Cotter Wants Less Testing, More Transparency On School Comm.

New Bedford School Committee Candidate Chris Cotter says there's need to be more transparency on the committee. 

Speaking with WBSM's Brian Thomas, Cotter says it seems that at many meetings the outcome is already determined and there is virtually no discussion about opposing points of view.

"The committee itself has a set agenda when it comes to the meeting," said Cotter "and that agenda is, 'Item A all in favor, it's an ay' there's no dissention, there's no open discussion for the open forum that these meetings are to be discussed."

In keeping with his calls for increased transparency Cotter has also proposed a way to make the school department budget more accessible to the public.

"That's something that should be available for people to look at online, as far as then we can analyze and pick and choose where we think certain moneys are being distributed," said Cotter.

Cotter also says that schools have become too reliant on testing.

While saying there is a place for testing, Cotter says New Bedford Schools have put too much of a focus on it, to the detriment of the students.

"I think the over testing of children has gone way overboard and I think that's where a lot of things have gotten lost in transition of being the educators, to just data driven and watching data and I think that's where we've gone wrong," said Cotter.

Election Day is November 3.