Greg Johnson, president of the local NAACP.
As President of the oldest civil rights or. where many have fought for the rights to get a decent and well-deserved education, it’s disheartening to watch our leaders engaged in issues around education with our children caught in the middle.
I have spoken with the Mayor (Cassetti) and he assured me the students would not be impacted by this and will complete their full mandatory 180 days of school and I was glad to hear that.
I say we must do better.
We are going to have debates and differences of opinion, that’s life and is good for growth and development.
What we must stop doing is placing our children up as sacrifices during our challenging times. As adults we realize the importance of obtaining a H.S. diploma, if we continue to trivialize and make education appear expendable to our children they will never value it.
Ansonia’s numbers — school enrollment about of 2,350 students
About 20% Black students
About 40% Hispanic students
About 70% free/reduced lunch
I went online and saw our SBAC scores. Our kids need more. Our schools need more.
If monies are misguided or taken away it contributes to the pipeline to prison system.
No more games with the money, we need to do right by kids. No more talk about how much you have funded education. No personal attacks. This is about our kids and our community. We need to do what is right.
Sometimes what is right costs money. We need to share the burden and make sure our kids have a solid foundation to be successful. We need to do what is right. The time is now — otherwise we will all pay the price down the road. I believe all taxpayers and parents want their child able to be successful and the best way is holding the powers to be accountable. Let your voices be heard.
Greg Johnson
President, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Ansonia Branch # 2000
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