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Goals: Important in Hockey, Soccer and Basketball, and to Boards of Education
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CAPSS explores personalized learning Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE
Nicholas D. Caruso, Jr. Sr. Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of Technology, CABE
Record attendance at CABE/CAPSS Convention (see pages 6,7,8,9,10,12 for highlights)
Tedone re-elected CABE President At the 2012 CABE/CAPSS Convention Lydia Tedone, Chair of the Simsbury Board of Education, was re-elected President of CABE. Lydia was elected to the Simsbury Board in 1997. She is currently the Chair of the Simsbury Board of Education. She has been active in the Association, serving as First Vice President, Vice President for Government Relations and Chairman of the Federal Relations Committee. Lydia has been a member of the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) since 2000, and served as chairman in 20072008. She has represented Simsbury at the CABE Delegate Assembly.
81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242
of Boards of Education Inc. Connecticut Association
There is a mantra that board of education members hear from the first day of their terms: “Board members have no individual authority. Only the entire board of education, in a legally constituted meeting, has the authority to do anything!� That being said, your superintendent and staff need some overall direction from the board as a whole to move the district forward. In the absence of goals, they have to try to figure out how seven or nine or even more individuals want things to take place. Imagine trying to work for nine different bosses, each with their own unique expectations! Goals allow the board and staff to focus on the mutually-agreed upon work. Goals can take many shapes, from fullblown strategic planning to simple statements of expectations. Goals normally fall into one of two categories: District Goals – Goals related to the work of the district, with roles and expectations of a variety of people and; Board Goals – Goals related directly to the work of the Board of Education. District goals should focus on the educational expectations of the board. District goals are generally deliberately See GOALS page 19
December 2012
Other officers elected were: Richard Murray, First Vice President, Killingly; Ann Gruenberg, Vice President for Government Relations, Hampton; Stephen Wright, Vice President for Lydia Tedone Professional Development, Trumbull; Robert Mitchell, Secretary/Treasurer, Montville; and Don Blevins will serve as Immediate Past President. Elected as Area Directors to the CABE Board of Directors were: Area 1 CoDirectors Susan Hoffnagle, Winchester, Mari-Ellen Valyo, Winchester and Daniel Santorso, Plymouth; Area 2 Co-Directors Don Harris, Bloomfield, Becky Tyrrell, Plainville and Susan Karp, Glastonbury; Area 3 Director Laura Bush,Vernon; Area 4 Co-Directors Douglas Smith, Plainfield and Steve Rosendahl, Woodstock; Area 6 Co-Directors Gavin Forrester, Stratford and Elaine Whitney, Westport; Area 7 CoDirectors Sheila McCreven, Woodbridge and John Prins, Branford; Area 8 Director Pamela Meier, Madison; and Area 9 Director Gail MacDonald, Stonington.
One of the most important and valuable recommendations from CAPSS’ educational transformation project, NextEd, was that learning should be personalized to “give all students the opportunity to learn at high levels.â€? The basic idea is that rather than the current use of passed courses (using “Carnegie unitsâ€?) to determine movement in grades to graduation, each student would move forward at the speed that is appropriate for him or her. NextEd also contained the idea that achievement should be the constant and time the variable in our schools, rather than vice versa. This is something that CABE readily endorses. It makes sense that rather than each student spend one year in each grade (the system under which we all grew up), that we need to move to a system that will be competency-, rather than time-based. But, CAPSS is not offering just a competency-based system. It is really about tailoring individual student learning to the needs of each student. CAPSS is presenting two full-day workshops on these issues. I was fortunate enough to attend the first‌ and I thought it important that board members and superintendents not in attendance understand what personalized learning would look like, how it would change our school systems and what resources it would require. See CAPSS page 19
INSIDE THIS EDITION Policy direction needed social media ... 4 Nutmeg Board ...................................... 5 CABE Delegate Assembly ................... 6 CABE/CAPSS Convention .................. 6 Leadership Award winners ................... 7 Communications Award winners ......... 12 U.S. Supreme Court ............................. 14 Coventry increase requirements ......... 15 What are Alliance Districts doing to increase student growth? .............16
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
PRESIDENT COMMENTARY
