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Parents outraged over plan for Bridgeport students to be relocated due to teaching vacancies

Parents say they are outraged with how they say the district is handling the situation, with the lack of communication and planning.

News 12 Staff

Jan 19, 2023, 12:51 AM

Updated 692 days ago

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There has been a slew of open teacher positions across the country, but it's become such an issue, the district is planning on relocating more than 60 students to another school.
Parents say they are outraged with how they say the district is handling the situation, with the lack of communication and planning.
At an informational meeting Wednesday, officials said because of teacher vacancies at Wilbur Cross School, nearly 65 seventh- and eighth-grade students could be relocated to Thomas Hooker School as soon as Monday.
In a heated discussion, parents say they're concerned with the doubling of classroom sizes, the integration with students who are already behind on their studies and the lack of teacher resources.
"As a parent, I feel like this was sprung on and not communicated effectively," said Shari Russell, a parent at Thomas Hooker School.
Thomas Hooker parents are concerned with the doubling of class sizes and lack of resources, while Wilbur Cross parents are frustrated their students haven't received proper education since the fall and this merge could come in the middle of the school year.
At a special Board of Education meeting Wednesday night, teachers explained the lack of time to prepare for their new students.
"We don't have a classroom set up for these new students, a plan for busing, no lockers set up, there no class schedules," one teacher said.
Thomas Hooker teachers also say if the Board of Education doesn't listen to their concerns, they could be facing the same teacher shortages as this school.
"You don't see what goes on on the daily, if you want to retain teachers, communicate with us, see what we need," a teacher said.
With so many parents, teachers and students outraged at the meeting Wednesday night, the Board of Education voted to table the decision to integrate the schools and revisit it at a later day.