NEW FAIRFIELD — A former student has created a 34-minute video outlining complaints that some parents, students and teachers have been making about New Fairfield public schools for the last year, focusing on dissatisfaction with the superintendent.

The student, using a pseudonym, posted the video, titled “Take Our Schools Back,” on YouTube on Monday. In a series of original interviews and clips from public meetings, the video summarizes many of the charges made publicly against Superintendent Alicia Roy and the school board over the last several months.

Among the charges are complaints about poor teacher and student morale, declining test scores, problems with the district’s special education program, and a lack of response by the school board.

“Teacher morale is probably the lowest I’ve ever seen it in my 30 years in the district,” said Keith Conway, the president of the New Fairfield Education Association in an interview in the video. “There is a climate of fear; people are afraid of retaliation.”

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Laura Consiglio, who was identified as a resident and a parent, said the issues cited are ongoing and systemic.

“When you start looking at the whole picture, and you realize that the incidences are not isolated to one or two families and they are not isolated to even one population, this isn’t isolated to just special ed parents, it becomes very concerning,” she said.

In May, 70 percent of the teachers cast a vote of no confidence in Roy and more than 530 people have signed an online petition expressing similar sentiments since it was launched in March.

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The student who posted the video said it took took almost the entire summer to complete. The student said Roy and school board Chairman Steve Burfeind were not contacted during the video’s production.

“After the petitions and the no-confidence vote by teachers, I really don’t know what else can be done to garner public attention to the matter,” the student wrote in an email. “We need help, and thus far, it hasn’t been coming.”

Douglas DeRito, the school board‘s newest member, said board members should respond to such complaints in a public meeting.

“I think we should respond to every point made in that video,” DeRito said. “I think they’re legitimate concerns.”

Board vice chairwoman Amy Tozzo and member Samantha Mannion agreed.

“It is disappointing and disturbing to have so many unhappy parents and teachers,” Tozzo wrote in an email. “I can only speak for myself; however, this BOE needs to step up and push this district forward. We can have an excellent school district if we come together and put a comprehensive plan in place.”

To see the “Take Our Schools Back” video:

http://bit.ly/2bikK4Z

 

“So much of this is taken from public comment over the past eighteen months,” Mannion said in an email. “However, when it’s strung all together like this, it makes me realize how much more work we need to do to regain the public trust. I think we have a ways to go.”

Board member Susan Starr said in an email on Monday that she hadn’t watched the entire video so she wasn’t able to comment.

“However, I look forward to doing so in the future,” Starr said.

Roy did not respond to a request for comment.

Also in the video, a former student said in an interview he was bullied constantly for being gay, and that when he told Roy about it her response was, “Maybe you should tone it down, because you’re asking for it.”

Another former student outlined the struggles her family went through to get her brother special education services. She said he only got the services after the family put pressure on the district and brought in an advocate.