Letter to the Advocate: BoE Leaders Priorities

Dear Stamford Advocate,

In Thursday's Advocate (http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/School-board-looks-to-save-social-worker-positions-1007957.php) there was an article regarding trying to save 5 social workers from axe during the budget process. Board President Polly Rauh said: "I just feel in this day and age, I would love to be seeing an increase in mental health services, but I'm certainly not going to sit here and decrease it." Where I have come to understand the vital nature of the social workers within our the district, it left me wondering at what cost. If we add the costs of those social workers back into the budget, then what is going to be sacrificed in the process? Or was Dr. Rauh actually advocating for increasing Dr. Starr's proposed budget, since the job we have elected the Board of Education to do is to advocate for the what all of our scholars needs?

THEN I looked at Advocate this morning (http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/School-board-asks-Starr-to-cut-1-9M-from-budget-1009793.php) and saw that now Dr. Rauh is now proposing to trim another $1.9 million from the budget by "reducing the district's math coaching staff of six to two or three positions, as well as reassessing the $30 additional per student allocation for bilingual students" So in the age of NCLB, where Math scores remain a vital cog to determining federal and state funding, she is proposing to cut by 50-66% current resources directly from the classroom that could significantly and detrimentally impact our schools funding now and long into the future. She is also suggesting we "reassess" funds currently being spent to help bilingual children, those new to our community who have come here for an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. Yes their parents probably don't vote, and maybe they don't come to the public hearings, so lets reallocate those funds away from those that require those extra dollars, so only some of our scholars are prepared for higher education and success in the 21st Century.

To me it just begs the question of where are the priorities of the leaders on the Board of Education? Serving the needs of the students and the district? Or serving on the Board of Representatives and demanding to hold costs to the politically acceptable 3% increase or less? How can Dr. Rauh as President of the Board of Education and Jerry Pia as the Board VP and head of the Fiscal committee, honestly say they are representing the children and the district on this board, and not abstain with an obvious conflict of interest when the education budget comes before the Board of Representatives?

Sincerely,

Jeff Herz