From learning to leading During the recent CABE/CAPSS Convention in November, I thanked you for your continued support of my leading this great organization—Your organization. Last year my theme was a “Call to Action.” I challenged you to harness your collective power to bring about positive change in our educational system in our state. Change did come. You took your role beyond your own district’s boardroom to the steps not only of the Connecticut State Legislature, but also to Congress. You became stronger advocates for your communities, your schools and your students. Some of you even won seats in the November election to higher offices because you recognized that in order for us to be effective advocates for public education, we must not only work in tandem, but educate our legislators on our most pressing challenges in guiding and operating our school systems. As I travel across the country and abroad, I have had the opportunity to attend a number of Educational Conferences. Whether hosted by fellow State Associations, NSBA, or Advancing Professional Learning, our roles in local school governance influence every district, teacher and student every day. Our decisions affect every aspect of our K-12 public education system, and while our number one mission is to provide the best possible education for all children, just how do we shape and define our agenda for the future? Simply doing a good job is not good enough. We have to do a good job and communicate it, from our communities to Congress. Better support for public schools is possible, but requires courageous leadership and strategic approaches for dramatic improvements in our schools. Here’s my story: While picking up a handcrafted table for a donation item for our Convention, the teacher of technology education/aerospace engineering commented how proud his students were of their work that was being showcased to hundreds of people. I confessed to him, that I could not remember his name while he confessed he knew who I was, but didn’t know, “what I really did.” My fifteen second elevator speech on our district’s mission, etc., was connected with his mission. Andrew related he had been a student outside the “funnel” of high school, later joining the army for six years as a helicopter crew chief in Iraq and Afghanistan, returning home to become a teacher. He saw war which gave him a global perspective. He mentioned his present mission, his most important, is that every day he tries to be an advocate for his students. His philosophy? Every child in his classroom deserves that chance to succeed. I asked Andrew “how can I help and best serve you?” His answer: “ Educate us (his colleagues) more about what we really do. Knowing and perception gets lost in translation. Eliminate the shroud of secrecy that exists at times. Accelerate the phrase of just knowing what goes on in our schools. Align ourselves with the same principles because when we approach from different angles, our angles get so steep.” He drew on similarities between a classroom teacher and military life. Defining leadership is an integral teaching tool he uses in his classroom. Creating options for success for his students or representing the underrepresented student as he once felt in high school has become a focus of growth and learning through engagement in and outside the school day. I admired his openness, candidness and truthfulness. As our conversation drew to a close, his question became more of a challenge to me: as a board member; in which direction would I now be headed? Not just in implementation of agendas, but as an effective leader and how we create a following that recognizes each
building’s shared vision, knowledge, values and commitments help move the district forward? Andrew finished by commenting, “board members are the link, the bridge between community and school. Our unique perspective and trust is earned when we have our ear to the ground while understanding and respecting all constituencies.” Educational leadership Lydia Tedone is difficult. Advocacy iseffective only if you understand and are committed to your goals. As leaders focus on learning, strong local board leadership and good governance contribute to higher performing schools and better student outcomes. My challenge to you is look at your own leadership, champion your own personal passion, have the courage to use your own personal voice, listen to every point of view, take the risk to educate, advocate and share your own story. In conclusion, I’ll paraphrase Andrew, “We owe it to ourselves to do our best every day as forward thinkers, becoming united, while walking in the same direction, as we can walk ten times faster than any education reform, because public education is the greatest education of all and our work is to create effective public schools that serve all children.”
CAPSS selects Richards as Superintendent of the Year Dr. Gary Richards, Superintendent of Schools in Wilton, was named the 2013 Superintendent of the Year at the CABE/CAPSS Convention Friday morning general session. Dr. Richards has served as Superintendent in Wilton since 2004. His previous experience includes superintendent of Oak Park Public Schools in California and the New Canaan Public Schools. In the San Marino California Public Schools he held positions of Assistant Superintendent-Curriculum and Instruction, High School Principal and Assistant Principal-Instruction and Pupil Personnel Services. CAPSS Executive Director Joseph Cirasuolo stated, “Dr. Richards serves as a model for the general public and for Connecticut’s superintendents by providing the kind of leadership that supports and enhances high quality educational programs and services for students.” Dr. Richards is very active in his community and at the State level through the Connecticut Association of Secondary School Superintendents. Congratulations!!
