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Dear We-Ha Readers:
West Hartford voters should not embrace a Board of Education candidate who is too easily disturbed by civil discourse. On public display Monday night was a candidate, Ms. LaToya Fernandez, who felt compelled to tell her six fellow candidates that they were “targeting” her because of her race.
Prior to this outburst, one candidate had mentioned a differential in credentials; that is all. There was zero mention of race by any candidate. To be “triggered” by discourse that’s completely void of race is a bad example of leadership, logic, or camaraderie, all of which are important for a school board.
Ms. Fernandez is already a dubious choice for candidacy; her unapologetic statements about leaving children unprotected by police don’t go over well when school safety is of high concern. Her defaming Israel’s people doesn’t give the warm-and-fuzzies to a town that’s 1/3 Jewish and likely 99% supportive of Israel in its defense against the terrorists who surround Israelis.
People who truly feel “micro-aggressed” should work things out quietly, by themselves or with their therapist. To foist one’s unwarranted reactions on a watching public is a bad example for school children. They will all have setbacks at some point, and if guided normally, they will let them roll off, possibly even learning/strengthening in the process. They will not make others feel guilty for harmless speech that one person irrationally feels is meant to target.
The vocal and “micro-aggressed” person sows disharmony. Since Ms. Fernandez also stated that she feels “targeted” routinely, she’s not likely a productive choice for a school board that otherwise acts harmoniously. Someone with her divisive attitude will bring division on the board.
Dennis J. Swanton and Mark Stewart
West Hartford
How is the candidate even on the ballot? Wake up West Hartford…
https://sccdp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Resolution-In-Support-of-HR-2590.pdf
Voters and parents should watch the tape themselves. WeHa,com is carrying it. There was a disagreement about parental, teacher and Board involvement in curriculum development, per state statute, a point made by Mr. Zelazny. Ms. Fernandez and a few others preferred leaving that completely to the administration’s “Curriculum Specialists” alone. The charges of a racist “attack” seemed to come out of nowhere to me. In fact, it seemed to be kind of opportunistic and frankly, childish. But watch for yourself.
That is incorrect. There was a question about how the district should develop curriculum. Four candidates felt the district employees were the experts and only one of the four was directly called out. The district follows the CT state statue and the statement that WHPS in not in compliance is false.
Letter writers: Your claim that West Hartford is “a town that’s … likely 99% supportive of Israel” is pure speculation and weakens your argument. You do not speak for me or many others.
Let’s be honest about the behavior of the candidates on the BOE Forum. A candidate running for the BOE ignored the League of Women Voters forum rules and made a statement against a candidate and sitting BOE member. The League representative had to halt the forum and remind candidates of the agreed upon rules. Multiple candidates said they were not curriculum specialists and only one was singled out. There is not one person who has served on the BOE who is a curriculum expert in all grade levels and all subjects. It is an impossibility. I believe what was said in the forum that a BOE member had, “no idea what’s going on with our curriculum, our students, or our classrooms,” was slanderous. That same candidate was interviewed on We-Ha Roundtable and multiple times shared how curriculum took decades of experience. To target one person was wrong and totally unprofessional.
Hard questions surrounding her background and beliefs need to be asked. The softball questions asked at the forum served zero purpose. She should be nowhere near a position of power like this or have any say in the education of our children.