Parents Question Windsor Locks Schools' Early Release

About 25 people attended the Windsor Locks Board of Education meeting Thursday to express their feelings about a controversy brewing over a new program.

The program, created by Superintendent of Schools Wayne C. Sweeney, goes into effect next year. It calls for kindergarten though 12th grade to be released one hour early on Mondays for teacher professional development. The change was discussed at the board’s May 26 and June 9 meetings.

Amy Mackey, a parent, raised some questions and concerns about the program.

Mackey asked why parents weren’t included in the discussion about the program and said there should have been a public forum so the board could give their reasons for it and give parents the opportunity to voice their opinions.

“It was instituted with no questions asked,” Mackey said. “We were informed by backpack fliers and a letter I received on the last day of school.”

Mackey said this program will cost children 33 hours of missed learning time.

“We have children who deserve an education,” Mackey said.

She mentioned that it was said during budget season that “a zero increase budget could delay an increase in student achievement.”

“I don’t understand how these learning hours that have been taken away won’t affect student achievement,” Mackey said.

Kevin Brace, who is a correction officer and has three children, said he came to the board meeting because of “the economic impact on parents” the program will cause.

“Windsor Locks is a blue collar town,” Brace said. “We all punch a clock and we can’t afford to (take) an extra hour off of work to accommodate this program.”

Brace said that taxes for the state and town are going up.

“I really don’t think the impact to the parents and the finances of the household were taken into serious consideration,” Brace said.

Brace said that letters should have been sent to parents before the program was created.

“It’s crazy that they passed it without any parental input,” Brace said.

Amy Bonito said that she is willing to see if the new program works. If it doesn’t work, it should go back to how it was, she said.

Sweeney said that the program wasn’t about balancing the budget. He did mention the district spends $45,000 annually on substitute teachers specifically for classroom teachers taken out of the classroom for professional development, he said.

He was able to save $35,000 after paying teachers stipends for them to work outside their contract.

Sweeney said the time will be spent looking at student data and how each child has progressed a week at a time. The teacher will also look at how they are teaching, he said.

“We know from the literature and the research that it is about the quality of instruction that has the largest impact,” he added.

Sweeney expects that the Connecticut Mastery Test and C.A.P.T. (Connecticut Academic Performance Test) scores will be off the charts because of this program.

Sweeney said he would “resign” if there isn’t an increase in the scores.