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 ?
Response to Jessica:
The issue is not whether Norwalk kids can match achievements in surrounding towns. The issue is why can’t Norwalk kids meet CT Edu Dept standards ? Our per capita incomes match CT itself. And about 50% of City adults have 4 yr college degrees. By most measures Norwalk is a middle class City. Why can’t our kids meet CT Dept of Edu standards ? That’s the issue.
So where to look for answers ? First, was it always true that Norwalk schools didn’t pass master ? Certainly. Our schools had a pretty good reputation when we moved here some decades back. Our son and a dozen or so of friends all went to first rate colleges, some earned scholarships.
Comparing backgrounds and qualifications of BOE members is helpful. After BOE’s are responsible for setting standards and securing desired achievements. Our surrounding towns generally elect BOE members with professional and business backgrounds. Norwalk has different standards. But it wasn’t always the case. Some of us remember corporate attorney Mike Lyons as BOE Chair. He made “history” demanding Norwalk use Professional Search firms in securing Superintendents. Reportedly that “innovation” for Norwalk was not followed after he left office. The old management rule applies here. Securing strong performance requires an “oversight team” demanding and securing strong performance.
Comparing BOE backgrounds and qualifications between Norwalk and surrounding towns and even more distant communities helps explain differences in our student outcomes. Was our Supt selected from a national Prof Search ? If we switched BOEs with our surrounding towns would student performance improve ?
Not only don’t our kids meet CT Dept of Edu graduation standards but most don’t ever secure 4 yr college degrees according to Edu Dept data. Why is Norwalk CT’s only CT City without a 4 yr college ? Not considered important by BOE and City leaders ?
If incomes were essential to student outcomes how does one explain the astonishing success of students in India, China, etc in their own nations and as newcomers to America ? In their countries schooling is the path to success. So they have longer school days, often attend school 6 days a week and have short holidays. Even going to school in summertime.
There’s no shortage of studies showing that far and away most CEOs and CFOs of our large S&P500 firms came from very modest backgrounds. And didn’t attend “top schools”. They attribute their success to getting a first rate public school education. I’ve met many of them. I too had a first rate public school education even though raised in challenging circumstances during WWII.
If Norwalk wants much better outcomes for their students then they need elect a BOE whose members have the management and professional business backgrounds to secure those outcomes. That means holding Administrators accountable. And using National Search to secure top Administrators with the demonstrated skill sets. Every year our BOE distributes fancy school literature. But no discussion of student achievements meeting CT Dept of Education standards is presented best I can find.
Most of those I’ve met who’ve secured the American Dream came from modest backgrounds. Commonly they attribute their success to having first rate public school educations. Most of our kids are minorities. If they’re to have a shot at securing the American dream in a culture where they’ll likely encounter some discrimination ought we not do what we can to give them a education that meets CT Edu Dept standards and encourage them to secure a 4 yr college education. Even if means workin through college and securing a scholarship ?
Or is there something about Norwalk’s water supply that’s responsible here ? If the community wants good schools for Norwalk’s kids they elect BOE members up to the task and demand strong achievement. It’s up to the BOE to hire a Supt who is capable of delivering strong results. If the community thought getting a 4 yr education was important they’d work to secure a 4 yr college for Norwalk.
Norwalk is indeed a middle income community. With average incomes well above the US average. No reason why Norwalk can’t manage to run its public schools so most kids meet CT Edu Dept standards.
When our BOE proposes a 13% budget and pays CT’s 3rd highest Supt with has 3 Ass’t Supt with a million dollar Supt office bill we know we’re heading in the wrong direction.
If you love kids why not give them a really good public school education ? Not rocket science. Elect a BOE pledged to deliver the results. We pay competitive salaries. We’re just not getting the desired results. And its not the fault of the kids or their families.
The obvious answer is POVERTY! Hard to be a hardworking student when you are homeless, have to work after school and on the weekend so your family can eat, you have parents working multiple jobs......I mean, one would think if you looked at the socioeconomics on our school aged population this wouldn't be hard to understand. The five towns around us are WEALTHY. Do you really think that those schools have better teachers? That they use some magic curriculum? They do have parents with the means to hire tutors and get outside help when its necessary. The only ones ignoring this problem is the CITY. You will NEVER be able to measure Norwalk kids test scores against Darien kids test scores until this issue is tackled. BTW, why does every kid need to go to a 4 year college? What happened to Trade Schools? We have a huge shortage of those entering the Trades these days and most pay very well. Maybe we can stop bashing the Board of Education and ask what the city plans to do to help people get out of poverty?