CABE Board of Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Lydia Tedone .................................................. President, Simsbury Richard Murray ............................. First Vice President, Killingly Ann Gruenberg ........... VP for Government Relations, Hampton Stephen Wright ............. VP for Professional Development, Trumbull Robert Mitchell ................................. Secretary/Treasurer, Westport Don Blevins ................................................ Immediate Past President John Prins ............................................................... Member at Large
AREA DIRECTORS Susan Hoffnagle ....................... Area 1 Co-Director, Winchester Mari-Ellen (Mimi) Valyo ........ Area 1 Co-Director, Winchester Daniel Santorso ........................... Area 1 Co-Director, Plymouth Becky Tyrrell ................................. Area 2 Co-Director, Plainville Susan Karp ..................................... Area 2 Co-Director, Glasbonbury Don Harris ........................................ Area 2 Co-Director, Bloomfield Laura Bush .................................................. Area 3 Director, Vernon Douglas Smith ...................................... Area 4 Co-Director, Plainfield Steve Rosendahl .............................. Area 4 Co-Director, Woodstock Gavin Forrester ................................... Area 6 Co-Director, Stratford Elaine Whitney ................................... Area 6 Co-Director, Westport Sheila McCreven ........................... Area 7 Co-Director, Woodbridge John Prins ............................................ Area 7 Co-Director, Branford Pamela Meier ............................................. Area 8 Director, Madison Gail MacDonald .................................... Area 9 Director, Stonington
ASSOCIATES Eileen Baker ........................................... Associate, Old Saybrook Sharon Beloin-Saavedra .......................... Associate, New Britain Gary Brochu ........................................................ Associate, Berlin Robert Guthrie .......................................... Associate, West Haven Cal Heminway ................................................... Associate, Granby COMMITTEE CHAIRS Elizabeth Brown ............................ Chair, State Relations, Montville Beverly Washington ....................... Chair, Federal Relations, Groton Becky Tyrrell ....................................... Chair, Resolutions, Plainville
CITY REPRESENTATIVES Jacqueline Kelleher ......................... City Representative, Bridgeport Matthew Poland ................................. City Representative, Hartford Carlos Torre ................................... City Representative, New Haven Polly Rauh ......................................... City Representative, Stamford Charles Stango ............................... City Representative, Waterbury
STAFF Robert Rader ...................................................................... Executive Director Patrice McCarthy ................................ Deputy Director and General Counsel Bonnie Carney ........................................... Sr. Staff Associate for Publications Nicholas Caruso ............................................ Sr. Staff Assoc. for Field Service and Coord. of Technology Sheila McKay ............................ Sr. Staff Associate for Government Relations Kelly Moyher ......................................................................... Sr. Staff Attorney Vincent Mustaro ..................................... Sr. Staff Associate for Policy Service Lisa Steimer .............................. Sr. Staff Assoc. for Professional Development Teresa Costa ............................... Coordinator of Finance and Administration Pamela Brooks ......................... Sr. Admin. Assoc. for Policy Ser. /Search Ser. Terry DeMars .............................................. Admin. Assoc. for Policy Service Melissa Dickinson ........................... Admin. Assist. for Membership Services Gail Heath ...................................... Admin. Assoc. for Government Relations Wilmarie Newton ...................................... Admin. Assoc. for Labor Relations Corliss Ucci .............................. Receptionist/Asst. to the Executive Director
The CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published monthly except a combined issue for July/August as a member service of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109, (860) 571-7446. CABE membership dues include $30 per person for each individual who receives The CABE Journal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75. Association membership dues include a subscription for each board member, superintendent, assistant superintendent and business manager. The companies and advertisements found in The CABE Journal are not necessarily endorsed by CABE. “Periodicals Postage Paid at Hartford, CT.” POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CABE Journal, CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. Email: bcarney@cabe.org. Members can find the CABE Journal online at: www.cabe.org/ userlogin.cfm?pp=84&userrequest=true&keyrequest=false& userpage=84
The Journal
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– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY
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Ability to compromise should be put in government holiday stockings! I’m writing this the day after the presidential election. It would have been nice to hear each side state that it would have been willing to really compromise on some issues. Nope. While some things have changed, Washington remains split. As some pundits have asked, why did we spend these enormous amounts of money, put the nation through the tumult (and the political ads) and the hyped debates, if we end up pretty much in the same spot? Well, that’s democracy. Sometimes messy, but it beats all the other systems! Still, our nation must face critical challenges. First, we face the fiscal abyss: going over the cliff would have enormous negative consequences for our nation and for public education. Sequestration, the across-the-board spending cuts that will become effective if Congress and the President cannot agree on what must be done to save us from financial devastation, will become effective next month. Compromise, that is, a combination of new taxes and spending cuts, will be required if sequestration is to be avoided.
