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By Dr. Rebecca Hamman

How does one go about creating a culture of excellence in Stamford Public Schools (SPS)? Let’s start with the obvious…

More School Options

The high achieving schools in Stamford are the magnet schools…in fact, their academic track record proves it over a 10+ year period. Knowing this, why can’t all students have the same learning success opportunities? With four schools being renovated across the district, SPS may have additional space for these programs:

• Special Education Resource Centers (K-12)…Rather than outplacing more and more students, legislators and Lower Fairfield County communities could come together and create additional special education resource centers throughout the area. In turn, Cooperative Educational Services in Trumbull (1 of 6 of Connecticut’s Regional Educational Service Center Alliances), could facilitate the planning and development process. It is an idea worth pursuing!

• Alternative Education Academies (Gr. 6-8, 9-12)…When students struggle with learning because they cannot self-regulate, a temporary academy placement may be helpful. Only after developing the necessary skill requirements would they be allowed to return to regular education programs. The planning team behind this would include MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) staff, parents, community non-profits, and police & other safety personnel.

• Schoolwide Enrichment Model—SEM (Gr. K-5, 6-8)…Non-magnet schools may want to pilot a SEM program. First, computer-generated profiles would be created to pinpoint each student’s academic strengths, interests, learning styles, and preferred modes of expression. Then, using a variety of enrichment presentations and independent research, students would be given opportunities to develop their gifts and talents. Great news—personal passions evolve and achievement soars.

• Smaller Learning Communities (Gr. 9-12)…Research points to the fact that Stamford High and Westhill are much too large. Both schools have started creating a variety of schools-within-schools to address this concern—Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Finance, Carpentry, Business, UConn Early College Experience (ECE), Computer Science, JROTC, Agriscience, & RISE.

Should the Board of Education (BOE) and superintendent have Town Hall sessions to hear even more ideas from the parents and other stakeholders? After all, it takes a village to raise a child, and the Stamford community is at no loss for ideas or support structures!

Democracy Please

At one time, old-fashioned democracy allowed for diversity of opinions and ideas. Unfortunately, today’s democracy insists that everyone must think the same way. Examples abound on the Stamford BOE—to the point of being outlandish or caustic—‘stop grand-standing’…rather than ask for clarification, ‘your ideas don’t match ours…so move’, or just delete Veterans & Columbus Day from school calendars. God forbid, ‘free’ speech used by one BOE member might even influence the masses. Is this really the new democracy we want? Where is the respect for all?

The ‘My-Way-or-the-Highway’ approach used by Stamford political parties, city boards, the media, and the puppets in pulpits, is not healthy, nor appealing for those moving to Stamford. Just follow the flow of money, materials, people, information and force. It is not a ‘good look’ or ‘good feel’.

Ask the Real Experts

Ask the real experts who know their children best—the Stamford families. Or perhaps our teachers, the professionals who know what academic, attendance, and soft skills are needed for graduation and starting out in the real world. How about the BOE listen and be proactive rather than tout a middle school plan-of-action that should have been created nine months earlier? Or where is the BOE when central office leaders are not prepared for fall professional development or have teacher materials ready for all students? Mistakes happen, but again, this is highly concerning.

How are these individuals at central office held accountable if they can’t deliver? After all, they are paid some of the highest salaries in the district:

• Superintendent + K-12 Cabinet of 5/approx. $1.5M+
• Teaching & Learning Team of 37…6 Directors, 8 Assist. Directors, 4 Special Education Dept. Heads, 5 IEP Compliance Teachers, 4 Out-of-District IEP Leaders, 10 Teachers on Special Assignment/approx. $5M

Who is really losing out in SPS ‘supposed’ culture of excellence?

Connecticut’s largest teacher union exists in Stamford to support our community of student learners, but they are only as effective as they are allowed to be. With the BOE’s lack of listening—refusal to address Votes of No Confidence over 2 separate years—and forced mediations, ultimately, it is our kids that lose! The BOE’s poor bureaucratic decision-making and careless tax dollar spending needs to stop.

Next Steps

Excellence is habit. So how does the BOE help SPS improve its culture of excellence and, once again, be competitive in Lower Fairfield County? Let’s hope the current and new BOE members—who will be elected in November— are ready to think outside of their political boxes. It is our only hope of achieving excellence.

Dr. Rebecca Hamman currently serves as a member of the Stamford Board of Education.  Her comments are her own, and do not represent the official views of the Board of Education or its committees.

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