Stay and fight or cut & run?

November 25, 2004 · Comments

I think [David Pogue](http://www.davidpogue.com) is great. Not only is he funny and entertaining but he has a way of making tech more accessible to people who think they’ll never “get” tech. Mac users have known about him for years, as his seminars at Mac-centered expos are always a huge draw. Personally, I met him about 10 years ago when I was heavily involved in the New York Mac Users Group. David was NYMUG’s first office manager years before he became famous (in tech circles, at least) and he was very nice to come back and pack the house at our meetings.

I still remember having a conversation with him at NYMUG’s downtown office where I found out that he was getting married and he and his bride-to-be had bought a house in Stamford, Connecticut. I was pregnant with Laini, I think. I knew at that point that I would eventually be moving to Stamford as well. I’d like to say that we saw each other at Starbucks or Stop & Shop from time to time, but that never happened. We lived on opposite ends of town, and the only time I ever saw him in Stamford was when he did a [BizMac](http://www.bizmac.com) meeting. I know that he and his wife were upset, rightfully so, about issues around the elementary school where his son attended. This [particular school](http://www.rogersmagnetschool.org/) is a “magnet” school, meaning that students from all over the district can apply to attend the school with its targeted curriculum (I think this particular school is using the International Baccalaureate model). But only a small percentage of their students are there through the magnet draw, the rest are those that live in the zone area which covers both the high-priced ultra-wealthy area where the Pogues lived and also some of the poorest areas of town. I know the Pogues were vocal with the school district and were very involved in the school, and it was disappointing to hear that they ultimately pulled up stakes and left.

I read his [New York Times columns](http://www.nytimes.com/technology/poguesposts/index.html) and I was sad to [read this entry](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/11/technology/circuits/11POGUE-EMAIL):

Over a year ago, my wife and I moved to a new town in Connecticut, horrified by the budget-related deterioration of our public school system. It was literally the best move we ever made.

The only drawback was that even now, a year later, we haven’t been able to sell our old house. We’ve dropped the price three times, but nonetheless haven’t had so much as a nibble of interest (maybe because nobody is particularly interested in moving to a town with a deteriorating public school system).

Ouch. I respect David Pogue. A lot. But while [Stamford Pubic Schools](http://www.stamfordpublicschools.org) has indeed suffered budget cuts in the past few years, I definitely wouldn’t say it’s “deteriorating.” He is, after all, selling his old house for just under $2 Million (I was curious after reading the article so I looked for it on a local real estate site) which may be part of the problem. By comparison, the average house in Stamford is about $600K…pricey, but the Pogues lived in a neighborhood that was on the extreme end of the market.

We are an urban school district of about 15,000 students, 30% of which do not speak English as their primary language, smack in the middle of some of the richest communities in the country (one of which is where the Pogues moved to) where “diversity” means that you buy a BMW instead of a Lexus. I happen to believe that my children are getting a fine education, and the school [they attend](http://stillmeadowct.org/) has posted some of the highest test score gains in the district. You have to remember that Connecticut education standards are among the highest in the country. Having lived in Georgia and spent a lot of time in Florida, I know what the other end of the spectrum looks like.

But I know the district struggles, and we can’t afford to lose families like the Pogues. It’s the reason why in the past few years I have:

1. Started a [parent support group](http://www.scopesnetwork.org) for families of children receiving special education services in our district
2. Serve as a Parent-Teacher Council delegate for my kids’ elementary school, and I’m also on the Board of the Parent-Faculty Organization
3. I was on the planning committee for “Navigating Stamford Public Schools” which was a 1/2 day conference we offered to teach parents how to make the most of their children’s education in our school district. Over 200 parents attended.
4. I try to volunteer in the classrooms as often as I can (which is difficult). Last year I volunteered in the school library once a week for a few months. And of course, Eric and I take a very active role in making sure the girls’ do their homework and work to the top of their potential.

It’s a lot of work. But the pay-off is worth it. Sometimes I wish we could afford to move or send the girls to private school. But we can’t, especially right now, so I have no choice but to dig my heels in and battle alongside other parents who feel like me to try and turn things around. At some point, everyone is faced with a situation that’s less than ideal where you can’t just leave for greener pastures. Public education only works if the public is invested in its success.

I wish the Pogues luck in their new home and I know their kids will do great in the schools they’ll be going to, but I’m sad that they found the situation with Stamford hopeless. Hmmm…maybe he’ll come back some time and do a tech presentation to our PFO? ;-)

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