Comments on Norwalk Net: Updated: Rocky Start For New Board

I am a a resident of Norwwalk. Diversity makes NO ...

2009-12-28T13:59:15.668-08:00

I am a a resident of Norwwalk. Diversity makes NO DIFFERENCE IN POLITICS. What we need is good politicians and principals/administrators that do their work and don't abuse their staff and use race as a weapon to defend their abuse of power! We have a black president already, why don't we just get to work and get over the racial victimization?
A minority person wrote this...

I heard she is leaving in April.

2009-11-22T12:44:35.452-08:00

I heard she is leaving in April.

When is Ms Friedlander going to leave?

2009-11-22T06:18:33.779-08:00

When is Ms Friedlander going to leave?

9:35 PM, don't be so naive.

2009-11-20T09:57:38.297-08:00

9:35 PM, don't be so naive.

Amen to the last 4 posters.

2009-11-20T09:04:17.576-08:00

Amen to the last 4 posters.

To the person who said that a BOE member was suppo...

2009-11-19T21:35:52.430-08:00

To the person who said that a BOE member was supporting a superintendent candidate....Uh, unless I totally misheard Dr. Papallo at the meeting, the group who will be doing the searching has just finished the focus groups and barely even published the job posting. How could a candidate's name even be known since the interview process hasn't even started? Someone who is applying, and making it publically known that they are doing so could start talking about it, but there's no way to know at this stage if the applicant will clear the search firm's criteria.

The voters in the City of Norwalk made a strong st...

2009-11-19T16:32:16.436-08:00

The voters in the City of Norwalk made a strong statement this month when they voted off all of the incumbent members of the BOE. It seems like they were tired of the partisan politics, posturing, and playing of the 'race card.'

The same people who are complaining about insuffic...

2009-11-19T15:12:47.236-08:00

The same people who are complaining about insufficient minority representation on the board of education should be talking to the members of the community who didn't vote for the people who lost their seats on the board. Also, they should be looking at the records of the same individuals because they lost in a fair election. Boorish behavior in the audience will do little more than waste everyone's time.

The new board got off to a very bad start, but I am not ready to judge it. Mr. Iannacone is a strong person who has good intentions, but he has a very tough job ahead of him. I wish him success in calming the board and leading it to make good decisions.

There are a lot of great comments on here. I do t...

2009-11-19T14:03:49.527-08:00

There are a lot of great comments on here. I do think the new board deserves respect from the community and especially from those in attendance at meetings. To show interest in your school system through participation and attendance is admirable. Being rude, disruptive and constantly negative is counterproductive and harmful. People need to keep make sure their goals match what they are preaching and their actions support their goals and words.

If what you said is true, it wouldn't be illeg...

2009-11-19T11:34:26.621-08:00

If what you said is true, it wouldn't be illegal. However, it would be at least unwise and inappropriate.

The new BOE members are creating an uproar in the ...

2009-11-19T10:04:38.765-08:00

The new BOE members are creating an uproar in the community. It is rumored that a newly elected BOE member is prosthelytizing her candidate for superintendent. It seems to me that she is tainting the process by announcing her choice. Is that even legal for a board member to openly campaign for a person who is not even an announced candidate? I certainly hope she is not putting the district in jeopardy for future litigation.

To the poster who said that the BOE meeting was a ...

2009-11-19T06:17:33.586-08:00

To the poster who said that the BOE meeting was a disgrace. I agree with you, but I don't agree that it was a disgrace on the part of the Board.

Let's talk about respect. Throughout the meeting there was a constant murmur of conversation from the audience, along with a very hostile attitude. When someone started to say something, the audience would start murmuring, making it hard to hear. A few times the speakers couldn't even finish their sentences.

Also, it is total possible that Mr. Iannaccone didn't know Ms. Rivas was assigned to the Policy Committee because he may not have had an updated list. It happens. It's hard to keep track of all the details with the amount of information that flows through their hands. He'd only been chair for about 45 minutes at that point, give him a chance to do the committee assignments properly.

I'm still trying to figure out Ms. Brown's...

2009-11-19T06:09:34.644-08:00

I'm still trying to figure out Ms. Brown's comment about diversity not being celebrated in Norwalk and it being used as a weapon.

It raises alot of questions, like why is the Board supposed to be celebrating diversity at all? Aren't they supposed to be dealing with enrollment numbers, field trips, the reduction of the lunch debt, budget transfers and the like?

Another question raised is that the new Board had been sworn in about ten minutes earlier. How does Ms. Brown know they "won't celebrate diversity"? Obviously, Ms. Brown knows something about the plans for the future, which she should share with everyone. I'm sure the new Board members would find that most informative.

And finally, isn't it truly ironic that the people who are using "diversity" as a weapon are the former Board members and some members of the public? Oddly enough, all the new members of the Board were elected in a democratic method. I guess in her book, "diversity" trumps our tried and true method of elections. That's sad, that's really sad.

The previous commenter supports Mr. Fuller. I ask ...

2009-11-18T23:03:13.424-08:00

The previous commenter supports Mr. Fuller. I ask to what end? Why is there an assumption that the BOE will make policies that are not in the interest of ensuring that ALL children know how to read write and add?

The Fuller/Moore/Murray/Mosby/Morris/Brown camp make a big deal of the BOE being responsive to the needs of minority (read Black) students?

