Teachers, others wait to hear Malloy on education reform tonight

New London -- Standing near the entrance of the Winthrop Elementary Magnet School this afternoon, Jennifer Drury was waiting for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's arrival, holding a sign that reads "Governor, I showed up. Now what? Sincerely, a highly rated teacher."

Malloy is set to speak at his seventh education reform town hall meeting beginning at 7 p.m.

"He said the way you get tenure is to just show up, so I'm here, now what?" Drury, a nearly 14-year teacher in New Haven said. "This is my fourth meeting in a week. I spent the weekend reading the 160-odd page bill and there are some things I don't like."

She said she does not agree with how teacher evaluations will be tied to certifications and how the 2014 evaluations will be tied to tenure and then pay.

"It will create a payroll nightmare. Am I not going to know my pay until CAPT scores come out in July?" she asked.

Malloy has used the town hall meetings to speak with the public about his proposed reforms to improve the state's public school system. Last month, he announced a comprehensive proposal aimed at improving the state's achievement gap, which is the worst in the nation. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to speak in Waterbury.