From BOE member Maria Pereira:
The Bridgeport Board of Education Regular meeting will be held Monday, October 25, 2010 at 7:00 PM. located at Aquaculture School.
* If you would like to address the Board please arrive by 6:45 PM to sign up.
The agenda includes the following:
• A vote to approve giving $55,000 to the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Paul Timpanelli
• A discussion and review on how we will improve results in both Dunbar and Roosevelt Schools. These are 2 of the worst performing schools in the state. We lost $2,000,000- $3,000,000 in federal grant money to improve these schools because Dr. Ramos submitted these schools as closures. However, they remain open and we must address these schools needs. Roosevelt and Dunbar have failed to make Annual Yearly Progress for 7 consecutive years and services approximately 800 students.
• A discussion on the proposed $9,000,000 lease of the old Bodine Corporation. This property is currently under review by both the Commissioner and Assistant Deputy Director of the Department of Environmental Protection. There are serious environmental concerns with this property.This is an exorbitant cost to the taxpayer for a building that we will not own after spending $9,000,000 in rent, repairs, taxes etc. …
• A review of the cell-phone expenses, usages and employee reimbursements. I have discovered significant waste and mismanagement.
• A review of how the district ended the fiscal 2009-2010 year. Did we return any money back to the City of Bridgeport that was unspent?
I don’t know where she’s from but our Maria is no West Side Story heroine. I’ve never seen so much bellyaching from one person … and a person with such venom! Just once can we see a Maria with a positive comment or some constructive criticism? Making a claim to make a headline is not leadership, it’s self serving.
Just the fact that she’s getting out a message and inviting the public to come down and voice their opinions is commendable.
1) I have to wonder how independent is “Independent Soul.”
2) I was one of the people Ms. Pereira sent this e-mail to. I checked the distribution list and Mr. Grimaldi was not on it. I e-mailed Ms. Pereira and she responded by stating she did not forward this e-mail to Mr. Grimaldi. Perhaps Mr. Grimaldi can confirm or deny Ms. Pereira’s statement. Perhaps Ms. Pereira has a traitor in her midst.
3) Independent Soul may object to Ms. Pereira’s style but no one has said Ms. Pereira is spreading lies, exaggerations or untruths. If you cannot attack the message I guess you attack the messenger.
4) I attend many Board of Education meetings and Ms. Pereira is fearless in asking questions and speaking on behalf of children, parents and taxpayers. And best of all she does not owe a single politician in this city a thing. The entrenched politicians clearly do not like that she cannot be controlled. You would think “Independent Soul” would appreciate her complete independence from the powerbrokers and entrenched politicians of Bridgeport. I guess not.
independent: Did you ever stop to think she might be right in all the griping she and other non bought-off BOE have brought forward?
Do you think Ramos deserves lifetime medical benefits plus a year’s extension on his contract after costing the city 3 million dollars in grant money because he could not decide whether to close 2 schools or not? That is nothing more than incompetence.
I can’t wait to see who benefits from leasing the old Bodine building. Which BOE member is it? Think about it.
town committee // Oct 25, 2010 at 12:12 pm
responding to your posting
TC,
You’re right … there is nothing about the Bodine leasing proposal that is of benefit to the City, to the students, to the taxpayers.
So yes somebody does benefit. No pun intended, but this is not a clean deal …
And yes it’s a good thing Maria is there …
We have invited Maria Pereira to be a guest on the “Bridgeport Now” TV show tomorrow.
I have a question??? How many of the top 100 administrators in the BOE live in Bridgeport? How many teachers live in Bridgeport? How many BOE Administrators go to Bridgeport Schools? How many teachers’ kids go to Bridgeport schools?
It would be my guess that few if any of the above-mentioned live in Bridgeport. Few have children who actually attend Bridgeport schools. What I am getting at is their screw-ups only affect our children & grandchildren, not theirs. They are a bunch of blood suckers.
*** 6 to 3 pro-admin. votes throws cold water on their public speaking! *** SOS ***
Maria Pereira is a taxpayer and the parent of child who attends Bridgeport Public Schools. She’s smart and is in this for all the right reasons. Thank goodness she’s on this board.
*** I asked the same question on this blog a week ago, what’s Crossin got to gain from Bodine being approved? Also just who will occupy the building with the BOE? ***