Schools

Educators Reflect On Rainy, Snowy, Hot Year

Superintendent Sal Pascarella and Board of Education Chairman Irving Fox review the challenges of the past school year.

From beginning to end, weather had an impact on many school decisions. 

Irving Fox, Chairman, Board of Education: The weather aside, every year has a set of distinct challenges. I think we came through this year having done the best job that we can, we overcame the challenges that faced us...much of the problems, you talk about missed time due to snow days, there was a lot of disruption with mid terms. We had to deal with weather conditions all year long, they even come into play with the graduation.

Superintendent Sal Pascarella, Ed.D.: With rescheduling graduation, nobody wants to do what we had to do. Those two days when we called school because of the heat, there were problems with the windows. If we opened them, some kids had pollen allergies, and bee sting allergies, and if we kept school open the heat index would have been impossible.

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 It's easy in the beginning of the year, but as the year progresses, you have more challenging decisions to make; snow days, late school openings, you can only try to make sure the kids are okay. If everyone complains and at the end of the day, the kids are all okay, I am okay with that.

What changes have you seen over the last few years, and have they played out as you hoped?

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Pascarella: I have seen us shrink since I came here. We have had so many cutbacks, and there have been many changes in the middle school and the high school. But some of those changes have been for the good and are moving us forward. I am very pleased with STEM*, with the Freshman Academy, and the Academy of International Studies, which I didn't start, but is a very special place.

 The closing of Mill Ridge was a really good decision. Even though that was really hard for the King Street parents, I see the kids are doing well with it. I look at the kids like my own kids, at what's best for the kids and community.

 Was there anything this year that created tension in the community but was resolved to everyone's satisfaction?

 Fox:  We spent an awful lot of time on the dress code but I think we came to a good resolution. I think with the uniforms there was a lot of back and forth and a lot of uncertainty as to what would to happen. We took the time and made sure that we got that right. We will have to keep an eye on enforcing it in the fall.

Pascarella: You can't talk about this year without talking about the growing population and the needs of our students as we educate them. The good side is how can we provide for these students and how it is allowing us to pursue non-traditional methods of education. Not all kids learn in the same ways and we are getting away from cookie cutter education.

 One thing happens and for a while everyone is focused on that, but a second later, something else happens, and then that takes precedence. Things happen that put everything into perspective.

 Fox: You experience events and it helps you plan for the future. It's a learning experience.

Pascarella: We see kids flourish, and going places we didn't know they would. ACE was one example, and we had about 80 adult education graduates this year, from ages 18-55.

 Fox: We can't wait for next year to start.  There is a lot to be done, and the summer will be a good time to reflect on the next school year. These days its hard to take a  sigh of relief. The students will enjoy the summer off, but even though we don't usually meet in the summer, we have significant budgetary concerns. Our work might continue into the summer.

Everyone knows how bad the cutbacks have been, but there are two sides to everything.  Have you seen anything good come out of the budget crunch?

Pascarella: Some good things have come out of budget cutbacks. There is the theme approach we are starting to see. The retooling of our education system is creating career paths and I think it has enabled us to take a new approach, the approach that one size education does not fit all. Those academies will create opportunities to develop the experience to become a lawyer, a mechanical engineer, and more. And we will be doing it. There are a lot of kids who do well in this kind of education and the Board is seeing that. The Board and the administration really wants to rally around the kids.

 Before I came here, I was in a diverse high school that was even larger than DHS. Our schools are like a mosaic, like a kaleidoscope, and that is an enormously powerful engine. Kids in Danbury are not just preparing for the real world. Day by day, our kids are prepared in the real world.

 

 *For more information about Danbury's innovative STEM programs, visit these links:


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