Parents demanding more input at their schools was a common thread at last night’s regular Bridgeport Board of Education meeting.

The board once again got an earful from upset parents and School Governance Council members at Bassick High School who say they are being illegally shut-out of important decisions:

(Here is a link to the Connecticut Post editorial referenced by SGC member David Gordon)

This controversy at Bassick has been brewing for some time, dating back to July 10th, when the board called a special meeting to approve administrative appointments. At the meeting, Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz announced the appointment of a new interim principal at Bassick, who was chosen without the input of the School Governance Council.

Not great, since one of the key functions of a School Governance Council, as per state law, is to be involved in the hiring process of school administrators.

This slight was made worse when the School Governance Council was kept out of the loop again in August when the superintendent decided to institute a major overhaul of the school’s structure, creating four separate learning communities.

In a similar vein, Classical Studies’ Parent Advisory Council President Mustafa Salahuddin told the board at last night’s meeting that the principal is leaving parents out of how fundraising dollars are being spent.