Photo: Belmont public school
To the editor:
I am a member of the Belmont Warrant Committee, a long time Town Meeting member and parent of three children who have been educated in the Belmont School system, two of whom have graduated in recent years.
Last week at the Committee’s first meeting since the Coronavirus emergency, I made some rash statements regarding the teachers in the Belmont Schools that I would like to apologize for.
I expressed my frustration with the lack of speed that the Schools have taken to set up learning structures and recommendations for students, based on my own students’ experience thus far. I should not have expressed these frustrations in a way that maligned Belmont teachers or implied that teachers were not spending time planning for online teaching and learning.
I appreciate that our teachers are dedicated to our students. I apologize for these comments. I am from a family of teachers. And, as people who know me are keenly aware, I have been a long time supporter and advocate for the Belmont Schools and their appropriate funding during my time as a Warrant Committee member and as a parent volunteer.
My family, like everyone else’s, has been turned upside-down by this pandemic; one of my daughters is losing her final semester at college and her graduation, and my spouse is working in a hospital ICU. Our family had a particularly rocky day on the day of the Warrant Committee meeting – no excuse for my comments, but I wanted to provide that context.
I will be more constructive in my expressions in the future.
Thank you, and stay well during this time of crisis.
Chris Doyle, Warrant Committee
I’ve also been annoyed by the lack of movement in the school system and can understand your frustration. I wrote to the school committee even before schools closed to tell them to get the superintendent to prepare and I got little response.. A week later my son lost his aide in the classroom. In any case, thanks for explaining and thanks for volunteering for our town on the Warrant Committee.
Rarely do we see an apology following a difficult exchange.in a public meeting.. Reading this solidifies how fortunate we are to have Chris Doyle’s sharp insights and measured approach contributing to her leadership role in our community. Best regards to Chris and her family, and to all families, who are navigating this crisis with a family member on the front lines.