Opdahl Resigns!

I’ll believe it after he’s gone.

turfgrrl, are you tormenting us? We want details! Was there a stated reason for his leaving? Did Sal’s email tell everyone what a terrible loss (he thinks) this will be for the district? Remember that Sal probably thinks the the loss of Karen Lang is awful, too. Word is that Hugh McKiernan is also leaving. I surely hope that the BOE does its due diligence in replacing all of these individuals.

#4 the BOE does not have to replace all of these individuals. Replace Stu with a REAL financial officer. Combine Lang and McKiernan’s position. Then use the left over money for new teachers and supplies.

Hey sounds fine to me, can u Aunt Bertha get the message to the BoE? There are several people who are on the BoE who listen anytime someone has something to say, their e-mail addresses are on the BoE web site. I’ll send your idea to everyone if u want, but only if u want, ok?

I’m with #8 and #9 – but for the love of Mike, what do Rilling & Moccia have to do with the BoE. Moccia pissed Sal off big time last year. Anyway, this is wonderful news. This probably also means that George Gianetti, Stu’s boy, will be leaving and stop trying to meddle in how individual schools buy their own supplies. And it might mean that Whitsom Foods will no longer be running the food chain since the person in charge there was an Opdahl pal (or even relative I did hear).

Ohh..Alas, Things will not be the same around central office anymore with Lang, and now Opdhal leaving. Here’s a video tribute to them in happier times. This is an actually day of work at Central office. See if you can guess which one is Opdahl, Corda, Karen Lang and Bruce Morris. (Clue: the time machine is really the BOE BUDGET)

#13 I said that line in purely sarcastic fashion.
My likening them to the Banana Splits in the yotube link should tell you how I really feel about Sal & Co.
A last word to Stu: “Don’t let the door smack you on the ass on your way out!”

#15 We should be so lucky…you forgot the court chester – Bruce Morris!

#17 – I hope the letter-writing Rowayton school kids have better spelling skills than you. If you’re a parent of a Rowayton school child, please don’t bother to help them with spelling homework; you’ll screw them up irreparably.

Don’t be hard on #17. Those of us with new computers or ones that we switch hit on find that the pressure of the keys and the size of the key board sometimes throws off our typing skills. I miss a letter and often transpose letters. Have a great day everyone!

I will be moving to Norwalk this summer and was planning on having my child attend Silvermine Elementary School next year. I have been getting some negative feedback about the teachers and administration which has caused me some concern. I would certainly like to know what is going on with the school before I decide to send my child there. Can anyone give me any input about the school?

Who would anyone of means choose to move, (to) Norwalk?
Everyone is fleeing Norwalk that is concerned about the education of their children,taxes, employnment opportunties. We generate much of our revenues from the bars and along with it a healthy violent crime rate. Move your children to Norwalk? Why? Kids dont have much of a chance in this town. Whatever is the motivation, perhaps a closer look is appropiate.

stabbing in South Norwalk last night , robberies are abundant around the hospital on the hill the city is not what most want to make everyone think it is safe. It would slow development in the city and make the Norwalk on the move a slow sell.

I first of all #27 was being a smart ass sorry for the confusion. But after 8 kids and the oldest now going to Fairfeild prep next year the education they are getting in Rowyaton has been by far the best I could of ever asked for. I think if you want your kids to learn and you want to back them you first must work with the teachers.Lets look back we had Leslie Pattengill she was there for what 20 years.Then Sara Reily take the reins along with many top notch teachers. I guess if you look at over all numbers you can argue who has been and who is the best.I look at where my kids are ending up their work ethics their commitment to learn.I’m finding keeping them challenged is our job teaching them to learn has been theirs.

Just recently I may add I saw the board with letters to the mayor. The fourth grade class had written the mayor asking him to address the simple things in their life. The kids asked for the killings , assaults and drugs to stop, the voilence the tragedy they see on a day to day occurance living in South Norwalk.

So if the kids are in sink with the crap that happens on the street as anyone could read as we parents did for open house the other night I would say Rowyaton is doing the best that they could be doing.Its not all about acedemics its about the environment of learning the food programs the early morning mentoring the late day fostering it never ends when the bell rings does it? Never begins when the bell rings as well.

