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BOE Answers Inklings Questions

Candidates Marpe, ODay, McGovern and Whitney
Candidates Marpe, O’Day, McGovern and Whitney
Candidates Marpe, O'Day, McGovern and Whitney
Candidates Marpe, O'Day, McGovern and Whitney

Eric Essagof ’12

Jordan Shenhar ’13

Staff Writers

It’s good to know where the candidates for the Nov. 3 Board of Education election stand on the issues.

Elaine Whitney and Michael O’Day are running on the Democratic ticket, while Jim Marpe and Michael J. McGovern are running on the Republican ticket.

Granted, none of them are in danger of losing an election (there are four slots for four candidates), but the men and women in this organization will be shaping the future of Staples High School and every other school in the district. The lives of teenagers will be directly affected by the decisions that they make.

The Student Assembly will be hosting a BOE debate on Oct. 27. at the Staples library.

Inklings recently asked each candidate nine questions about significant issues the Board of Education may face in the coming years.

Q: Why do you want to be a member of the Board of Education?

Marpe: I believe that educating young men and women like the students at Staples is the most important thing we do as a community and as a democracy. I also believe in giving back to the community.  My daughter attended the Westport Public Schools from kindergarten through graduation from Staples, which prepared her for success at a top university and now a career in entertainment management.  I want to help perpetuate and continue to improve our outstanding school system so that every one of you and your fellow students have the same great opportunity, and so that your teachers and all our staff will see the school system as a great place to work.

McGovern: We are fortunate to live in a town where service to the community is one of our most widely-held values. Our neighbors give back in countless ways- serving in town government, coaching athletic teams, providing services to senior citizens, to name a few- all to the benefit and enrichment of others.  For me, education has been my passion, and I have fulfilled that passion  by serving as a Trustee of Regis High School, my alma mater in New York City, by serving on the Board of Education from 2005 through 2007, and by acting as Co-Chairman of Westport’s first Community Conversation about Education, held this past March. I have chosen to give back to our community by pursuing educational causes because education has made a difference in my life and in the lives of my children. It is a great honor and a great responsibility to serve on the Board of Education, and I look forward to applying my energy and experience to making sure that our great schools stay great.

O’Day: Outside of safety, education is the most important thing a community can provide to its citizens.  Given that belief, it was my obligation to get involved.  What better way than the Board of Education?

Whitney: I am running to continue serving on the Board of Education because I am committed to ensuring that our school system continues to provide exceptional educational opportunities for allof Westport’s children.

I believe that the strength of our curriculum, our staff, and our educational programs is of paramount importance.  I am committed to maintaining the excellence of our schools while using Westport’s resources prudently and effectively and working collaboratively and constructively with other town bodies in order to address our community’s needs.

I am also excited by the challenges of long-term planning in three major areas:

First, we must continue to adapt our curriculum to incorporate the skills our students will need to have productive and rewarding lives in a rapidly changing and increasingly global world.  Critical thinking and collaborative skills are among the essential areas where we must increasingly focus.

Second, we must protect our town’s substantial investment in our school facilities.  Proper ongoing maintenance will ensure that they meet our needs for decades to come and provide an environment that is safe and conducive to learning.

Third, we must continuously monitor our enrollment patterns and operational efficiency and effectiveness and ensure that we make wise, long-term decisions.

Q: What is your stance on the district budget? Should it be raised, lowered, or is it fine the way it is?

Marpe: Given the current economic climate, it is likely that the Westport’s funding bodies (Board of Finance and RTM) will continue to insist that the Board of Education hold budget increases as close to zero percent as possible or even decrease our request.  While I would like to see our budget increase to provide for new education programs as well as salary increases for our teachers and other employees, it will be hard to achieve a significant increase in the foreseeable future.  Our $95 million operating budget represents 65% of the Town’s expenditures so we get the most scrutiny. Property taxes are the source of 90% of the Town’s revenues but nearly two-thirds of the property taxpayers in Westport do not have children in the Westport Public Schools, so they are very concerned if their taxes increase to pay for schools when their personal incomes might be fixed or declining because of the economy.  As a result, I am very focused on finding innovative ways to continue to deliver our great education at a cost that is acceptable to Westport taxpayers.  Our approach to this should include:

1. Looking at new ways of delivering our educational product, with a focus on finding ways to achieve improved outcomes at lower cost.

2. Scrutinizing non-student focused expenditures to avoid unnecessarily draining resources away from the direct education of Westport’s students.

