Letters to the Editor
Letter to the Editor Swords WWII

Former Board of Ed Members Say Caucusing Reduces Public Understanding of Issues

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To the editor:
As former Darien Board of Education (BoE) members, it was disappointing to hear that five Republican members of the BoE (a majority of the board), met, privately, calling their meeting a “caucus,” to discuss the BoE budget. Here’s why we care and why we all should care. Members of the BoE are elected by Darien voters to represent us as residents, taxpayers and to advocate on behalf of our children. When a majority of one party meets, in private, to make decisions on how money is spent on educating our children, those decisions have an end result of setting education policy for the district, thus impacting the quality of the education our children receive. Typically, these budget discussions are held in public with all nine BoE members.

Education
Darien Public Schools

Superintendent: Starting Monday, Parents Can Pick Up Free Lunches for Any Darien Students in Need

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In an email to parents on Sunday, Schools Superintendent Alan Addley told parents that “Free lunches are available to any Darien student in need starting tomorrow, Monday, April 20.” Addley also wrote that the Board of Education meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday can be accessed through Google Meet. The home page of the school district website will have a link to follow. “The administration will present its Grading and Reporting Procedures” at the board meeting. “Members of the public may still comment on the Grading and Reporting Procedures agenda item by emailing Dr. Alan Addley aaddley@darienps.org or Tara Ochman tochman@darienps.org by 4 p.m. tomorrow, Monday, April 20,” he added.

Education
Darien Public Schools

Monday Night: Board of Ed to Hear About School Renovations, Enrollment Projections, Hiring, Meeting Schedule, Discuss Goals

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Looking at this fall’s projected enrollment, Darien Public Schools officials don’t think they’ll need to add class sections when school starts, the Board of Education was told in a memorandum on Friday. A report on that is among the items on tonight’s board agenda. Dr. Susie DaSilva will give the board an update on district enrollment and class sections. “As of July 26, the district does not anticipate the need to add additional elementary class sections,” Superintendent of Schools Alan Addley wrote in the memo dated Friday, July 26 to board members. Also on the agenda: a proposed schedule of Board of Ed meetings, a report on how building renovations are going, a discussion of the board’s goals and objectives, and a report on hiring new teachers and other staff members,

So far, the district has hired 24 staff members certified in teaching, and it is still interviewing candidates for the vacant assistant principal position at the high school A total of 10 available jobs have not yet been filled, including four instructional aide positions at elementary schools.