SEYMOUR – U.S. Secretary of Education Linda E. McMahon is scheduled to visit Seymour schools on Friday (June 12) to tour Seymour High School and to meet with students and school leaders from the Naugatuck Valley.
McMahon, a longtime Connecticut resident, has been on a “Returning Education to the States Tour” with a goal “to empower families and hear from students, teachers, and leaders on best practices in their own communities,” according to a department of education website.
Friday’s appearance is being billed as part of the “History Rocks!”’ tour, which is part of the national “America 250” celebration.
President Donald Trump has tasked McMahon to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, a move that doesn’t have universal support in a politically divided country.
McMahon previously toured the Lincoln Technical Institute in Shelton (as part of the ‘Returning Education to the States Tour’).
She was scheduled to tour schools in Fairfield, but the tour was canceled because of backlash from the community, according to an article in The CT Mirror.
Word of McMahon’s visit was first reported Wednesday morning by residents in various Seymour town forums on Facebook. People were split online as to whether to welcome or shun McMahon.
Seymour Superintendent of Schools Susan Compton sent a message to the school community Wednesday afternoon saying McMahon is coming “to celebrate learning, encourage civic engagement and highlight the many positive things happening in our schools.”
McMahon is scheduled to tour the Seymour Board of Education offices and the high school, where she will meet with 18 student volunteers for a roundtable discussion.
She’ll also be touring Seymour Middle School, where she will meet with a small group of students and participate in an assembly that will include trivia about America’s upcoming 250th birthday.
Later in the day she is scheduled to meet with Naugatuck Valley school superintendents and local leaders, according to Compton. Seymour First Selectwomen Annmarie Drugonis and Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti will attend, Compton said.
The Seymour Democratic Town Committee issued a statement to Facebook Wednesday saying McMahon is hurting the U.S. public school system.
“Her school visits raise serious questions as she has been relentlessly defending even THIS WEEK the dismantling of public education and pushing for privatizing schools. Things that will hurt us, not help us, here in Seymour,” the post read.
Drugonis, a Republican, said she wants to tell McMahon about the need for more education funding.
“It’s not every day you have the U.S. Secretary of Education coming to your town, and whether we agree with her or we don’t agree with her, we can agree there’s a major issue with funding our schools,” Drugonis said. “It’s not just in Connecticut, but all over the United States.”
The First Selectwoman said Wednesday afternoon that about 15 people called her office to say they were upset by McMahon’s upcoming visit.
“Parents are upset about it because ‘she doesn’t support public schools,’ and ‘she wants to privatize schools’,” Drugonis said. “I’m looking at her as the Secretary of Education who will go back to the President of the United States and tell him she spoke with the Valley superintendents and they’re telling us we’re not getting enough money. Maybe, just maybe, our little Valley towns’ voices will be heard,” she said.
Theresa Conroy, a former Democratic Selectwoman and a former state lawmaker, pointed out the news of McMahon’s appearance came first from Facebook chatter instead of an official announcement.
“A visit by the U.S. Secretary of Education to a public school is a significant event, and parents, staff, local officials, and residents should have been informed,” Conroy said.
Compton said an announcement was made once the timeframe was nailed down.
Conroy said she has serious concerns about McMahon’s education policy.
“Public education is one of the foundations of our democracy, and I strongly oppose efforts to weaken or dismantle the federal commitment to ensuring educational opportunity for all students. Programs that support students with disabilities, low-income families, and rural and urban school districts alike are too important to be treated as expendable,” she said.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, a Republican lawmaker from Seymour, said she’s looking forward to McMahon’s visit.“Secretary McMahon is coming to Seymour and I’m glad to welcome her to the 105th District,” Klarides-Ditria told the Valley Indy via text. “I’d rather be in the room engaging directly on the issues that matter to our students and communities than on the sidelines. That’s how things get done.”