Ms. Leslie Moriarty, Vice Chairman
Ms. susan Elllis
Ms. Natalie Queen
Mr. Jonathan Cohen
Ms. Nancy Kail
Dear Democratic Board of Education Members of Greenwich,
Newly installed schools superintendent Dr. Sidney Freund has come to the shameful and indefensible decision that our students should not be permitted to view the address to our nation's students by United States President Barack Obama as scheduled on Tuesday, but to indefinitely postpone it. This is not Alabama, or some other ignorant Southern backwater community, but Greenwich, Connecticut. Congressman Jim Himes has called the decision to refuse to show the broadcast to students on Tuesday as a "disservice" to our young people, and state education superintendent Mark McQuillan has also condemned moves by local superintendents to postpone or cancel viewing of the president's broadcast. Dr. Freund mentioned that he thought it was possible that President Obama's address could be politicized. But his decision to censure the address to our nation's students is itself a blatant politicization, and an implicit endorsement of the right-wing campaign to prevent the president of the United States from communicating with our youth, just as previous Republican presidents have done.
It is clear that Dr. Freund's excuses regarding needing time to arrange technical equipment and develop discussion material are simply smoke screens aimed at diverting attention from what is actually his political decision to snub the president of the United States. As quoted in Greenwich Time, he had at least a week to iron out any technical and scheduling difficulties associated with the address, and the school system was able to show President Obama's inauguration live in January with little disruption or technical difficulties.
You have been elected to seats on the Board of Education specifically reserved for Democratic members in order to make sure that Democratic voters and residents have their voices heard on that important body. I harbor no expectation that your Republican counterparts will do the right thing regarding this issue. The question now is whether you will take your responsibilities as Democratic members seriously and stand up against this shameful decision by the superintendent who reports to you.
It's time to make a stand and overrule Dr. Freund who reports to you. You might find doing so distasteful, but permitting this shameful decision to stand would be even worse.
You occupy Democratic seats on the Board of Education. It's up to you to speak out as Democrats and Americans and to act. Doing nothing is not an option.
Sincerely,
Sean B. Goldrick |
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