I can also say after the wife worked in two other schools the Kendall and side by side she would be another source saying Rowyaton also gave us the best shot at giving our kids a head start.

I of course can’t spell worth sh@t and can’t find sometimes the right words to express myself but I know the streets and what all the kids are going thru Roton and BM are the two other schools in the area I would also suggest as being great schools if the kids are willing to learn.

test scores mean nothing, its the teachers ,its the lesson the kids take with them I give no credit to Corda and very little to the BOE its the teachers and their committment.

yes there are other issues other thoughts but for now I can say as a parent I value Rowyaton.

What’s up with Opdahl??? Were told that he has been as busy as an old wood lathe in overdrive scredding piles of paper and documents in his office into large plastic bags that are then being hauled out to the dumpster. He’s even hired a part timer to help scred and bag the top secret material. His office must look like it did at the American Embassy, before the fall of Saigon, when the embassy staff had to destroy all of the confidential documents, before they had to get out of town, ahead of the bad guys. If it is only useless paper and documents that are no longer needed, then you would wonder why it isn’t just being dumped into the recyling bin? Is this what was meant when it was said that he had to “tie up loose ends” before he departed?

#22 Silvermine is a great school. They teachers are very decicated to their children. If you go by the school after hours you will see teachers working and preparing their lessons until 7-8 pm. The problem with the school is the administration. The teachers have some time their hands tied up because the principal is like Fidel Castro. It’s her way or the highway. The Dual Language program is a great opportunity for the kids to learn a second language. I would let me child attend Silvermine as long as Iziar Mikolic is not the principal or my childs teacher.

32 – Again, this is a recurring situation that we see in many.. no…most… of our schools. It’s easy enough to get people to assume leadership roles, but it is rare to find real leaders. The screening process does not include a probation period, which is very, very important. Principals should be “tried” on a trial basis for one year and then evaluated by teachers, students and parents. Remember, some parents are not ALL parents, and some teachers are not ALL teachers. The evaluation should include EVERYONE in a process in which no one is fearful of speaking. The probation period allows for this. The acting administrator need not know names; just the results of the survey as clear-cut data. Given the recent need to scrutinize individuals beforehand, would this not be a reasonable thing to do?

#23, you need to check your facts. First of all, the children in South Norwalk do not all reside in the Rowayton attendance zone. Most of them are designated as ‘district 99′, and as such are assigned for long bus rides to the outlying schools. This is an unfair situation and was implemented decades ago when Columbus Magnet School was created. Anyone who thinks that moving to South Norwalk will automatically result in their child going to Rowayton will be misled.

Second, there are wonderful, dedicated teachers and administrators all around Norwalk. They deal daily with challenging populations impacted by race, poverty, and a lack of English language fluency. Take a look at the poverty levels as measured by free & reduced lunch eligibility and demographic information for the twelve elementary schools. See if the playing field is equal. Children from the million dollar homes you describe, and with the college educated Rowayton population, enter schools with a huge advantage over a boy or girl recently arrived from Central America or living in subsidized housing. The difference grows exponentially every year.

All of my children went through Silvermine School and graduated from Norwalk High. One has a master’s from an Ivy League university, another just earned his phi beta kappa. Success stories like this abound all around the city. Open your eyes, look, and think before you make judgments.

I would like to say, being a teacher in Norwalk is quite the task. With so many ongoing changes that take place every month/day/year, it is unbelievable we still continue to stay in the district. I know that I put in endless hours trying to instruct to the best of my ability. I am never caught up and get slapped with demands that are unachievable.Instruction becomes third or fourth on the list due to the nonsense that goes on dealing with “bizarre” administration;assistant principals/principals, and clowns like the ones at town hall. I am at a school where the principal is resigning and the assistant doesnt have a clue and is allowed to continuosly make major errors and we all have to deal with it…Where do they get these people from? Hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel and we gain some positivity within our schools and it translates down to the kids. Before everyone makes comments about teachers at certain schools where principals are currently resigning, be sure to take a look at what they are being put through…Sweeping statements about Silvermine School are unfair. Leadership starts at the top, my friends. If you have a good principal AND assistant principal, the job gets done. Teachers , ONLY THEN dont have to weed though the nonsense the administration puts them through and can begin believing in themselves, begin working for a common goal, not getting caught up in nonsense. It is interesting the choices that get made regarding our administration( and how they get hired) maybe we should put them through the hell we get put through with our evaluation process…These are the people with the most responsibility but yet many times, the ones with the least amount of people skills. The saying should really be–”Those who can’t teach, become principals and assistant principals.” EDUCATION=PEOPLE.

