Open letter to Greenwich Board of Educaiton members from Barbara O’Neill, RTM D6 Ed.Comm. alt, BOE 8 years- 2 Chair, GPS teacher/administrator retired
Dear Board of Education Members,
You have a crucial decision to make about how to utilize the $1.9 million appropriations offered by some members of the BET. You can use it for buses and sleep time or reinstate staff that were cut.
When a person is asked what in their life has made the most significant impression on them, shaping who they are today and changing their lives, it’s not sleep; it’s people. For our students, it’s the well-trained, certified, and non-certified caring staff in our schools whose positions were cut.
Positions is a cold, impersonal term. These positions, however, represent dedicated paraprofessionals, counselors, and support staff who have guided, encouraged, and inspired students, investing countless hours—both paid and volunteer—in their growth. They are the people who notice when something is wrong, offer encouragement when it’s needed, and provide stability in an uncertain world. These people help shape students into thoughtful, compassionate, and resilient adults. These positions are held by hard-working, tax-paying individuals who lost their salaries and who our students will never encounter.
Every doctor and mental health professional will tell you that it’s people who make a difference in people’s lives. Without contact with caring individuals, students don’t grow, they deteriorate, and this is especially true of adolescents. They just don’t miss out; they drop out of school, family, and society in various ways.
Sleep is important. As a member of the BOE in 2017, I voted for a later start time. However, things are very different now. The BOE has been needlessly forced to make a false and harmful choice between buses and concerned adults. Don’t let the BET make that decision for you with a conditional appropriation or by some other means. As Catherine McKersie rightly pointed out, compelling the BOE to use appropriation as dictated by some members of the BET is a slippery slope and sets a dangerous precedent.
You, the Board of Education, understand the needs of the students across the entire district. You have heard from educators, parents, and students alike. Now is the time to vote for what is right, not just what is easy. Remember, it’s contact with people that matters most.
Thank you for your service,
Barbara O’Neill
RTM D6 Ed.Comm. alt.
BOE 8 years- 2Chair
GP teacher/administrator retired