By Gabrielle Tunucci October 29 th , 2019: A New Haven Register article title reads: “Birks gets $175,000 payout in severance agreement.” According to the article, the recent severance of Carol Birks, the former Superintendent of Schools, is one of many controversies in the New Haven Board of Education’s search for a superintendent. New Haven residents had been attending Board of Education meetings since 2017 to express their outrage “for what they view as a rigged and un-transparent process.” A representative of the school board insisted that the search process was “transparent and included ample feedback from the community and stakeholders.” This event exemplifies citizens’ ongoing contentions with the Board of Education: its design as a political body. Since New Haven’s founding, education has been a cornerstone of the community. The Puritans who first colonized what is now the city of New Haven emphasized the importance of education. Although they were a religious group, P...

By: Lorette Feivelson In 1886, a free public library had been high on New Haven’s wish list for some time. New Haven was quickly growing and becoming a thriving city and it was believed that a city of its size should have a public library. Other cities of similar size had started to build libraries of their own, including Bridgeport, Connecticut, which opened its own public library in 1881. New Haven’s role as a college town also played a role in the decision to create a public library. It seemed odd that the city that was home to one of the most prestigious universities in the country had not already invested in a library to educate its citizens. Of course, New Haven did not lack libraries before this point. Yale had its own library with an impressive collection that more than met the needs of its students. Outside of the university there were several private subscription libraries throughout the city, including on at the Young Men’s Institute. These libraries had plenty of m...

By: Kendra Kochol In the fall of 1931, New Haven State Normal School offered its newest curriculum. Prior to this, students had two fields of study to choose from- teaching in kindergarten or one of the first three grades, or intermediate grades 4-6. Starting in 1931, students could choose to study Atypical Education, or Special Education as it is known today. However, Special Education and its similar interventional areas were in New Haven long before 1931. Individuals with disabilities have been fighting a long battle for inclusion and even respect from others. The first chapter of History of Special Education discusses historical and philosophical changes in the treatment and education of students with exceptionalities. The first chapter says “the mid-nineteenth century saw the growth of institutions and asylums for individuals with disabilities… Although some institutions viewed their purpose as providing educational and vocational programs and fostering moral and religious develop...

By: Jason Smith Early on the morning of October 10, 1957, atop the roof of Engleman Hall at the New Haven State Teachers College, three star-gazers of the local branch of the Smithsonian Institute’s Astrophysical Laboratory program spotted an object moving at eighteen thousand miles per hour. “I got it,” cried New Havener James Plato, who saw something that looked like a faint star moving through the clear night. Moments later, NHSTC earth science Professor Robert Brown, accompanied by his son, caught a glimpse for himself. It was the first confirmed sighting of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in the continental United States. The Cold War space race had begun. Months later, NHSTC president Hilton C. Buley used the accomplishment to advocate for more STEM funding for colleges such as his own, which would train the next generation of teachers and their students. Launched on October 4, 1957, Sputnik was the first human-made satellite to orbit the Earth, a key moment in the Cold War...