Press release from GOP mayoral contender Ken Johnson, just in:
The Republican nominee for Mayor of the City of Bristol, Ken Johnson, elaborated further today on the Board of Education plans to switch from the current Elementary School/Middle School approach to a Kindergarten through 8th Grade (K-8) system and build two new 900-pupil schools.
Johnson, a Real Estate Broker, understands the importance of maintaining a strong and vibrant educational system as a way of attracting families to Bristol and keeping them here. “While we endeavor to open our doors to those who want to call Bristol home, we must always remain cognizant of the needs of those of you who already live here,” Johnson Said. “The citizens of our community -- young and old -- cannot afford to pay exorbitantly high taxes and still call Bristol home.”
“My Mayoral opponent and I both agree that the Board of Education needs to do a better job of communicating to the public about these plans. We both sat through a presentation on the school plans at the October City Council meeting. Unfortunately, it was again poorly publicized to the public and, while education officials seem to have convinced my opponent that the K-8 system is the way to go, I’m not convinced,” Johnson added, “That is why I have called for a ‘Time Out.’”
Johnson hailed Councilor Mike Rimcoski, a member of his Bristol First Team, for his leadership at the October meeting to turn back the proposal to build one of the new schools at the old Scalia sand pit site. “Taking a stand, particularly on a controversial issue, is what leadership is all about. Thanks, Mike,” Johnson said.
Johnson wants the public to clearly understand that “we are not going to a K-8 system.” The Board’s stated intention to implement a K-8 system only applies to certain sections of town. “At best it is a hybrid – Northeast and Chippens Hill will still be middle schools and have many years of useful life in them.”
“The West End is driving the need for new schools. The near century old O’Connell and Bingham schools are obsolete. But is Memorial Boulevard? Is a new K-5 in the West End a realistic alternative to the proposed K-8 complex?” With the unique needs of a more transient population in the West End, Johnson asks, “Why aren’t we exploring a school/community center for this area? Could the Bristol Boys & Girls Club be a part of the solution? What about addressing blight? With the inter-relationships of downtown and the West End, perhaps we should be seeking input from the BDDC and others associated with the downtown. I don’t see any collective vision coming out of the efforts to date. All I see are Boards and committees bumping into each other.”
“We are certainly looking down the gun barrel of major education issues and big dollar items. The decisions we make will have long-term implications. Calling a Time Out and allowing ourselves the time to think this through and get it right can only be a good thing.”
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
23 comments:
Finally someone is speaking up for the citizens of Bristol!!
"Time out" is exactly what is called for on this issue. Not only is the BOE plan a poor plan it is in reality only half a plan. A key tenet of the BOE strategy is that K8 is (according to their research) superior to K5/MS. If that's the case then where is the other half of the plan to migrate the entire school system to K8? If the BOE is so convinced (and we know they are not based on Tom O'Brien comments) that K8 is superior then does that mean the half of the district that is K5/MS will be inferior?
What a ridiculous message to prospective families considering a move to Bristol. If you choose to live in Forestville you will have a K8 system but if you live in the Northeast area then you will have K5/MS. Don't worry we'll figure it out in next 5 or 10 years when the next school system de jour comes along.
We need a mayor who will work with the BOE but also make them tow the mark and force them to be accountable to the electorate and taxpayers. Not go along providing little or no feedback other than "let's build a school on the Roberts property." If that's the best that we can expect from 14 years on the city council then it may just be time to take a risk on the rookie.
Ken, you don't have this Dem's vote just yet but you are making one heck of case.
Let's hear more.
Ward said the same thing. But he isn't pounding his chest over it like Johnson. This is the most we have heard from Ken in over 2 years!
Time out after further review Vote for Ward!
I don't think the people are going to stand for a few insiders (Democrats) on the Board of Ed and the City Clown-cil saddling the tax payers with a $250 million project with little or no public input.
Good issue Ken. You're definately on the right side of this.
Thats right Mr. Johnson.
Criticize the City Clerk for doing her job.
Criticize the Purchasing agent for doing his job.
Criticize the Board of Education for doing their job.
All the time, you sat on the sidelines, and now come out of the wood work.
Must be nice to have all teh answers.
A real "know it all"!!!
Keep up the good work Ken!
Don't stray from this point. You are 100% right on this one.
Thanks for the input Ken, as only you can do it.
