by Tess Long
Mayor Hoydick and Town Council members:
My name is Tess Long, I 0 Whippoorwill Lane, and am a parent of a student at Chapel Street Elementary School. I’m writing today in opposition to the BOE budget ask, which was forwarded to your office, and that of the town council. I support a budget increase of 6.69 over last year.
In a district where 34.3% of students are economically disadvantaged, and where we already struggle to meet the needs of our students compared to other (wealthier) nearby districts, I just cannot believe that these steep cuts will help the schools to thrive in any way. Actually, quite the opposite.
These cuts will continue to ameliorate interest and/or sustainability of teaching careers which is on thin ice already—cutting support of teachers and auxiliary/specialized teachers is only going to burden the system and the classroom teacher more (let alone the impact on student success).
Certified school librarians, reading coaches, and math specialists play crucial roles in the education system, supporting student learning and academic achievement:
- School Librarians:
– According to a study by Lance and Hofschire (2012), students in schools with full-time certified librarians scored significantly higher on standardized tests than those in schools without librarians.
– The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that students in schools with a librarian who holds a graduate degree in library science tend to perform better in reading and writing assessments. - Reaching Coaches:
- A study by Gersten et al. (2008) found that students who received targeted reading intervention from reading coaches made greater gains in reading proficiency compared to those who did not receive such support.
- Research by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) indicates that schools implementing reading coach programs experienced improvements in student reading achievement.
3. Math Specialists:
- According to a report by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), math specialists help improve student performance by providing targeted support to teachers, implementing effective instructional strategies, and aligning curriculum with standards.
- A study published in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education found that schools with math specialists who worked directly with teachers to improve instruction saw significant gains in student achievement.
School librarians, reading coaches, and math specialists provide targeted support, resources, and expertise that help students succeed academically in critical areas such as literacy and numeracy.
Please support, invest, and value our youth and education system as that is what you have been elected to do. They are the future of this town, and this country.
