School Board Member Questions Students' EER Participation; Called "Offensive"

At the outset of Thursday's board of education meeting, members Kristin Ingram (I) and Leonard Lockhart (D) both said they were not interested in arguing about Windsor High School's excellence and equity (EER) review for a couple of hours.

 It only took a few minutes, however, for the meeting to devolve into an argument between Minority Leader Paul Panos and the study's lead researcher, Loyola University-Chicago's Dr. Marlon James.

 Panos challenged the methodology of the EER and expressed doubt in student comments used in the study to substantiate researchers' findings of micro-aggressions (a term used to describe implicit manifestations of modern racism), which, James said, contribute to a decline in students' self confidence and academic performance. Panos said he questions why students gave the answers quoted in the review, adding that he believes researchers asked questions intended to elicit responses that would favor a finding of bias in Windsor High School.

"Either you are saying we are liars or the children are liars," said James, continuing, "It would be a shameful day in Windsor if kids are treated as if they are liars." Panos also challenged James on the significance of the number of Windsor High students receiving free and reduced lunch on the achievement gap versus James' argument that multiple factors, including class placement and cultural biases, are the greatest contributors.

"Social status is not a significant determinant of academic performance (in Windsor)," said James, who was interrupted by Panos saying, "Yes it is." Panos' argued the contrary, saying the economic make up of Windsor's black residents is comparable to that of Bloomfield, while the economic make up of Windsor's white residents is comparable to that of Suffield.

Jeers immediately rang out from those attending the meeting. Some shouted "offensive," while others called for Panos to give the floor to another board member. When given an opportunity to explain his comments after the meeting, Panos said that roughly 40 percent of Windsor black students receive free and reduced lunch, and about 35 percent in Bloomfield do, and roughly 7 or 8 percent of white students in Windsor receive free and reduced lunch, while about 4 or 5 percent do in Suffield.

Those figures, said Panos, point to socio-economic class being the main factor contributing to Windsor's achievement gap. Additionally, Panos said putting the blame on something other than the people responsible for academic performance (the student and their parents), will not help students improve. In order to improve, Panos said following Thursday's meeting, students must be taught organization and hard work. Following the meeting, Panos also said the only part of the EER he believes is "the achievement gap data [the district] gave [James]."