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"Ed Huydic, president of the teacher's union, the Westport Education Association, said, "I do find it ironic that in October of 2007 the (school board's) agenda includes a discussion on the historical perspective of air quality issues at King's Highway School which is an indication that there is a history."
"There have been some major themes," Huydic said, including the "appearance or perception that the administration is skeptical of health concerns.
"There was a sense that things would always drag on. There would always be a demand for proof that there was an environmental issue."....
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Landon criticizes Joseloff for response on school mold issue
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18906169&BRD=1654&PAG=461&dept_id=12915&rfi=6
By:Meg Learson Grosso, Staff Writer10/11/2007
Dr. Eliott Landon, Westport superintendent of schools, took great issue Tuesday with a comment made by First Selectman Gordon Joseloff last week concerning the mold issue at King's Highway School at a meeting of the Westport/Weston Y's Men, a comment reported in the Minuteman.
Joseloff said at the meeting, "There was compelling evidence of issues I felt were not being addressed in a timely manner by the school district."
Joseloff was speaking of his creation of the King's Highway Elementary School Maintenance Committee, which addressed issues of mold and air quality and saw to remediation of those issues between August and the present.
Landon responded Monday by saying that he had had air quality testing performed last May by AMC Technologies in every classroom in the main building of King's Highway School. "The results: there were neither bacteria nor mold found in the building that was dangerous to students or staff," said Landon in a letter dated Monday and addressed to the Minuteman. Landon's letter appears on page A18 of today's Minuteman.
Landon continued, "Nonetheless, in July 2007, Mr. Joseloff unilaterally elected to appoint a committee and an industrial hygienist consultant to study the "mold problem" at the King's Highway School. Months of intense examination of walls, ceilings, ventilation systems and carpeting by Mr. Joseloff's King's Highway Special Maintenance Committee and its consultant was performed from July-October 2007."
Asked for comment on Tuesday evening, Joseloff said he had heard about the letter and that, "I have no response at this time."
Joseloff noted that the issues of air quality would be discussed at the joint work session of the Board of Education and Board of Finance on Wednesday evening and said, "There will be lots of talk about it."
Landon's letter stated that the chair of the committee, Gavin Anderson, and its consultant Gil Cormier, "found no evidence that bacteria and mold deemed dangerous to students or staff had ever migrated into the King's Highway School."
Anderson was reached on Tuesday evening also and he said that he thought Landon's use of the word "dangerous" regarding mold in the school building was "disappointing" and not a word he would have used.
"I can't say that any of the conditions that we found were 'dangerous,' Were they desirable? No," said Anderson. "I would use the word 'harmful.'"
In fact, carpets, ceiling tiles and air-conditioners were all replaced because of mold and air quality issues.
Landon's letter continued by saying that he wanted the students and staff of all schools to have the same attention paid to their buildings as was paid to King's Highway Elementary School and he itemized the $1.88 million of appropriations that the school board was to request from the finance board last night.
This request includes $752,000 for further replacement of carpeting at all schools and $867,818 for re-pointing and sealing of bricks at all schools. It also includes environmental testing, evaluation of air ventilation systems and consulting services.
The schools superintendent concluded his letter by saying, "I would hope that Mr. Joseloff now will speak out publicly and support the Board of Education's $1,881,618 request for funding for environmental matters for all schools, just as he spoke out for funding for environmental matters that were limited to the King's Highway School. He should keep his promise that 'we will look at all schools' in the belief that environmental safety 'is paramount for our children and teachers.'"
Many parents and the president of the teachers' union, among others, criticized Landon on Tuesday night at the Board of Education meeting in Staples High School.
Ed Huydic, president of the teacher's union, the Westport Education Association, said, "I do find it ironic that in October of 2007 the (school board's) agenda includes a discussion on the historical perspective of air quality issues at King's Highway School which is an indication that there is a history."
"There have been some major themes," Huydic said, including the "appearance or perception that the administration is skeptical of health concerns.
"There was a sense that things would always drag on. There would always be a demand for proof that there was an environmental issue. I don't think it's a teacher's responsibility to give proof. There should have been a working partnership," said Huydic.
Teacher Sarah Guterman, a past Teacher of the Year, said that if attention had been paid to her repeated requests for testing for mold, "I feel that we would not be here."
Parent Alison Reilly said after the meeting that many parents, including PTA representative Lauren Tarshis, had requested help of Landon many times in the past year, before finally requesting help of Joseloff.
©Westport Minuteman 2007
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