Working Families Party candidates for Board of Education John Bagley and Barbara Pouchet issued the following statement for Tuesday’s special election vote:
Remember to vote. This is a critical election. It’s not just about who will be on the Board of Education, it’s also about whether we’ll have elections for the Board of Education in the future. We think it’s important that parents and citizens in Bridgeport have a voice in running their own schools. That’s why we opposed the illegal state takeover of our schools, and that’s why we’re against the ballot initiative granting the Mayor the power to appoint the Board. Both these plans are about taking power away from parents, educators, and voters, and handing it over to bankers and CEOs.
While some politicians have given up on Bridgeport schools, we think there is every reason to expect success for our students. That’s why we’ll pursue success for all our public schools, instead of funneling dollars into private charter schools that can pick and choose the students they want. In order for students to succeed, we need to give all children the support and resources they need, so we’ll make sure special education programs are fully funded. We’ll also work to incorporate more extracurricular programs into our schools. And unlike appointed boards, we’ll demand fiscal accountability and transparency in our school system, so we can be sure that our money is actually going to the classroom.
If you send us to the Board of Education, we’ll make sure you have a voice. We’ll get parents engaged in the schools by reaching out and organizing the community. And we’ll create programs to help adults with reading, job training, and other skills so that the whole family is empowered and prepared to succeed. Parents know what their kids need, and that’s why we’ll always listen to parents.
What we’ve seen from the Democrats currently sitting on the illegal board has been bad for our city and bad for our schools: Administrators making a quarter of a million dollars, no-bid contracts going to the superintendent’s friends and business partners, and cuts to school programs including those for special needs children–none of these things bring fiscal accountability and they don’t help our children learn.
So if you believe you should have a voice on Bridgeport’s Board of Education, and aren’t willing to give up on our students, remember to vote for us, John Bagley and Barbara Pouchet, on Row C. Vote row C for our Children.
John and Barbara, you’ve got my vote.
To say the Sept 4th vote is tied to the elections of future boards is not accurate. That is the vote in Nov. and no matter who is elected Tuesday, they (BOE) will not have control over that, the people of BPT have the control.
Also–are they going to give some of the new programs a chance to work or are they going to fight them day one? School has just started–can we at least give it a semester or two before we start attacking programs?
Lifelong, here’s the deal:
If Finch controls the majority of the BOE after Tuesday then the charter question doesn’t matter. If the question is voted down then the BOE will vote again and ask the state to take it over.
If you don’t believe that is the plan then you are part of the Finch Admin.
Bob,
No–I’m not a member of the Finch administration. Sorry, my conspiracy theories were not running that far into the future. You have obviously thought out the next 4-5 steps, good for you! And the Charter question does matter for the future. Short term–no it won’t matter. But Finch will not always be Mayor and Mario won’t live forever.
This why I like Bagley and Pouchet. While the scripted candidates talk about test scores and achievement metrics, Working Families candidates talk about improving adult literacy, job training and other life skills. They are of Bridgeport. They know Bridgeport. They will represent Bridgeport. That is why I am telling people to vote Bags and Babs.
Tomorrow morning I will be heading to Black Rock School and voting row C and I’m still undecided about the third candidate to vote for.
I intend to vote solely for Bagley and Pouchet (or Bags and Babs) on Line C so as not to dilute my vote being the intention of my vote to get the two of them on the elected Board.
I fully understand their reference to the import of this election on maintaining a direct electorate influence on the Board. While this election does not have a direct impact on defeating the Charter Revision, the involvement of the electorate in this election goes to raise the level of awareness over what is at stake to be lost if the powers that be have their way and get to pass the Charter Revision.
I see getting Bagley and Pouchet on the Board as the first step to successfully defeating the Charter Revision in November.
Bullet Vote Bags & Babs only on row C
If you vote only for two people (bullet), not three, they would have a better chance at winning.
Bullet, baby! Bullet!
Many have told me they will be voting for Karen Jackson who is running as an independent candidate for the BOE.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=Cpjs3GV_5bA
I don’t really get wrapped in all the Sturm und Drang of this BOE election. More importantly and regardless of how he got there, we have to give Vallas a fair shot at implementing his plan.
To date he has made some very strong principal changes that were long overdue. Other changes like recording textbooks handed out to students for accountability’s sake is so logical, you wonder why it wasn’t done before.
But the jury is still out and it needs time.
My fear yet to be alleviated by all the commentary surrounding the BOE election is if the new Board is like the old board, it will again devolve into the same old dysfunctional nonsense.
Remember, past elected BOEs brought us that incredibly vapid empty suit Ramos and the equally incompetent Salcedo who spent all her time looking in the mirror instead of improving a tough urban district.
I believe the appointed Board did an outstanding job because they were not all wrapped in the win/lose egos and personal diatribes of previous boards. The Court ruled a new board be installed. So be it.
I just hope they give enough time to Vallas & Co before they form up the typical Bridgeport circular firing squad.
The problem with giving Vallas time, is his time is short. His original contract expires January 2013, and he “graciously” extended it until the end of the school year. Vallas will not be here to oversee what he has implemented. His company recently signed a contract to work with the Indianapolis School System.
Keep an eye on the newly seated Board and what they set out as objectives for evaluation of a Superintendent. It was a battleground in the past and should not have been. Why should discussion of those goals and objectives, with measurable specificity, be placed in Executive Session? But that is what happened with the pre-appointment Board. And no one asked WHY?
One of the difficulties of the pre-appointed Board was getting timely and accurate financial info. Since Vallas showed, the OPM/City Finance have offered us a much-diminished BOE report. Line items and department divisions have been reduced to three headings only, for March through June. And I will question whether there was any accurate reporting of the real numbers in that period of time anyway. Can anyone explain the embargo on education results in the City presentation to the Council and the public since February, 2012?
So attention can be directed to what the administration records as final numbers in all categories for June, 2012. We have already seen on OIB the City has reported to the State of CT OPM financial results that do not agree with what Paul Vallas reports. Interesting? No doubt. As the dust clears and reports are adjusted, the public and taxpayer will get to see what is really going on.
Finally, Vallas has told audience after audience he was implementing a five-year plan with many changes that would be easier to operate in future years than during the first year. He has been more open, accountable and transparent than any other administrator in Bridgeport in years. For those who care, who question, and who realize that change has been necessary, that should be welcome, something to embrace (for the most part), and to encourage. Questions continue to be required and answers also. However the new Board, whatever its makeup, should not need to get tied up in fighting for information that is their due. Rather, they need to point the direction towards the measurable goals over several years that an interim (as well as a new) Superintendent should be reaching to acheive, and keep their eyes on those targets. Time will tell.