The seats of the Milford Board of Education had barely warmed when discussion turned political. Newly elected Republicans want to change the terms of office to four years, open the charter and possibly make the mayor, of all people, the board chairman. Reason? Shortly after the election, new board members must work on the next year’s budget. One would think that when individuals were running for an office, at the very least, he/she would become acquainted with the responsibilities of that office, including the makeup of the current budget. Instead of complaining about “coming out on a cold night,” it might make better sense to get down to the business at hand.
In addition, one interesting comment that was made was that “our class sizes are luxurious.” Board members ought to visit classrooms, when school is in session, to check on this. Barring that, due to work or other commitments, a look at the extensive research done over decades would demonstrate that, second only to the classroom teacher, class size is the most important ingredient to a child’s achievement. Finally, here’s some simple advice from an “old” teacher (and I mean that literally). “Do the work you were elected to do, and remember, it’s not about you. It’s about the kids. They deserve better.”
Greta Stanford
(Originally submitted to the CT Post)
1 comment:
It should be a requirement that all Board of Education members (in EVERY TOWN) "substitute teach" in a classroom, for the entire school day and at each level (Elementary/Middle/High School). BOE Members need to walk in the shoes of teachers before they make their comments about class sizes and want to cut programs, staff or freeze pay. .... Our job isn't as easy as they think.....
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