There’s been a lot of talk about the recent Families for Excellent Schools ad campaign, but none of it focuses on the real issue — the fact that Bridgeport’s Board of Education is considering a lawsuit against the state Board of Education to literally block children from receiving a quality education.

The real question we should be asking: Why is this a priority?

How do they have the time to challenge the two new charter schools approved by the state board when they are leaving thousands of kids without support?

There are certainly more pressing issues in Bridgeport, a city where only 66 percent of all high schools students make it to graduation. That number drops to around 55 percent when you look at minority and low-incomes students.

Bridgeport is in danger of losing state grant money due to the board’s inaction—money to build a new Harding High School to replace the crumbling 90 year old building students and teachers are currently forced to use.

Please explain to me how blocking students –1,100 who are currently on waiting lists—from receiving a quality education is a pressing issue? So pressing that the board rescheduled their vote on Harding, which has a due date looming, to vote on “exploring” legal action against the state.

Not only is this futile, it also makes absolutely no sense.

The board claims their opposition to the two charter schools is because they siphon funds away from districts schools. As, I’ve point out in previous articles, this is a ridiculous argument which is completely untrue.

if anything is going to siphon money away from schools, it’ll be the board’s penchant for pointless lawsuits.

Why block these schools, then, when hundreds of students currently attending sub-par schools could be given a chance at a better education?

I’m truly glad that Bridgeport parents, with support from FES, are looking into WHY the board would take such actions.

I applaud the efforts of the three charter parents who filed a Freedom of Information Act request last Friday. The request, which is already past due, asks the board for all correspondence about the pointless March 10th moratorium passed on charter schools, as well as any information about charter school funding.

If the board ever answers we will perhaps understand why they are insistent on taking such actions. Actions which would only serve to delay or block students from receiving the education they deserve.

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