Open letter to Greenwich Board of Education members from GHS Social Studies Teachers
Dear Members of the Board of Education,
As social studies teachers, we work tirelessly each day to engage students as citizens and future voters. We innovate, critique, question, and observe the world around us, always pushing students to understand that their voice matters. Today, we are practicing what we preach. We want to congratulate Chairman Mercanti-Anthony, Vice Chair Koven, and all the newly elected members of the Board of Education. Last week’s meeting reflected your energy and engagement, and we believe additional context about the cumulative impact of year-over-year cuts to Greenwich High School may be helpful as you consider the budget. This year’s proposed reductions cannot be viewed in isolation; they are the latest in a long series of decisions that have steadily weakened the academic infrastructure of our school and our social studies department.
As teaching positions at GHS have been eliminated, class sizes have grown. While it has been noted that a few classes enroll as few as ten students, those classes serve ninth graders requiring additional academic support and are clear outliers. The reality for many social studies students is the opposite. This year, 36 Social Studies classes enrolled more than 26 students, including 11 with over 28. In the first days of school, teachers emailed colleagues asking for extra desks because rooms were set up for a “standard” 25 students. Some classrooms are now so crowded they are difficult to physically navigate, let alone provide meaningful discussion, individualized feedback, or adequate academic and social support. When class size increases, students suffer.
Unfortunately, the cumulative effects of these consistent cuts have significant consequences that are often unseen or unaddressed. Increasingly offices are filled with social studies teachers wondering how they will keep writing as many college recommendations with more students in their section or without the Learning Center aide to help assist students during a Learning Center block. What happened to all the essay contests the social studies department used to promote? Discontinued because there aren’t any LFs to evaluate the entries.
To minimize the consequences of these cuts, social studies teachers try to do more with less, to cover up the “efficiencies,” to make sure every student gets the services they deserve and meets their academic potential. The scores show our hard work and our students’ determination to achieve. But now that the infrastructure — the instructional coaches, LF’s, and Learning Center aides — that once provided support and resources and a voice for teachers is gone, cracks are showing. The result has been a gradual creep that may be difficult to articulate unless you are seeing it daily.
As teachers, it has been disheartening to see cuts year after year. We don’t envy the position that you are in but ask that you “pose and pursue substantive questions” and reflect on the impact of several years of cuts. GHS is the flagship of the Greenwich Public Schools. The Board started this school year by touting high test scores and impressive student results. These don’t happen by accident and we need continued financial support to continue to achieve at this high level. We hope to partner with this newly elected Board of Education to best serve our students, support our educators, and serve this community.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Alcorn
Sheldon Ayers
Michael Belanger
Karen Boyea
Margarita David
Michael Galatioto
Sean Harriman
Jonathan Herman
Aaron Hull
Ryan Jones
Frank Kovac
Erik Lee
Chase Martin
Elizabeth Matys
Thomas Murphy
Susan Norris-Oliva
Joseph O’Brien
Evan Olmstead
Megan Ostruzka
Courtney Powers
Stephanie Ryan
Neal Schopick
Jess Somma
Alyssa Stack
Steven Swidler
Ian Tiedemann
Joseph Williamson