Gesturing to the overflowing room, Stratford Education Association President Michael Fiorello told the Stratford Town Council last night, “Look around. Stratford wants fully staffed schools. It’s not simply the unions. Parents, students, homeowners—we all recognize we cannot have a school district with fewer assistant principals, fewer math and reading coaches, and no librarians.”
Stratford is facing the potential elimination of many teaching and support positions as well as an alternative education program after the Board of Education, in an unprecedented move, severely reduced the superintendent’s proposed budget. The superintendent’s budget, which would still have required some cuts, called for a 6.69% increase while the Board of Education’s budget proposes a 3.27% increase, requiring devastating cuts to schools.
Following a rally outside Town Hall, students, parents, community members, and teachers spoke during a Town Council meeting to explain what the draconian cuts would mean for Stratford students and urged the Council to adopt the superintendent’s budget proposal rather than that proposed by the Board of Education.
Stratford Education Association President Michael Fiorello addressed the Town Council.
A fifth grade student told the town council that eliminating library media specialists, reading specialists, and math coaches will work against district goals to increase test scores.
“Removing these positions will negatively impact me and my peers’ academic progress as well as our social-emotional wellbeing. I hope you dig into your heart and really do what’s right for students,” she said.
A mother shared with the Town Council that last summer she and her husband made the difficult decision to take their daughter out of a private school they had valued for its supportive community.
“Unfortunately, this privately paid for education did not allow for many interventions and certainly did not include reading and math coaches,” she said. Thanks to the interventionists and coaches in the Stratford Public Schools, her daughter has progressed leaps and bounds.
“I’ve seen first hand exactly what it is these educators can do, and it’s nothing short of extraordinary and magical,” the mother said. “My daughter entered this year testing about the kindergarten level in math and is now on track with a typical second-grade math curriculum. She also started the year reading at only 12 words per minute with an oral fluency of only 67%. She is now reading 31 words per minute with an oral fluency of 91%.”
Many speakers pointed out how short sighted the budget cuts are—ultimately costing the district more down the road.
“In the proposed cuts, we are looking at a loss of 15.2 reading specialists right as the state and country are grappling with a shift in the way we teach the science of reading,” one resident said. “These reading coaches will be the ones to help the teachers make sense of the new curriculum. They will support classroom teachers who are already overwhelmed by the changing needs of students. Having multiple coaches will allow them to also have time to pull groups of students for tiered intervention and provide extra help in order for many to access grade-level curriculum. Without this support, many of those students will move to testing and require special education and IEP support. This will cause the district more money.”
Also on the chopping block is the ALPHA Alternative Education Program for students who struggle in the traditional high school environment. A resident read comments from a current ALPHA student who could not be present at the meeting.
“Without ALPHA, I would not be getting ready to graduation, for college, and for starting a new chapter in my life,” they wrote. “To be given this opportunity that I’ve always prayed for means so much. I myself have struggled to come to school due to some personal issues and my age. But as soon as I signed my forms to go to ALPHA my attendance has been improving and I’ve been comfortable being at school.”
A Stratford High School junior spoke against the cuts to library media specialists and reading specialists. “If we cut these positions we are effectively cutting off our students’ access to knowledge, literacy, and enrichments. This will set our students behind our peers in neighboring towns.”
A high school sophomore told the Council she’s done some research recently into what Connecticut’s top high schools offer their students.
“First and foremost, they all have librarians and tutors,” she said. “They all have open maker spaces in—guess where?—their libraries, where library staff teaches students how to use the technology. They have technology hubs in—guess where?—their libraries. Cutting librarians, tutors, teaching staff, school employees, and innovative programs that are imperative to the success of the school system is to not invest in me, in my classmates, and our future.”
“Where the Board of Ed has failed, you could save us. It’s not too late,” a parent urged the Council. “Take the time to sit together and find a way. That’s what educators do—they find a way. Meet and discuss ways to address this. Don’t think about politics or party lines. Think about the little kids in our town who ride bikes on your street. They’re the ones who are depending on you. They’re the ones that needs you to do what’s right.”
The Town Council will meet for its first budget writing workshop on Wednesday, March 20.
