While supporters Monday night stepped up to back a government reform bill Downtown, a few miles away at the Aquaculture School education advocates gave the Board of Education multiple earfuls. From Linda Conner Lambeck, CT Post:
The city school board heard it big time Monday from those who disagreed with the board’s decision to no longer recognize the District Parent Advisory Committee executive board members.
For just short of an hour, nearly 30 speakers took to the microphone to tell the board they were bullies and had no right to tell parents how to run their organization. Among them were Mary Lee, a city school teacher and city council woman, as well as newly elected State Sen. Edwin Gomes.
The school board, at the urging of Interim Schools Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz, voted 6-to-2 to stop recognizing the PAC leadership over a PAC bylaw that prevented parents from associating with any other educational advocacy group. The idea was to keep charter school influences at an arms length, but the result also netted parents who associated with groups like the Bridgeport Public Education Fund and Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition.
Full story here.
Another night of arguing and discontent. How are things going in improving education for all the kids in Bridgeport? Not so good, eh? I wonder why.
All you people, parents, PAC parents, school board members all should be ashamed of yourselves.
Has anything improved for the 20,000-plus Bridgeport kids? NO.
As far as I am concerned, you are all a bunch of power-hungry idiots.
There is definitely at least one “idiot” on this blog.
There were about eight of us who were there early. Mr. Detton was apparently put in charge of the sign-up sheet. As parents and community members lined up to sign up speakers, he literally leaned over the podium with a pen in his hand. I asked him why he was hovering over people signing up. He said each speaker could only sign up one person and apparently he was prepared to cross out any additional names someone wrote in. I told him there is no such BBOE policy and he had no authority to create a policy regarding public comment. He started pushing back when I asked Sauda to confirm no such policy existed, which she did. Mr. Denton turned to Mr. Testani for guidance and Mr. Testani gave him a look that clearly let him know to back off.
Last week I called Senator Gomes’ aide and asked him to sign up eight of us to testify before the legislature with no problem. Many of our speakers were at the forum at the library and we had several people coming from their jobs outside of Bridgeport and we are given a hard time about signing up Bridgeport residents to speak at a public comment???
Mayor Finch, his six BBOE members and his superintendent clearly want to stifle our right to freedom of speech and public input. Anything to allow tyranny to flourish and democracy to wither on the vine.
I must say Fran Rabinowitz’s cheeks were bright red during public comment and she looked upset, but especially when Senator Ed Gomes came to the microphone. Hernan Illingworth was shaking his head no during public comment and looked bruised. When public comment ended they took a brief recess. Hernan Illingworth never returned from the recess.
At one point, I counted about 75 people who were there in support of the ousted DPAC Executive Board. Not bad for a night when another big event was happening at the library.
Besides Ed Gomes, Ralph Ford, Steve Nelson, Scott Hughes, Mary Lee McBride and Richard Salter also spoke. Bobby Simmons also attended in support of the ousted DPAC Executive Board. It was a nice surprise.
The funniest comment of the night was from Mary Lee McBride. She was speaking about her life in Alabama and the civil rights struggle and how she was one of thousands who stood against racists like Governor George Wallace. Her parting remark was basically if we could stand against people like that, “you (BBOE) ain’t nothing but a piece of meat.” The entire room broke out into laughter.
Read this bullshit and what do you get, a bunch of people who have nothing better to do but argue over perceived power. Does the BOE need the PAC, no they don’t. What the BOE needs is a clear mission and to carry out that mission. Meetings like these are a waste of time and give certain idiots a forum. This particular idiot had a chance to make changes but quit. The only idiot on this blog lives down the street from me.
Andy, I never “quit” the BBOE. I fulfilled my full term. Most people on this blog know who the “idiot” is. If you are out of the loop, just run to the closest mirror to find the answer.
Gee Maria, you have a sense of humor, that’s great. You see I can walk up to a mirror and get a look at myself when in your case you have to sneak up on that same mirror.
Maria, you have to sneak up on a glass of water to get a drink. You’re so bad, when you cry the tears roll up your face.
Enough of the funny stuff. You decided not to run again which is the same as quitting especially when you spend hours attending meetings. You have done nothing and I mean nothing to improve education in Bpt. If people and our kids are reading you, they are learning drivel and to be moaners not doers. It’s too bad all the hours you put in mean nothing. BTW how is your good pal Judge Lopez? Not going so well from what I am told.
Andy Fardy, are you really describing me as a “moaner?” I get off the sofa to deliver change, I just don’t post on a blog. You are definitely not in a position to call anyone else a “moaner.”
Maria, you are like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. For a while there you had a sidekick Sancho Panza aka Judge Lopez. Did I say anywhere you were a moaner? What I said is you and the others from PAC and the BOE have done nothing to improve education in Bridgeport, you spend all your time fighting each other over BS. I earned the right to stay on the couch, besides I won’t waste my time dealing in BS.