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To the Editor:
Imagine how policy and programs would look in the Stamford Public Schools (SPS) if ‘we the people & parents’ made our voice heard…
Bring back local community control.
Since 2001, boards of education have been compelled to follow state guidelines and operate in lock step with federal policies—Connecticut is no exception. Sadly, these policies, all connected to money and politics, have driven a vision of lower standards and uniformity throughout the United States—No Child Left Behind Act (2001, G.W. Bush); Common Core State Standards Initiative (2010, B. Obama); and Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility in the Federal Workforce (2021, J. Biden). Imagine if taxpayer dollars followed each student to a school of choice in Stamford and beyond…
Leave the politics out of curriculum.
Thanks to current research, whole-language and new math are being eliminated, but now Diversity, Equity & Inclusion mandates are being embedded deeply in teacher-written/out-of-box curriculums. Unfortunately, because of the state/federal policies in Hartford & D.C., political agendas have been allowed to take precedence over basic skills. Starting the 2023 school year, imagine all new SPS curriculums and mid-term/final scores posted online so parents could see what each child is actually learning and how well that child is progressing…
Demand accountability for all.
Evidence is clear for those parents who are leaving the district. The Panorama Climate Survey does not tell the whole story—central office performance is not evaluated. Follow a middle or high school student struggling in one or more subjects…parents may not receive any communication from a teacher, guidance counselor, department chair or grade level administrator the entire year. Now follow any special education or 504 student…there may be inconsistent services and the parent may not even be alerted. Many students at the high schools don’t even want to use the bathrooms due to vaping/drug issues. Even more concerning, teacher and administrator evaluations have not been completed consistently over a 10 year period. Imagine accountability for all schools, teachers and building & district administrators…
Account for every dollar.
What does each program actually cost (without going through a budget book)? Are these programs delivering a ‘return on investment’ (quantitatively & qualitatively)? What are the End-of-Year skill scores for reading and math (K-9)? What are the PSAT and SAT scores (10-12)? Imagine what we would learn if transparency was ongoing, expected and presented in annual, longitudinal and cohort format…
Work together.
Lately, Stamford BOE decision-making seems to be about favors, rather than kids. Knowing the superintendent’s contract is up for renewal, it is concerning that some BOE members are aligning their allegiances around privileges or breaking ethics policies to make it happen. Imagine if ‘we the people and parents’ held our elected officials accountable and saw healthy results, rather than reactive follow through over and over…
Imagine…helping ALL of our Stamford students be successful. We can do better and we can expect much, MUCH more from our leaders…mediocrity is not acceptable. Imagine if ‘we the taxpayers’ spoke loudly and strongly…imagine the places our kids would go!
Dr. Rebecca Hamman
Stamford, CT
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Hamman currently serves as Policy Chair for the Stamford Board of Education. Her comments are her own, and do not represent the official views of the Board of Education or its committees.