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Parents press board over Little Brook turnover and Arts & Letters rollout; administration says pilot had strong teacher support
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Summary
At the board meeting, multiple parents raised concerns about teacher turnover, class-size changes at Little Brook, and the district's Arts and Letters curriculum rollout; the superintendent said teacher pilots favored the chosen program and administrators are working to support staff.
Parents and residents used the public comment period at a Princeton Board of Education special meeting to press the board for steps to stabilize Little Brook Elementary amid recent leadership turnover and a contentious curriculum rollout.
Chris Potts, a parent from Poe Road, called Little Brook “the crown jewel of our elementary school system” and urged the board to investigate what he described as declining staff morale and the “very high turnover” among long‑tenured teachers. Potts argued planned grade‑level consolidations will increase class sizes and asked the board to reverse any decisions that would collapse sections in fourth and fifth grade.
Dr. Lasusa responded with enrollment figures and program context: “Right now, we have 80 plus students in the fifth grade … I think 82 in fifth grade, and about 62 in fourth grade,” Dr. Lasusa said, and explained the administration plans to move the 62‑student cohort into three sections next year. She described a selection process for the Arts and Letters curriculum that included teacher pilots and said the district chose the program that 11 of 12 pilot teachers ranked first.
Other parents said implementation appeared too rigid at the kindergarten and first‑grade levels and asked for more classroom flexibility and stronger teacher support. Joe Tardio and other speakers said they support the curriculum’s goals but urged that adoption be accompanied by clearer communication and additional training for teachers.
Dr. Lasusa said the district is gathering staff and parent input, surveying families, and will continue working with principals and teachers to address concerns. She also said the district is pursuing additional special‑education resources and has a meeting scheduled with the state commissioner to discuss funding.
The board did not render a final policy decision during the special meeting; administrators said the matters will be part of continued conversations and upcoming budget and staff meetings.
