New Haven Board of Education #Enough Testimony
The New Haven Public Schools Advocates are a group of families, educators, community working to give everyone a voice in our kids’ education. Last night was the first full New Haven Board of Education meeting since the proposed transfer of 53 NHPS teaching positions.
Below is my testimony at the meeting. Hundreds of students, teachers, parents, and concerned residents attended and dozens more gave testimony as well.
My name is Caroline Smith and I am a New Haven resident.
When my Mom and Dad got married, they had $25 in the bank account and a bag of apples. Even then, they knew clearly the two things they wanted to invest in:
- Their kids having really, really good teeth.
- Their kids having a quality education.
My Mom grew up in a small village in South Korea — where she walked to school in rubber shoes and fainted because she didn’t have enough to eat. She talks about her 6th grade teacher though, a teacher who sounds a lot like the teachers in this room, who saw her — who really saw her — and believed she could go farther in education and her village.
Years later, my Mom’s kids, my sister and me, got to go to solid public schools in the states with good Track & Field coaches and some unforgettable teachers. Both of us got to go to college.
We all have these stories.
It’s clear to all of us that education can be transformative for a family across generations. It is also clear that this rests on a foundation of good governance, effective policy, and deep respect of teachers.
That’s why I am advocating for:
- The rejection of the elimination of 53 more NHPS teaching positions via involuntary transfers;
- A commitment to establish a Deficit Review Committee
- A complete forensic audit of the Board of Education
- The release of a complete, detailed, site-based budget
- And the appointment of new district leadership
Thank you to Sarah, Fatima, and so many other NHPS Advocates for their tireless work. Thank you to the bold and tenacious students who gave testimony. And thank you very much, Board of Education, for listening.
Learn more about and get involved in the NHPS Advocates’ work here.
