What Was The Real Reason Schools Stayed Open On Veterans Day?

To the Editor:

After reading Mr Clayton’s response to mine and other letters regarding our schools being open on Veterans’ Day [“Veterans’ Day In NHS Was Time Well Spent,” Letter Hive, 12/4/09], I am very happy to hear that the high school had a fine ceremony recognizing our heroes. It sounds like many of these Americans were honored during that day and I would never want to diminish the importance of that act in any way. I am certain that the Board of Education and faculty feel a debt of gratitude to veterans as any of us should.

However, what I still find bothersome is that no one in any of these articles has addressed the exact reason for deciding to keep the schools open this year. What was the actual priority driving that decision? Was the school system so concerned suddenly that our veterans may not be appropriately honored if as usual, school was not in session that day? Did they feel that they needed to “lead the charge” in making sure that these great Americans were not forgotten with lack of ceremony? As Mr Clayton states: he himself “wore the uniform.” I respect his service equally to that of anyone else. But, he is also the assistant principal, which I would imagine might preclude him from making a reasonably unbiased assessment as to whether or not he should have been offered the choice as a veteran to decide how he personally would spend that day. Obviously, not unlike all the other Newtown school employees, he had that choice removed this year as well as the parents of students who happen to be veterans themselves. I’m fairly confident that most veterans, given the choice, would not simply see it as a day for shopping with a local retailer.

I would love nothing more in fact to be corrected as to what I believe drove the decision this year to keep the schools open, merely making “net school days attended” a priority over honoring our veterans by closing as the traditional gesture dictates. If we decide to stay open during Presidents Day, but decide to hold a history lesson about these leaders, is that time better spent? If for that reason, possibly.

I invite someone from the board to respond and please correct me as to why this decision was actually made. What I’ve heard thus far is only what was done during a very small portion of that day, not why the decision was actually made to remain open. If in fact, the school system, for the first time I can remember, made a conscious decision to open schools to make certain that this important day was properly recognized by our students, I stand corrected and openly applaud them. I would be very interested to know this.

Robert Hoffman

9 Brandywine Lane, Sandy Hook                            December 5, 2009