Traffic to Megan DeSombre’s Education Bridgeport site has probably quadrupled the past few days as news outlets from around the state such as CT Capitol Report and Hartford Courant link stories of her continuing education editorial slash with former legislator turned blogger Jonathan Pelto. The vitriolic verbiage now has former school board member Maria Pereira in on the action. Maria’s not bashful about sharing an opinion, that’s for sure. Megan and Maria, defending Pelto’s honor, are warring on the Education Bridgeport Facebook page. And now Megan’s asserting the chair of the Bridgeport Working Families Party is “calling the shots” at school board meetings. Hey, Megan and Maria, how about a mud-wrestling match to settle all of this, two out of three falls? Open to venue suggestions.
Here’s a sampling of the latest from DeSombre. Check out Maria’s rejoinders here. And ladies, you’re more than welcome to join in on the fun here on OIB. Sharpen your claws, ladies.
As has previously been reported on this blog, Maria Pereira, local chair of Bridgeport’s Working Families Party, may have been caught calling the shots during public Board of Education meetings.[Education Bridgeport, 1/10/2014]
Her defense of those actions is not to be believed.
Pereira used to be a member of board, but she stepped down to take a position as local chair of the Working Families Party. These machinations now seem pretty transparent–Pereira, local chair of a union-funded political party, can now remain in the shadows issuing direction while the union-funded board negotiates contracts with the union.
Classy.
All that hasn’t stopped Pereira from whispering in the ears of Working Families Party-aligned members of the board like John Bagley during public meetings. I caught it on tape, so there was no denying.
If the Working Families Party members of the Board of Education are so weak they need to be coached by their town chair (a registered Democrat), so be it. It won’t take long for the public to catch on to the string-pulling.
Thanks to Pete Spain, I’ve just become a member of Bridgeport’s (after school) Lighthouse project. I start tomorrow.
I wonder if that will qualify me as an OIB reporter.
In a related matter, the idea of an issue-settling mud-wrestling contest is inappropriate and turns this story into something approaching pornography.
I hope you find your time at Lighthouse wonderful and rewarding! We need more people like you to volunteer and help make a positive difference.
As to the porn aspect–I think it is pretty much already there as in political porn.
It is good Pete Spain and you are taking time with school-age youth. Perhaps you will consider contacting School Volunteers Association or Big Brothers/Big Sisters regarding mentoring opportunities.
Those activities do not qualify you as an OIB reporter although they will feed your observations of community needs, resources and response certainly.
As we heard at the time of the Charter referendum, the 2013 primary for BOE slots, and again at election time, “It’s all about the kids!” But so often it is difficult to connect some of the issues that are advanced by adults as necessary and urgent to the mantra IAATK! If institutional process were more open, accountable and transparent, maybe it would be more obvious in what way IAATK. I am afraid the proposed physical encounter is out of place as Local has suggested. However, continuing to report on stories that otherwise may not be covered by local media in a fact-based manner is positive for the community at large. Time will tell.
Happy they have found each other, Pelto and Megan.
*** JUST SHOW THE CITIZENS, PARENTS AND THE KIDS SOME POSITIVE RESULTS IN THE CITY’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS INSTEAD OF THE USUAL LOUD TALKING AND FINGER-POINTING, PLEASE! ***