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NORWALK, Conn. The chairman of Norwalk's Board of Education feels he was disrespected when he traveled recently to Hartford to plead his case to Connecticut legislators, who he says have never been to Norwalk.
That is part of the reason Jack Chiaramonte is rallying people to go to Bridgeport on Thursday and to persuade those legislators to go to Norwalk to take a look.
The legislature's Educational Cost Sharing task force will be at the Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School, behind Captains Cove Seaport, from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday.
The task force was formed last year. "The legislature passed an ECS task force bill that will recommend changes to the formula by October," state Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk and Darien, said in an email. "It is driven by the governor, who I've had multiple conversations with, and is someone who is sympathetic. I expect finding common ground on a new formula will be part of next year's legislative session."
"Invite them to come visit Norwalk and see it for themselves, but we need to say it with a voice that they're going to hear because their final report is going to be done in October. That report is going to dictate, hopefully, how much we get next year, or have some influence," he said. "If we do this right we should get some more ECS money coming to Norwalk, and we won't have these battles."
Chiaramonte, a Republican, against Duff in the fall election.
Chiaramonte testified before the Connecticut General Assembly's Education Committee on Feb. 22 and says state Rep. Andrew Fleischmann (D-West Hartford), chairman of the committee, was condescending. "He basically ridiculed me," Chiaramonte said. "I know for a fact he thinks that Norwalk is filthy rich and that, you know, we don't need it. We should go ask our mayor and representatives here to fund our schools better."
Fleischmann's alleged "arrogance" is shown in the state's video, linked to here. Chiaramonte comes in to speak at the 1:57:30, and Fleischmann is shown grinning. Chiaramonte says he was mocking a board Chiaramonte had brought with him, showing ECS figures.
After Chiaramonte speaks, Fleischmann points out a spelling error in the chart and asks the chairman of Norwalk's Board of Education if he knows about rule of law.
Norwalk needs to confront that attitude, Chiaramonte said. Legislators think Norwalk is rich, like the towns around it in the "Gold Coast," but "44 percent (of the students) are on free or reduced lunch," he said. "(Their parents) don't own their own homes and the fact is that many people in Norwalk, if they had to buy their house today, could not afford it. Norwalk is a very blue-collar town. We fund our schools greatly. We dedicate more of our money to education than other towns, who are more affluent, around us."
Duff agrees the formula could use work. "Legislators of both parties in Norwalk before I was elected and since have worked to fix, tweak, change the formula for our benefit," he said in an email. "Many years, we've received larger increases than other towns, but we know we have a ways to go. It is our top priority."
The meeting is from 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School, 60 St. Stephens Road, Bridgeport, behind Captains Cove Seaport.
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