https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/McDonald-frustrated-by-Rell-action-on-tech-schools-6316.php
McDonald frustrated by Rell action on tech schools
Move comes after Wright Tech's closure
By Brian Lockhart, Staff Writer
Published 3:39 am EDT, Tuesday, September 1, 2009
HARTFORD -- Responding to a request from the state Board of Education, Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Wednesday authorized the hiring of more than two dozen teachers to ensure adequate staffing at Connecticut's technical high schools.
While the board praised the move, it angered state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, because it comes in the wake of the recent decision to close J.M. Wright Technical High School in Stamford to save money, forcing students to scramble as summer reaches an end.
"The governor apparently can find resources to fund vital aspects of the technical school system when it suits her purposes," McDonald said. "Stamford didn't suit her purposes."
Just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Board of Education, in an uncharacteristic move, issued a strongly worded news release announcing it was concerned Rell's budget office had authorized replacing less than half of the vacancies in the system resulting from a recent early retirement incentive offered state employees.
According to the Department of Education, 161 technical high school employees retired. Of those, 136 vacancies were determined necessary for the new academic year, which begins Aug. 27. The board complained Tuesday night that the Rell administration only authorized 66 refills -- 52 teachers and 14 support staff -- "presenting the possibility of understaffed classrooms and trade shops."
The board noted it had shuttered Wright Tech for two years to help cut costs and also to allow for the transfer of the school's remaining employees to fill vacancies elsewhere.
"We need to know how this will play out as we open schools throughout the state," the board said Tuesday. "Therefore we have asked the (Education) Commissioner and Technical High School System Superintendent to develop an impact statement for each of the remaining 16 regional technical high schools as well as an overall report that addresses these issues system wide."
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A Rell spokesman responded by saying the complaint was being addressed and to await further information.
A few hours later, the Board of Education issued a new release announcing Rell had agreed to authorize the refill of an additional 25 teaching positions and thanking her for the support.
"Although we will have significantly fewer teachers and administrators this year, we can and will make it work," Board of Education Chairman Allan Taylor said in a statement. "We can do our part to lower costs and at the same time provide a quality education to our students."
McDonald said Rell's seemingly rapid response proves she could have kept Wright open even though there is no state budget agreement and despite her stand that Wright's fate was in the hands of the Board of Education.
The board in December recommended shuttering Wright for two years to help address the state's growing two-year deficit. The school has suffered from low enrollment and requires a significant overhaul.
Rell initially resisted, but earlier this summer included the closure in a revised budget proposal. The legislature's Democratic-majority included funds to keep Wright Tech open and bolster attendance in its budget proposals, but has yet to reach a deal with Rell.
In the meantime, many of Wright's teachers took early retirement, and the faculty over the summer dwindled from 26 to 10. On July 29, the Department of Education announced remaining staff would be transferred, and students and their families had until Aug. 14 to decide whether to attempt to transfer to another technical high school in Danbury or Bridgeport or attend a public high school.
It was unclear where Rell's funding for the additional technical teachers came from Wednesday, but McDonald said he wondered why the same effort was not made to fill vacancies at Wright and keep it afloat.
"All of a sudden, miraculously they found the money to fund 25 additional positions?" McDonald said. "Wright Tech was sacrificed so that the administration didn't need to make difficult decisions across the spectrum of its operations."
Staff writer Brian Lockhart can be reached at brian.lockhart@scni.com.