Date: Fri 10-Nov-1995

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

schools-magnet-regional

Full Text:

School Bd To Consider Regional Magnet School Plan

B Y A MY D'O RIO

The Board of Education is considering joining in planning a regional magnet

school. It will vote on the issue next Tuesday.

School Superintendent John Reed said the regional superintendents' association

has discussed a magnet school for years and has decided to pursue it this

year.

The regional education service center, Education Connection, has received a

$30,000 state grant to get planning underway.

"There is absolutely no risk involved in participating," Dr Reed said. The

district would not be obligated to send children to this magnet school, even

if it helped planned its opening, he said.

He noted that in other communities, some people have begun to oppose this

planning. Their comments have been inflammatory, he said, noting that magnet

schools do not equal forced busing.

Since the Newtown school board endorsed a regional diversity plan last school

year, it is likely to participate in the planning.

Each school board belonging to Education Connections is deciding whether or

not it will participate. So far, Danbury, Bethel and New Milford have agreed

to join.

If Newtown joins, it will then recommend people to serve on a magnet school

task force. This task force will design the magnet school proposal; deciding

what grades it should target and what its theme should be.

Jane Tedder, executive director of Education Connection, said she hopes task

force meetings start in December.

If all goes well, the region will see a final plan by May or June, she said.

The magnet school proposal would then be submitted to the state for funding

and local school boards would decide if they would to enroll students in it.

According to the grant, Education Connections hopes a magnet school would open

by September 1997.

Ms Tedder said she has also been disappointed by the outcry this planning

grant has elicited. She said a magnet school provides choice for parents, and

it gives an opportunity for more integration to occur. "It is an idea with

educational merit. Let's look at it," she said.

She noted that this region already has some magnet schools. Danbury's Henry

Abbott Regional Technical High School is one. It has a theme -

vocational/technical education - and it draws students from many districts.

In this state, there are quite a few regional magnet schools already running

successfully. High school students from all over lower Fairfield County attend

a Japanese magnet school at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk. The students

study Japanese language and culture, and take a lengthy trip to Japan at the

end of the school year.

Also, lower Fairfield County school districts send seventh-grade students to

study together at Norwalk's Maritime Center for a few weeks out of the school

year. This regional program immerses students in a maritime theme, and gives

them a chance to use the aquarium and boats for learning.

In Bridgeport, a regional magnet elementary school stays open from 6 am to 6

pm to aid working parents. The school provides many social and health services

as well as day care. Plus, it offers unique early childhood programs.

Nighthawk Track And Field Teams Host Meet

New Heights Vacation Bible School Returning

Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Scheduled In Newtown

Genealogy Club's Next Program To Dig Into 'Dissecting A Civil War Pension Record'

Choral Society Planning ‘Voices Of America’ Performance

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

Log In

Date: Fri 10-Nov-1995

Leave a Reply Cancel reply