Here is a comment I made on Dr. Starr's Blog (the Stamford Public School Superindent) in response to an anonymous comment, regarding the position of the Save Toquam organization.
Dear Dr. Starr and Anonymous,
I cannot speak for all Toquam parents, but I am proud to speak on behalf of the Save Toquam parents group, and we are in fact in favor of the new integration policy and support the redistricting initiative that the Board of Education has undertaken to help continue Stamford’s policy of having diverse and integrated classroom’s in every school.
We understand that this is a difficult process where the board has to balance the fiscal responsibility with the educational needs of all the students in the district and attempt to reorganize using the new integration standards.
Our position is that Stamford currently has one elementary school that should be examined as the model for diverse and integrated success in the future - Toquam today.
Our goal is to help demonstrate that Toquam does succeed with a population that Dr. Starr and the Board of Education would like to see in all schools and we welcome the opportunity to bring this successful model to other schools in the district. We are not about distancing ourselves from any other schools. As a magnet, we draw scholars from all over Stamford from every socio-economic background that speak different languages and come from every neighborhood across Stamford. That is one reason why Toquam today is the model for the future of Stamford Public Schools and should be reviewed and replicated, not dismantled and dissected.
As anonymous says, there are children that are getting an unequal education environment. This is unacceptable!
These students should be given every resource and opportunity to succeed, the same as every other single student across the district regardless of language spoken at home, socio-economic background or neighborhood they reside. We agree, until we find a solution that will help bring education standards up at all schools, for all students, then the entire system is broken.
The Save Toquam community is hard at work trying to assist the board in finding solutions, not just stating problems. We welcome productive input from other members of the community who believe that improving the entire district is in the best interest of Stamford.
Yes, we are interested in preserving our school community, because I believe every parent wants what is best for their children. But we are also seeking out ways to take the model that has succeeded for our children, our students, our scholars and determine how that success can be grown organically within Stamford, so that everyone is proud of and can succeed in the Stamford Public Schools district, regardless of socio-economic background, language spoke at home or neighborhood they reside.
Sincerely,
Jeff Herz, Toquam Parent
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