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Art teacher urges board to restore elementary art and library positions
Summary
Jennifer Long, an elementary art teacher, told the Board that eliminating an elementary art teacher and a library teacher has made it difficult to sustain curricula and pleaded with the Board to reconsider the cuts; she said, "She will not give up the fight."
Ms. Jennifer Long, art teacher at North Street School and South Elementary School, addressed the Windsor Locks Board of Education during public comment on Jan. 16, 2025 and urged the board to reconsider proposed cuts that would eliminate an elementary art teacher and an elementary library teacher. She told the Board the loss of those positions has made it "extremely difficult" to supply and support art and library curricula and that splitting available time between buildings reduces program quality.
Long said young students benefit from creative expression and early reading engagement, linking those opportunities to success in other subjects. She told the Board, "She will not give up the fight," and asked members to weigh the long-term educational impact of removing dedicated art and library staff. The Board did not take an immediate vote on staffing at the Jan. 16 meeting and will continue budget deliberations.
