Lesson of Wright Tech: Don't believe the state

At J.M. Wright Technical High School, windows are boarded up, vines creep up the bricks, and grass grows tall in the many cracks in the parking lot.

[Absolutely NO EXCUSES]

Murphy as a spokesperson: Any questions? There is no sense of moral responsibilty, just greed and egos and complete incompetence. They kicked the hornets nest now they're running like hell to outrun the bee stings. The community needs to hold the feet to the fire. There is no excuse for anyone not doing the job they were hired, and/or elected to do. Admistrators and yes, I will say it, some crooked politicians raking it in while we continue to lose more and more children. Completely unacceptable. Run, run, run, but there is nowhere to hide.

[rell]

Rell gives Fairfield County the short end once again.

[Stamford Pedestrian]

Brilliant article! In addition, you won't know it for all the asphalt but Wright Tech happens to be on and next to an unusually fertile land deposit, which used to be a wetland, and it's next the wonderful handicap-accessible riverwalk and nature path at Scalzi Park (along the Mill River at Washington Blvd).

As such, Wright Tech is perfectly situated to teach "green skills" such as environmental rehab, chemical-free landscaping, native plant restoration, and urban wildlife management. Further, Wright Tech could offer these skills while maintaining the adjacent stretch of river in a natural state for everyone to enjoy.

Environmental skills are, and will be, in much demand -- in fact this year, we're paying people from Mass. to replant the river bank behind Wright Tech!

[Stamford Stinks]

Never believe anything government tells you be it local, state or federal. They all lie and cheat.

[rb of Norwalk]

It sounds to me that Wright Tech was not supported because of diciplinary problems, lack of skills within the student body to learn high level trades, and Teachers wanting out of Wright Tech. That says alot. Who is going to support a school that does not have the desire to change? Money isn't going to train students. Attitude, desire, and the sense of accomplishment puts out educated students. You get those things right, and the money will follow.

[Publius]

rb of Norwalk wrote:

It sounds to me that Wright Tech was not supported because of diciplinary problems, lack of skills within the student body to learn high level trades, and Teachers wanting out of Wright Tech. That says alot. Who is going to support a school that does not have the desire to change? Money isn't going to train students. Attitude, desire, and the sense of accomplishment puts out educated students. You get those things right, and the money will follow.

Chicken:egg

Egg: Chicken

Who is going to attend a school that has not been given adequate support from the state to develop curriculum and programs consistent with today's job market?

Perhaps if the state had provided modernized curricula; updated the building; provided computer technology; reduced administrative turnover; and sent a clear message the school was not going to close down imminently, more students would have attended and they wouldn't have had to lower the admissions standards.

[Jessica]

What they are doing to the school and students attending are wrong. They are denying these kids the right to a technical education. The government has had many years to update the school and the only thing thay have succeeded at is failing to do so, even when there was money to do it.
Now they are saying they need 90 million dollars to renovate, what are they going to do build a caseno? A moron knows it wouldn't take that much money to renevate. Well I would like to thank the government for screwing our kids over once again.

[saddened]

As student who was attending Wright tech I can honestly say that the students and the staff weren't the problem . These articles paint us students as problem children and disruptive when in fact we are the exact opposite . I loved going to Wright tech the school wasn't bad and I got my trade certification before its closing . It was very hard for the students because some of them like me were in their senior year about to graduate ,but now we all have been split up and shipped out to all these different schools . I don't blame anyone but Jodi Rell and she has to take responsibility for what she's done. Do I honestly think that they're going to reopen Wright tech no . I think we have a classic example of what our politicians do best which is lie

[Publius]

Jessica wrote:

What they are doing to the school and students attending are wrong. They are denying these kids the right to a technical education. The government has had many years to update the school and the only thing thay have succeeded at is failing to do so, even when there was money to do it.
Now they are saying they need 90 million dollars to renovate, what are they going to do build a caseno? A moron knows it wouldn't take that much money to renevate. Well I would like to thank the government for screwing our kids over once again.

The 90 million dollars to renovate appears to be a gross exaggeration to excuse not going ahead with it. I think AITE, which is a similar size, was about $50 million to build a completely new facility. The plans for Wright Tech, which were approved, were for half that, and called for partial renovations while the school was operating.

What a sham!

[Vo-tech Teacher]

I started teaching at Wright Tech 26 years ago and the problem was not the kids but the changing of the city from Blue collar to White collar workers. Add to that the Vo-tech system not changing with the times to find more suitable trades like landscaping, small business machine repair, and other trades that might have attracted more students over the last 26 years. Then the power play over the past 10 years of Stamford politicians trying to take over the school, not allowing the school to recruit in the town and other towns trying to stop their better students from going to the school. Yes, there were always a lot of kids that tried hard and became good trades persons but the local towns in the 26 years I was in the system never supported the school the way it could have with open arms to recruiters from Wright and suggesting that it was a good alternative to New Canaan or Greenwich, Darien school students and then Stamford really pulled out too.
As for the Vo-tech system teachers being paid an average of 100,000 dollars a year what Votech system are you talking about? Starting pay is 46,000 and top end for a teacher with a masters after about 15 years is around 80,000. I'm not complaining about the pay but the average is not close to what you are saying. Finally, when I was there in 1983 the school had an addition added to increase the size to take in more students. This was a bad move and the school never filled to capacity since. There are schools in the system in much worse shape try Eli Whitney for example. That is a school that needs renovation and has the students that can benefit from the dollars being put into it. But the past Superintendent Ms. Hughes put nothing into that either. She wanted to make the system look better by getting rid of the poor performers and eliminating the low scoring schools. Whitney and Wright were the first two, as well as the "Vocational" in our name.

[Come On Now]

The per student cost of Wright Tech was obscene! It should have been closed years ago.

[WHAT A JOKE]

All I can say is that it's about time Wright Technical School was closed. This school has been continually declining in enrollment and had morale issues both with students and employees.
This was a poor excuse for a school.

[1974 ALUM]

Not being "college material", Wright Tech was the perfect place for me to get my high school education, and a trade to boot! Student demographics have changed dramatically since I went there. I don't view this change as a negative. The job market is much different now, but we will always need carpenters, plumbers and auto mechanics. I am saddened to hear of the school's closing

[danbury]

Monday plus the first day after Halloween plus the kids hyped up on sugar plus the usual middle drama / energy plus a full moon one exhausted bloke from the perfect storm". It's a wonder the building's still standing.

[Sam from Connecticut]

We should feel sorry for the teachers. Go in Peace and Praise the LORD, Amen.

[youtube matrix]

All i know is... i should taken the blue pill.

[matrix]

No, i took the red pill. It's an allusion to the matrix. If i had taken the blue pill i wouldn't been living a life of illusion rather than the harsh reality of the red pill.