“As a parent of three kids, two in Stamford Public Schools, I am deeply troubled by Tom Foley’s aggressive plan to actually cut funding for our schools and leave thousands of families and children out in the cold.  On most issues, Tom Foley speaks generally and avoids specifics.  But on education, Tom Foley’s been painfully clear about one thing – he wants to introduce a dog-eat-dog, free-market system for Stamford schools – and he wants to cut money for classrooms that need it most.

“Our school systems are not stock markets.   We don’t invest in one child over another.  We don’t bet on our highest performing schools while pushing struggling schools into bankruptcy.  We all know Tom Foley’s record in driving the Bibb Company into bankruptcy.  Now he wants to do it to schools across our state?

“I stood with Governor Malloy as he made the hardest decisions in the worst economic crisis of our lifetime.  And even in those dark hours, Governor Malloy refused to cut state funding for public schools.  People like Tom Foley wanted him to make those cuts so his taxes wouldn’t go up.  But Governor Malloy would not back down. Governor Malloy saved our schools from massive cuts, and Stamford’s seen its share of state education funding nearly double in the last few years.

“Bottom line is, Governor Malloy has protected our schools, children and families from catastrophic funding cuts.  Tom Foley has said that those cuts are the centerpiece of his education plan.  I just don’t know how Tom Foley expects us to educate our children in his world.”

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