Comments on: BOE Budget Meeting http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/ Connecticut Political Commentary, News and Analysis Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:05:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137915 Anonymous Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:36:40 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137915 Norwalk is unlike so many other communities. It is a place where there is still such a mixture within its population, unlike the populations of the true inner-city communities in our state. Yet, the Norwalk BOE is so incredibly dumbass and cowardly that it does great harm to the community. Questions: 1) Why are the BOE and the superintendent afraid of any of the principals? 2) Why is there an inequitable distribution of staff? Examples include the number of administrators at WRMS, the dance teacher at that school, the assistant principals at the smaller elementary schools, the staffing at NHS and BMHS, and probably more. 3) Why did the BOE not give a PROVEN administrator the job of assistant superintendent? The hour is late and so I'll stop with those few questions. However, there are more. Norwalk is unlike so many other communities. It is a place where there is still such a mixture within its population, unlike the populations of the true inner-city communities in our state. Yet, the Norwalk BOE is so incredibly dumbass and cowardly that it does great harm to the community. Questions:

1) Why are the BOE and the superintendent afraid of any of the principals?
2) Why is there an inequitable distribution of staff? Examples include the number of administrators at WRMS, the dance teacher at that school, the assistant principals at the smaller elementary schools, the staffing at NHS and BMHS, and probably more.
3) Why did the BOE not give a PROVEN administrator the job of assistant superintendent?

The hour is late and so I’ll stop with those few questions. However, there are more.

]]> By: Anon... http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137872 Anon... Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:03:46 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137872 Like Bob Dylan said so many years ago...."the times they are a' changing"--You are absolutely right anon#432--and as far as McCain is concerned--he is much too talented to stick around for this fiasco to unfold. There are much better systems to ply his trade--and you can bet it will be at the superintendent level. The others should have left years ago, but they get PAID SO WELL--why leave? There are others not mentioned here...but "those in the know" know of whom we speak. Hey, Bruce Mellion---time to get off this ship? Or do we still have some windmills to conquer? Like Bob Dylan said so many years ago….”the times they are a’ changing”–You are absolutely right anon#432–and as far as McCain is concerned–he is much too talented to stick around for this fiasco to unfold. There are much better systems to ply his trade–and you can bet it will be at the superintendent level. The others should have left years ago, but they get PAID SO WELL–why leave? There are others not mentioned here…but “those in the know” know of whom we speak. Hey, Bruce Mellion—time to get off this ship? Or do we still have some windmills to conquer?

]]> By: anon432 http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137870 anon432 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:37:22 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137870 They were the rats who chewed the holes in the ship. They were the rats who chewed the holes in the ship.

]]> By: anonymous http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137869 anonymous Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:36:32 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137869 McCain hasn't been here that long and his specific ship isn't one of those sinking. And I think the others have too much control to flee. Unless the tide turns. McCain hasn’t been here that long and his specific ship isn’t one of those sinking. And I think the others have too much control to flee. Unless the tide turns.

]]> By: Anon... http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137866 Anon... Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:10:43 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137866 Think of it like "old" rats fleeing a sinking ship....... Think of it like “old” rats fleeing a sinking ship…….

]]> By: anonymous http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137863 anonymous Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:51:46 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137863 Why do you think they will all be gone? Obviously Corda will - he has no choice but I don't understand the rest of them. Why do you think they will all be gone? Obviously Corda will – he has no choice but I don’t understand the rest of them.

]]> By: Anon... http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137860 Anon... Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:38:35 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137860 This will be looked upon next year as a fat budget compared to what will be coming down the pike for 2010-2011--Any bets that by that time Corda, Moore, Sumpter, and possibly McCain will all be bye-bye? New contracts and benefit packages for teachers--it won't be pretty. Enjoy the last fling--it could be years before the system has the funding it will need to stay afloat. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but like they say,"it is what it is" with this near Depression economic environment--Next year's state deficit--projected 8 BILLION--anybody want to guess Norwalk's end of that? This will be looked upon next year as a fat budget compared to what will be coming down the pike for 2010-2011–Any bets that by that time Corda, Moore, Sumpter, and possibly McCain will all be bye-bye? New contracts and benefit packages for teachers–it won’t be pretty. Enjoy the last fling–it could be years before the system has the funding it will need to stay afloat. Sorry to sound so pessimistic, but like they say,”it is what it is” with this near Depression economic environment–Next year’s state deficit–projected 8 BILLION–anybody want to guess Norwalk’s end of that?

]]> By: anonymous http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137859 anonymous Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:22:46 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137859 Let's hope the BOE is listening - the assistant superintendent wasn't. He was too busy talking with a couple of other people who think they run the schools. They were probably busy planning their attack for tonight. It was all well and good when Lynn Moore was organized last year but she doesn't like to see someone else having support show up at a meeting, especially when it makes someone she hates look good. Being the "good Christian" she claims to be, someone should remind her that harboring that kind of hatred is really not what Jesus would do. Let’s hope the BOE is listening – the assistant superintendent wasn’t. He was too busy talking with a couple of other people who think they run the schools. They were probably busy planning their attack for tonight. It was all well and good when Lynn Moore was organized last year but she doesn’t like to see someone else having support show up at a meeting, especially when it makes someone she hates look good. Being the “good Christian” she claims to be, someone should remind her that harboring that kind of hatred is really not what Jesus would do.

