Ansonia School Board Member Takes Issue WIth Local GOP Contention

As a current member of Ansonia’s Board of Education, and a dyed-in-the –wool Republican, I have to take issue with an article recently released by the Ansonia GOP.

To seize an opinion from an unqualified source, and spew it forth as an uncontroverted fact simply to take a political swipe at an opponent, is intellectually dishonest.

The author points to a published opinion about Ansonia’s failing” school system as a bullet point” without setting forth all the facts. 

The truth is, Ansonia does not have a failing school system. One can only ponder whether the GOP is really prepared to lead this City given its utter failure to get the right information.

To the point of education in Ansonia, sadly, the non-profit organization that published this information does not use recognized industry standards as criteria to measure the failure or success of a particular school district. This private organization does not evaluate effective teaching strategies, effective administration of staff, resources or other personnel.

It does not evaluate the strength of a district’s curriculum; it does not measure or evaluate the number, type or kind of advanced placement (AP) or honors courses a system offers or whether a student’s achievement in high school will qualify for college credit.

This organization does not report to, nor does it adhere to, the rules, regulations and requirements set forth by the State Department of Education. It doesn’t have to assimilate to the requirements of No Child Left Behind.”

Each and every member of the Board of Education and the school administration has been committed to improving student achievement. 

While Ansonia is faced with many social and economic influences not present in many passing” districts cited in the ConnCan report card, one thing is abundantly clear: if a student wants a good education, he/she can get a good education in the Ansonia School system … if they want it.

For those who follow education in Ansonia closely, what I am about to share will not come as a surprise; for those that do not, I hope you will see the irony and appreciate the shock the education community still feels: Ansonia actually lost several federal grants, comprised of hundreds of thousands of dollars, because of the success of its schools. Our school children were punished for performing well. 

Nowhere in the literature disseminated by the GOP was this fact revealed.

To suggest that there exists a rift between the Board of Education and the Mayor’s office and that this relationship needs to be repaired, is simply false.

Mayor Della Volpe has, since day one, always been visible to the students and has been a strong advocate for education. While there are issues in governance and in education that are occasionally at odds, I see a very good working relationship between the BOE and the Mayor’s office.

If the author of the GOP press release would care to discuss these issues over a cup of coffee, give me a call. I will buy.

George W. Boath, Jr.

Ansonia Board of Education Member

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