Community Forum

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The CT Education Department website publishes District Reports detailing how well individual Districts do in meeting student standards set by the Education Department. And importantly how Districts do meeting Dept graduation standards. Yet neither our BOE, nor Supt nor local newspapers make such important information publicly known. Repeated appeals to the Hour Editor to report such information have not met with success. According to the CT Edu Dept website most Norwalk students do not meet CT Edu Dept graduation standards. Especially in maths and sciences - two critical skill areas. And most Norwalk students never secure 4 year college degrees. In contrast almost all the students in our 5 surrounding towns not only meet CT Edu Dept graduation standards but also secure 4 year college degrees. The obvious question is why such a very large disparity in student performance between Norwalk and our 5 surrounding towns ? Available information suggests there are no significant salary differentials nor spending per student differentials. Moreover, materials periodically sent out by the Norwalk BOE do not discuss either how our students are meeting CT Dept of Education standards. Nor what measures are being implemented to make significant progress. Surely the ability of our students to meet CT Education Dept graduation standards ought be both publicly disclosed and discussed. No where in the BOE’s 13% Budget increase is any discussion address to improving our student achievements in meeting CT Education Department standards. Why is there such difficulty in educating our City students so they meet CT standards ? Ignoring the problem won’t solve the problem. The Hour and other newspapers chooses to ignore the issue. Our BOE does not discuss the issue. Norwalk parents ought be more forthright. Those who have secured the “American Dream” from modest circumstances know full well the critical importance of getting a first class public school education. No matter the difficulties or surrounding hardships. If Norwalk parents won’t ask how we do much better for our students then who will ?