely, and the numbers are quite jarring at the impact he has on the roster.

Per Xavier: “Zach Freemantle sustained a lower body injury in Saturday’s game at Cincinnati. He will be sidelined indefinitely.”
Xavier losing it’s most important player as Big East play begins. @WCPO
— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) December 16, 2024

When Freemantle is off the floor, the offense stays fairly stagnant, scoring about two points less per 100 possessions, but the defense falls off a cliff. Xavier goes from allowing 89.9 points per 100 possessions to 118, which is the difference between ranking 10th in that metric and 336th, per Hoop-Explorer.

The Musketeers won’t slow down the UConn offense without Freemantle on the floor as the Huskies are the best two-point shooting team in the country, which can be maximized without the team having its power forward that can play both along the perimeter and shut down the paint.

However, with a limited drop-off on offense, can the likes of McKnight and Ryan Conwell get the fast-paced Xavier offense going to do some scoring in what may be a blowout loss?

Since Sean Miller returned to the program in 2023, the average score of the Xavier-UConn games has been just shy of 155 points and I believe this total is over-adjusted for the loss of Freemantle, who didn’t play in either game last season.

KenPom projects this total at 150, and we have shown that the Xavier offense hasn’t fallen off that much this season with Freemantle off the floor, so I’ll play against the idea and back the over in what should be a high-scoring affair.

PICK: OVER 147.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Connecticut

Iowa State women no match for Connecticut, as Huskies post 101-68 victory

Published

22 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Press Room

Iowa State women no match for Connecticut, as Huskies post 101-68 victory

The Iowa State women had another chance to make a statement on a national scale Tuesday night.

They were denied.

No. 4 Conneticut jumped out to an impressive 36-10 lead after the first quarter on its way to a 101-68 victory. Sarah Strong, Ashlynn Shade and All-American Paige Bueckers all scored over 27 points, knocking down a combined 17 three-pointers.

Strong had 29 while Shade and Bueckers each scored 27. Kaitlyn Chen dished out eight assists for the Huskies (10-1), who were 20 of 34 from the 3-point line.

For the Cyclones (9-4), Audi Crooks had 22 with Sydney Harris adding 17 off the bench, including five made triples. Addy Brown and Emily Ryan each scored nine and had six assists.

Connecticut shot 57 percent from the field and held a plus-nine edge in rebounds. They also scored 14 points off 14 Iowa State turnovers while recording 27 assists on 37 made field goals.

Iowa State held a lead at 2-0 when Crooks made a jumper but the Huskies went on a 24-4 run from there.

The Cyclones open Big 12 Conference play when they close out 2024 at Oklahoma State on Saturday, Dec. 21. The Cowboys are currently 10-1 on the year and have scored 92-plus in each of their last three since a loss to Richmond.

Iowa State has lost all three games to ranked opponents this year, falling to defending national champion South Carolina and Iowa.

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