Sounds like you have sour grapes Ken! Ken if you were so concerned that something was amiss with the awarding of contracts at city hall why didn't you speak up when the contract was awarded instead of waiting till the final weeks before the election? You also said contracts...plural. Yet you only gives one example. An example of a contract that would have been a financial gain for you. Ken you make it sound as if the Berarducci's paid off the real estate committee in a back room somewhere to gain an upper hand. I personally know Becky and she is one of the most dedicated, honest Realtors I know. You also keep mentioning that local agents should have gotten extra consideration. If you attended the real estate committee meetings to air your concerns you would have learned that several agents working for Berarducci live in Bristol, spend their money in Bristol, Pay taxes in Bristol and vote in Bristol. Ken would you have handled the sale of city owned property the same way you went about getting the good citizens of Bristol a refund from Northeast Utilities? Now there is a contract the city should be investigating.....oh wait you distanced yourself from that by selling your share of the company. I think you shot yourself in the foot making an issue out of a non-issue. You certainly loss my vote.
Johnson has waged a heck of a campaign. He has demonstrated his awarness of many issues we as tax payers are concerned about. The other has let our concerns fall unherd. Mr. Johnson may not have all the inside information on all the isues, but he has a strong command of the major ones. He has proven to be a quick learner. Ward has had 14 years and is still unable to make any factual convincing arguements about anything. VOTE JOHNSON the intelligent leader for Bristol's Future!
I agree with the "time out" but on a much larger scale. There are/have been many major pending issues in Bristol during the past several years that don't seem to go anywhere, Bugryn property, Roberts property, mall, Rockwell, K-8 schools. Everything here seems so dis-jointed.
Shouldn't there be some type of master plan that coordinates the work of all of these various boards/committees so there is a specific direction to a planned outcome that meets the needs of Bristol and it's residents? If there is such a plan, I'm not aware of it.
I'll base my vote on who I feel can best deliver this.
Johnson sure has waged one heck of a campaign...temper tantrums, false accusations, broken promises (what happened to that "clean campaign" he promised?). Now, he's bashing the City of Bristol. Intelligent leadership??? Get a grip.
The whole school plan is a joke. Ken is right on with this one. Half the town is K-8 while the other isn't?
Ken has run a clean campaign, if you really want it to get ugly just let us know and we will be happy to go down the path.
Its funny when your an out of touch Democrat and a Republican come up with an idea than you call it a negative campaign.
The people of Bristol cannot afford to pay higher taxes. They want a Mayor who can hold the line.
Ward has RAISED taxes, and when you expose it it is nota negative campaign its the truth so I guess Ward;s council career could be justified as NEGATIVE.
Stay strong Ken! The spin doctors are out in full force. It appears you have them on the ropes.
School plan is not going to happen, if the BOE does not the have the community support, the state will not fund the project!
Ken is just blowing smoke and giving everyone what they want to hear. Remember Stortz did the same thing when he ran against couture - he lied, lied, lied. Now we have a repeat.
Voting for WARD!
Hey Ken,
Did your caps button on the keyboard get stuck a few times or did you just decide to randomly capitalize words that shouldn't be?
Maybe you need to go back to school for some help with things like Capital Letters.
-- concerned citizen
Johnson has indeed waged a Heck of A Campaign, by gum.
Johnson - flip flopping again.
Time out after further review Vote for NOT Ward!
Johnso says that he is not in favor of a k-8 system then proceeds to admit that what is being proposed is NOT a K-8 system, talk about political double talk - get with the whole picture Ken, not just sound-bites for "feel good" votes.
Ward and the council already called a "Time Out" on the school plan by sending it back to the committee. Johnson you need to really pay attention!!
In order to sort out this education mess, people need to make the distinction between "improving education" and "configuring buildings".
The two are not the same especially when dealing with primary schools.
Frankly, it's teaching methods, student, teacher, and parental dedication with accountability from all parties that improves educational performance, not the re-arrangement of bricks to point A to point B.
In all the various proposals that the BOE has forwarded from 2000 regarding school building projects ,what subjects or programs will be differnt or offered differntly?
How will parental involvement be fostered and sustained?
What is that we can't teach now to our primary students that a new facilities will solve?
Please don't tell me playtime or ball games.
The dollars expended should be directly related to educational advancement and development not the "hope" that new buildings MIGHT attract affluent others to move to Bristol because someone designed an expensive shiny new bauble with a bigger ball field.
When key decision makers envision schools, if they are focused more on concepts of "economic development" rather than concepts of "academic achievement", the end result will be that in the long run Bristol shall achieve neither.
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