Open letter to BET member Mr. Drake from Andrea Vaz, a media assistant in Greenwich Schools
Dear Mr. Drake,
I heard you speak about Mr. & Mrs. Greenwich Monday night at the RTM Education Committee meeting, those people who don’t want higher taxes. Well, I’m Mrs. Greenwich. I’m not sure if I am who you were envisioning, but I am Mrs. Greenwich so please hear me out.
I’m a “newcomer”, I only moved here 22 years ago. My husband, Mr. Greenwich and I moved here from NYC to raise our family, we have a son and a daughter. He’s 23 and serving in the CT National Guard, she’s 21, a recent graduate of UConn. Both of them attended Greenwich Public Schools from K – 12th grade.
We own our house, we pay our taxes. We’re middle class folks, we live
in Byram. I have given many years of my time and effort to volunteering in Greenwich for La Leche League, the New Lebanon and Western Middle school PTA’s, the Windy Hill Skating Club. I have been a town employee since 2004, first working at the Byram Shubert Library, then New Lebanon School, now Glenville School. I’m also a member of the RTM for District 4.
I am a Media Assistant at Glenville School. Due to your committee’s not fully funding the BOE budget, my position is in very real danger of being cut. So you see, Mr. Drake, Mr. & Mrs. Greenwich are actually real people who will be harmed by this action by the BET. Mr. & Mrs. Greenwich would be glad to pay a little more in taxes so their neighbors won’t lose their jobs.
Mr. & Mrs. Greenwich want the students and teachers of the Greenwich
public schools to have the resources they need to proceed with teaching and learning in a safe and meaningful way, especially now when the challenges are great. Strong, capable people are needed to make it happen.
I’m an asset to the Greenwich Schools. I’m needed. All 11 of the
elementary media assistants are needed. And Mr.& Mrs. Greenwich
have spoken. 3,000 Mr. & Mrs. Greenwich’s signed a petition against the BET’s cuts to the BOE submitted budget. The BET members have received thousands of emails asking for the $3 million to be restored.
I’ll pay my share. So will all of the Mr. & Mrs. Greenwich’s out there. Just let us.
Andrea Casson Vaz, Greenwich