Published:The Journal Tribune
The most recent move by Regional School Unit 21 with regard to Thornton Academy Middle School has elevated the ongoing issues between the entities to a new level of ridiculousness.
How many times will RSU 21 have to be told “no” for an answer? The district has a binding contract with TAMS for all Arundel middle school students to attend that school through 2016. The school board approved breaching the contract to allow a few Arundel youths to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks this year, and their decision was challenged by TAMS. The district lost that battle, plain and simple, as the arbitrator in the dispute found that the contract guarantees Thornton all of Arundel’s public middle school students.
After going through all this, now the district is once again asking for students to attend MSK instead. Perhaps a lawyer should be sent in to explain to the board the meaning of a contract.
Arundel voters joined the RSU with the understanding that the contract, which they had chosen as a town only a few years before consolidating with SAD 71, would stay in place. Many Arundel parents have spoken at countless meetings about how they feel TAMS is the best place for their children and how it maintains the small-town, community school atmosphere that they so cherished back at Mildred L. Day School in Arundel.
How many times will RSU 21 have to be told “no” for an answer? The district has a binding contract with TAMS for all Arundel middle school students to attend that school through 2016. The school board approved breaching the contract to allow a few Arundel youths to attend Middle School of the Kennebunks this year, and their decision was challenged by TAMS. The district lost that battle, plain and simple, as the arbitrator in the dispute found that the contract guarantees Thornton all of Arundel’s public middle school students.
After going through all this, now the district is once again asking for students to attend MSK instead. Perhaps a lawyer should be sent in to explain to the board the meaning of a contract.
Arundel voters joined the RSU with the understanding that the contract, which they had chosen as a town only a few years before consolidating with SAD 71, would stay in place. Many Arundel parents have spoken at countless meetings about how they feel TAMS is the best place for their children and how it maintains the small-town, community school atmosphere that they so cherished back at Mildred L. Day School in Arundel.
Thank you JT, finally a voice of reason.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone here heard about the ad taken out in the Star? Boy, to go to that extreme. No is no, and not only is that not taking no for an answer, but is not hearing the voters, slamming Arundel, the parents and the students at TAMS, and the teachers who taught them at ML Day. I once felt bad for these families.
Not sure sure the JT got this one correct. How does a comparison of saco and biddeford have anything to do with the situation in Arundel? They maintain their own middle school in their respective towns, and do not pay taxes to MSK.
ReplyDeleteKudos to the ad in the paper for bringing to light the education offereing in Arundel was not good. Now that the RSU is here, we will certainly continue to see the gains of student acchievement in tests. In all schools. Parents like the one who wrote the artical should be praised for standing up for what they believe in. Parents who support the results they have had over the years should be ashamed of not pushing for better.
The teachers are the same. The results are different. Maybe the system from the old MSAD is working. Remember the parents who complained Art and gym were being cut? The same parents who complain at the mere mention of RSU? Maybe more time in the class with core subjects is paying off.
I wonder why the poster above no longer feels bad for "these families"? Because the truth hurts so much?
Respectfully, it does rank in comparison to those of Saco and Biddeford, because Saco and Biddeford *have* to go to their respective schools. It is kind of like saying MSK students want to go to TAMS.
ReplyDeleteTAMS students come from ML Day, plain and simple, if ML Day doesn't teach to standard the test scores lack.
The poster (11:34) above doesn't feel bad for these families for a simple reason, one that maybe you couldn't quite so understand, and an explanation of such would just add fuel to the fire.
In point those who support Arundel going to MSK, have been using the system to try for their own personal gains, ie: taking ads out in newspapers slamming TA, promoting an illegal act as breaching a contract, and not taking no for an answer! In my opinion, those who are seeking support for Arundel attending MSK, have reached the lowest of the low by doing so, and are now at the bottom of the barrel.
Own personal gain? I guess if trying to provide the best education for their children makes them guilty then so be it. If trying to keep tax dollars in the system for the betterment of all then so be it. Sinking to the low? I fail to see how tring to do right by education and taxes is sinking to the low. Sinking to the low would be telling taxpayers a vote no controls taxes when it did not. Personal gain would be making up stories to protect tams in fear that if the town had a choice then tams would have to close.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to America! Kids in every State have to attend schools that they don't want to go to. Again, someone reading into something, and trying to argue a battle that really isn't one.
ReplyDeleteFortunately we DO live in a town that has two middle schools to choose from. Our taxes go toward BOTH middle schools, we could lower our taxes if more students were able to go to our indistrict school. I don't understand how I am wrong for trying to lower my taxes and have my children go to a better performing school.
ReplyDelete