Region One video is topic at CCS meeting

CORNWALL — The Sept. 21 meeting of the Cornwall Board of Education opened with the reading of a letter by the faculty association about the recent video produced by the Region One Board of Education.

The video has evoked a strong response from teachers throughout the region, who have spoken out at their local board of education meetings.

The Cornwall teachers said in their letter, which one teacher read aloud, that the video suggests that teachers in the region “are not committed to helping each student reach his or her full potential.”

Further, the video by the Region One board “stated that all regional faculty, including Cornwall’s faculty, do not recognize that all children can learn.”

The teachers noted in their letter to the board that they do indeed care about all their students and “firmly believe that all students can learn.”

The board did not respond to the letter and continued with its agenda. 

John Sanders, who is Cornwall’s representative to the regional school board, referred to the video at the end of his report. He handed out a copy of the transcript and suggested that board members and teachers read it.

Region One Superintendent Patricia Chamberlain said that the video has been posted on the Region One website and that it is played on a loop in the regional superintendent’s office.

At the end of the meeting, teacher Jane Hanley stood up to say that the timing of the presentation of the video was unfortunate. It was shown to all the teachers in the region, including new hires, at their beginning-of-the year orientation day, with no prior warning.

She said that the message of the video was so upsetting that it made it hard for her to really hear what the board members were actually trying to say. 

“The message was lost on me,” she said. 

She then praised Cornwall Consolidated School Principal Michael Croft for his leadership and his excellent communication skills. 

“Even when he has something difficult to say, he does it well and he communicates to us that he wants us to do our best work,” she said. “He expects excellence” and because of his leadership skills he is able to motivate his staff to do their best work, she said.

Cornwall Board Chairman Tom Levine led the other board members in enthusiastically thanking Hanley for her comments.