Dolan defends Board of Ed on lacrosse funding

For this story, I asked Board of Education members for their thoughts. I got this one, from Genard Dolan, after deadline. It still warrants interest, so here it is, in its entirety:

I thought that it was a very interesting exchange.  In fact the Board of Ed did include lacrosse in its budget for 2012-2013 even knowing that our entire budget would likely be cut. The mayor's comments regarding his side of the budget implied that he placed a higher priority on city services than the education of our children.  If anyone believes that football, baseball, soccer or lacrosse doesn't contribute to the educational experience of a scholastic career, they are grossly misinformed.  I don't believe that the mayor truly listened to the lacrosse advocates.
One concern that I have is that we will not be competitive with our surrounding towns. Bristol is a sports minded community.  We are, after all,  the home to ESPN.
I believe that the appearance of the lacrosse people were there to make the community aware of their desire to make lacrosse a varsity sport to be on a parity with our neighbors and to promote a good standard of sportsmanship, morality and citizenship. They were drawing attention to their plight.
The last thing that I want is to create a controversy between the City Council and other departments
within the municipal structure and the Board of Education.  We all have our place in the community
and are necessary to create a cohesive and attractive place to raise our families.   So let's not undercut the value of education to the market value of a community.  A good reminder of that is not many of the employees of ESPN live in Bristol.  Ask the mayor why.
I speak for myself not the Board of Education.

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Educators Not On The Same Page

Related to today's story, the city's Board of Education appears to have its own rift.

Note from Board of Education member Genard Dolan on Friday morning:

Steve, you write that the members of the BOE are in conflict with the City Council.  Do not confuse the public by equating the Supt. with the BOE Commissioners.  The Supt. is speaking for himself on behalf of the Administration not the elected BOE.  The BOE members have been unaware of the discourse described in your article.  Unfortunately it gives your readers the misinformation of the Supt. speaking for the Board of Education.  You should correct this misinformation with a retraction or a corrected version of events.   Chris Wilson's quote regarding the cost per student seems unrelated to the conflict between Supt. Streifer and the Council.  In fairness to the Commissioners, you should explain the difference between the elected Board members and the Central office of the Supt.

Note from Board of Education Chairman Chris Wilson on Thursday afternoon:

Education reform is swirling all around the country, in CT and in Bristol.  All of this talk of reform causes anxiety and uncertainty for all those involved in education-students, parents, BOE members, staff and the community at large.  I am not sure about a rift.  We are all trying to do our best.  We may becoming at it from a different perspective.  137 cities and towns spend more $ than Bristol per student.  It seems that the city council wants to erode that position further.  I and some other board members support what we have accomplished over the past 8 plus years.  We do not want the quality which has been built here decimated.  WE have attracted a quality teacher staff and administrative staff which has delivered excellent results.  Since we have been level funded by the city for 3 years the fiscal constraints are significant.

We as BOE members have had to tackle difficult issues-closing schools, redistricting, program changes or eliminations.  All of these are challenging tasks without the fiscal constraints but the fiscal constraints make it more daunting.   

I am committed to public education.  I am committed to all students having the opportunity to attend college or some other post graduate experience in order that those 8500 students who pass through our doors have that opportunity.  Sometimes as we modify programs and reallocate resources to accomplish that goal the status quo is challenged.

As far as Ken’s point about the old guard.  3 incumbents ran for BOE and were elected so I am not sure what change he refers.  I think our rating within the state is pretty good and I am proud of that.  When one looks at quality schools systems throughout the state those that have a single minded focus are the successful ones.  Those where the leaders are not single minded are unsuccessful.  I am hopeful we will have the single minded and non partisan relationship which existed prior the this past election.

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Council, school board rift is growing

The rift between the City Council and Board of Education is growing.

The five Republicans recently asked for detailed monthly school spending reports and were turned down cold.

School Superintendent Philip Streifer wrote Wednesday that “it is the policy of the school administration to provide the public only those documents requested by or created for the Board of Education, therefore, we will not be providing you the detailed request” sought in an email sent to the Board of Education by city Councilor Henri Martin.

“I don’t know why the resistance,” Martin said Thursday. “I just want to know some information.”

For city Councilor Ken Cockayne, the superintendent’s response only serves to widen “the disconnect” between councilors and school board members.

“I can’t help wondering what the Board of Ed is hiding,” Cockayne said Thursday.

Chris Wilson, the chairman of the school board, said that 137 cities and towns in Connecticut “spend more dollars than Bristol per student.  It seems that the City Council wants to erode that position further.”

The sole Democratic councilor, Kevin Fuller, said he is worried the GOP’s effort will create “a bigger divide between the Board of Ed and the Council, and who does that hurt in the long run? The students of Bristol.”

Streifer said Thursday he will gladly turn over any of the financial reports prepared for the Board of Education but it won’t create ones that don’t exist simply because city councilors want more detailed data.

Streifer said he hopes that problems don’t develop between City Hall and the school administration.

“There is an established process under the city charter to review and fund budgets,” Streifer said, pointing out that the Board of Finance reviews budgets and “then makes a recommendation to the City Council and they jointly vote on budget appropriations.”

“I would hope that everyone would respect and honor that process which has worked well in the past,” Streifer said.

Martin said the schools spend 61 percent of the city’s budget, a total of $102.6 million this year, and he would not be doing his job if he didn’t try to understand where all that money goes.

Fuller said, “The council in the past has looked at the BOE budget but we cannot control it. The only vote the council has is to approve or deny the total amount of the budget,” and cannot deal with particular line items.

“We understand that we don't have the power to line item the BOE budget and determine where money should or shouldn't go,” said city Councilor Derek Czenczelewski

“However, that doesn't mean the city shouldn't be able to see where the money is going on a monthly basis. We are looking for transparency, plain and simple,” he said. |”Unfortunately, some administrators and officials believe that the BOE doesn't need to report to the taxpayers in any way.”

Cockayne said that voters showed last year they don’t want officials to tread along the same old path.

“The citizens of Bristol are fed up with the Board of Education,” Cockayne said, and they very much want change.

Though Republicans took control of the school board for the first time ever in November, Cockayne said they failed to shake up its leadership.

“The old guard is still in charge,” Cockayne said, and its members don’t believe there’s a need to do things differently.

“The Board of Education needs to open its eyes,” Cockayne said.

Fuller said he is curious what the Republicans are looking for.

In his email to Streifer, Martin sought detailed monthly reports on these accounts:  central administration, principals and assistants, supervisors, psychologists, other instructional, improvement for instruction, instructional services, other professional services, rentals and leases, and staff transportation.

“Give me additional information,” Martin said. “Let’s break it down.”

Streifer said the reports Martin asked for “are much more detailed than what we have on hand or which the Board of Education has asked for, thus we will not create them for him. “

Martin said he did not understand the resistance to providing councilors with the information.

Cockayne said in a Thursday email to Streifer that he “can't believe the BOE doesn't have a detailed expenditure report run every month.  This is something at even a basic business would do.”

“How then do you do accounting on $100 million?” Cockayne said. “You must have more internal detailed reports than you give out to the public.”

Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com