Sequestration’s Harm to Public Education According to information we received from the National School Boards Association (NSBA) provided to our congressional delegation and have used below, across the nation, sequestration would impose more than $4 billion reduction in school district funding in FY 2013. Here in Connecticut, it would reduce funding for elementary and secondary education programs, including Head Start, by more than $28 million in FY2013 alone. When we estimate the cuts in federal funding for our own school districts, we know that the impact will be devastating. And these federal cuts will come at a time when our own state and local budgets are unable to adequately fund our education programs here in Connecticut. For several years, our school districts have managed flat state education aid (cuts once inflation is figured in) and declines in local revenues for education. In addition, there were federal budget cuts in FY2011. However, our ability to absorb additional budget cuts is extremely limited now. Any further reductions at many schools here and across the country would result in larger class sizes, narrowing of the curriculum, less access to intervention programs that help close achievement gaps, possible four-day school weeks, loss of extracurricular activities, and teacher and staff lay-offs. All of this is happening at a time of increased accountability and focus on our
schools, including the implementation of Common Core Standards, professional evaluation and support systems and, in the near future, secondary school reform. Ultimately, Congress can rescind the sequestration provisions of the Budget Control Act before they are scheduled to become effective on January 2, 2013. Although elementary and secondary education investments comprise roughly one percent of the federal budget, imposing sequestration on these programs will not lead to long-term fiscal stability or a significant amount of deficit reduction. As significant as these cuts are for education, they would reduce federal spending by only 8/100ths of one percent. As we told our delegation, the budget
Robert Rader
tricts. Good boardsmanship requires understanding the needs of all board members and finding avenues in which as many as possible agree. When it comes time to support and advocate for the budget, boards, together with their superintendents need to be as unified as possible. They must present and advocate for a budget that helps all the children in the community. They must also understand the challenges facing the local financial authority and, help the authority understand the challenges that
“Without more resources, and cuts after years of ECS freezes, will make it almost impossible to achieve comprehensive reform in a way that will help our students, strengthen our professional staff and set us on a path to preparing every student for success after high school… and college.” cuts that sequestration would impose, especially over the 10 years it is legislated to occur, would cripple our schools as they work hard to close achievement gaps with scarce resources, erode investments in our future workforce, and deal a severe blow to local and national economies with greater unemployment and dependence on social services.
The State Meanwhile, the Governor and the Legislature will have to reconcile the State’s fiscal issues, while attempting to close the achievement gap and increase the success (both in testing and other indicia of growth) of all our students. Compromise, hopefully well-thought out, will also be necessary. Without more resources and years of ECS freezes, will make it almost impossible to achieve comprehensive reform in a way that will help our students, strengthen our professional staff and set us on a path to preparing every student for success after high school… and college.
Local Boards and Their Chairs For local school boards, compromise must not only be a part of this winter and spring’s budget discussions, but in all manner by which you govern your dis-
school boards face. Board chairs have a special role in both developing the budget consensus and advocating in their districts. They need to “scan the environment” and understand the political atmosphere in their town or city if they are going to be successful. They need to work hard to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and that the board is as close to consensus as possible. We at CABE have, therefore, been especially pleased by the good turnout and follow-up by chairs who have attended our Board Roundtables. They have had lively discussions around a number of issues and seem poised to make a big contribution this year in our advocacy efforts. While I understand that this is the holiday season everyone, well, almost everyone, is of good cheer. But, it will take more than good feelings to reach our goals. Compromise, not on principles, but, yes, on substantive issues, must be seen as a necessary part of democracy – not something to be fought or feared. If CABE can help your Board work more effectively and efficiently, in the spirit of compromise and better help you understand how to accomplish your goals, please let us know. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERY ONE!
