A Difference of Opinion

The June 7 edition of The Voice contained two letters from Winchester School employees that were unethical, demeaning and disrespectful to the duly elected school board members who have not taken the easy way out by voting "yes" to all issues that the education community favors.

When I was asked to join others on the Democratic ticket for the last election, I accepted the challenge. During the election process I made my position on public education clear. Basically I stated that the system was a failure and that the best way to improve the education of our students was to provide competition in the system with vouchers. I also said I would work to provide the best education possible for the children in our district using reasonable spending guidelines. The campaign resulted in my election, with a high number of votes, to the Board of Education.

In her letter titled "A Contemptible Board of Education," Christine Rodgers states that she "perceived" that she heard Joe Fitzgerald screaming at Mrs. Palmer. This event did not happen, and one must only speculate why such a statement was made. She continues with a statement that the BOE chose not to adopt a code of ethics; again, the statement is not true. Then she says she is an advocate of civility, while her statements implying that the board is "evil" and calling it "a black mark on the education system of Winsted" proves she is not. The question you need to ask yourself is who is contemptible, the letter writer or I?

The other letter, written by Jeffery Foulds and titled "Whom Do These People Represent?" infers that I am not an education advocate and that I have no right to change my mind. First, I represent the voters of the Town of Winchester, and the budget referendum showed very strongly that the voters agree with my point of view. I am an advocate of education, yet I do not fully endorse the public education system.

Mr. Foulds, you are correct when you said I voted for the education budget to be sent to the Board of Selectmen. I did so because I felt the budget was the best that we could come up with under the circumstances. All the basic contracts were signed before I took office, but as time went by new information was made available that made me change my mind. Whereas you ask whom these people represent, the children in the Winchester public schools or the Winchester Taxpayers Association, I ask: Whom do you represent, the children in the Winchester public schools or the Connecticut Education Association?

Have a nice day.