From Keila Torres Ocasio, CT Post:
In fact, the first question asked at the forum, organized by the Bridgeport Area League of Women Voters, was: “If elected, would you seek to oust Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas?”
“That’s the No. 1 question a lot of people ask,” said Councilman Andre Baker, D-139, who is running on both the Democratic and Working Families Party lines on the Nov. 5 ballot.
But Baker, like the other eight candidates running for five open school board seats, dodged the question. Instead of giving a simple yes or no, Baker said he thought the board needed to learn how to work together before making important decisions.
Full story here.
0
Politics First Kids Last, Same ole Same ole.
First question should have been, How are you going to improve the dismal 10% reading at grade level problem affecting Bridgeport’s children.
JMart, I totally agree. The Board of Education has spent four years on battles over jobs, money and politics. It’s time to stop the games and start putting the kids first for a change.
The BOE should be about improving education for the kids and any litmus test about Vallas is inappropriate. Candidates should be asked about the role of the BOE and what they think needs to be done to improve related outcomes and not whether they are for or against Vallas. They need to act in a professional and constructive manner and not in a personal and destructive manner. The media needs to do the same.
Mr. Walker, if you were concerned about education you would not be backing Finch’s buddy Mr. Vallas. Vallas is NOT qualified under CT state law to be Superintendent anywhere in the state except on an interim basis and even there all one has to do is look at his lack of credentials and the fact every school system he has run is worse off than before. You are well known as an advocate of privatizing govt services and Vallas seems be making a nice penny doing that in the education field. For someone who complains about the corruption of the Finch administration it is curious you are such a big fan of this so-called reformer.
Wait, what? Was the Supreme Court decision announced and only BRG got the decision? Pelto must be so pleased to have you repeating his trolling opines.
*** The Forum with the eight candidates was much too short of a time span and the “same question” for all eight candidates was boring to say the least! More questions could have been asked and answered in that short amount of time if only four candidates were asked the same question thus moving on to the next question for the next four candidates and so on. I personally thought the Republicans, Mr. Hennessey and Ms. Baraka did the best in their answers during the forum. And talk about “us vs them” type of attitude at the end by Mr. Gardner; what was that about? *** I’m Thinking “Out” With The Old and “In” With The New, For BOE. ***
Mojo: You are in no way alone in wondering what Mr. Gardner’s end game was with his memorable closing comments.
*** First order of things to do, if any of them get on the BOE is to have a training session on Roberts Rules Of Order! Then find out “whats the school budget money being spent on from begining of fiscal year, till end of fiscal year”, in writing? After its been reviewed by the BOE & an independant audit firm, they can move on to finding ways to have better safety for all @ Bpt public schools. Next would be to review old & new student school rules that “are or are not” effective anymore and either get rid of them, make new ones or start following and inforcing them. Now its time to review with the Supt. the feedback from a teacher’s group panel on the actual educational curriculums being used in the citys elementary schools & high schools to make comparison type accessments for any better changes, etc.. *** ALOT FOR JUST STARTING, NO? ***
Where the money is being spent is easy. The budget is posted on the school website. The student rules are a more difficult problem. If you enforce the rules your suspensions go up. If you do not want to have the highest suspension rate in the world you have to have slack rules and classroom disorder increases. In the past, promises to lower the suspension rate just lowered all penalties. Ramos was good for that. After awhile, the only way to get suspended was to kill someone. Either way Vallas draws flak. One way, the classrooms are in total disorder due to student discipline problems. The other way, Vallas increased the suspension rate 150%. He is not educating the kids he is just suspending and expelling them. The solution would seem to point toward a reform-school model. Stop playing ‘Lord of the Flies’ and let the kids who want it learn and put all the knuckleheads in a cage.
BOE SPY says “He is not educating the kids just suspending and expelling them.” The school board and city govt. have to come up with a plan of action in dealing with irresponsible parents as well or the problems will never go away.
*** How about the money spent that’s not on the school website? Complete school system fiscal budget audit with transparent results is in order for all. Next, why have rules if you’re not going to follow them because too many knuckleheads would be suspended? Schools need to be safe for all, staff and students alike and also have an atmosphere that is pro-learning not pro-dropping out! Follow the rules or three strikes and you’re out to an alternative technical school instead, and if you can’t make it there then whose fault is it in the end, the system, the teacher, how about the parents or guardians or maybe society? Blame whomever you want, just don’t blame the poor student ’cause he don’t have a brain yet, no? *** STOP BABYSITTING! ***
So true Mojo, Tax and Spend, Bean Counting and Superintendent Scapegoating are not going to fix this problem. Bridgeport powers that be have to stop tap-dancing around and get to the root of the problem, which is Parental Irresponsibility.
But the government wants to raise our kids for us. They have after-school daycare, summer daycare and before-school daycare. All free ’cause you don’t have a job. If we try to discipline the kid they call DCYF and you get arrested. I saw a show the other day that said yelling at a kid is as bad as slapping them.
Good point BOE, Entitlement babies making more Entitlement babies. All Hail Momma Entitlement.
Cheers to you, The Food Stamp Generation.
… may the Entitlement money never run out.
I have always wondered: why do you always hear about Social Security going broke and you never hear about welfare running out of money?
Because Social Security has a dedicated “trust fund” account and benefits can only be paid out of the funds that have been credited to that account. Welfare is paid out of general revenues.
What!!!
www .sfgate.com/news/article/CA-budget-big-cuts-to-welfare-kids-health-care-3668717.php
www .governing.com/topics/health-human-services/states-cut-welfare-benefits-again.html>
www .cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1214
This is why you don’t hear about it in Connecticut. They keep raising taxes.
ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Connecticut_state_budget
*** Let’s stop blaming people who live at the average low-income range or below it for many of the problems in the public school system. Everyone gets a piece of the educational “blame pie” for one reason or another. Whether it’s voting for the wrong people over and over or not voting at all; spending too much money on the wrong things or not spending enough on the right. Those who have given up and are there for the money and benefits only and those who are there because they also truly care and wish to help make a positive difference. Whether it’s too much put on the school system in general by the students, parents, politicians, staff or the community concerning public school functions, they’re all part of the continuing decay that is affecting education today! What’s the answer; no one thing but maybe going back to basics and holding people accountable might be a start, no? *** GENIE IN A BOTTLE NEEDED ***
AGREED, let’s get back to basics and definitely start holding people ACCOUNTABLE.