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By Dr. Rebecca Hamman

What is the new vision for Stamford Public Schools (SPS)?

As Dr. Talley, the new superintendent of schools, settles into his role, educators, families, students, Board of Education (BOE) members, and other stakeholders are ready for positive change. Hopefully, he will quickly earn the respect and trust needed to lead effectively.

Before Dr. Talley’s arrival, SPS had endured a difficult seven years. It is no surprise that more than 1,000 students and families, 500 teachers, as well as many other staff members have chosen to leave. Truth be told, SPS systems are deeply fractured, educators have been greatly disrespected, and morale has reached its lowest point.

Although Stamford has tremendous potential as Connecticut’s economic engine, its school district is only as strong as its leadership. Top, inexperienced central office administrators have caused way too much disruption, and when a super-majority on the BOE enables these leaders instead of holding them accountable, the entire district suffers—as SPS has.

So where does one start, Dr. Talley and Stamford BOE?

Listen, Listen, Listen

Hearts and minds need to be heard—only then, will this district begin to move forward.

When a $360M budget is properly aligned with teaching and learning, success will follow. Teachers, if allowed to use their expertise and skills, can make a difference. Students need to feel safe and have rigorous learning experiences. Parents will be supportive if their children are happy and successful. The BOE—fingers crossed that the majority party does not play caucus or voting games—can rebuild trust. It is all about listening and transparency.

Kids Are Not Political

Although the community is highly political, most students are not registered Democrats or Republicans. They should never be used as pawns. The forced 4x4 High School Flexible Schedule—along with 5-years of schedule revisions and lack of collaboration with educators and parents—was very destructive to learning. Cutting core academics at the middle school level created chaos. Reallocating staff, teachers, and administrators—all involuntarily—also terribly affected the soul of the district. Is it even repairable? These negative practices need to stop because ultimately, children are the ones who get hurt. Students should not be treated this way, and these blunders certainly did not save the district money.

Higher Expectations

It is time the BOE sets higher expectations for teaching and learning. These expectations need to be central to our district vision and supervisory checklist.

First, all leaders at central office and the schools need to be held accountable through performance-based assessments. The 360-Degree Assessment does not do justice in moving the achievement dial.

Second, online I-Ready, SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessments) and SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) scores are just one type of data set, and leave out the real story in skill development. School Strategic Improvement Plans are also mediocre if not held to higher levels. We really need competency evaluations in grades 3-10 to show improvement—writing (narrative, expository, persuasive); Degrees of Reading Power (DRP); reading comprehension; editing and revising and mathematics. Our students are ready and their potential is yet to be tapped.

Third, SPS needs instructional leaders who really understand learning development:

• Highly paid, inexperienced administrators at the top ($8-9M cabinet/central office positions) with little or no teaching background are NOT the answer. In actuality, the real instructional leaders are spread throughout our 23 schools. They know what curriculums and teaching strategies work best.

• Parents, too, can give broader focus to our learning programs. We just need to invite their input. We have a treasure trove of experts throughout SPS.

• Special education parents also need to advocate for stronger and healthier IEP (Individualized Education Program) follow through and accountability. Their united voice has often been overlooked by the SPS.

• Non-profit tutors and PTO/Parent Universities should also be productive supports. If taxpayer dollars are attached, all must be held accountable through SPS evaluations. We must see a return on our investment which has not been happening.

Listening, transparency and setting higher expectations are key in helping SPS succeed. Obviously, recycling mediocrity has not worked for the supermajority on the BOE. Our students, families and stakeholders are watching and waiting in hopes that the next steps forward are productive—after all, our students deserve nothing less than excellence.

Are you up for the task Dr. Talley and Stamford BOE?

Dr. Rebecca Hamman currently serves as a member of the Stamford Board of Education. She is a career educator (teacher and administrator) and has worked 11 years elementary and 15 years secondary. Her comments are her own, and do not represent the official views of the Board of Education or its committees.

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