Date: Fri 04-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

school-Todd-Burns-Rowland

Full Text:

Todd Burns Is Newtown High's Hartford Connection

B Y D OROTHY E VANS

Whether he's deflecting an opponent's header to save one more goal for the

varsity soccer team or debating with his American Studies classmates about the

importance of increasing ethnic diversity in Newtown students, NHS junior Todd

Burns isn't afraid to take a stand.

If fact, you could say he's one of those people who voluntarily places himself

in the line of fire.

"I like to take an opinion and debate controversial issues. I've never been

shy about talking," Todd said recently from the school office of social

studies co-chair Bob Dilzer.

Todd had just returned the day before, from a day spent in Hartford, talking

with Governor John G. Rowland and Education Commissioner Dr Theodore S. Sergi,

and he was still on a high after the experience.

"I missed a day of school, but it was worth it because I represent Newtown and

the Danbury area," Todd said.

His purpose was to meet with 25 other student representatives from high

schools throughout the state and discuss common educational issues and

concerns.

After submitting an essay and being interviewed last spring by a faculty

committee, Todd was chosen to be Newtown's representative on the 1996-97

Connecticut Student Advisory Council of Education (SSACE). The group's first

meeting was September 24 at the State Office Building in Hartford.

Looking back on the day's experience, Todd said he was most impressed with the

brainstorming session he and his fellow student reps had with Gov Rowland.

"He's relaxed and casual, which I liked a lot," Todd said of the governor.

Education commissioner Theodore S. Sergi led the meeting, Todd said, telling

the students he wanted them "to accomplish a lot" over this next year, just as

SSACE representatives have done every year since 1981, when the student

council was first established.

During past sessions, SSACE reps have discussed student rights and

responsibilities, drop-out prevention, educational quality and diversity, peer

leadership and vandalism prevention.

Last year's group developed and implemented the first statewide "Challenge to

Educational Citizenship Award" - an award that will be ongoing.

Todd reported that, so far, discussion by the 1996-97 group seemed to be

centering on two issues: How to desegregate the public schools in response to

the Sheff vs O'Neill ruling, and wWhat could be done to address the problem of

teen pregnancy.

"Already there are different points of view," Todd said, and he described an

argument that arose between student reps from Plainfield and Bridgeport over

whether anything could realistically be done by school systems to help lower

the teen pregnancy rate.

"The Plainfield kid thought it was the parents' responsibility. The Bridgeport

kid disagreed totally. He thought that students, peers and teachers have a lot

to do with how things go," Todd said.

That one argument alone showed how much difference socio-economic background

and environment can make in a person's way of looking at almost any problem,

Todd said.

Todd could see that the student rep from Plainfield was influenced by the

location of his school in a middle to upper class community, fairly isolated

from big city problems - somewhat like Newtown, he said.

"I try to listen, though sometimes it's hard, to see where they're coming

from.

"In Newtown, for instance, I feel like a lot of people in this school don't

even know there are other viewpoints out there, and sometimes they don't think

they should know, either," Todd said.

He'd like the SSACE group to focus primarily on the desegregation problems,

but he said he wasn't sure what areas they'd end up concentrating on.

The governor seemed keen to concentrate on the teen pregnancy issue, he added.

"I could go either way," Todd said.

The representatives have a task to perform before their next meeting October

25, which is to come up with a list of 10 ideas drawn from their own schools -

concerns that the student body would like to see addressed.

Narrowing down a combined list should be a challenge, Todd remarked,

considering the diversity of the 26 SSACE members.

"They are a true reflection of the student populace," said Judy Halpern, SSACE

facilitator, speaking from her Hartford office at the State Department of

Education.

"There are learning disabled, physically disabled and minorities all lumped

together in that room. Yet they're all leaders and they respect each other,"

Ms Halpern added.

No doubt, Newtown students can be proud that Todd is their representative at

the state level. He's already proved himself in sports and in the classroom.

And as a lifetime veteran of the Newtown school system ("I've come all the way

up from kindergarten"), Todd knows the student community well.

He's been supported along the way by his parents, Mike and Debbie Burns, Todd

said.

"He's involved in a lot of things. He's a good listener and he really thinks,"

said Mr Dilzer.

Now, Todd will be a sounding board, a student liaison between Newtown students

and the rest of the educational community statewide. He'll air local concerns,

trade points of view with his fellow reps and, hopefully, will gain the

attention of those in power who might be in a position to do something

positive toward solving problems shared to a greater or lesser degree, by all

Connecticut high school students.

Todd Burns