News 12 reporter Frank Recchia, in this video report, breaks news about a plan to restore school bus routes so kids do not have to walk long distances. Is there time to implement this for the first day of school?
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The Battle Over Students Walking To School
so what will be eliminated in the school district in order to restore the school bus routes?
this is just another ploy on Ganim’s part to win the primary/general election.
What is it about Channel 12 that casual and informational sessions between former Superintendent Aresta Johnson on behalf of the school children of Bridgeport and Mayor Joseph Ganim as “leader” of all people in the City were not shown in recent years. Could it be that the primary on September 10 has a strong way of re-focusing a distracted and shy Mayor when it comes to speaking about the safety, welfare and education of school children. Hypocrisy??
Or is it a male manager as acting administrator of the school system that gets the photo op? Who has kept Ganim2 away from collaborating for several years with elected leaders and the School Superintendent? After all Ganim2 has a pretty good track record of going to Hartford to make his wants known, when it comes to pension plans and bonding. Who left State funding to our school youth, on a par with Hartford and New Haven, off his “bucket list”? Some things on such a mayoral wish list seem to get enacted. Witness the hairline? Time will tell.
More shameful activity from Ganim and the puppet Testani and the BOE puppets,Weldon,Martinez,Allen,Taylor and the last one who we still don’t know his last name. And then there is the undecided eunuch.
And MORE evidence that Ganim is worried.
Mayor Ganim has proposed four consecutive budgets without ONE additional dollar for our 20,400 students.
In 2016 the City Council approved ZERO additional dollars forcing the BOE to make $16, 000,000 in devastating xu
In 2017 we needed $11.4 million. We thought the state was going to give us $8 million. The state gave us zero and the City Council gave us $387,00.
In 2018 we needed 9 million and the City Council appropriated $1.1 million.
In 2019 we needed 16 million and the state gave us $2.4 million and the City Council gave us $1.2 million .
In 2019 the City Council voted to bond for $2.5 million for the tiger exhibit at the Beardsley Zoo. Beardsley Zoo is owned by the state and ZERO Municipal tax dollars should be used for a state owned Zoo. That is what our state taxpayer dollars are for.
That $2.5 million dollar bond will likely cost Bridgeport taxpayers close to $3.0 million once fully repaid by taxpayers.
This has been a gift. Voter after voter has brought this up while knocking on doors.
The first time I heard that the Board of Education no longer has a $5.5 million dollar was when shill Mike Testani announced it yesterday.
John Weldon has not called a single meeting to discuss the budget gap in almost five weeks.
The Bridgeport Board of Education is the fudiciary of all BOE funds. Not Mayor Ganim, not the City Council and not shill Mike Testani.
How that shill Mike Testani had the gal to attend a press event in Mayor Ganim’s office to announce the Board was going to reverse the walking distances and that parents and the community should ignore the letters they received regarding transportation is outrageous.
The Board has not had a single discussion on reversing walking distances, reviewed any cost analysis nor discussed how staff can possibly adjust every single bus route, adjust every bus assignment, reset bus stops and provide written letter to parents with the bus stop location and time but August 28th.
Dr. Johnson was a highly qualified Superintendent who repeatedly met with the City’s high level staff, Mayor Ganim NEVER attended a single meeting, to plead the desperate need for funding and was repeatedly dismissed.
However the highly unqualified ACTING Superintendent Mike Testani is holding media events speaking about matters completely under the Board’s purview.
This is PURE POLITICAL THEATRE 24 days before Mayor Ganim’s and the City Council’s re-election.
I have over 80 children impacted by the new transportation distances. I have already spoken with many knocking on doors. Not a single BPS parent has raised this as an issue.
I received one email from a BOE employee related to a District Leader.
Transportation does NOT directly impact educational outcomes.
Highly qualified teachers, social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists, kindergarten paraprofessionals, access to books, and much more can change the trajectory of a child’s life, not bus transportation.
There are more important investments we need to make BEFORE bus transportation.
Maria…. You know I like you… but I disagree with you on this issue. If policy makers make it more and more difficult for students to get to school,what good does the teachers,programs etc etc etc make if students don’t get to school. One of the key priorities of the Bridgeport Educational System is to get these young people into the building that is called school. If they are not there,the cause is lost.
And I am talking about first through 4th-5th grade. After that,the battle my be lost.
Frank,
Can you provide one reputable study that supports your position?
The most important factor in determining student outcomes, outside of socio economic status, is having highly qualified teachers.
I doubt you could find a single BPS graduate who will tell you my school bus was the most impactful aspect of my education.
The vast majority of graduates will reference a teacher, coach, guidance counselor, socialworker, etc. that changed the trajectory of their life, not a school bus
Maria,,,show me a study that shows that walking a greater a amount to school increased scholastic aptitude and attendance.
AND YET YOU BADMOUTH MAYOR GANIM’S OPPONENT!
I have not said ONE negative comment about Marilyn Moore to a single voter.
If you make one more nasty comment I will start telling EVERY single one of my voters in Thomas Hooker School NOT to vote for Marilyn Moore starting tomorrow.
Have I made myself clear?
Maria…you have been denigrating Marilyn Moore for the last week to 10 days. I don’t know why or whatever. But it is obvious.
I have denigrated no one.
I just honestly believe she will not win. How can she possibly win when the 138th District is the only district with both precincts in the top five polling locations and I have not seen a single canvasser or so much as a piece of her literature anywhere?
As of Tuesday the Ganim crew had in about 1500 AB applications
I simply don’t see a pathway to victory for her.
Maria, all you BEEN doing is giving Marilyn Moore backhanded
slaps and digs.
Oh please, are you kidding me. I just heard tonight that you took a $1000 contribution from John Ricci! Did you get on the Joe Ganim gravy train? Did you tell the voters that? Do you think you can silence me with a threat? I don’t give a damn what you do. You’ve been bought by the DTC so who cares? Is that all it took was a $1000, hell I got that and I’m looking to buy a politician.
That was the last straw. Starting today my conversation with voters will involve discussions about the Mayor’s race.
By the way Mr. Day, if you want Marilyn Moore to win get off your ass and start knocking on doors in 90 degree weather for 4 – 8 hours a day instead of driving Marilyn Moore around as her chauffer..
The gal of Marilyn Moore supporters to behave as if I am required to support her candidacy for Mayor.
The 138th District is just one district of ten which equates to 10%. There are nine other districts totalling 90% of voters.
Afterall, I am just one person. How important can I be to any one individuals campaign? 🙂
Maria you’ve lost all objectivity and your moral compass is broken when you took that $1000 campaign contribution from the devil. You’ve been bought and paid for by the loyal opposition and I’m left wondering if they made you kiss the ring, you know the one around the ass of Joe and Mario?
I’m told there is a sign outside your house that says, Politician for Rent, real cheap and absent of any real character. Inquire within!
Don, it was just a matter of time before Maria would go back to the old Maria. Both you and Frank have pointed out things to her but Maria’s rightous ways of not excepting a different opinions just sets her to where she shows why she could NEVER be nothing but a terrible City Council member. Maria could NEVER be apart of a coalition in the council where she would need 10 other council members to get something that she wants passed. She can’t win friends and influence people, it’s either her way or the hiway. She knows that she could longer win in a city wide election so her best bet is to run.n in her district but her victory if she wins will not help her district because she can’t influence the other council members.
RON
AMENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN to that!
Lenny
Its with sadness just heard that Former State Rep Gab Biafore Past.
Please pray for his family!