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Republicans on the Board of Education Want to Open the City Charter, Demand Teacher Concessions, and Increase Class Size


The meeting began with Board of Education Chairman 		        Going Rogue
Mark Stapleton raising the issue of opening up the City Charter to have longer terms and/or overlapping terms for BOE members.

While having experienced and knowledgeable board members would be beneficial for everyone, with one political party controlling the Mayor’s office and elected Boards, whose agenda will be in the forefront of change? Once the City Charter is opened, the entire Charter is subject to alteration. Whose voices will be represented?


Jack O'Connell asked the Chairman if he and the majority leader have met with the Mayor and the BOA to see what their objectives are because he feels it's a waste of time for the BOE to meet for long hours the next 6 days and work on a budget that they'll cut anyway. He asked for the Chairman to get direction from the Mayor a few times. He insisted that because the BOE, BOA and the Mayor are all Republicans, they should be able to work together to get something done. He believes that a City Charter change is necessary and that either the Mayor should be the Chairman of the BOE or the Mayor should appoint a Chairman/Board.

Jack O'Connell also disagreed with the priorities and assumptions (which the entire proposed budget was based on) set forth by the previous BOE and apparently agreed to by this BOE. It wasn't clear if they agreed or not. Anyway, he wants to open up the collective bargaining units for all of the unions. He likes the idea of furloughs instead of professional development days, larger class sizes and lay-offs if necessary.

It is my hope that the current Board of Education members keep in mind that the many of the members of the unions are residents and taxpayers of Milford and that they are people who need their jobs and need to pay their bills and raise their families too.

It saddens and frightens me that I was left with the impression that the current Republican led Board of Education’s primary goal is to cut the education budget without regard to the impact it will have on educating Milford’s students.

If you care about education in Milford attend the budget meetings listed below. SPREAD THE WORD. SPEAK UP.

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Education Budget Workshops to be Held in January

Find out how the budget is prepared and what’s included

Each January, the administration presents the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget through a series of public workshops that explain the details of the proposed budget. Any member of the public is welcome to attend and speak during the public comment portion at the beginning of the meeting. The remaining Budget Workshops have been set for the following dates:

Tuesday, January 12
Thursday, January 14
Tuesday, January 19 (budget vote to take place)

All of the workshops will be held at Parsons in the Board of Education Meeting Room, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
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A Citizen’s Guide to the
Milford Public Schools
Operating Budget
2010-11
What’s included
How it’s calculated
The approval process &
How you can be involved
Superintendent’s Proposed Budget ~ 1/11/2010

http://www.milforded.org/uploads/citizens budget guide 2010-11.pdf

By LAF at 01/12/2010 - 9:00am | LAF's blog | add new comment

BOE

The BOE meeting on Monday night was an upsetting and sobering experience. One new and very vocal member, Jack O'Connell seems to be advocating radical changes with little regard to how this would effect the day to day life of the students of Milford. Unless I am mistaken the students and giving them the best possible education is the priority of the Milford Public School System as well as the BOE.

Mr. O'Connell proposes that shortfall in the budget should be addressed by first going to the teacher's union to ask for furloughs, changes in class size, reduction in staff development and other concessions. Mr. O'Connell even had the gall to call Milford's class size "luxurious." I think any board member who feels that Milford's teachers are overpaid and can easily fulfill their obligations with larger class sizes should spend a day in a classroom.

More and more is being asked of the teachers and school employees all the time. The economy effects the schools in ways people may not readily think of. When families have financial difficulty there is more stress in the family. Children don't leave this stress and worry at home but bring it to school. In order for these children to do their best they may need extra support from the classroom teacher or the social worker and psychologist. Parents who in the past have paid for private therapists to help with behavioral and emotional issues may not be able to do that now and this burden falls on the school. In addition, many parents who once hired private tutors to help their children keep up with the curriculum may now rely on the classroom teacher for this as well. In addition to these extra needs, Milford will next year be required to comply with SRBI mandates and guidelines. This is a very labor intensive process which requires a lot more time from the classroom teachers. Along with these demands, the district is applying for a Race to the Top Grant which will bring with it more requirements tied to the funding it will supply. These new requirements will likely fall to the classroom teacher and other certified school staff as well. Yet, Mr. O'Connell seems to feel these individuals are overpaid and expendable. The fact that he thinks teacher concessions should be the first consideration in meeting a reasonable budget is a slap in the face to the educators of Milford. This would be worrisome were Mr. O'Connell a lone voice on this new board. However, at Monday night's meeting virtually nothing he said was questioned by any of the other 8 members.

As a citizen and parent in Milford I am hoping this new board will work together with the school administration to produce a budget that will allow for the best education possible for our students and not be so eager to cut costs that the teachers and students suffer and we are all left in several years scratching our heads and wondering why our student's achievement is so far below that of our neighboring towns.

By lkatz at Wed, 01/13/2010 - 3:45pm | reply

Republicans are in Charge

I agree with John O'Connell. No need to put up a budget that is just going to be cut by the Board of Aldermen. Republicans on the Board of Ed should meet with Republicans on the Board of Aldermen (and the Mayor, what the heck), without the public present. They should make a budget they will both agree on and the Republican majority on the Board of Ed should just vote for it.

Then they should all be sued for conducting an illegal meeting. The money received from the law suit could be used to fund education the way it really needs to be funded.

John O'Connell, your a genius.

By Anonymous at Tue, 01/12/2010 - 1:05pm | reply