Fix Our Failing Schools

At last night’s Manchester Board of Education meeting, several people criticized the Republicans’ “Fix Our Failing Schools” signs as hurtful or misleading.

However, in the 22/23 school year, only 2 out of 10 students were at grade level for math and 3 out of 10 were at grade level for language arts and reading.* If this is not the time to raise the alarm, when is that time?

I am one of the candidates running as a Republican for the BOE. I am not a politician. I am a Mom who cares about the success of all the kids in our town. I celebrate the 2 out of 10 who are succeeding in math and the 3 out of 10 that are succeeding in language arts and reading. But I am deeply concerned for the 8 out of 10 who are struggling in math and the 7 out of 10 who are struggling to read and write. What kind of future is ahead for them? What kind of jobs will be available for them to support themselves as adults, especially in light of the changes that AI and a global economy are bringing to the work force?

There is a maxim that, from kindergarten to grade 3, children learn to read and that, from 4th grade on, they read to learn. Are we willing to risk leaving 70% of our children behind in the educational process because they do not have those foundational building blocks for learning?

As I have been door knocking, I have had positive feedback for our signs from Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters, and from parents, children and teachers who express gratitude that we are giving voice to their feelings and concerns.

We honor our heroic teachers, and we believe that more can be done to support them in the classroom. The Republican candidates would redirect existing funds to deploy more educational aides and behavior specialists into the classroom, allowing teachers to focus on their calling: teaching.

If the fundamental mission of our school system is to provide our children with the academic tools they need to be successful in life, then it is evident that we are falling short of that mark.

The signs are sparking conversations about what makes a great school system and how we can better serve and equip our teachers and students. I think that is a good thing.

*People have asked where they can find these numbers. Here is the link to access these scores which are available only for math and language arts.

https://public-edsight.ct.gov/...