Many of us are hoping that the rumor about the superintendent (that he is about to resign) is true. If it is true, I hope that the BOE will not allow him to proceed with any interviews for administrative positions because I don’t believe that he understands the qualities necessary for a principal to be successful in leading a school. Put an interim in any administrative vacancies; there are retired principals who would very likely be willing to return to Norwalk to serve in the interim, whether in the central office or in the schools. It is better to have temporary leadership for part or all of a school year than it is to hire a principal who might be a longterm problem.

Its called grants and scholarships based on acedemics not social standing that probably sent the kids off to better schools, it was Fairfeild College that just gave Bridgeport kids a better education not based on 250,000 or 20,000 dollar households.They simply gave out grants to kids who deserve a better education that couldn’t afford one.The same was for the Prep.

I think what makes the Norwalk schools less desirable is the atmosphere they have to learn in.Not the teachers or even some of the schools I think again while your trying to read into quality of teachers, schools and acedemics some are looking at the quality of life that meets the child before and after school in cities like Norwalk.

You also have Choate, Trinity, and others that also take Norwalk kids and again not always from house of means so lets not confuse the areas of the city that are not blighted by social ills.

Why not compliment Roton, they have just spent a bundle on that school thats all of our taxpayers money not just Rowyaton.

While your at it lets compliment the libraries for providing exellent services for all of our kids to go and study and use computer skills in research no matter where they go to school.

Go to your Silvermine and find the same concern the kids have written about on their class displays, do they talk about and ask the gun fire the knives the assaults in their letters stop to the mayor I think if you go back and read #28 it does suggest what the kids are going thru and what Rowyaton schools have done to offset inner city issues not seen all over the city . Have you ever seen by the car and bus how many students leave Rowyaton at the end of the day very few kids return to the area after school.

It would be insluting to think that any parent would ship their kid out to a private school because they think they are better, I think its the child who deserves better no matter who they are and where they come from.

How many go out of town for an education? How many go to private right here in Norwalk would be another question we have what All saints and a couple more alternatives?

How many people have moved just so the kids go to other public schools , I have heard from many that took their families out for survival. Not everyone has these great success stories living in Norwalk that are shared here or anywhere else.

Another shooting leaves victim and others confused where safe is in the city tonight.

your welcome concerned parent, some of us get carried away at times, where you were specific about your search about the school itself I can understand.

We see the ambulance and the cruisers tonight take away a shooting victim it could of been and close enough to be downtown Sono makes you think what our business owners think about times like this.

Parking and developers should be the last thing on our mind right now and its not even summer and we have another victim of a shooting.

#23 Are you sure the best schools are in South Norwalk? Why would you advertise that? that is so ridiculous, and shows a lot of ignorance. Norwalk has wonderful schools and hard working teachers in general. just because an area has money does not mean that it has good people – you are a wonderful example of this. just by reading your opinion, i can tell what an ignorant person you are. and #22, if you would like an opinion on silvermine, then why not go out and get one for yourself? i am sure that the teachers and the administrators will welcome you. on the contrary, i have heard of only loyal teachers who are dedicated to their students and their abilities.

your right #46 South Norwalk is not filled with good people and is the most prosperous part of the city. We are glad to have you aboard.

They were wrong (#22) about the fact There is the culture of Lexington ave and the feel of welcome Woodward ave. Tonight they are saying another shooting on Woodward ave but it must of been one of the bad people.

#49: The same evaluation system is used in the middle schools and high schools.