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
Policy direction needed for district-sponsored social media Vincent A. Mustaro Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABE
As the use of social networking sites and other online technologies (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, or blogs) continues to grow, school districts must balance the advantages of using such technologies as important communications and educational tools with concerns about the potential for inappropriate use of the sites. School districts may use social media, along with their websites, to share news and information with students, parents, staff and the community. However, the public nature of such sites creates additional challenges that districts should consider before deciding to sponsor a site and when establishing user guidelines. The biggest challenge is the inability to control the content in the same manner that a website can be controlled. It is recommended that policies and administrative regulations distinguish between sites that are approved and officially sponsored by the district and those that may be created by students, staff or members of the public which may discuss school issues but which the district cannot control. Any official site should clearly express the purpose of the site, contain a disclaimer that the views and comments expressed on the site do not necessarily reflect the views of the local school
district and advise users that the site will be monitored. The school district may prohibit content that is obscene, libelous, and defamatory or so incites students as to create a clear and present danger of the commission of unlawful acts on school premises, violation of school rules or substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school. Any such postings, and any postings not related to the stated purpose of the site, may be removed. Increasing numbers of districts are using social media platforms to support their community outreach and public relations efforts. Such sites allow greater interaction and collaboration with individuals in the school community and thus can be useful communications tools. Many school districts nationwide have created an official district (i.e., district-sponsored) social media platform. “Social media� is defined as an online platform for collaboration, interaction, and active participation, including social networking sites. To minimize liability to the district, it is important that the district’s social medial policy clearly define the official social media platforms over which it has control, and to specify the standards, guidelines, and protocols for their use. An “official district social media platform� is commenly defined as a site
Running a district is hard Lighten your load with an updated policy manual
authorized by the Superintendent or designee. Sites that have not been authorized by the Superintendent or designee but that contain content related to the school district or comments on district operations, such as a site created by a parent-teacher organization, booster club, or other school-connected organization or a student’s or employee’s personal site, are not considered official district social media platforms. Moreover, because of the open accessibility of social media, content will be posted by members of the public on
“ . . . individual board of education members using social media platforms must be careful not to violate the Freedom of Information Act through engaging in a series of communications involving a majority of the board discussing, deliberating, or taking action on an item of district business outside of an authorized meeting.� the district’s official platform without prior approval by district staff. By allowing the public to post comments, some legal analysts have opined that a “limited public forum� is created which grants individuals certain freedom of speech rights and limits the district’s ability to remove comments or posts. In order to protect against possible constitutional challenges, any removal of content by the district should be based on view-point neutral considerations, such as prohibitions on posts that violate laws against discrimination or harassment or that are unrelated to the purpose of the site. In addition, in order to help maintain the district’s ability to remove content, users should be informed of the purpose of the site and the limited nature of the discussion and district staff should regularly monitor sites so that materials are removed in an even-handed and consistent manner. This issue is handled in the accompanying administrative regulation to the
of bullying by means of an electronic posting. When staff and students misuse the district’s technological resources, they also may be subject to cancellation of user privileges in accordance with the district’s Acceptable Use Policy. Communication on social media platforms may also raise legal issues for users regarding public records laws. In addition, individual board of education members using social media platforms must be careful not to violate the Freedom of Information Act through engaging in a series of communications involving a majority of the board discussing, deliberating, or taking action on an item of district business outside of an authorized meeting. In addition, posted information may also be considered a public record. A new policy, #1114, “DistrictSponsored Social Media� with an accompanying administrative has been prepared and is available upon request for district consideration and use. This is considered an “optional� policy for inclusion in the district’s policy manual.
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You need an up-to-date policy manual to run your district effectively. CABE can help. Our policy specialists will assist in updating your manual, ensuring your district’s policies are current and up-to-date with the Connecticut statutes. Call Vincent Mustaro, Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service (860) 571-7446 or (800) 317-0033 to begin updating your manual today.
policy addressing this topic. It is recommended that the district legal counsel be consulted prior to adopting the policy and regulation pertaining to this topic in order to ensure that any provisions related to the removal of posts or discipline of students or staff is consistent with law. Staff and students who post prohibited content on official district social media platforms are subject to discipline in accordance with district policies and regulations. A student may be subject to disciplinary action, including suspension and expulsion, if he/she engages in an act
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
5
See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education
The Nutmeg Board deals with religion in the schools “Ho- Ho- Happy Holidays” Thomas B. Mooney, Esq. Shipman & Goodwin
The Nutmeg Board of Education makes many mistakes. The latest imbroglio created by the board will be reported here each issue, followed by an explanation of what the board should have done. Though not intended as legal advice, these situations may help board members avoid common problems. Bob Bombast, veteran member of the Nutmeg Board of Education, was surprised when he called Acorn Elementary School to inquire about a meeting he was supposed to attend. “Ho- Ho- Happy Holidays!” answered the school secretary. Bob hung up in shock. The Nutmeg Public Schools shouldn’t be promoting religion, Bob thought to himself. What else is going on? Bob set about to find out. Without any of the usual niceties, Bob drove right over to Acorn Elementary School. He was immediately concerned as he walked into the school and saw a Christmas tree in the foyer, with brightly wrapped “presents” beneath the tree. When he came into the office, the longtime school secretary greeted Bob with
the same “Ho- Ho- Happy Holidays.” Bob was shocked to see her wearing a Santa hat. What next, he thought? Bob looked around the office, and he saw a sign-up sheet for a Secret Santa party, admonishing the participants that they had to spend between $10 and $20 for the present. Then, “Fa la la la . . .” echoed in the hall, and the sound got louder. Bob opened the door to the school office, and he saw a group of students walking down the hall, Ms. Treble-Clef right behind them, singing Christmas carols. Bob had seen enough. As the Chairperson of the Policy Committee, Bob was ready to act. He drafted a new policy prohibiting holiday celebrations: The Nutmeg Public Schools honor the religious traditions of all cultures. However, religion has no place in a public school. Any activities related to religion, directly or indirectly, are hereby prohibited. Such activities include, but are not limited to impersonating or referring to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, or conducting holiday celebrations or music.
Seventh Edition Now Available
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That should do it, Bob thought. But Bob decided to bring up this policy at the next Board meeting without warning so that the diehards would not be prepared to object. During New Business at the meeting last night, Bob raised his hand and asked to be recognized. He asked the Board for an indulgence. “With the coming of Christmas and all the related activities, we need to act quickly. I have prepared a policy for Board action, and I ask that you vote to place this matter on this evening’s agenda.” Red Cent noticeably stiffened when he heard the news. “Wait a minute, Bob. Though you chair the Policy Committee, you know that I am on the Committee as well. I don’t remember discussing this at any of our meetings. I must protest!” “Don’t worry, Red. I simply exercised the prerogative of the Chair, had a little meeting at home with myself and wrote the draft policy,” Bob responded. “You can just vote along with the other Board members, OK?” “Not really. I feel dissed now,” sulked Red. However, the other Board members were perfectly happy to give Bob the courtesy of placing the matter of his draft policy on the agenda, and all but Red voted to do so. The more difficult question, however, was whether the Board should adopt Bob’s policy. What should it do? The question of religion in the schools has been a challenge for the last forty plus years. It is clear that Bob overreacted. Some symbols and activities have become separate cultural icons disconnected from their religious roots. Moreover, school districts are not required to (and indeed sometimes may not) prohibit religious expression in school. However, irrespective of what is or is not permitted, school officials must strive to maintain an inclusive school atmosphere for all students. Before discussing holiday celebrations in school, we should take a moment to review Bob’s “committee meeting.” Bob could not really conduct a Policy Committee meeting on his own if committees operate by quorum in Nutmeg. Under board bylaws, a quorum is usually defined as a majority of the members of the board or of the committee. Of course there was no quorum when Bob drafted this new policy. This situation raises another issue. Committees of or created by a public agency are themselves public agencies. As such, they are subject to the FOIA requirements of posting and public access except for legitimate executive session topics. If a quorum is defined by board bylaws as a majority, a meeting of two members of a three-member committee can create a quorum that requires compliance with Freedom of Information Act requirements. All such meetings should be posted, minutes should be kept, etc. As to Bob’s draft policy, there are both
legal and practical problems. To start the analysis, we note that public school officials must be neutral in matters of religion. In accordance with the (in) famous test from Lemon v. Kurzman (1971), school officials must always ask (1) is there a secular purpose in an action, (2) does it advance or inhibit religion, and (3) does it entangle school officials with religion? Here, Bob’s draft policy clearly has a secular purpose, that of assuring that school personnel do not violate their constitutional obligations. However, its broad sweep violates the second prong and could also be seen as endorsing religion, an alternative test the Supreme Court has also used in considering such issues. Specifically, as written the policy is problematic because it could be construed as hostile to religion. Religious speech should not be disfavored. Students have the right to engage in religious activities when they do so independently, and prohibiting student religious speech per se would inhibit religion. Religious speech by school officials stands on a different footing, and teachers and others must be careful in school not to advance or inhibit religion, or to be seen as endorsing religion. However, music from various religious traditions is part of our culture, and celebrating those traditions in an evenhanded way is certainly permissible. We must also separate religious speech from cultural artifacts. Rudolf the RedNosed Reindeer is hardly religious speech. Moreover, Christmas trees, presents and Santa himself have come into our culture. Their presence in our schools would not likely be seen as promoting religion, especially if artifacts from other cultural traditions are also displayed. Thus, the premise of Bob’s policy – that such things must be banned from our schools – is flawed. The secretary’s greeting, Ho- Ho- Happy Holidays, for example, may be annoying to some, but it does not raise constitutional issues. However, we note that greeting callers and visitors is a job-related function, and thus the secretary has no free speech right to use such a greeting. That all said, the fact that certain activities, such as Santa giving gifts or having a Christmas tree in the foyer, may be legal does not mean it is a good idea. School officials should exercise their discretion in a manner that welcomes all students and does not convey a message of exclusion to any. Thus, even though Bob was typically ham-handed in his response, his concerns were indeed legitimate. Attorney Thomas B. Mooney is a partner in the Hartford law firm of Shipman & Goodwin who works frequently with boards of education. Mooney is a regular contributor to the CABE Journal.
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
CABE Delegate Assembly • November 15, 2012
Becky Tyrrell (Plainville) Resolutions Chair; Don Blevins, Parliamentarian; Lydia Tedone (Simsbury) President; Patrice McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE; Ann Gruenberg (Hampton) Vice President for Government Relations; and Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE.
2012 CABE/CAPSS Convention Highlights
Board members from around the state gathered at the CABE Delegate Assembly to vote on the resolutions that will become CABE’s guiding principles for the 2013 Legislative Session.
General Session Speakers
Honorees
Stephen Wright (Trumbull) Vice President for Professional Development, CABE Superintendent John Tindall-Gibson (Naugatuck) President, CAPSS and Lydia Tedone (Simsbury) President, CABE
Friday Morning speaker Mary Broderick
CAPSS 2013 Superintendent of the Year Gary Richards from Wilton
CABE Philip S. Fenster Distinguished Service Award recipient Don Blevins
State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor
Saturday morning speaker Pedro Noguera Friday Banquet speaker Gina Barreca
CABE Executive Director Robert Rader Connecticut Teacher of the Year finalists John S. Mason, III, Jennifer Carvallio, Catherine Mazzotta and Connecticut Teacher of the Year for 2013 Blaise Messinger
CAPSS Executive Director Joseph Cirasuolo
Saturday Lunchen Student Panel Paige Cantwell, Senior, Glastonbury High School; Adrianna Kelly, Sophomore, North Haven High School; and Obi Etuka, Sophomore, Xavier High School, Middletown.
Diane Ullman, Chief Talent Officer, Connecticut State Department of Education, 2012 Superintendent of the Year, presented the 2013 Superintendent of the Year to Gary Richards..
CABE’s 2012 Friend of Public Education award winner Virginia “Ginny” Seccombe
The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
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2012 CABE/CAPSS Convention Highlights Workshops
Roles and responsibilities of board members and superintendents was discussed by CAPSS Executive Director Joseph Cirasuolo, CAPSS President John Tindall-Gibson (Naugatuck); CABE President Lydia Tedone (Simsbury); and CABE Executive Director Robert Rader
The Nutmeg Board of Education held its annual meeting. The meeting was called to order by Attorneys Anne Littfield and Richard Mills from Shipman & Goodwin. Those in attendance were: Ronald Goldstein (Colchester) Mr. Chairperson; Chris Pattacini (Manchester) