School Clusterschmuck Continues

Starr's proposal to close Stark inflames debate By Donna Porstner
Stamford Advocate 04/29/2008
STAMFORD - Elected officials are unhappy with the latest school closing plan, saying flip-flopping and indecision is needlessly upsetting residents.

Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr on Thursday night proposed closing Julia A. Stark Elementary on Glenbrook Road and moving Toquam Magnet Elementary students and teachers into the building.

Whether some or all Stark students would be allowed to finish there is unclear. Starr said the Board of Education could phase out Stark's program gradually or redistribute its students and staff all at once.

The plan came as a surprise to many because Stark was not one of five schools the school board's Redistricting Committee had been considering for closure. Members only two weeks earlier had narrowed the list of schools it would consider closing to two - Toquam and Rogers magnet elementary schools.

Pauline Rauh, chairwoman of the Board of Representative's Education Committee, said Starr caught parents and school board members off-guard by making the presentation during a meeting in which Toquam and Rogers were on the agenda. Stark parents should have been told their school would be discussed, she said.

"It came without notice to the very constituents who should have been informed," said Rauh, a former school principal. "I found that distressing."

Parents across the city worry their child's school could be next, officials said.

"It's really detrimental to the well-being of the school district to have a school-closing-of-the-month theory, especially when so many of the Rogers parents had embraced the concept of closing Rogers and moving to the interdistrict magnet school," said state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford.

McDonald, a Glenbrook resident and Stark graduate, said constituents have been asking him to intervene in the redistricting process for months and he kept quiet until learning one of Starr's reasons for shuttering Stark is the school's failure to meet state testing standards.

By saying state sanctions are increasing for Stark under No Child Left Behind legislation, the superintendent is implying the state is angling to close the school, he said. McDonald said he spoke with the state education commissioner, who confirmed that is not the case.

"It was an extraordinary announcement for the superintendent to unleash on the community without any forewarning, without any involvement of parent groups or teachers who try to improve the school," McDonald said. "And to announce it at a public meeting when you infer it is the result of state involvement, when that's apparently untrue, is bizarre behavior. It's not the right way to run an operation like this."

Starr said he came up with Stark plan because it would increase the number of magnet seats and would allow the city to have three elementary schools south of Interstate 95, where there's a large density of students. Adding a third school would mean fewer low-income students would be bused across town to attend school, he said.

"I think there are some questions to ask about who gets bused in the city of Stamford," Starr said. "I simply want to raise that issue to the Board of Education so they understand the implications. That's what a superintendent does."

At the same time, he said, the redistricting process opened the door for structural changes at Stark, which could be required to make adjustments if test scores don't improve.

"I never in any way, shape or form said the state plans to close Stark school. However, there is certainly increased state accountability legislation that we are preparing for," Starr said.

The district could be required to make staffing changes at Stark, bring in an outside management firm or convert the building to a charter school if test scores again don't meet state goals next year, Starr said.

City Rep. Jerry Pia, a former school board member who represents Glenbrook, said transferring Stark students to another building is not the answer.

"You don't move children so the overall score of the school looks good," he said. "You set up programs and you teach them how to learn."

Rauh said Starr "put the whole town in a state of unrest with this presentation" and residents are disappointed with the school board's indecision.

"Confidence in what they're doing and how they're doing it has been shaken," she said.

McDonald said the Stark plan only made matters worse.

"It's a really unique skill to infuriate every contingent of parents in one meeting," he said.

Starr said it's not fair to blame him for introducing another option late in the process when it was Mayor Dannel Malloy who made the board reconsider its plan to close Toquam earlier this year.

Malloy removed $2.8 million earmarked in next year's capital budget to furnish the new interdistrict magnet school in the Cove, forcing members to reconsider moving Toquam students into the new building.

Malloy favored closing an older school building and came back with the plan to close Rogers and move those students to the new environmental science school.

The Board of Education should start over and hire a consultant to come up with a redistricting plan, Rauh said.

"You need objectivity and expertise," she said.

Board of Education member Rosanne McManus said hiring a consultant would only delay the process by 12 months while an outsider learns about the district and neighborhoods.

"I don't think we need a consultant. I think we are ready to go," she said. "The redistricting plan will move fairly easy once we decide which school to close."

The board has used consultants in the past and there were complaints then as well, Starr said.

"My recollection was folks weren't happy with that either," he said. "Redistricting is hard, hard work and I think are experiencing that now."

Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Susan Nabel did not return a phone call seeking comment. Click here to read more.

A 50-Inch Plasma in the High School Library?

TV in library draws static- Advocate 04/28/08- Donna Porstner
(This just seems like a waste of money. Why have a silent, always-on TV in a library? This isn't an airport.)
STAMFORD - The picture on the big-screen television in Westhill High School's media center is crystal clear, but it's having trouble with a different kind of reception.

The 50-inch plasma has stirred complaints from students and a school board member who question the need for a television in a library where students are supposed to study or write papers on one of the 70 computers.

Board of Education member Susan Nabel said she's appalled the city spent money on a flat-screen TV for a school library.

"I just hate the idea of there being a flat-panel, laser television right above the checkout desk," she said at a Facilities Committee meeting last week. "I don't believe a large-screen TV should be predominantly displayed in a media center."

Nabel said she learned about the television by reading an opinion piece about it in the school newspaper, The Westword.

Editor in Chief Stephen Meno said there was a buzz on campus when the TV arrived.

"At first it was like, why is it there? And what's the point of it when all it does is play CNN all day?" he said. "I think the general student body is like, the money should go someplace else."

The television was purchased with $1,810 in a capital account for computer replacement, technology management services director Michael Pensiero said.

Westhill Head librarian Jan Benedict said it was installed two months ago to be on par with Stamford High, which received a similar television when it was renovated after flooding in 2006.

"Not only were we trying to level the playing field with Stamford High, but also with AITE, which has similar technology," Pensiero said. "It's important to us that the schools are equal."

It can be used to show PowerPoint presentations and to advertise school events, he said.

"I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, and now if I forget to turn it on, and I look over, I feel closed off from the world," Benedict said.

The television is left tuned to CNN without sound, but librarians can turn up the volume if there's breaking news, she said.

During a mid-day visit to the school last week, dozens of students were typing on computers near the television, almost oblivious to it.

It is not intended to be used for instruction, Benedict said. For that, the school has portable televisions that teachers can take into classrooms to show movies on videotapes and DVDs, she said.

It's the only set in the building hooked up to live television.

"It's our window to the world," Benedict said. "I think it's wonderful." Click here to read more.

Oh! Another Crazy School Closing Plan!

Starr: Close Stark, move Toquam there By Donna Porstner, Stamford Advocate, 04/25/2008
STAMFORD - Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr last night proposed closing Julia A. Stark Elementary and moving Toquam Magnet Elementary's teachers and students into the Glenbrook Road building.

Stark should close before any other school because it is traditionally the lowest performing and the district will soon be required to make changes to comply with federal No Child Left Behind legislation, he said at last night's Board of Education Redistricting Committee meeting.

By being proactive with changes at Stark, Starr said, "We clearly get ahead with the state, showing them we are serious about accountability."

It's only a matter of time before changes must be made at Stark, because state sanctions are increasing, he said,

The Redistricting Committee erred in deciding not to consider performance in deciding which school to close, Starr said.

"It doesn't pass the smell test that we'd be closing a great school - Toquam," Starr said.

Toquam students are among the district's highest achievers on state tests.

Members recently narrowed their list of potential schools to be shuttered to two - Toquam and Rogers Magnet School - largely based on the size of the student body and number of students walking to school.

With its planned redistricting, the school board is trying to balance the student population in each building based on economic background.

At the same time, board members are planning to close a building to save about $5 million. They are trying to increase the number of students walking to school in the process to reduce transportation costs.

Moving Toquam students and teachers, and its popular Bank Street program, to the Stark building would create five magnet schools in 2009, giving parents more choice in where children attend school, Starr said.

Some or all Stark students could be allowed to stay until they graduate, the superintendent said, though he would prefer to immediately close Stark and redistribute its students and staff to other buildings.

The number of buses would not increase, but bus rides would be longer for some children under his plan.

It was the second time in recent weeks the committee was thrown a curve ball.

Members were preparing to close Toquam until last month, when Mayor Dannel Malloy, a nonvoting school board member, convinced them to consider closing Rogers and moving those students to the new interdistrict magnet school when it opens on the Clairol property in 2009.

Starr acknowledged he is coming late to the game with the Stark plan. The committee has been working on a redistricting plan for 14 months.

"I wish I thought of it two months ago," Starr said.

Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Susan Nabel said she was "totally nonplussed" by the Stark plan.

Malloy said it makes no sense to fight the Rogers plan when parents support it - especially when the Rogers' building needs the most repairs.

If Rogers were moved to the new environmental-science magnet, Starr said the district could create a preference zone that includes students now assigned to Rogers, but cannot assign students directly to the new magnet school. They would be given preference but would have to apply, he said.

They could stay until the sixth grade, when some would have to move to other middle schools, because the district needs the seats for students from other districts, he said. Since it is an interdistrict school funded by the state, at least 25 percent of students must come from other towns.

Malloy said the Rogers students should be allowed to stay through eighth grade because about 14 percent of the pupils leave in any given year and there would be enough room.

Even if Stamford residents constituted more than 75 percent of students, the state would not pull funding for the school, he said. Malloy said there are interdistrict schools that have been open for eight years that don't have the required numbers of out-of-towners and still get state funding.

School board member Monica Hoherchak said she's concerned that under the mayor's plan, the district would lose about 200 seats for Rogers' International Baccalaureate program. After all current Rogers students graduate, there would be 336 students in the IB program in kindergarten through fifth grade, down from 530 today.

