At a packed Bridgeport Board of Education meeting Monday—the first in-person meeting the board has had in months—community members raised intensifying concerns about lapses in district leadership and communication, with many calling for the board chair and school superintendent to step down. Dozens spoke out during public comments, blasting the superintendent’s failure to tell teachers about recent threats made against several Bridgeport schools.
“What a stark contrast,” said one parent, pointing out the number of law enforcement officers positioned in and outside City Hall before, during, and after the board meeting. “Last week, when our kids and teachers were the target of school threats, where were all of these protections?”
Threats made against Bridgeport schools were communicated via a parent portal hours after they were received. Many parents lacked access to the information, and teachers and students were left completely in the dark.
Speaking before the board, Jacqueline Colantonio, a 27-year veteran educator at Cesar Batalla School, said, “The threat to our schools was known to downtown by mid-morning. Why were students allowed to go outside for recess? Why was school administration not made aware of the situation so that they could keep our students inside our buildings safe? Why was our staff brought into a two-hour meeting in our cafeteria—a room with a wall of glass windows and doors that open out onto a courtyard, open to the public? We were sitting ducks. It is inconceivable to me that we were not made aware of any threat—even if it was a hoax. Teachers had no answers to parents’ concerns, because they knew nothing of the threat. It’s another example of how little regard is shown to us. Many of us who work in Bridgeport have never feared coming to school, but that has now changed. The students and teachers of Bridgeport schools deserve better.”
The superintendent was also criticized for calling a two-hour delay the following school day with promises of heightened police security at Bridgeport schools, when many parents and educators observed no such safety precautions.
“The lack of transparency and misleading information about increased security after last week’s school threats is outright dishonest and deplorable,” said Westport educator and Bridgeport resident Faith Sweeney. “The absence of clear communication has created confusion, fear, and distrust. Parents deserve to know that their children’s safety is being prioritized. Teachers deserve to be adequately informed so that they can do their jobs effectively and safely—not left in the dark.”
Too little, too late
So great was the fear and anger among parents about basic safety and communication lapses that many opted not to send their children to school for the remainder of the week.
Westport educator and Bridgeport resident Faith Sweeney told the Board of Education that the absence of clear communication has created confusion, fear, and distrust.
“The promises made regarding a police presence at our schools were not honored the next day or the day after,” said a parent who is also a Bridgeport educator. “There were a limited number of officers at some schools and none where I teach.”
She added, “We were in school, and while information about a threat was shared with some people, it was completely kept from staff. That makes me feel expendable, like I don’t matter. Plus, I’m terrified for our students. We’re the first line of defense if something should happen in our building for 25, 30, or more children in our care, and they need to be able to trust us.” Out of a student population of 700, she said, roughly 100 students came to school the day after the threat. At her daughter’s school, only 30 children were present.
“The dysfunction we’re experiencing is the result of lack of leadership, the unchecked actions of a superintendent, and the manipulation of policies and procedures by the majority of this board,” said one parent. “Leadership is not just about holding a title; it’s about accountability, transparency, and the ability to inspire and guide. Unfortunately, our current superintendent has not been held to these standards and is operating without the necessary checks and balances.”
“Your job is to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone within our schools, and instead you’ve created a hostile and unhealthy atmosphere,” a community member added. “You have failed our community, and we ask that you respect our voices and resign.”
Symptoms of a bigger problem
Parents and teachers also criticized the superintendent’s handling of matters ranging from school schedules to curriculum, saying Bridgeport schools have been thrown into chaos.
Fairfield high school English teacher Molly D’Andrea remarked that her own children had thrived in Bridgeport Public Schools and she’d never considered enrolling them elsewhere “until this summer, when parents were told about new start times and dismissal times just weeks before the school year started, departmentalization was ended with no word to teachers, literally three days before school started, new curriculum was rolled out without adequate time or access to it for teachers, and educators have been moved throughout the district like pawns on a chessboard. This leadership is breeding a culture of fear among teachers, administrators, staff, and now children. Look what happened this week when basic communication was nowhere to be found. I’m no longer proud. I have 13 years as a parent here, and the last three months I have lost that pride.”
In an impassioned speech before the Board of Education, one parent shared, “I’ve never felt more compelled than I do right in this moment to stand before you representing many in the community who are deeply concerned about the current leadership. The complete breakdown in communication about school threats is unacceptable and left many of us feeling helpless, angry, and concerned for the safety of our children and for the staff who selflessly show up for our children every single day. It breaks my heart that staff was instructed to report to work on Thursday only to show up to empty classrooms. The dedication of our teachers is admirable, and they should be treated with the utmost dignity and respect. We deserve leadership that truly listens to and respects the voices in our community. It’s time for new leadership.”
