A Killingly Call To Action

I am sickened. Not, this time, by Staphylococcus , rotavirus or the flu. Not by the cold that's going around or the expired milk in the fridge. What has been making my stomach turn is the nauseating lack of support for education evident in every referendum, budget vote and public meeting since I moved here almost three years ago. Our public high school was put on academic probation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in 2004 and a total loss of accreditation is looming with the start of the new year.

The lack of support for education is not coming from inside the schools. There, people care. I have heard countless positive stories about teachers and administrators who put priority number one on shaping the amorphous minds of children into thinking, feeling vessels of productivity. They want kids in this town to have every resource possible. They want them to feel part of a community that lives for their future. Inside each elementary, middle and high school, our kids know they count.

A loss of accreditation doesn't change that. What it represents is a failure within the greater community, where the most vocal taxpayers espouse priorities that do not reflect a forward thinking and sympathetic mindset.

I've been to town council meetings where the education budget was debated inside an auditorium filled almost entirely with retirees. They slam the Board of Education. They slam the teachers. They slam custodians and bus drivers. They say they are not slamming children, but the children take the hit.

High School principal Mary Christian was quoted on the front page of today's Norwich Bulletin as saying that accreditation is a matter of credibility. "Accreditation is a stamp of approval that shows the community is providing support and stability. It shows we are working on programs and curriculum," she said.

When the high school was put on a warning list in 1998, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges presented the town with a list of 25 concerns to be addressed, most of which revolved around a crowded and antiquated building. In 2004, the high school was put on probation. According to the Bulletin, "little change" or "no change" is the status of most of those 25 bullet points to date.

Time and time again, referenda have taken place on the building of a new school. Each vote is met with a campaign by the "Citizens for Limited Taxation" to veto progress. A vote on the site for the new school that finally passed in 2005 was overturned this year. Though state subsidies for construction ensure that the costs of building a new school are actually less than those entailed in updating the existing structure, the residents most likely to go to the voting booth each time it's rolled out continue to stand by the notion that fiscal responsibility and responsibility to our children are mutually exclusive concepts.

I called the Office of the Superintendent today to ask how I can most effectively stand up for the importance of education in this town, especially as it relates to the high school. Unfortunately, I discovered that there are no organized support mechanisms beyond the obvious civic opportunties presented at town council, Board of Education, and various committee meetings.

It seems that the successful grass roots advocacy of the Citizens for Limited Taxation remains largely unchallenged. If we, as supporters of education, can learn anything from their efforts, it's that the passion and energy of a few motivated people truly CAN make a difference.

Margaret Mead, a student of anthropology and human nature, said it famously: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

But without action, these are only words. Please pass this message on to anyone you know with a vested interest in Killingly's future. Leave a comment with your ideas about how we can prove to the children that their education is one of our highest priorities. If you do not live here, I welcome any stories you may be able to share about successful advocacy in your city or town.

As always, I can be reached via email at ecregan@ct.metrocast.net.