Joe Bourgeois' letter to the School Board

I am writing in support of the letter recently written by Jeff Smith and would like to share with you my own frustration with the Williston School System. My two sons Cole and CJ had been enrolled in the Williston School system for 5 and 4 years respectively. When my son Cole entered into 5^th grade my previous concerns with the school system were greatly amplified and I personally met with his teachers and the administration to voice my concerns.
Going to meet with teachers and the administration on numerous occasions and witnessing how classes are conducted day to day in the house format made me realize that there was nothing that any teacher could do to rectify my concerns – it was the structure of the classroom itself that is simply not conducive to learning. When I met with the administration and asked that my sons get moved into a more structured house like Full House their response was "Everyone wants their kids in Full House". My response to them was that if that is the response from parents why isn't the entire school structured like Full House is? Even if that was the case the fact of having 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders in the same classroom together can not possibly be a formula for success and is of great concern.

As my children do participate in a variety of sports I was always very surprised how few of the kids of the same grade level knew one-another. Attending school music concerts for a number of years at Williston Central School the music teacher asked the children on stage, who were all from the same grade, to raise their hand if they were sitting next to someone they had never met before and almost every child on stage would raise their hand. The best relationships most of us made as we were growing up were from our classmates in school. Socially and educationally the current system at Williston Central School is not working to the best interest of our children.

I, along with numerous other Williston residents I know, became so frustrated with the Williston School system I moved my kids out of the school and enrolled them into another school district. This has proven to be a very good decision as my two sons who were feeling very frustrated and confused in the classroom are now much more secure in their setting, understanding expectations, and striving to exceed measurable goals. Both of them are now doing very well in school and appreciate their classroom structure.

The Williston school system needs to be changed. If change does not take place, people like myself, will move out of the city in the best interest of our children, or elect not to move there to begin with.
Joe Bourgeois
posted with permission of the original author