What’s it like to walk in the shoes of city students on a long journey to school? On Friday school board member Chris Taylor and Superintendent of Schools Aresta Johnson walked 40 minutes with a Harding student as a pre-launch to a Monday campaign by Make the Road CT showcasing “the inadequate route they take to school” because of the district’s two-mile policy. Taylor was the lone school board member to take the early morning walk. As Taylor pointed out to OIB “keep in mind I did not carry a 35-pound backpack.” See video above on the morning school route provided by Make the Road Connecticut, an organization that has become a potent voice for Latino and immigrant issues.
The walk began in the dark at approximately 6:10 a.m., as noted in the video. It took roughly 40 minutes to get there. Taylor and Johnson walked the entire route. Taylor wrote on his Facebook page “I am still sore from this morning’s walk. Thank God for Uber on the way back.”
More on this in a news release by Make the Road CT. The organization will conduct a news conference Monday, 4 p.m. at Margaret Morton Government Center.
Youth Power Committee is launching their Walking Towards a Brighter Future campaign that addresses the grade letter of F when it comes to crossings, sidewalks, and their unsafe routes that they have to walk to school everyday because of the 2-mile policy.
Also the unfair school policies that disciplined them, even after they walk unsafe conditions and grim security line. They are calling on Board of Education Members, Superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools, and City Council to take immediate measures to deal with the issue unsafe routes, unreliable routes, and unfair disciplines this year!
Over the past year, Make the Road CT youth members organized their Youth Power Committee to address issues that impact their education. They consist of youth who attend or have attended Bridgeport Public School from 8th to 12th grade, ages 13 to 21. They have been meeting working together to find solutions for the unsafe, un-walkable school routes they walk to their schools.
Over the past couple of months, youth committee members took action into their own hands to find solutions. They partnered with Sacred Heart University, The Nature Conservancy to measure the routes to school. The intersections, sidewalks, crossings received an F. They also surveyed more than 200 youth to see how widespread the issue is.
This Monday, youth power committee will launch their campaign via press conference and social media. They will especially call on Board of Education members who did not show up on their walk this past Friday morning. The committee is requesting that immediate measures are taken to deal with the issue unsafe routes, unreliable routes, and unfair disciplines.
This walk should have taken 15-20 minutes, however several of the attendees literally needed to take rest breaks because of their physical shape.
They left when it was pitch black out and even with the repeated rest breaks, they showed up to school an hour early.
This story is incorrect. Once a high school student lives two miles away; they do receive bus transportation or a bus pass.
The two mile distance for high school students has existed since at least the eighties. Both myself and my four siblings walked from William St. to Harding in all types of weather.
We have made $40,000,000 in cuts over the last 5 years and simply don’t have money to redirect into transportation.
Make the Road needs to go before Mayor Ganim and the Common Council.
Good point Maria. Organization has clarified two-mile rule. Release statement is now adjusted to reflect. Why did Aresta Johnson make the walk?
Dr. Johnson along with all board members were invited to participate in the walk.
There is a serious credibility issue here.
Classes at Harding begin at 7:53 am. Teachers report at 7:45 am. If it required 40 minutes, as they claim, to traverse the route, why are they starting at 6:10 am in the dark?
Who wrote this posting? The grammar is poor.
‘Make the Road Connecticut’ claims to be “a potent voice for Latino and immigrant issues”. Based on what? Being able to convince some teenagers that they are not being treated fairly?
Lennie, why did Superintendent Aresta Johnson make the walk? It’s your blog. Why don’t you ask her and share her response.
As an elementary schooler I had to walk a quarter mile.
Busing is a sham, pedestrian traffic is good, there is too much pollution and traffic congestion caused by busing, there are too many health issues with youth who get no exercise. I do not support this gimmick by Make the Road and others. That’s just my opinion. I saved a newborns life once because I walked to school!