Gov. M. Jodi Rell named several business leaders and educators in Fairfield County and Connecticut to a privately funded commission to close the state’s achievement gap between students from low-income families and those of means.
The commission is chaired by Steven Simmons of Greenwich, CEO of Simmons/Patriot Media and Communications, and includes Ramani Ayer, the retired CEO of The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.; and John Rathgeber, CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association.
Besides Simmons, other commission members with a Fairfield County connection include:
- David Carson, onetime CEO of Bridgeport-based People’s United Bank;
- Carla Klein, a former teacher and member of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund; and
- Dudley Williams Jr., director of district education strategy for GE Asset Management Group in Stamford.
The group plans to hold hearings around the state; visit public schools; review research, and consult with all interested parties. Commission members will also look at successful models in other states.
“The future leaders of Connecticut – in both commerce and community – are in our classrooms today,” Rell said. “Connecticut has long prided itself on having one of the finest work forces in the nation, but this must be inclusive of every child in every neighborhood.”
