“In Tom Foley’s latest campaign commercial, he claims to have a ‘plan’ for our state’s public schools. The few details he’s revealed so far show his plan is little more than a scheme to shift resources and starve schools whose students need and deserve support.
“The reality is that all families, regardless of their income — and particularly those in our cities and rural communities — will be hurt by his plan. It will create an unpredictable funding stream with a destabilizing impact on our state’s most vulnerable students.
“Mr. Foley actually threatened these students’ families in comments to the Republican-American this past weekend. He said their schools ‘better get the message they will have to be better or they will lose.’ Losing under Mr. Foley’s scheme means overcrowded classrooms, fewer academic choices and cuts to arts and athletic programs.
“It’s sad, but not surprising, to hear Mr. Foley blame the very people who need help the most.
“Parents have a clear choice to make in determining the future of public education policy in our state. Mr. Foley’s proposed approach does nothing to close Connecticut’s achievement gap. Rather, it threatens to actually increase the disparities and inequities that created it in the first place.”
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AFT Connecticut represents more than 29,000 professionals across the state, including PreK-12 teachers, paraeducators and education support personnel in 29 local and regional school districts. Follow the union on Twitter at @AFTCT and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aftct.
