After viewing Mr. Shea’s explanation of his dream regarding the Big Step Forward on television and reviewing the document on the School Department website, I must say there are a lot of unanswered questions. For starters why must our students be test subjects yet again? We tried open concept and that failed. We then went to block scheduling and that is under review. A new scheduling format is supposedly planned, but no change will be made until 2011-2012 school year. If a plan is in place, why are we waiting so long?
When Mr. Shea presented this idea a year ago, he stated that this new school would not have music, art, sports, in other words no extra curricula activities and would absolutely not allow the student to partake in the offerings of the Technical Center and would be budget neutral. Has anybody ever seen any new project that is budget neutral? Obviously, some of Mr. Shea’s ideas did not bode well with parents and Mr. Shea’s original dream has transformed into something different something that will now include a little bit of this and that, but not quite what is offered at Spaulding.
Funding is a major issue and there just does not seem to be much out there for the taking. I know my pocketbook is dry. This topic has been presented like a bill in congress, making concessions along the way to ensure that it gets passed no matter what the people may think. Do we, the taxpayer, really need another school, a school where the concept is unproven/untested? Like most, I do not wish to see my taxes go up any further. I do not feel that we are harming our children’s education by not providing funding or approving Mr. Shea’s experiment.
We need to re-evaluate what we already pay for. It is time to eliminate the waste, as a school district we are top heavy with administration and there are numerous examples of blatant fiscal irresponsibility on the part of the School Department, but nobody ever stands up to them and they get everything they want.
If you are unable to attend either of the two meetings regarding the Big Step Forward call your School Board member and City Councilor and express your concerns. By not making your feelings known and not attending the meetings the School Department will take this as a signal that you do not care what they do with YOUR money. It is time to speak up as things are not going to get better for a long time to come.
Sue O’Connor
Rochester
Education today needs to be more rigorous and there must be accountability both with teachers and students. I have also had many conversations with Mr. Shea. He is pushing a dream and desire that is not in the best interest of the student. Why would anybody want to start a school using a model that has the same problems our schools already have? Funding is scarce, schools are not making AYP, students are not prepared for college, those that go drop out. The testing scores are lower than those of the conventional high schools. The RCTA is leading the charge. The taxpayers are tired of the experimentation with our schools/students, the waste of money, back room dealings, and the good old boy mentality that the taxpayer has no idea what their children need. Our views have not changed and our mission is the same as it always has been. We are providing the researched facts as to why this type of school should not be implemented in our community. We are educating the taxpayer so that they can make an informed decision regarding the education of THEIR children. THEIR children do not belong to the schools or the School Department. Hence, the taxpayer is speaking out and letting it be known what they want and right now they do not want this! There was supposed to be a vote in March, but has been put off for a year. Mr. Shea has not provided unequivocal facts that this is worthy of the money he wishes for.