What? Peace, love and harmony on the elected Board of Education? Well, not exactly but in a rare unanimous decision the school board voted no to a proposal for a Montessori-style charter school at the former Whittier School in the West End. The school board votes often in 5-4 splits with Democrats holding a fragile one-vote majority over a voting bloc controlled by members of Connecticut’s Working Families Party. Five school board seats, up for election this year, will set off a mad scramble to control the future of the district.
CT Post reporter Linda Conner Lambeck has more on Tuesday’s school board meeting:
The board had until May 31 to let the state know if the charter plan would be endorsed.
Although there was a fair amount of support for the Montessori model, many parents and members of the public opposed using local dollars to support a new local school, given the district’s chronic budget shortages. While state charters get all their funding from the state, local charters get funding from the district, with an additional $3,000 per pupil from the state.
Read the entire story here.
Board of Education meetings have more members of the public, stakeholders of one or more types, present to listen to the business of the community on behalf of youth in the classroom. It is a good thing. There likely is more than one reason. At least one of the reasons may be more is said by Board and more public opportunity for comment (and possible response) in that while two minutes is less than five minutes, the Public Comment period does not stop after 30 minutes like at City Council meetings.
There is more than a single interest group at work at BOE meetings. This keeps attendees on the edge of their seats to see the arguments and offered rationales for actions to be taken by the public schools. I cannot remember such anticipation at a City Council meeting in a while, can you?
Finally, the fact the Public Schools placed an up-to-date budget report with balanced budget projections for year end, allows some education supporters to forget Mayor Finch cut the current year City allocation from $5 Million to $3.9 Million while maintaining ghost positions and benefits without explanation. And the City Council needs to hear the parents and other stakeholders on how the current budget fails to address funds for kids in terms of “MBR.” The efficiency of the City financial operation and its posting of results is less than that of the current public school administration. Why is that so? Time will tell.
Two minutes is less than five minutes … John … REALLY!!! How fascinating …
BRG, once again you show your reading prowess as well as your comprehension deficit. When was the last time (previous to leaving the State of CT) you attended and spoke at a City Council meeting or a Board of Ed meeting? Did I hear you say “Never?”
If so, you would have that in common with may other potential Bridgeport voters. The difference between two minutes and five minutes is much less important than the Board or Administration often responds or comments on the public questions or statements. That is the beginning of dialogue, discussion or exchange, which is neglected in our City for the most part. These are objectives you do not support, so it is no surprise you cannot recognize them.
Will you be going out on a cactus identification seminar today? How are things in Arizona, anyway? Time will tell.