Just two in 10 fourth graders are reaching state goals for reading, for example. But Sergi believes what's changed is that Furek and others have shown that success is possible, even if it has to come under state control. Schools are cleaner. For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, incompetent school principals are being replaced. Textbooks are plentiful.
Test scores are up under a renewed emphasis on reading, writing and math.
He was able to tackle the business end of it. A lot of that got cleaned up,'' said Kathy Evans, a parent and one-time board member. She says many questions remain about the future, though, and about whether Hartford can continue to improve. No one really knows what will happen when the state turns control of the district back over to the city in 2003. Sergi, however, believes that the tone set by Furek was invaluable.