3. Pursuing opportunities to share resources, obtain economies of scale and reduce duplication between the Town and the School District.

McGovern: We must always balance the needs of our families and children with the resources of our community. Fortunately, we live in a town where people understand that education spending is really an investment- in our homes, in our children, and in the future of our nation. But Westporters expect their tax dollars to be invested wisely.  In the current economic environment, it is imperative that we prioritize our education spending to make sure that we maximize the ratio of dollars spent in the classroom, on the direct education of our students, versus dollars spent outside of the classroom.  This means making sure that we fairly compensate our teachers and administrators, so that we can attract and retain the best educational talent. It also means that we must not fall into the trap of cutting maintenance expenditures, which are so critical in preserving the hundreds of millions of dollars that our taxpayers have invested in our first-class school buildings and facilities. Prioritization means separating our “needs” from our “wants,” and spending what we need to keep our great schools great- but not one dollar more. We have to remember that we are part of a community, and that many of our families have been severely impacted by the economic downturn that we are still enduring. I believe that holding our budget increases as close to zero as possible while we work our way through this current economic downturn is both responsible and compassionate.  While the impact may be felt by students, as it has by some this year, I think it represents a “teachable moment”- that individual sacrifice is at times necessary to ensure the greater good.

O’Day: The school budget should be enough to provide the services necessary to maintain a high performing school district.  Costs increase every year due to contractual agreements.  Given that fact, the budget must increase each year.  However, we must always look for ways to be more efficient.

Whitney: One of the most important reasons that I and many of my fellow residents moved to Westport is because the taxpayers understand the value of investing in education.  This philosophy has been critical in building our excellent public school system, and, in turn, has increased the value of our homes, served our children exceptionally well, and enhanced our entire community.  I believe it is vitally important that we as a town continue to invest strongly in the education of Westport’s children.

It is important to note that if there are no changes in enrollment and zero dollar increases in any discretionary item in the Board of Education’s operating budget, we would still have an annual increase of about 4% based on recent historical trends.  This is because we have contractual obligations to our staff, whose total compensation accounts for about 80% of our operating budget, and who have in recent years received total compensation increases in the vicinity of 5% on average.  So, last year’s 0.6% “increase” was effectively a cut of over $3 million in non-staffing costs.

Our highly professional and dedicated staff members are critical to our delivery of educational excellence, and they need to be treated accordingly.  Nonetheless, we anticipate additional pressures on our budget this year due to the difficult economic climate, and we are working hard to review our programs thoroughly and based on educational merit.  But it will be difficult to maintain what we have without a budget increase that reflects our rising costs.

At the same time, Westport needs to balance the funding needs of the schools with those of other important town services.  I will continue to work hard to reduce costs where feasible while ensuring program integrity, both in my ongoing work on the board and as a BOE representative on the government efficiency committee.

Q: The events at the most recent Homecoming have forced administrators to consider getting rid of the event. What is your opinion? Should Homecoming be canceled?

Marpe: Homecoming is a great and positive tradition for students and alumni, not only at Staples High School but at high schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States.  It helps reinforce the concept of a Staples Community.  Consequently, I would hate to see it cancelled because of inappropriate, dangerous or illegal behaviors of some students (and, sadly, adults).  Students. parents, teachers and administrators should work together to find ways to re-program Homecoming events to minimize the desire and the opportunity to engage in behaviors that spoiled this year’s Homecoming for so many of you.  Let’s find events that all of you want to be a part of throughout the morning, leading up to the football game, that limit the opportunity to consume alcoholic beverages.  Perhaps we should consider a no-drinking pledge and no tolerance policy and procedures that are similar to the ones we employ at the Spring proms. I am not so naive to believe that we can completely eliminate the bad behaviors that impacted this year’s homecoming, but I do believe that the Staples community can work together to develop activities and peer pressure that will significantly reduce their occurrence. I applaud the upcoming (October 28) Community Conversation on Underage Drinking as a start in re-establishing a homecoming experience that is positive for everyone.

McGovern: I don’t believe Homecoming should be cancelled- but I do think it needs to change.  At its best, Homecoming is a collective celebration of community and school spirit.  At its worst- well, I think we saw it at its worst. And while some might say that this year was no different than past years, I think prospect of cancelling Homecoming altogether is a powerful incentive to make some positive changes. For starters, everyone- students, parents, administrators, and law enforcement- must share in crafting a solution. One suggestion I have made to Mr. Dodig, which might seem counterintuitive, is to expand the Homecoming activities, rather than scale them back.  In particular, give students an incentive to get to the Staples campus earlier, provide activities, food, music- but with the understanding that unless you are on site by 11AM (or whatever time is early enough for students to choose sleeping vs. drinking) you are not going to be admitted (and if you leave you can’t come back). But the school can only do so much.  If students want Homecoming to continue, they need to show it through their responsible behavior.

