To the Editor:
A couple of weeks ago I posted a challenge on social media. I was neither looking to create controversy nor provide inaccurate information. The posting asked Trumbullites to do something a little different than what we typically see, quite simply I asked folks to simply hit “like” to the posting I made.
This followed a week when our THS We the People Team, first in CT, competed on the national level placing eighth in Washington, D.C. Our nationally recognized THS Marching Band was selected as one of only ten marching bands to participate in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade next fall 2017, the first time in twenty years; while also being selected to perform during the BCS Fiesta Bowl Parade in Glendale, AZ in January. We learned that nine of our graduating seniors were accepted to Ivy League universities while two more were wait listed, this along with so many of our soon to be graduates accepted and committing to prestigious universities all across the country. We know from our Council passed town-wide budget that our high school is adding numerous AP courses this fall bringing the total to twenty-one, with important curriculum advancements. We know that six Trumbull schools have been honored by the CT State Department of Education as Schools of Distinction the past two years. We know from Board of Education statistics that families choose Trumbull as their home for our preschool and special needs programs. Our schools have 150 paraprofessionals and increasing intervention specialists in place to aid our teaching and professional staff in providing a safe and meaningful learning environment for our children. We know the total SAT Mean Score Average has increased in 2011-2015 to 1603 from 1573 in 2006-2010. We know our police department was budgeted to add Student Resource Officers (SROs) to our middle schools and high school. We know our police department was properly funded so lieutenants can support our officers to further enhance our public safety. These are just a few of the things that happened recently. We also continue to have added activity through the positive work by town boards and commissions, our Council, first selectman and the tremendous volunteers of our town.
So, back to that social media post I mentioned earlier. It continues to receive “likes,” over 375 in less than two weeks, and spurred positive discussion in most instances when comments were posted.
I was not looking to grandstand. I was not seeking attention. I wanted to simply see if Trumbullites of all political stripes, and unaffiliated could see what I see; a town that governs itself responsibly for the common good. A government accountable that advances the public interest and serves the multitude of constituencies that makes up our hometown.
President Ronald Reagan once said, “all in all, not bad, not bad at all.” I believe that through the achievements I listed and our townsfolk’s continuous hard work, the noise of nay saying will dissipate and we’ll keep Trumbull moving forward — together.
Mark Block