Save Toquam - Letter to Advocate - Jennifer Lambert

To the Advocate Editor:

The Stamford Board of Education is proposing closing Toquam School as one of the primary strategies to redistrict and "improve" the school system (Advocate news story, Sept. 27). We are shocked and baffled as to why the board would consider the elimination of the second-highest-performing school in the city - as measured by standardized test scores under No Child Left Behind standards - to be a successful strategy for improving the poor performance of our district.

The current plan seems driven primarily by a desire to save money, as opposed to serve students. And from a logistical standpoint, it is unclear why the board would propose closing schools and redistributing students before the new intercity magnet has even opened and the impact on district student performance can be evaluated.

A more logical solution would be to close the lower-performing schools and integrate those students into higher-achieving environments.

Toquam's success can't be replicated overnight. It comes from a long history of experience, hard work, trial and error, and the dedication of administrators, teachers and the parent community, working as a team.

Without all of these factors present, the students and faculty would struggle. Understanding and supporting, not dismantling and diluting, that success should be of the highest priority if the board is truly to make an impact at the lesser-performing schools.

Toquam is a bright spot in a challenged public school system. Our family feels privileged to be a part of it. Although we have been strong supporters of the school board in the past, it can rest assured that if the current plan is executed, we will be taking our children out of the Stamford Public Schools systems and exploring any and all legal options against the city to ensure that our tax dollars follow.

Jennifer Lambert
Stamford