O’Day: Maybe it’s just me, but Homecoming is a great tradition and it should be continued.  The school must continue to do its part to not create an “attractive nuisance” – an event or place that is unsupervised and dangerous (Mr. Dodig and his staff do a fine job here), and parents should support harsh penalties for people who break the rules.

Whitney: This event highlighted some major concerns about underage drinking.  I personally observed a very dangerous situation as a student arriving in the caravan jumped out of a vehicle while it was still moving and fell to the ground.  It was very fortunate that the student avoided serious harm.

This is a community problem requiring a community solution.  I support Mr. Dodig’s approach in, first, his ongoing support of the efforts of our school staff, Positive Youth Development, PTA Council and others to educate both students and families about the issues; second, his close monitoring of and intervention with any inappropriate behavior at school; and, third, his initiative to organize a community dialogue to address the complex and interdependent issues involved.

I believe that there is great value in the tradition of homecoming for fostering school spirit and interpersonal connections within both the school and the broader Westport community, and I feel that it would be a shame to lose it.  I am confident that a balanced and workable solution can be reached.  But it will require all parties – the students, administrators, parents, and community – to commit to working together to find and implement one.

Q: Do you think that the Board of Education is taking enough action to prevent underage drinking? What would you do differently?

Marpe: Underage drinking is a problem that the entire Westport community must address. The Board of Education, and by extension, its teachers and administrators, must do everything it can through policies and rules to prohibit drinking on its property and to teach students about the consequences of substance abuse and the risks associated with behaviors such as drinking and driving.  We should continue to encourage the “no drinking” pledges that the athletic teams and extracurricular activity groups have put in place while reminding coaches, teachers and student leaders that they are obligated to enforce those pledges.  That said, you are typically involved with school and school activities less than 20% of the hours in a year, so we need a lot of help from parents, faith-based institutions and other activities to model behaviors and attitudes that will discourage underage drinking the remaining 80% of the time.  The previously mentioned Community Conversation will be a good start in considering this broader challenge, not just homecoming. We should also work with experts to be sure we understand the causes and motivations for underage drinking so we can determine if there are any steps that the Board could take to eliminate or reduce those causes if they are within our control.

McGovern: Underage drinking is a problem that affects everyone in the community, and as such requires coordinated action to prevent. I think the Board of Ed has empowered its administrators and teachers to set rules and enforce them, as well as to educate students about the dangers of alcohol abuse. But I believe that the main responsibility for alcohol education, boundary-setting and enforcement lies with parents. Organizations such as Westport Positive Youth Development serve an important role in helping both parents and students avoid problems, such as alcohol abuse, rather than trying to fix them after they occur. I strongly believe that one of the best ways to reduce the frequency of alcohol use in young people is to increase their community involvement and sense of being part of something bigger than themselves. The more time you spend doing things for others, the better you feel about yourself- you don’t need alcohol or drugs to do it for you.

O’Day: The Board supports the administration in their attempt to impose harsh penalties for underage drinking.  Here is a better question . . . what are parents doing to prevent underage drinking?

Whitney: The Board of Education has a well-established policy against underage drinking and related inappropriate and/or harmful behavior on school property.  Also, as noted above, the administration is proactive in implementing that policy in a manner which addresses specific incidents but also seeks to educate students and families about the issues and to encourage positive behavior.

I will participate in the community conversations about this issue and carefully consider any resulting implications for additional constructive actions that could be taken by the Board of Education.

Q: Regarding the policy over cheerleading and baking, what is your stance?

Marpe: I think the concept of “assigning” a cheerleader to bake for a football player, or “assigning” any varsity sports team member to do something for a member of another sports team is inappropriate.  It is a form of a condition of employment that has no place in 2009.  If this activity is truly voluntary and not the result of peer pressure, then I don’t see a problem.  I understand this activity is seen as a “tradition”, but we need to understand that some activities that are seen to be harmless traditions by some are viewed as demeaning by others.  As a father of a daughter in the workforce, I am particularly sensitive to behaviors that might appear innocent but, in fact, can establish a pattern of inequality.   I don’t want to over-react to the question of baking cakes or elevate it to global equality concerns.  However, let’s be sure that this is done in a voluntary and positive spirit, with reciprocity and with no down-side to not participating.

