To the Editor:
The headline on your editorial — Math challenge in Bridgeport in the July 11 edition — caught my attention. As a local (Bristol) Board of Education commissioner, I try and make sure I read about anything related to education.
While I think your back of the napkin sort of math is ingenious, I think you left some little cost factors out of your exercise which might impact your viability given your budget.
What if you have some special ed students? Where comes the dollars for the IEP that will follow? Who pays for the outplacement? How much? What about new teacher mentoring and the cost of that program? How about the bullying/cyber bullying law; who pays for implementation of that law? No mention of transportation? That is one of the larger cost factors in our district.
We are not as urban as Bridgeport but it must be considered nonetheless. How about fuel and that uncertain cost? Who plows for snow and upkeeps your building?
I, like you, thought the problems were much simpler, and I would take my business background and fix my local district. What I found was a system more complex than I realized and the problems more severe. Part of the problem is the institution no doubt, but many are much more systemic. The public and society in general has put off on education systems many burdens which didn’t exist 30 years ago. Feeding students and teaching positive values make up part of the day in addition to your four content subjects.
In addition, I am sure there are a few other costs that don’t come to mind quickly but are equally burdensome.
I would contend your little experiment is more difficult than you think.
Christopher C. Wilson
CIC, CPCU, CLU, Insurance Agent
Bristol