What does this exactly mean in terms of concrete policies? What measures are they recommending? What plans do they have?

Instead of working with the BOE to close the achievement gap the District B crowd simply want to use buzz words and fan the flames.

Also it bears remembering that these so-called leaders of the Black community have had over a decade to work with the NPS administrators to enact policies that would help their constituency. Obviously whatever they were trying hasn't worked.

Norwalk Public Schools need change we can believe in but not from the South side.

I find it ironic that

I am deeply saddened to read about the polarizati...

2009-11-18T21:09:16.617-08:00

I am deeply saddened to read about the polarization taking place in Norwalk. As a former teacher and adminisrator in the Norwalk Public Schools for approximately 30 years, I have had numerous experiences with students, staff, parents and the former members of the BOE.
At present, Mr. Fuller is making an effort to monitor the newly elected BOE that appears to be headed toward further dividing the community. The Black community simply want all children to be treated fairly and equally. I totally agree with that goal. Furthermore, I want to support Mr. Fuller, who is a model for the community.
The tone of the opening session of the BOE, together with several of the community comments, is an ominous sign. An apparent agenda of divisiveness and intolerance of different points of view appears to be present. Hopefully I am wrong, but I perceive that what is happening in our nation is being mirrored in Norwalk.

the BOE meeting was a disgrace. the BOE has a lot...

2009-11-18T20:00:14.914-08:00

the BOE meeting was a disgrace. the BOE has a lot to learn about Roberts Rules, protocols, and respect for one another. the new BOE members--at least one was very unprofessional to a fellow BOE member, the chair couldn't remember that Mrs. Rivas was on a certain committee. It didn't seems like the vice chair had any sensitivity to the entire diverse community. are we moving backward???

amen to special ed and the posting!...friedlander ...

2009-11-18T19:56:33.401-08:00

amen to special ed and the posting!...friedlander inherited a mess, she inherited a staff that has undermined her since came arrived. her secretary thinks she runs the department. the administrators there can never be found...recordkeeping is a mess...who will want that job! just check out the times on a sunday and see all the jobs!

Friedlaner resigns. Good call by the Superintendan...

2009-11-18T19:07:07.892-08:00

Friedlaner resigns. Good call by the Superintendant. Now what about the other 4 special education administrators who waste our tax money with nothing but failure to show? Why does Norwalk need 5 special education administrators when other cities have two? What do they do? Who do they answer to? What about their slush fund for legal expenses? Keep cleaning house. In the real world of business, they would all be fired.

Ms. Brown thought so highly of her friends on the ...

2009-11-18T14:09:29.606-08:00

Ms. Brown thought so highly of her friends on the BOE that she took her son out of Norwalk Public Schools and put him in All Saints in September!

The director of special ed has resigned? How abou...

2009-11-18T14:07:26.424-08:00

The director of special ed has resigned? How about letting the remaining special ed administrators perform the duties and save a lot of money? Then again, maybe the central office has a friend to bring back from retirement. Some of the retreads have been there again and again and again. . ..

One can only hope that Glenn and Jack will keep th...

2009-11-18T13:22:43.485-08:00

One can only hope that Glenn and Jack will keep the meetings under better control than they have been in the past. Actually, more appropriately put, one can hope that in the future, let's hope the circus has gotten it out of their system and allows the board to get down to the business of helping to run an efficient and effective school district.

Every BOE meeting now has the potential to be a &q...

2009-11-18T13:20:08.905-08:00

Every BOE meeting now has the potential to be a "circus" with a different ringmaster for each show. The "Board Watchers" will be a real thorn in the side for this board, but they really should be expending their energies for the benefit of increasing achievement for ALL kids. Some of them will probably be in the employ of the board. Unfortunately, this is de rigeur for Norwalk, where in the end everything becomes an issue of the special interests, and most of the time those issues become racial. Norwalk has much diversity in education--in the SCHOOLS where it counts. The way some conduct themselves in this town, you would think "Jim Crow" was still alive and well. Wake up, folks. This country just elected a black man to the highest office in the land, and he got there because a lot of people--black, brown, yellow and white voted for him. Here's a suggestion. Instead of watching the board, watch your kids; and ask them periodically, "What did you learn in school today?"

Do we not think these very competent representativ...

2009-11-18T10:01:35.397-08:00

Do we not think these very competent representatives cannot work in the interest of ALL children? We don't need a Board Watchgroup to look out of for the interests of all minority children. We need parents to regularly attend the BOE meetings and hold our elected officials responsible for their decisions for ALL our children. Now, here's an idea - Let's quiet down on the BOE racial imbalance and let the Board get to work. They have a lot of hard work to do - and now is the time to deliver on their campaign promises.

Diversity not being celebrated in Norwalk & be...

2009-11-18T08:10:34.007-08:00

Diversity not being celebrated in Norwalk & being used as a weapon to divide us? It sounds as though Ms. Brown is the one using race in a divisive manner. Just because she was voted out of office, it doesn't mean she was being insensitively discriminated against, it means that she wasn't doing her job to the satisfaction of the voters. She did get voted into office, didn't she, in spite of what she thinks of as insensitive whites, so the loss of her seat is no one's fault but her own.

Okay Jack, lets see what ya got. Lets turn all thi...

2009-11-18T07:21:08.646-08:00

Okay Jack, lets see what ya got. Lets turn all this around and give kids a real chance.