McGovern: I don’t like the idea of anybody being assigned to anybody- period.  I like the idea of people committing acts of kindness for others voluntarily.  And these acts of kindness should be reciprocated.

O’Day: If a cheerleader isn’t offended by the act of baking a cake for a football player, then I have no issues with it.  A specific assignment is another story.  It should be voluntary.

Whitney: I believe that actively assigning cheerleaders to bake for football players is both sexist and inappropriate in a school environment.  I support the policy of Dr. Landon and Mr. Dodig to prohibit this practice in the interest of fostering the dignity and self-esteem of each of our students as well as an atmosphere of enlightened mutual respect within the entire school community.

That being said, I am heartened that there does appear to be some degree of reciprocity in the relationship between the members of the cheerleading and football teams.  For example, I understand that many of the football players voluntarily attend the cheerleaders’ end-of-season competition and participate in a charity event organized by the cheerleaders.  But surely there must be a better way to recognize the seniors on the football team for their hard-earned accomplishments without undermining girls in the process.

As a general principle, I greatly appreciate the value of traditions and their potential for boosting community spirit.  In fact, I spent countless hours as co-president of the Long Lots PTA maintaining and enhancing many special traditions that fostered community spirit within our school.  I also see great value in pre-game pasta dinners for enhancing team collegiality. In fact, I recently hosted one — dessert included — for the freshman field hockey team.

However, the practice of cheerleaders baking for football players in an organized and unilateral manner is an example of insidious bias.  The seeming innocuousness on the surface of this practice is exactly what makes it so concerning.  It reflects an underlying cultural assumption about acceptable relationships between men and women. In turn, it subtly but powerfully discourages girls who are in the process of becoming women from believing that they are equally as valuable and capable as boys and men.

Cheerleading is a varsity sport in its own right at Staples, and its team members deserve a level of respect consistent with this status.  Rather than reinforcing outmoded stereotypes, I would hope that team members would strive to exemplify their athleticism, skills, and hard work.  Would any other varsity team at Staples feel it was appropriate for its members to systematically cater to the players of another team?  For example, would the boys’ lacrosse players find it appropriate and an important part of their role as a team to regularly and unilaterally bake for the girls’ lacrosse players in the name of showing them support?

Tremendous progress in women’s rights, opportunities, and achievements has been made over the last 50 years.  It would be unfortunate indeed for our own capable and enlightened students to inadvertently undermine this progress, despite their good intentions.

Q: Currently, there is a Facebook block on all school computers, while other internet communication services, such as Twitter and Gmail. are free to browse. What is your stance on the blocking of Facebook? Should the block remain or should it be let go?

Marpe: First of all, I agree that if we are blocking Facebook, then we should be blocking Twitter and Gmail (and their equivalents) because they all have potential to create the same situations that are used to justify the Facebook block — liability and loco parentis concerns and educational distraction.  I am not qualified to comment on the substance of the legal issues.  The Board’s attorney, Tom Mooney, who commented for the Inklings article on this subject, is one of the best school attorneys in the nation.  He has helped the Board avoid many costly and embarrassing legal situations, so I rely on his advice.  The real issue for me is that Facebook and the other social network environments create the potential for another distraction from doing meaningful education activity during school hours.  If it is your free time, focus on homework or getting help from a teacher or reading a book or perhaps engage in the direct, face-to-face kind of social networking with fellow students.  I have worked enough with Facebook to believe that a social networking site has the potential to add value to the educational experience.  We have to develop those uses, perhaps on a private network, to make the best use of 21st century communication and technology.  But let’s not waste the limited in-school education time that we have on wallpapering and posting pictures of last weekend’s party.

McGovern: I think school computers should be used for educational purposes only. Students have enough distractions when they are outside of school. By having the school computers available for educational purposes, students will be able to focus what limited free time they have in school on pursuing their studies. In addition, the Board of Ed has taken a conservative, but well-reasoned, legal rationale for blocking Facebook, related to potential liability that could arise if used for illegal activity.

O’Day: No strong opinion either way.  I know that my computer at work is blocked for most sites like Facebook or even other e-mail services.  If you were to tell me that it was an educational detriment then I would be more inclined to investigate further.  I don’t think it is.