]]> By: Webby http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137858 Webby Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:21:30 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137858 I am not attacking anyone. I just think all schools should be staffed in a fair and equitable way. The numbers at West Rocks do not show the need for a 2nd AP and 15 related arts teachers. I have Dr. Corda's presentation in front of me as I type this. Their projected enrollment for next year is 672 students, the lowest it has been in many , many years. Remember, I taught there for 32 years so I absolutely know, first hand, what their numbers have been in the past. In 2003-2004, West Rocks population was 772 students and Tony Romano was the only AP at the school. This is exactly 100 kids more than the projection for next year, yet now with it's lowest enrollment in at least 9 years they are scheduled to get 2 APs again next year. WR also did not have an addition related arts teacher, a dance teacher, that year. I know. I was there. Now, according to Dr. Corda's figures in last night's report, the projected enrollment at WR is down to 672 students next year. If the ELL kids that are in the Nathan Hale district, currently attending WR, are returned to our school, West Rocks' numbers will be even less while Nathan Hale will continue to grow from the projected 574, closing that gap to even less than 98 kids. Yet Nathan Hale will have 43.75 teachers compared to WR's 48.2. NH's class size will be pushing 28 across the board (some even higher) while WR's class size will be in the low 20s. West Rocks student's will continue to reap the benefits of a cohesive 5 person team in all grade levels while Nathan Hale will be forced to schedule their 160 kids on their 8 person 7th-8th grade team covering classes like a high school, with none of the benefits of teaming, no matter what label you put on it. Ponus Ridge will have the highest emrollment according to the projections, with 705 kids and yet they will have 43.3 teachers on their staff (just about the same as NH), 4.5 less than WR. Does that sound fair to you? I can't understand why the Ponus parents aren't complaining, unless like so many, they just do not realize what is going on with the staffing. All of this is included in The Superintendent's Operating Budget Request 2009-2010, part of which was presented at last night's meeting. But unless, like me, you actually have a copy to analyze, it would be hard to catch all this information. It is a pubic document so anyone has a right to see it and I encourage you to check it out. I am totally coming from a position of fairness, for the staff, for tax payer's but especially for the kids. #9 - You referred to me as "#8". My name is Joanie Webster, but most call me Webby. I am not sure if your message is a warning or a threat but either way, I have never been one to back down from what is right, and I am not about to start now. I am not attacking anyone. I just think all schools should be staffed in a fair and equitable way. The numbers at West Rocks do not show the need for a 2nd AP and 15 related arts teachers. I have Dr. Corda’s presentation in front of me as I type this. Their projected enrollment for next year is 672 students, the lowest it has been in many , many years. Remember, I taught there for 32 years so I absolutely know, first hand, what their numbers have been in the past. In 2003-2004, West Rocks population was 772 students and Tony Romano was the only AP at the school. This is exactly 100 kids more than the projection for next year, yet now with it’s lowest enrollment in at least 9 years they are scheduled to get 2 APs again next year. WR also did not have an addition related arts teacher, a dance teacher, that year. I know. I was there. Now, according to Dr. Corda’s figures in last night’s report, the projected enrollment at WR is down to 672 students next year. If the ELL kids that are in the Nathan Hale district, currently attending WR, are returned to our school, West Rocks’ numbers will be even less while Nathan Hale will continue to grow from the projected 574, closing that gap to even less than 98 kids. Yet Nathan Hale will have 43.75 teachers compared to WR’s 48.2. NH’s class size will be pushing 28 across the board (some even higher) while WR’s class size will be in the low 20s. West Rocks student’s will continue to reap the benefits of a cohesive 5 person team in all grade levels while Nathan Hale will be forced to schedule their 160 kids on their 8 person 7th-8th grade team covering classes like a high school, with none of the benefits of teaming, no matter what label you put on it. Ponus Ridge will have the highest emrollment according to the projections, with 705 kids and yet they will have 43.3 teachers on their staff (just about the same as NH), 4.5 less than WR. Does that sound fair to you? I can’t understand why the Ponus parents aren’t complaining, unless like so many, they just do not realize what is going on with the staffing. All of this is included in The Superintendent’s Operating Budget Request 2009-2010, part of which was presented at last night’s meeting. But unless, like me, you actually have a copy to analyze, it would be hard to catch all this information. It is a pubic document so anyone has a right to see it and I encourage you to check it out.
I am totally coming from a position of fairness, for the staff, for tax payer’s but especially for the kids.

#9 – You referred to me as “#8″. My name is Joanie Webster, but most call me Webby. I am not sure if your message is a warning or a threat but either way, I have never been one to back down from what is right, and I am not about to start now.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.yourct.com/2009/01/boe-budget-meeting-2/comment-page-1/#comment-137803 Anonymous Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:58:01 +0000 http://www.yourct.com/new/2009/01/07/boe-budget-meeting-2/#comment-137803 Who was there to hear it? in a school over nearly 700, i would guess less than 40 families were represented. Thats awlful leadership by the PTSO. The should do more. There president is lacking. The PTSO is no help to a needy group of parents, students and staff members. Who was there to hear it? in a school over nearly 700, i would guess less than 40 families were represented. Thats awlful leadership by the PTSO. The should do more. There president is lacking. The PTSO is no help to a needy group of parents, students and staff members.

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