Malloy warned members not to muddy the redistricting decision, which he said should be focused on integrating school buildings based on family income, with discussions about the academic programs that would be offered.

"It sounds like policy and curriculum to me, more than redistricting," Malloy said.

Starr said he would post detailed information about the possible scenarios on the Board of Education's Web site at www.stamfordpublicschools.org. Parents will be invited to comment on the proposals during a public hearing May 5 at Cloonan Middle School.

Nabel said board members are going in circles and need to reach a decision.

"We need to move. We need to make a choice here," she said. "Parents are waiting for us to finish what we started." Click here to read more.

Two men robbed in Scalzi Park

4/25/2008 STAMFORD - Two city men were robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped Wednesday night in Scalzi Park, police said.

Police are searching for three suspects who approached the victims, ages 25 and 28, as they walked through the park about 9 p.m., said Lt. Sean Cooney, a police spokesman.

The suspects demanded cash, and two of them pulled out handguns, Cooney said.

They pistol-whipped both victims in the face before fleeing with about $100 cash and a cell phone, police said. They broke the nose of one victim and cut the other in the face, Cooney said.

Both were treated at Stamford Hospital, where medical workers alerted police.

The incident remains under investigation.
- Zach Lowe Click here to read more.

Happy Hour to Raise $ for Stamford Dog Park

Dog Park group slates 'Yappy Hour'--04/25/2008

STAMFORD - Friends of the Stamford Dog Park, which is working to create the first off-leash dog park in Stamford, will host "Yappy Hour" for dogs and their owners from 3 to 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at Murphy's Townhouse Cafe, 97 Franklin St.

The event will include information about the park, which has been authorized by the Stamford Parks and Recreation Commission to be established at the Hunt Complex Park on Courtland Avenue.

There will be snacks, a cash bar, prizes and a canine trivia competition. Admission is $10 per person. Dogs are free.

For information, call Eileen Heaphy at 425-9782 or visit www.stamforddogpark.com. Click here to read more.

Finally, a Lead in the Marco Paoletta Murder Case

Photos released in roadside shooting
By Zach Lowe 04/23/2008
STAMFORD - Police yesterday released photographs of an unknown person who was with a city man minutes before the man was found shot to death on the road outside the Jewish Community Center in January.

The man in the photos is considered a person of interest in the Jan. 3 shooting of Marco Paoletta Jr., 51, said Capt. Richard Conklin, head of the detective bureau. Police are asking for the public's help in identifying and locating him.

Police found Paoletta's body on Vine Road near Turn of River Middle School, and have said they believe the killer targeted Paoletta and knew he was playing racquetball at the community center.

The photos show the man and Paoletta entering and leaving the Newfield Avenue community center together minutes before the shooting.

Paoletta was shot once in the head. Police have not commented on a motive.

The images are from the community center's security cameras, Conklin said.

About five hours after Paoletta's body was recovered, authorities in Norwalk found his car burning on Christy Street. Tests showed the car had been doused in gasoline or some other accelerant before it was set on fire.

Paoletta, known to his friends as "Chickie," was a lifelong Stamford resident who worked in the credit division of a bank in Bridgeport.

His siblings said they were shocked by his death and could not think of anyone who would harm him.

Police did not recover a weapon and have not commented on what kind of gun the killer used.

The images show a Hispanic man in his 20s between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches tall with long black hair.

- Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call the police department's tip line at 977-5111. Click here to read more.

A Woman More Established on the Gossip Scene

From the Advocate's "Dish" with Susie Costaregni:
'Borat' and Fisher check out local restaurant scene 04/20/2008

Scene . . . Actors Isla Fisher ("The Wedding Crashers") and Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") were seen dining last week at Napa & Co. in Stamford. Rumor is that the engaged couple have been staying at the Courtyard by Marriott in Stamford. Fisher is in town filming "Confessions of a Shopaholic." Also seen at the popular restaurant recently were Hillary Swank, the Smothers Brothers and Greenwich residents Alex and Steven Cohen, founder of Stamford-based SAC Capital Advisors.
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Out there . . . "Everybody's Fine," starring Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell, will begin filming this month in Stamford on Bedford Street and other areas in the city.
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Scene . . . New Canaan resident Jill Goodacre, the supermodel wife of crooner Harry Connick Jr., was seen shopping Monday at J.Crew and Vineyard Vines in Greenwich.
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Scene . . . Greenwich resident Hannah Storm, author and former co-anchor of "The Early Show" on CBS, and her husband, NBC sportscaster Dan Hicks, were seen dining recently at Valbella in Riverside with New Canaan residents Jonathan Whitcomb of Diserio Martin O'Connor & Castiglioni LLP, and his wife, Rachel.
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Scene . . . Football great and current radio host Boomer Esiason was seen last Sunday at Darien Ice Rink.

Susie Costaregni
- Got a tip? Seen a celebrity? E-mail Susie Costaregni at the dish@scni.com Click here to read more.