Whitney: I believe that the current block of access to Facebook on school-owned computers should remain in place.  This is important for two reasons: 1) most importantly, it reduces distractions for students away from activities with educational merit during the school day; and 2) secondarily, it reduces the likelihood of inappropriate behavior on the school campus and, correspondingly, both the potential for harm to students and the liability risk of the Board of Education.

That being said, we must review our policies, regulations and practices related to technology use on a frequent basis in light of the rapid changes in this area.  In fact, this fall the board approved a new policy regarding technology usage which recognizes the broad range of technological options for educational and personal use that are available now and in the foreseeable future.

Q: Last year, there was some debate within the Board of Education over school starting times. Would you, as a member of the Board of Education, change the starting times for Staples High School or any other school in the district?

Marpe: As an incumbent Board member, I was part of the debate regarding school start times.  Its purpose was to find ways to reduce the cost of our bus transportation services in response to the Town’s request that the school system reduce its operating budget.  We would rather reduce costs through non-classroom actions rather than reducing the number of teachers or eliminating a significant number of subject options.  We have changed the start and end times for several schools that has resulted in a $250,000 savings.  However, we remain committed to keeping the Staples schedule as is.  By ending the “official” Staples day at 2:15PM, we allow ample time for the many extra-curricular, athletic and non-school activities that enrich the high school experience and help prepare our students to take leadership roles in the future.  Moreover, it provides many students the opportunity to work and still participate in many activities.  From time to time, we are presented with the arguments that a later start time (and, consequently, later end time) would result in more rested, attentive students that would enhance the learning process. From my own experience as a parent, to have any substantive impact on high school student sleep cycles, we would probably need to start school around noon which, while an intriguing concept, is simply not practical.

McGovern: Last year’s debate was driven by the need to wring costs out of the Budget, and transportation expenditure, which is not related to instruction, is a very desirable place to cut costs. The changes that resulted produced significant, on-going cost savings.  I think the start time debate will never go away, especially in light of the widely-held belief that young people, adolescents in particular, need more sleep than they are currently getting. What everyone must remember is that school END times are part of the equation as well.  A 2:15 end time at Staples allows maximum use of our facilities after school and maximum participation in extracurricular activities by Staples students. It is a trade-off, to be sure, but in order to provide the proper amount of instructional time required by our rich and varied curriculum, and preserve the extra-curricular activities that enrich the Staples experience for virtually all of our students, we need to keep the school day as is.

O’Day: Changing start times are always on the table.  It must, however, be carefully thought out with strong input from the community.

Whitney: The Board’s decision last spring to change the start times at four of our eight schools was driven by the need to save a substantial amount of money in our budget in order to address the town’s financial challenges in a difficult economic environment.  Doing so allowed us to save over $300,000 on busing costs and to avoid having to make a corresponding level of cuts in services with a more direct educational impact on students and staff.  For example, we could have saved a similar amount of money by reducing our staff by about five teaching positions.

In the upcoming budget cycle, the board will be reviewing and seeking both staff and public input on the impact of the changes we made to our budget last year.  We will incorporate our findings into our decision process for the 2010-2011 budget.  Depending on what we find, and where we set our other priorities, it is possible that there could be some scheduling adjustments for next year.  But I am hopeful that we will be able to maintain the current schedule and most or all of the corresponding bus savings we achieved this year, because I expect to need to build on them in the coming year.

Beyond the budget implications, I would be open to considering any compelling evidence for particular scheduling changes based on educational merit.  However, based on the research I have seen to date as well as the practices of other schools in our area with whom we must coordinate for athletic and other inter-school events, I don’t currently see justification for further start time changes.

Q: Do you feel that the CMT, CAPT, and other standardized tests are a fair measurement of a student’s intelligence and teacher’s competence? Please explain.

Marpe: Because the standardized tests referenced in the question are mandated by State and Federal law, we must administer them.  Unfortunately, these test scores are often the only measure that the public sees, so it is important to keep our standardized test scores in line with our peer school districts in order to maintain our reputation as a great school system.  That said, I believe the Board sees them as just one set of measures by which we can assess learning progress, and certainly not the most definitive one.  Westport Schools have developed a rich and diverse curriculum which we believe will help prepare you for success in the complex world of the 21st century, but this curriculum does not lend itself easily to standardized testing.  As a result, we rely on a whole series of assessments (tests, quizes, papers, presentations, etc.) that allow the teachers to assess your understanding of the course material.  We are not trying to measure “intelligence” per se, but your understanding of what we teach.  And we want to avoid “teaching to the test” as much as possible.  Similarly, we have recently updated our teacher evaluation process to more thoroughly measure their competence and to provide feedback to them to help them improve their teaching skills if necessary.  Our periodic Alumni Surveys may be one of the best measures of our teaching success — how well did we prepare you for college life and the beginning stages of your career– and this is definitely not a standardized test.

