Connecticut teacher warns public education won't survive if 'political' school policies affect the classroom
John Grande, who is suing Hartford Public Schools for alleged violation of free speech, said that administrators are undermining the teaching profession with "political" school policies.
A Stamford, Connecticut school board ignited a "calendar controversy" after voting to remove the Veterans Day and Columbus Day holidays, meaning students are expected to attend class on those dates for the next two years, local outlets reported.
According to WABC, an ABC affiliate based in New York City, one board member cited the length of the 181-day school year that would last into mid-June, arguing that the schedule is too long, but the decision to cut the holidays spawned responses from veterans and others who were outraged.
Alfred Fusco, a veteran and founding member of Stamford's chapter of the Italian-American service organization UNICO, told the outlet the move was a "gut punch" to him, adding, "It was terrible. It had no inclination."
Stamford Public Schools removed Veterans Day from its calendar. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
On X, some blasted the decision as "woke" and labeled it as "cancel culture."
One wrote, "Why stop there? Eliminate Washington's birthday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas!"
Another labeled the decision "unconscionable."
The board's 5-3 vote took place last Tuesday, with the president absent.
Local outlet, the Stamford Advocate, said board member Joshua Esses, who proposed removing the two holidays, also proposed removing Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday, and the second day of the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah from the calendar, but that suggestion received no support.
Italian navigator, colonizer and explorer Christopher Columbus. Columbus Day was also put on the chopping block in the Stamford School District. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The outlet also noted that Esses argued that both Veterans Day and Columbus Day could be incorporated into the school curriculum in place of observing the holidays at home.
According to state statute, regional boards of education are authorized to close public schools or keep them open on select holidays outside December and January, but, if class is held, schools are required to hold a "suitable nonsectarian educational program" to observe that day.
Columbus Day, meanwhile, has remained an embattled holiday as concerns over the famous explorer's role in colonial conquest linger.
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The day often finds itself in conflict with Indigenous Peoples Day, which many have shifted to observing instead.
One Stamford board member, addressing that contention, said giving students a day off to observe Columbus Day would send a "mixed message" after they came to the conclusion that he wasn't a hero during their coursework.
"The students were using primary sources to investigate the true history of Columbus and I can tell you that, based on primary source research, no, they did not conclude that Columbus was a hero," board member Versha Munsi-South said, according to the Stamford Advocate's report.
"I don't think it makes sense to teach students one thing in class and then have Columbus Day off. It's a mixed message for students."
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Board member Becky Hamman pushed back against that notion, arguing that Columbus should not be painted as a villain because of political polarization.
When reached for comment, a district spokesperson for Stamford Public Schools said the following:
"The Stamford Board of Education (BOE) is responsible for approving the annual District calendar, and the State of Connecticut gives local and regional boards of education the discretion to keep schools open on any federal holiday except those occurring in December and January."
"On Tuesday, January 23, the Stamford BOE approved the 2024-25 and 2025-2026 Stamford Public Schools calendars following passage of a motion to have schools remain open on Columbus Day and Veterans Day. Schools in several neighboring districts already remain open on Columbus Day and/or Veterans Day, and both holidays will continue to be acknowledged on the Stamford Public Schools calendar along with other holidays and religious observances that fall on days when school is in session. "
"The State does require schools that remain open on a federal holiday to offer a "suitable nonsectarian educational program" in observance of that holiday. Stamford Public Schools already hosts many events in recognition of our local veterans, and we look forward to continuing that tradition on Veterans’ Day in 2024 and 2025. In addition, our Teaching and Learning Department will be working to develop programming about Columbus Day that will be presented to students in recognition of that federal holiday."
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