CALL TO ACTION!
At a time when the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union grows more diverse in its student population and educators clamor for tools to engender relevant cultural inclusion and equity, the WSESU School Board has proposed to cut Mikeala Simm’s position as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice. The proposal to cut her position was just announced today before the upcoming board meeting tonight. Let come out in force this evening at the Windham Regional Career Center Conference room at 6:30 p.m.
Anyone go?
How did this turn out?
I can tell you
Well, Chris… lots of people went to the meeting and told the board they wanted the position to remain, and the board is holding another meeting on Wednesday at 2 pm to make final decisions. There’s a worry that adding the cut items back in might trigger a state tax penalty, but nothing is certain quite yet.
Ahh
Thanks!
Just coming back from today's meeting
Hi there! Here is my update. Please forgive the copy/paste from my own FB page:
I am just returning from the Schoolboard budget meeting, which was still in progress when I left. I was heartened to see at least 60 of us in attendance at a mid-day, mid-week meeting. The Diversity Coordinator role has been reinstated, and money has been left in the budget for Alternative learning program options, though this will be a topic to keep watch on, and return to meetings for, as there is some ambiguity about how this money will be spent, e.g. will it go towards a 7-12 grade expansion of the current BAMS PEAK program, which focuses on providing an alternative, community oriented learning option for those children who may otherwise slip quietly through the cracks (open to other learning types as well), or will it lend itself towards more of a STEP program, which focuses more on ways to keep children in mainstream classroom, and carries a disciplinary component. Please remember, that this School budget will be voted on FEBRUARY 13 and can be voted on by ANY registered voter of Brattleboro Putney Guilford and Dummerston. The budget for the Brattleboro Town Schools District (grade schools) along with the Town budget, will land before Representative Town Meeting in March, carrying with it (them) the implications on our tax rate, though much of the tax requirement and levy in the school budget is passed down through the State. I implore those who want to have a hand in working issues in our community to: run for the Schoolboard, run for the Selectboard, or become a Town Meeting Rep. Please reach out to Hilary Francis, Brattleboro Town Clerk, for more information. Can’t make those kinds of commitments? Then come to meetings. Post about meetings. Offer childcare for last minute meetings, and most importantly, vote people into office that you trust to carry our community.
Community involvement
Thank you for your update AND for your enthusiastic promotion of getting involved in our community affairs. I believe the deadline for turning in the paperwork on a Brattleboro town position is toward the end of January. Town meeting in March will be upon us soon. I am impressed that 60 people were able to attend this daytime BUHS board meeting. Hopefully we will get a good turnout for the BUHS budget vote on February 13.
and...
The position is now back in the $24,591,000 budget.
Overall, a 3.8% increase over last year.