After being contacted by many parents with concerns about the current schedule fiasco in both middle and high schools, we decided it was time to bring back the blog.
Here's a summary of the high school situation:
This issue with scheduling has been building since November of 2023, when Lucero proposed adding a sixth class to the current five class load for high school teachers. This move was wildly unpopular with both teachers and parents, and thankfully the proposal was nixed.
Then, in January, Lucero proposed reconfiguring the block schedule, which had just been implemented at the beginning of the 2022 school year, to reduce the total number of classes, while increasing the length of each class (basically a way around the issue of adding a class 6th class). Not only will this result in fewer class options for students, it will also decrease their instruction time by 80 minutes each week.
Stamford Educators Association has been pushing back with votes of no confidence and by filing grievances. Angela Corella published an excellent piece a few day ago with all of the details: ctexaminer.com/2024/03/14/stamford-teacher-call-out-superintendent-in-no-confidence-vote/
What this is really about of course is money. The Superintendent and the Board of Education have not properly formulated a budget in a very long time, and this is just another symptom of their reactive leadership. For example, instead of using covid ESSR funds to provide students with the intensive tutoring they deserved after school closures forced them to miss learning, Lucero and company used it to pay salaries (ctexaminer.com/2024/01/17/stamford-schools-ask-for-6-4-boost-as-enrollment-drops/).
Now, Lucero and her team want to rework the block schedule (you know the one just rolled out 2 years ago), to save money. Oh, and that class your child had been planning to take junior or senior year - sorry, no that's longer an option.
Once again, the students and families of this city lose, and our teachers are disrespected.
Here's what you can do:
Sign-up to speak at the BOE meeting on Tuesday, March 26th
Call and email Dr. Lucero: (203) 977-4543, tlucero@stamfordct.gov
Call and email Dr. Rhodes: (203) 977-4705, lrhodes@stamfordct.gov
Talk to your friends and other parents at your school
Check back soon for the latest on the proposed middle school schedule.
Send your questions, comments, thoughts, and concerns to stamfordparentsunited@gmail.com