New Distribution Center In Windsor Will Create
200 Jobs
HARTFORD — On July 27, Governor Dannel P. Malloy announced that Dollar Tree, Inc, which rec...
Afternoon Of The Living Dead At C.H. Booth Library
By Nancy K. Crevier
Eight students, ages 10 to 13, joined theatrical makeup professional Caroline Wilcox and ...
Robert M. and Linda O. Spolar of Newtown to Robert and Alissa Parker of New Fairfield, residential property at 13 Country Squire Road for $359,900. Mary Elizabe...
Saturday, August 4
Tour De Newtown 2012 first leg, 8 am, start from and return to Treadwell Park, Philo Curtis Road, $25, riders must be at least 16 years ...
Estate Planning, Probate,
And Jewish Law Seminar
SOUTHBURY — Brownstein Jewish Family Service is hosting a Legal Lunch & Learn program at noon on ...
Datto, Inc Recognized As Leader In Information Backup Industry
By Nancy K. Crevier
Datto, Inc, of Norwalk, celebrated its fifth year in business, July 4, and 2...
A Unique Reading Of ‘Merchant of Venice’
WATERBURY — The Mattatuck Museum will transport guest to Venice during “...
Renee Marie Solheim of Sandy Hook and graduate of the 2008 Newtown High School class, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and compute...
Newtown schools have degraded over the 3+ decades I've lived here as the concentrated social experiment curricula driven by the state and small but loud groups. Yet we continue to dig into our pockets while we witness the downward spiral.
Unfortunately as voter turnout continues to decline the chances of it increasing also decline. The LC and BOF already know that the budget will be approved by virtue of the low turnout so why try to make smart decisions? The so-called referendum is essentially just a rubber stamp. They will continue to increase the budget by 2-5% every year because it's low enough to not cause a pushback under the cover of "inflation" and "maintaining the schools." Sending the budget to vote with 9% turnout is meaningless and a waste of resources on April 23rd.
I have seen Mr. Pisani repeatedly assert in the pages of the Bee that Newtown schools are "testing at a failing 64.9%". I'd be curious if he could elaborate on this statistic, as I have been unable to verify it independently. Which test exactly is our school system failing? How do our schools compare to other towns? How does our score compare to historical measures? It's very hard to draw conclusions from a single data point, so here are a few more data points to think about for context: Newtown is consistently ranked among the top 20 school districts in CT by the US News and World Report and Niche, which consider a range of performance metrics in their rankings; on average, Newtown students perform similar to, if not better than, students in neighboring school districts on standardized math and reading tests; the only data point on the CT Department of Education District Report Card where Newtown "fails" -- that is, falls behind the state average -- is access to art instruction. I'm glad the council member has acknowledged in this letter what taxpayers in high-performing (and high-spending) school districts like Darien, New Canaan, and Westport already know: "School funding does impact student achievement." Please keep that in mind when you vote this week!