Despite the continued opposition of the entire Stamford Public School Community to a schedule change for the high schools, several members of the Board of Education continue to refuse to listen to their constituents.
“How can you, in good conscience, move forward with the flexible schedule when the majority of this board knows it’s the wrong decision and has publicly stated so?” parent Donna Lucas asked Board of Education members at their meeting this week. “I have not heard a single parent or teacher speak in favor of this schedule change.”
Six of the nine members of Stamford’s Board of Education sent a letter to Superintendent Dr. Tamu Lucero earlier this month stating their opposition to the controversial new schedule, known as the 4×4 schedule.
“After careful consideration and listening to the stakeholders involved, we are requesting you reconsider the decision to move forward with the new high school schedule,” they wrote. “We believe it is in the best interest of our students, teachers, principals and all community stakeholders to pause the implementation of the new flexible schedule for one year.”
Although six Board members indicated support for pausing implementation of the new schedule in their letter, when Board member Becky Hamman made a motion at this week’s meeting calling for a vote on maintaining the current block schedule, two of the Board members who signed the letter weren’t willing to put their words into action.
“We’re heartened that a Board of Education member was willing to publicly call for a vote on the high school schedule change,” Stamford Education Association President John Corcoran said. “Unfortunately for students, parents, and teachers it was a stalemate—with four Board members voting to maintain our current schedule, four against, and one abstention.”
Despite his disappointment, Corcoran said he and SEA members are pleased that several Board members have shown that they’re listening.
“When we come together as a union our voices do make a difference,” he said. “Even a short time ago that vote may not have happened.”
The SEA plans to keep up its activism and continue to share why the 4×4 schedule would be a disaster for students.
Although Lucero has stated that it is now too late to change the school schedule for the fall, Corcoran says that rationale rings hollow given that, just three years ago, a similar type of schedule change for the district was halted in June.
“No data has been shared as to why we need this schedule change. The community and students are adamant that they don’t want it. Why are district leaders doing this and who are they doing it for?” questioned CEA UniServ Rep Sharon Milano.
“If this new schedule is so great, why isn’t any other district in Fairfield County using it?” Corcoran asked. He said that in all the monthly meetings about the schedule that SEA members have participated in with administrators, any time SEA members asked a probing question about the schedule they received no response.
“The district leaders don’t have answers to our questions, they’re building the plane as they’re flying it, and we still don’t know exactly where this thing is heading,” he said.
The next scheduled meeting of the Stamford Board of Education is June 24.
Tune in to WICC Radio 600AM or 95.9PM Friday, May 30, at 7:35 a.m. to hear Corcoran discussing the issue.
