By Linda Conner Lambeck
WESTPORT–As the father of four, Andy Frankel has watched the school board from the sidelines for the past 17 years with pride, and, he admits, a certain sense of frustration.
“I think (Westport) schools are excellent but … watching board meetings I felt they could be a little bit more focused and more efficient in getting things done.”
Be it infusing Artificial Intelligence into the curriculum, banning cellphones at the high school, or even fixing athletic fields, Frankel said too much time has been spent on studies, too little time acting.
Protracted decision-making
“It takes too long to make decisions,” said Frankel, who on Nov. 17 will be sworn in as one of two new members to the seven-member school board. “I know the (board) has an oversight responsibility but it also has the responsibility to provide direction to the administration.”
Frankel was elected as one of two Republicans on the panel, along with incumbent Republican Dorie Hordon, who is currently vice chair of the board. Also newly elected is Democrat Stephen Shakelford along with incumbent Democrat Abby Tolan. Those four join incumbent Democrats Lee Goldstein, the board chair, and Neil Phillips, the board secretary, and Independent Jill Dillon to round out the board.
Newly retired from a career in corporate law, Frankel said he is not out to make major course corrections on the board or district but rather make sure the trajectory is right.
Focus
“Having people on the board with outside experience can help guide the administration in a more focused and efficient way,” Frankel said.
For instance, rather than spending hours discussing another climate survey or Social and Emotional Learning Initiative, Frankel said he would rather see more attention paid to shoring up parts of the curriculum that need additional emphasis.
Is social / emotional learning beneficial?
Frankel said he understands the importance of helping students learn to regulate their emotions so that they can excel but questions the benefit of explicit instruction in the classroom over developing socially and learning teamwork and leadership skills authentically through sports or other extracurricular activities.
Frankel said he likes Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice, finding him thoughtful, proactive and a value to the school district. Still, Frankel said the schools’ chief could benefit from stricter oversight to keep him on the right track.
An active member of TEAM Westport, Frankel said he and Scarice have talked during those meetings. The two had lunch before the election.
Bring in private industry to implement AI
“We spent a lot of time talking about AI… I said it was important to get guidance from outside experts working with AI, private industry,” Frankel said, adding that Scarice did speak to a number of people and that it is reflected in the strategic plan outlined to the board last month.
Frankel called the plan a good first draft that could stand additional guidance from outside experts. He questions why implementation of AI into the curriculum is two years away.
By that time, what is planned today will be obsolete, Frankel said.
“I would move a lot faster … with less red tape … and really just get to issue much more quickly and efficiently,” said Frankel.
Invite private sector to upgrade facilities
As for upgrades to the Staples athletic fields and facilities, Frankel would also like to see the district look to the private sector for help. There are volunteers and parents willing to contribute, Frankel said.
“I don’t think it can completely replace (town) funding, but it can supplement funding and hopefully add a little momentum,” said Frankel.
Westport, said Frankel, should have the same level of facilities as Darien, Wilton, New Canaan and Fairfield.
“If we want a premiere school district we should have a premiere arts and athletic program and the facilities to go with it,” Frankel said.
Special ed / coaches / cell phone ban
On the curriculum front, Frankel would like to examine problems he said some parents have expressed about special education.
“There is a lot of good with special ed, but clearly a number of parents are not heard,” he said.
He does not want to revisit high profile disputes over the dismissal of soccer coaches, which Frankel called unnecessarily divisive, a distraction to more pressing issues, and ultimately damaging to the district.
On the cell phone ban, Frankel said it should not have taken the district 17 months from the time Scarice recommended it to when it took effect on Nov. 5, the day after Election Day, at Staples.
“There were reasonable arguments on both sides but you need to be able to make a decision,” said Frankel. “You can’t have what some call an analysis paralysis.”
Linda Conner Lambeck
Linda Conner Lambeck covers education for Westport Journal. She was a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications. She has covered education throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties. She is a proud member of the Education Writers Association.
“ Westport, said Frankel, should have the same level of facilities as Darien, Wilton, New Canaan and Fairfield.”
Nice line. But where is Westport deficient?
Thank you, John. Most districts would die fit the facilities, activities and community support given to the Westport Public schools and Staples in particular.
When we moved to Westport in 1977 my daughter was a junior and there were a collection of separate buildings ala California. The kids wore their jackets all the time as they went from building to building. As for social and emotional development being supported in the classroom Mr.Frankel wants it to be naturally absorbed in athletics and other group activities ?? That went down very well with the recent soccer coach debacle which started after a student complaint and team ostracism.
AI should be an adjunct not a pillar. Mr. Frankel complains about the 2 year lag in implementation when we all know that AI is changing every minute ,more entrants into the business, more applications ( some very dubious ) and much confusion. You can take your time here. Two of my children were Staples athletes and the one thing you don’t want is some group of rich entitled parents propping up your athletic program. That only leads to inequalities. But this should be interesting !
Enjoy !
Ms. Lambeck’s piece is enlightening.
While Mr. Frankel’s approach may work in the boardroom, I hope the rest of the Board of Education will be wary of his desire to treat our schools like a business. Among other things, that Tookery type of top-down thinking is why we’re getting a Long Lots field the BoE never asked for and the town broke faith with the community gardeners.
Anyone with a soul realizes the priorities of corporate shareholders are not those of educators — the sheer variety of stakeholders in education alone necessitates a different, often time-consuming, process. Consider the case of parents who believe schools should ban books. Should the Board not listen to them? Regarding facilities: I’m going to be one of the Westporters not eager to see “Gault Field” in pink neon at Staples football games. Will I get a hearing?
Mr. Frankel’s dismisses the coach fiasco as “divisive.” The actions of the Board caused the division! Many parents and students would like to know that there are procedures in place to prevent similar incidents (and save the town from expensive lawsuits).
It’s also worrisome that a new Board member would suggest short-changing social-emotional learning. Yes, of course, many of us gained important social skills on the field or on the stage. But it’s short-sighted to count on happenstance to provide those opportunities. Futhermore, the lessons learned are not always beneficial. One bullied child might learn to stand up for himself, while another might learn to cower. Most important, social-emotional learning often requires reflection, and the language to process and retain life’s most important lessons. Mr. Frankel ignores the fact that these are young hearts and brains, not automatons. It’s not all about “learning to regulate their emotions so they can excel.” It’s also about helping them find their place in the world so they can learn to be resilient even if they do NOT excel.
To dismiss the massive problems with our special-ed program by saying, “clearly, a number of parents are not heard” shows a real lack of understanding of what special-ed parents experience. Quite commonly, when a child does get appropriate support and the child begins to flourish, support is stripped away as “no longer needed,” and the whole process starts again. Parents share stories that would make most of us weep.
Most important, at a time when Americans are asking their teachers to do more than ever (including make up for physical, financial, and even parenting deficits) we need to do a better job of trusting our teachers. We should be listening to them and supporting them so that the humor, compassion, discipline, and joy they bring to the classroom take precedence over record-keeping, learning mandates, and general micromanagement. I know facilities are important, but I do not believe in bells and whistles or jumping headfirst into the latest new thing (*cough* AI): Ask anyone what they remember about school, and it’s their friends and their TEACHERS.
It’s too bad Westport voted for Jodi Harris and this is what we got instead.