Leadership Meetings

Vision
The vision of Stamford Achieves is to serve as an advocate and catalyst for closing the achievement gap in Stamford. This organization has pledged to make certain that not only will excellent education be available to all students, but that all students will achieve.

Stamford Achieves will:
• Advocate for change and build grass roots support for closing the   
  achievement gap
• Encourage open and courageous discussion among stakeholders -- the
  Superintendent, the Board of Education, educators, students, parents,
  not-for-profit organizations and members of the community at large
• Work with the Stamford Public Schools and professional consultants to
  recommend policy changes and improvements to ensure that our public schools work better for all.
• Monitor progress toward goals

History
In 2003, Mayor Malloy appointed a Blue Ribbon Commission to study the achievement gap that exists in the Stamford public school system, and to make recommendations on how to close it. The achievement gap is the difference in standardized test scores between minorities and whites, and between rich and poor students. While this gap exists in urban areas throughout the country, Connecticut has the worst achievement gap of any state in the nation.

When the Commission was formed, there was a great deal of uncertainty on how to close the gap, and some cynicism as to whether this was a "hopeless cause" -- an inevitable consequence of poverty and the growing social ills of crime and addiction that were festering in our low-income neighborhoods. Yet there was a shared commitment among the Commission that the achievement gap must be closed if Stamford was to achieve its potential as a truly great city. That was the genesis of the public-private partnership that is now called STAMFORD ACHIEVES.

Over the past six years, the Board of Directors of Stamford Achieves has spent a great deal of time researching the causes of the achievement gap and seeking solutions. We have examined progress made by urban schools in neighboring states and we have begun to mobilize -- implementing programs which have proven successful in similar districts. Dr. Christine Casey was hired as the interim executive director. We have met frequently with Superintendent Joshua Starr, who shares our commitment to closing the achievement gap, and are committed to introducing ideas and we will soon issue a report to the community on progress made and where more help is needed.