So, Sharon’s First Selectman just does not get it…surprised? NOT! Read his email back to Kent’s First Selectman Bruce Adams about a possible letter regarding the Region One Budget where Mr. Loucks blames WHDD for the budget defeat…..
On Jul 24, 2013, at 8:43 AM, Robert Loucks <robert_l@sharon-ct.org> wrote:
Yes, It’s time to let the Administrators run our Schools and not the local radio station and etc. Bob
Earth to Bob Loucks! Earth to Bob Loucks! The administrators HAVE been running the high school — that’s why so many students had failing grades during the marking periods in school, that’s why the CAPT scores — with the exception of writing — have been so mediocre or less than mediocre for so many years, that’s why we’re going into our fifth budget referendum. Robin Hood Radio and the other media in the area are not responsible for the great achievements or the poor achievements at the high school and it’s not only ridiculous to say they are, it’s also disrespectful of the people you were elected to represent, who are protesting the situation through the power of their vote. The buck stops on the desks of our highly paid educational leaders and with the board majority that refuses to hold them accountable.
~~ Gale Courey Toensing
As a former student rep to the board of ed, I believe it is time that I enter this conversation. It is becoming quite tiresome listening to the opinions of community members who have not attended the school in 25+ years, and seem relatively disconnected from the ACTUAL issues. During my service on the board, I found it shocking that the BOE members rarely questioned anything brought forward to the board. In fact, there was only one board member (at the time) that ever questioned a single thing brought forth. In my eyes, the members of the board were responsible for questioning and discussing issues brought before them. I graduated with a sense that the administration ran the school without checks and balances, and any student of history knows that unchecked power perpetuates abuses. Now, with that said, no matter how despicable the administration is (though “pathetic” may be a more appropriate word), that is not the issue at hand and we as a community have allowed it to become the main focus. We are currently punishing the teachers who work incredibly hard, because they care about the students. Furthermore, we are punishing the students who are devoted to learning, growing, and extracurricular experiences. I do not support the proposed budget, because I do not believe it is in the best interests of the students. When I graduated I was proud to have been a Housatonic student. I felt successful and I saw my peers as successful. I no longer feel that way about the school. I am embarrassed when I hear about large percentages of freshmen classes failing. I am embarrassed when I hear athletic teams are no longer competitive. Most importantly, I am heartbroken when I talk to my favorite teachers and I can feel a discouragement that was certainly not present while I attended. Decreasing the budget does not solve a single on of these problems, and neither does complaining about the administration. It is time that we as a community put our most precious resource first and take care of the teachers and students that resource serves, not the entitled circus running it.