A Connecticut school district is facing backlash after deciding to remove Columbus and Veterans Day from its official holiday calendar in a controversial school board vote last week.
Stamford Public Schools students will no longer have the day off on both holidays for the next two school years after the board voted 5-3 to eliminate them Tuesday night, the Stamford Advocate reported.
Board member Joshua Esses made a motion to delete the holidays from the school calendar at Tuesday’s meeting, arguing that the school year reached too far into the summer and ended in mid-June.
“We should shorten it because it is educationally better for our students,” Esses said of the school year, which state law requires there to be at least 180 school days for students, according to the local newspaper.
He also suggested removing the religious holidays Eid al-Fitr and the second day of Rosh Hashanah from the list of official holidays with the same justification, but that motion did not receive support, the outlet reported.
Esses noted that Veterans Day and Columbus Day would be recognized and celebrated with lesson plans on the meaning of each on the day, a state requirement.
Still, the board’s decision, which was discussed at another meeting earlier this month when it was raised by a different member, sparked outrage from veterans and Italian Americans.
Veteran Alfred Fusco, a founding member of the Stamford chapter of the Italian-American service organization UNICO, told ABC7 the school district’s announcement was a double whammy.
Alfred Fusco, a veteran and founding member of the Stamford chapter of the Italian-American service organization UNICO, told the outlet that the move was a “punch in the gut” for him. abc7ny The Stamford, Connecticut, school board sparked a “calendar controversy” after voting to eliminate the Veterans Day and Columbus Day holidays. tamfordtown
“It was a punch in the stomach. It was terrible. He had no inclination,” Fusco told the station.
The school district defended its decision when contacted by The Post, noting that other districts in the state already keep schools open during the two holidays.
“Stamford Public Schools already hosts many events recognizing our local veterans, and we look forward to continuing that tradition on Veterans Day in 2024 and 2025,” a Stamford Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement.
“In addition, our Department of Teaching and Learning will work to develop Columbus Day programming that will be presented to students in recognition of that federal holiday.”
Much of the debate focused on the particular role of Columbus Day, which has been rejected by some Americans in recent years in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day because of the sordid history surrounding the treatment of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. gave to the native peoples.
One board member cited the length of the 181-day school year that would last through mid-June, arguing that the calendar is too long. abc7ny Versha Munshi-South said she observed a class lesson titled “Columbus: Hero or Villain?” at Dolan Middle School, which made her reconsider vacations. Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Board member Versha Munshi-South said she watched a class lesson titled “Columbus: Hero or Villain?” at Dolan Middle School, which made her reconsider vacations.
“The students used primary sources to research the true history of Columbus, and I can tell you that based on primary source research, no, they did not conclude that Columbus was a hero,” Munshi-South said, according to the Advocate.
“I don’t think it makes sense to teach students one thing in class and then have Columbus Day off. It’s a mixed message to students,” she said.
Another school board member, however, said he viewed Colón as a hero and thought polarization over the issue should not influence his decision.
“There is a lot of polarization with the curriculum, so painting Columbus as a villain is due to polarization and I think we can’t do that publicly,” Becky Hamman said, the outlet reported.
“On Tuesday, January 23, the Stamford BOE approved the 2024-25 and 2025-26 Stamford Public Schools calendars following the approval of a motion for schools to remain open on Columbus Day and Columbus Day. Veterans,” a Stamford Public Schools spokesperson said in a statement.
“Several neighboring districts already keep schools open on Columbus Day and/or Veterans Day, and both Columbus Day and Veterans Day will be recognized on the Stamford Public Schools calendar along with other holidays and religious observances that occur when school is in session.”
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