McGovern: Standardized tests provide check points along a long journey. The data they provide, however, says more about a students ability to answer the questions they are asked on the standardized test than what they have actually learned.  They say very little about a student’s intelligence, and probably less about a teacher’s competence. “Teaching to the test” would really limit our students’ ability to explore and learn in their own individual way. Our schools are focused on providing a rich and varied educational experience, to prepare our students for success in the 21st century.  The greatest proof of how we are doing is in the success of our students after they leave us.  They are better prepared for college, and for life, because we give them the tools to succeed.

O’Day: No.  They are single data points.  Proper evaluations consider the trend of standardized test scores along with other factors.

Whitney: I believe that standardized tests are one, but only one, important component of a wide range of sources of information we need to accurately evaluate students’ performance, teachers’ and administrators’ competence, and, ultimately, the success of our programs in educating our students.

The standardized tests required by the state (i.e., CMT and CAPT) are measures of student acquisition of certain specific learning content.  While most of the content tested is important for all students to acquire, it is only a subset of the material which we strive to convey through our curriculum.  And, beyond content, a key element of our instructional program is to foster critical thinking, reasoning and communication skills.  I believe it is important to not focus our curriculum on “teaching to the test.”  So, while we regularly look closely at the results of state-required tests and actively address any anomalies their results suggest, I do not place undue emphasis on them.

One of our most important ways to determine student learning of specific content areas and key concepts is formal and informal assessments made by our teachers on an ongoing basis.  This is critical both for assuring students’ grasp of the material being covered and for more broadly identifying areas where enhancements are warranted in how material is taught to the students.

In terms of measuring student intelligence, we utilize or review the results of multiple methods, from formal aptitude tests such as OLSATs, SATs, and IQ tests, to assessments by teachers, to structured one-on-one evaluations used for identification of students’ needs for special education and/or gifted services.

We also have a comprehensive evaluation system for our teachers that is far broader and deeper than reviewing the standardized test results of their students.

In terms of measuring our school system’s performance results, aggregate SAT scores, AP course participation, and AP exam results are useful indicators, as they are objective measures of accumulated knowledge and the development of thinking skills over time.  Our recent results have been very encouraging.

Q: Should students be able to leave school for lunch with an open campus policy? Why or why not?

Marpe: I continue to believe in the closed campus policy, in large part because of the potential safety issues related to large groups of students travelling to and from the campus in a short period of time.   If the concern is the quality, cost and variety of food served in the school cafeteria or speed of service, then we should continue to work with Chartwells to improve the menu offerings and operations.  If the purpose of leaving school is to run errands or go shopping, those can wait until after school.

McGovern: I think a closed campus provides a safer environment for our students, and makes us good neighbors to those who live in close proximity to the school. North Avenue is pretty dreadful between 7:00 and 7:30AM; I’d hate to see that same situation arise twice a day.

O’Day: I did when I was a high school student and the Sizzler restaurant near school benefited from our open campus policy.  However, I answered my first question by saying that education was the second most important thing a town can provide and SAFETY was first.  If the rule preventing students from leaving is safety based (it is) then I support it.

Whitney: I do not believe that Staples should have an open campus policy.  Much as I am confident that the vast majority of our students would ably handle the additional responsibility that would go with this privilege, the world is different from that of a generation ago, and unfortunately not all for the better.

Westport parents entrust their children to the oversight of the Board of Education from the time they step on the school bus or arrive at school until the time they leave the campus at the end of the day or are delivered home via their bus.  Once a student leaves the school premises (or bus), the Board of Education and school administrators no longer have sufficient control to ensure a safe environment for that student.  In particular, there is a risk of both behavior not in compliance with school guidelines and traffic accidents.  The latter is potentially compounded by a situation where many students could be rushing in their vehicles to meet the school bell at the same time.  This poses a genuine risk for both drivers and pedestrians in our parking lots, and also an unacceptable liability risk for the Board of Education.

However, it is important to note that Staples students are given the freedom to make their own choices about how to use their time and where on the school campus to go during their free periods.  In addition, staying on campus provides students with more opportunities to utilize academic support, guidance and other services provided by the school system than they would have if they spent a significant portion of their day off campus.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

The Board of Education meets at Staples High School on alternate Mondays.

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