To the Editor,
I write this perhaps late, yet sincere letter with wholehearted support for Monroe Public Schools and in hope that our town funding allocations may be reconsidered. Unfortunately, I cannot present live testimony as I have many personal obligations (such as raising one-year-old twins and working full time), however, I have felt compelled to at least compose this letter.
My name is Jessica King and I graduated from Masuk in 2009. My family represents one of many that specifically chose this town for its reputable school system. Previously my family and I lived in Norwalk where my parents enrolled me in a private Catholic School. This decision was based in their hope that it would provide me with a solid educational foundation. This same hope is what led to them purchasing our home on Fan Hill Road as opposed to surrounding towns.
While in Monroe Public Schools, I benefited from: the TAG program at Chalk Hill, learning French beginning in 7th grade + all through high school and enrollment in many ECE/UCONN/AP courses so that I graduated with about a semester’s worth of college credits upon high school graduation.
Most importantly, however, I benefited from what felt like a whole community commitment to my educational excellence. In my home, my parents, who are immigrants from Nicaragua, instilled within me an understanding that education is invaluable and powerful.
In my school, my teachers demonstrated a belief in public education by patiently and artistically crafting lessons that met desired outcomes. Graduating 11th in my high school class and going on to graduate Summa Cum Laude in college I truly feel that MPS more than adequately helped me feel prepared for how to succeed in higher education.
Currently, I am a teacher of English to speakers of other languages (multilingual learner teacher) and a new parent to twins. I still live in Monroe and am disheartened to hear of the proposed cuts to its school system. At a time when we need a truly educated citizenry capable of recognizing global human connectedness while being able to engage in critical thought and discourse, it seems irresponsible to not equip current and future students with the tools to succeed in life.
If it is deemed that this commitment still exists, then it must be reflected in the budget. It simply cannot exist in theory. Cutting long-standing programs and allocating potential educational funds to other departments, like the police, seems to be emphasizing a different narrative than what I’ve known Monroe to represent.
From a child development standpoint, I also am vehemently opposed to 8th grade being absorbed into the high school. To use myself as an example, I do not believe it at all appropriate for a 12-year-old Jessica to be enrolled in classes alongside 18-year-olds. If I were presently a parent in this situation, I would likely do like what my own parents did and pull my child (or in my case children) out of my town’s public school system.
If this were me right now facing this, I would enroll my twins either in a private school or pay for them to attend the public school district where I work — Wilton. This is how strongly I disapprove of this.
Furthermore, I believe that any budget cuts to communal spaces that emphasize explicit support for lifelong education — such as the public library — again seem to be irresponsible as this particular community space is one that has a broad reach in terms of ages serviced and programs offered.
Given that surrounding towns offer highly appealing school districts in addition to other community resources, I truly wonder if Monroe will continue to be where we grow our family in the coming years. As a mother, now to both a little girl and boy, I have certain expectations of the community in which I raise them and where we live. I hope that both can be in Monroe where I have confidently felt that public education was prioritized, but if not, then at the least I will have had my own MPS story to pass along.
Sincerely,
Jessica King
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