Woodstock CT Café

from Jeff Gordon

I hope that everyone is doing well.

Bill, I appreciate your leadership efforts on the WRTC Platform. I enjoyed working with you and others on developing the Platform. I was involved with the WRTC Platform 2 years prior. I would not have put my time and effort into the WRTC Platform if I didn’t believe in what was written. My own public actions as a member of the PZC (and prior to that, as a member of the MFATF) are consistent with what I have said I would do: work with others as a team (regardless of their political affiliations), act independently when neded, think carefully, be available to people when they ask questions or address concerns, give honest answers, behave ethically, and do what I think is best for our community. I do know that others with whom I have worked and do now work have conducted themselves the same way. I cannot speak for everyone in public office and it is not my place to do that.

John and Becki, thank you for keeping the Cafe going. Given some of the prior problematic posts by certain people, I am glad to see that some time ago you posted “rules of engagement” that people are expected to follow.

Kevin, thanks for your service on the BOE.

Ken, thank you for reminding people about the MFATF recommendations. I have not forgotten them and do bring them up when applicable in the work I do on the PZC or in other venues. Some of the recommendatiosn have been followed up on. It would be good to remind our hard working Selectmen about the MFATF. Recently, when the PZC had the land use fee ordninance updated (it hadn’t been updated in ~17 years), that was part of following through on one of the MFATF recommendations. I see the BOS expressed interest in looking at the other ordninaces and fee schedules in town to keep them current. Read the rest of this entry »

from the Woodstock Board of Education

The WBOE focused on our students’ CMT performance at its Sept. 24th meeting. The Board listened to analysis, identification of trends, and targeted strategies for improvement from Dr. Baran and from our Math Coordinator Mike Casey and Language Arts Coordinator John Mayer. Key points include:

• Our regular education students’ average scores continue to improve and comfortably exceed federally mandated Adequate Yearly Progress targets as required by No Child Left Behind.
• Our special education student progress improved but remains in “Safe Harbor.”
• In general, our students’ scores compare very favorably with state averages. A higher percentage of Woodstock students demonstrated “Proficiency” in all grades, in math, reading, writing, and science, with the one exception of Grade 4 Writing.
• In Math, the overwhelming majority of our students are demonstrating “Proficiency” (ranging from 89.3% in Grade 4 to 97.9% in Grade 7). The higher standard of “Goal” was reached by 63.1% of students in Grade 4, and ranged up to 85.6% of student in Grade 7.
• In Reading, the overwhelming majority of our students are demonstrating “Proficiency” (ranging from 74.4% in Grade 4 to 93.8% in Grade 7). “Goal” was reached by 61% of students in Grade 4 ranging up to 97.6% in Grade 7.
• In Writing, the overwhelming majority of our students are demonstrating “Proficiency” (ranging from 82.4% in Grade 4 to 93.5% in Grade 8). “Goal” was reached by 56.3% of our students in Grade 6, ranging up to 79.4% in Grade 7.
• Two classes took the new Science CMT tests. In Grade 8, 93.5% of students demonstrated Proficiency, and 77.8% reached Goal. In Grade 5, 98.9% demonstrated Proficiency and 82.8% reached Goal.

To identify areas for improvement, our administrators evaluate the performance of a given class, compared to this same class’s performance in prior years, within each tested subject (math, reading, and writing).  They further break down the trended scores by different strands, or skill areas.  Read the rest of this entry »

George was a volunteer Firefighter II and EMT1-A in California before moving to Woodstock four years ago. The photo below is circa 1990 when he was 29 years old and in good shape (we’ll take your word for it, George ). His firehouse was at the Riverside County/California Dept. of Forestry Fire Station in Anza, CA.

He tells us that the best experience he had during his years as a firefighter was delivering his son Nick with his own rescue squad. He said that this event was the one and only time he had to put his emergency obstetrics training to work and it was with his own wife.

George was also a Red Cross instructor and served with the hurricane Katrina aftermath training haz mat clean up personnel.

We talked about the other BOF candidates and George asked us “What has Powers and Richardson done for their community?” …. We drew a blank .