"Kids Must Have a Voice": Nicole Suddath's letter to the editor on the Press Republican's April 5th Speakout column has appeared

From this morning's Press Republican, Nicole Suddath's response to the controversial April 5th Speakout Column, a column which allows people to vent anonymously. In the same issue that this letter was published, the Press Republican announced that it is tightening editorial standards for the Speakout column.

Kids must have voice 
TO THE EDITOR: Unlike you, I will sign my name to this letter. I just read Speakout and there were two letters questioning why parents let their children speak at budget workshops.

Why shouldn't kids be allowed to speak? Who is impacted the most when budgets get slashed? The kids!

My daughter was one of the students who spoke at the most recent budget workshop at Westport Central School; she spoke with honesty and from the heart. How dare you tell her she should not have a voice. These kids are the real future of Westport; why not let them speak? Furthermore, why don't you listen?

In case you haven't noticed, there are many who have a great love for WCS and all it stands for. If a second-rate school is what you want, go elsewhere. Second best is not in the vocabulary of any student or alumni from WCS. Why do you think we are one of the top-rated schools in the United States? Stop trying to short change the education of our kids to save a few pennies.

You say that kids should worry about homework and parents should worry about money. My daughter did her homework before the meeting. I think it is only right to teach our kids the value of a dollar and to support their beliefs and to teach them to stand up for what they believe in.

I support my daughter and know that what she said is the truth. I listened to what all of the students had to say that night and I will be at WCS on May 18 to vote "Yes" for the 2010-2011 budget.

In the meantime, I will be at all of the softball games, as many of the baseball games I can get to, the John F. Geyer Memorial Concert, the Drama Club show and whatever other student-based activity there is, and yes, the budget meetings. What are you going to attend besides the budget meetings?

Nicole Sudduth

Westport

See also my posts:

• Ulrich Hoffmann weighs in on the April 5th Speakout column in the Press Republican
• A few comments on the discussion of the Westport Central School budget