Though Bristol tends to ignore everything about Hartford except for the occasional basketball game there, people here may want to give a little attention to a proposal made today by Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez in a piece he wrote for The Hartford Courant, linked here.
Perez is advocating the creation of a 29-town, Hartford County school district that would take over responsibility and funding for all of the schools in the county, including Bristol's.
While that's sure to make Farmington and Avon parents feel a little woozy, it's a more interesting issue for Bristol, and one that officials should look into.
I don't think Perez's plan is going anywhere, but it's imporant to recognize that these sorts of ideas are floating around, the sorts of proposals that could eventually be tapped to solve the racial isolation that is helping to keep students in Hartford and New Britain, among other places, from succeeding academically.
Don't make the mistake of ignoring what's going on.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
45 comments:
Is there any truth that "keeping" students racially isolated (who is keeping them isolated?) brings them down academically?
I think it would be a good idea since it would provide more overall funding and resources for all students and schools. This is how they do it in MANY other States in the USA.
For example, in Florida they have county school districts. They also have City, State AND County Police, Fire and EMS services. They have County courts and Disaster preparedness agencies for each County.
Why can't we do that in Connecticut as well? I think its a good idea that can go somewhere with the right supporters and backers.
I will actually pray that crook Perez never has anything to say about anything regarding my childrens education (or my children in general).
If you live in Hartford, and want your kids to go to school in Avon, then move to Avon and pay the price for the home and pay the taxes. There ARE top performing students in Hartford's schools, so it is possible to get a good education there. The problem is the kids who don't want to learn that bring down the schools overall ratings. Unfortunately, sending a bunch of gang-bangers into Farmington's schools will do nothing other then hurt the people who want to learn there. (I only used Farmington and Avon as examples, but the same applies for most towns.)
If that plan ever took hold, watch the housing prices in Burlington plummet while Harwinton's prices jump up just to cross county lines.
I'm no expert, but the state Board of Education has cited the need to "reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation" as one of its top goals because that would, presumably, help students do better.
As for who is "keeping" students in racially isolated areas, that answer is easy: we all are. We as a society have made the choice to draw school district lines where they are.
Whether the lines make sense is exactly the issue that Perez has raised.
"We as a society have made the choice to draw school district lines where they are"
No Steve, these "lines" are actually town/city lines. They seperate these things called city/town governments that represent the people in these said towns/cities.
School district lines do not have to follow municipal lines -- not even in the Land of Steady Habits. We do, after all, have some regional school districts around.
In any case, all these lines are merely choices people have made and could, if they wish, change.
Isn't the reason we have the program that busses kids in from Hartford to Bristol (I think it's called Project Care?) for Racial Balance?
What about the recent US Supreme Court decision that said that a child could NOT be bused simply because of race?
Race cannot be the only factor that
determines if a child is bused.
How does that mesh with the Hartford situation?
The day the decision was announced, BOTH black and white mothers were on the steps of the Supreme Court vocalizing their support for the court's decision.
Mothers of both races objected to school administrations who transport their children miles away from their homes, clear across municipalities, simply because of their race.
Busing long distances often results in parents who basically have no access to their children during the day, plus extremely long commuting days for the children.
Also, busing long distances often deprives children the benefit of after school programs. If the parent doesn't drive, or if public transportation is not available,or if they work at a distance, how could a parent retreive their child after school, or if there were a problem or emergency?
Both black and white mother's saw forced long distance busing as a matter or racial discrimination.
They wanted parental control over a run away bureacracy.
Creating super districts employing busing as a means to solve educational disparities is a bad idea.
The fact of the matter is that there is a direct correlation between parent involvement and a student's academic performance. The more involved parents are in making sure their children go to school, do their homework and study the higher the chance for success.
Sending kids to other towns is not the answer.
My post was about the Supreme Court ruling of June 28th on busing in Seattle and Louisville.
Here is the story:
"Two Women Come Together to Oppose Busing"
"Plaintiff Crystal Meredith and Civil Rights Activist Mattie Jones Say Program Failed Their Children"
The story link is below:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3325773&page=1
Bottom line is this --
Both women believe in the same thing: Their children should be able to get a good education at a neighborhood school and not have to ride buses crisscrossing the city to find equality in educational opportunity.
More involved parents are better? Of course.
But if you lived in Hartford, would you rather send your kid to Hartford High or Farmington High? That answer seems pretty obvious to me.
There shouldn't be such a disparity in education. Every kid deserves an equal opportunity to succeed.
The trick, of course, is how to make that happen.
This is just another good reason for the taxpayers and parents of Bristol to stay on top of the K8 - Mega School plan. If those two schools are built then Bristol will be smack dab in the cross hairs of a growing number of politicians that would love to regionalize the education system. Chippens Hill is a poster child for this concept. The buses roll in every day. You can almost hear those with a regionalist mentality dancing with delight at the possibility of two more big schools in Bristol. The one in Forestville would play right into their hands and why not with the easy access from the soon to be expanded Route 72.
Better wake up people! The city council and mayor better be on the ball as well. Our school system plan and controversy has far reaching effects and many of the outcomes are not good news to Bristol parents or taxpayers.
Steve,
Hartford is number 2 in the state for dollars spent per pupil. Are you insinuating the only way to allow black and Puerto Rican kids to learn is to place them with white kids?
I like how some people who have read an article somewhere or have taken a random government course suddenly think they're experts.
I'm not insinuating anything at all. I'll put it plainly: all children deserve to attend integrated schools.
White kids suffer, too, when minority children aren't among their classmates because all of us need to learn to live in the melting pot that has always been America.
On a different point, I wish that every student had two active, interested, involved parents. Unfortunately, most don't. That's the reality that the educational system has to try to deal with.
"White kids suffer, too, when minority children aren't among their classmates because all of us need to learn to live in the melting pot that has always been America"
Explain this.
Are you saying that because I didn't attend schools with low-class minorities of Hartford that I've been deprived? Are you freakin' nuts?
Look, I went to a high school in Virginia that was segregated until Brown v. Board of Education. I talked to people who lived in counties that closed their schools rather than integrate them. I do have an understanding of the harm that keeping students apart can cause. And more than that, I have a deep appreciation of how important -- and meaningful -- it can be for children of all races to attend school together.
We can't pretend that those "low-class minorities" in Hartford are any less deserving of a quality education than anyone else. This is America, where we all should get an equal shot.
People, Steve is correct here. This is the same kind of closed mindedness that plagues our esteemed BOE members. If Simsbury kids were going to school with urban Hartford kids, maybe the Simsbury parents would care a little less about tax cuts, and maybe Hartford people would not think everyone in the world is out to get them.
Steve,
I work hard, honestly, and through our capitalistic system (which you probably have a problem with) I earn enough money not to live in a slum like the north end of Hartford and I want to protect my children from associating with the people in that slum. If you have a problem with that, I then have a problem with your way of thinking.
Are there not enough minorities for you in Bristol? Why did you move to West Hartford then? Why not move to Hartford?
What's your response to the fact that Hartford spends the second most in dollars per pupil in the entire state?
Don't I have any rights? How about life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness. We're all not guaranteed a free lunch Steve. If a certain sub-culture in this country can't keep itself up in a dignified manner then that's their problem. You should not punish everyone else for one groups short-comings.
I have no problem at all with capitalism. I do have a problem with writing off children because of their parents. I prefer, like President Bush, to leave no child behind.
"Are you saying that because I didn't attend schools with low-class minorities of Hartford that I've been deprived? Are you freakin' nuts?"
Yes, you have been deprived, and therefore you don't even know it. You're like the person who has never had Thai food (plug for Lychee Wan on Broad Street) and therefore has no idea what he is missing. I feel sorry for you. You live in a tiny world.
And you people wonder why Bristol has such a reputation as a backwater.
THE COMMENT: "You're like the person who has never had Thai food (plug for Lychee Wan on Broad Street) and therefore has no idea what he is missing. I feel sorry for you", IS PRECISELY WHY THIS COUNTRY IS GOING DOWN THE TUBES. Go live in North Hartford if you think its so great!!
So in other words Steve (in response to you) you think the government should take over the role as parents? Again in other words government should award irresponsibility.
I like Bristol the way it was!
We should shift school administrative costs to a regional manager. Think of the cost savings in salaries and the combined buying power. Don't worry though because we have way too many supers who will never let this happen.
Do I think government should act in the place of parents? No.
But when parents are either not there or not fulfilling their role, our choice as a society is either to write off their kids - and create a new generation of losers - or to give them the support they need to succeed.
That doesn't seem like a tough choice for us to make.
It's not rewarding irresponsible behavior to help students whose parents are troubled. It's simply good policy.
I agree with that rhetoric Steve. But what does that have to do with forced busing? It sounds like originally you are more concerned with social engineering via government intervention.
I don't want to see kids sitting for long hours on buses either. We're in agreement, ac.
all ive heard for the last few months is how much crime has risen in bristol, how many more problems we are having with drugs and now you want to bus kids from the north end of hartford here? wont that bring more crime and more drugs? im not saying all the people of the north end are drug dealers or criminals but come on, the reason the north end is such a crappy dangerous place is the people that live there. i wouldnt allow my kids to hang out in the north end so why would i let the north end be brought to them.
wouldnt some sort of scholarship program for inner city kids work better. take the kids that strive to achieve and take their education seriously and offer them the oppertunity to go to better schools. you can fund this program with money you will save by not bussing students all over CT. (gas is on its way to $4 a gallon and busses use up alot of gas.)
whats the point of bussing in some degenerates in that only go to school to avoid the truient officer. that will bring in a bad element into our schools. and trash any of the good schools we have.
we live in a place like bristol because we choose not to be associated with the getos of hartford. now you want to force our children to "intergrate" with geto kids?
Steve, i know there are some good kids in hartford that are really trying to get an education and i feel sorry they have to live and go to school under crappy conditions but i work hard so my kids will have the best opertunities.
this is just another example of liberal govt trying to take care of people that dont want to take care of themselves. let hartford BOE take care of the hartford kids and let the Bristol BOE take care of bristol kids.
oh sorry the bristol BOE is useless so lets have the bristol parents take care of thier own kids. like it should be. keep govt out of our lives as much as possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
It's kinda scary to be reading a communist controlled blog from an american newspaper . I will however keep at it . Americnas should keep tract of all it's enemies .
Education, clearly, needs to be a higher priority for this country.
The last time someone called me a "communist" came in 1988 when a county legislator in New York denounced me as a red agitator because of some forgettable thing I wrote in the paper there. She was a large woman and carried a small pistol in her purse. Taking no chances, I made sure she took a liking to me after that.
Actually in the past when I used the phrase "socialist freaks" in your presence I was referring to you as one of them. But I apologize, it wasn't nice.
However I disagree with the idea of "scimming the cream of the crop" from the inner cities. You take the good kids out, what your left with is a total cesspool.
Skimming the cream from the city's students would pose a problem. I can see that, too.
Isn't it interesting that stephen did NOT deny being a communist ??? No wonder he helped bristol to move Back-Ward .
OK, I am not a communist, a criminal or even a socialist freak. I'm just a reporter trying to let people know what's going on.
At least this communist blog has limited access by the city employees . Yet another positive for mr. Stortz .
Reading this thread makes me feel like I'm back in the 1950s.
Steve, You're an interesting character. I'm sure you're not a communist and I'm double-ly sure you're not a crook. But you may be a socialist freak (although as I told in Nov 1999, the Bristol Dems aren't really).
PS, I'm not the guy calling you a communist here (just in case it might come back and bite me).
I thought Ward has restored total internet access to all City Hall employees. They should put guaranteed full internet access at work in their next union contract.
"whats the point of bussing in some degenerates in that only go to school to avoid the truient officer. that will bring in a bad element into our schools. and trash any of the good schools we have."
Exactly what is the point of trying to have a dialog about education with someone who is as clearly ignorant as you?
"whats the point of bussing in some degenerates in that only go to school to avoid the truient officer. that will bring in a bad element into our schools. and trash any of the good schools we have."
I agree completely. We must join together to stop the bleeding-heart liberals from destroying our children's future for the good of their zealous idealism.
"I thought Ward has restored total internet access to all City Hall employees. They should put guaranteed full internet access at work in their next union contract"
-Is this a joke? The city "employees" need access to Horny-matches.com so they can get their work done in a productive manner.
If you give city workers on the job access to HornyMatches.com, you will have happy employees, and happy employees are productive employees. That's how you help Bristol move For-Ward!!
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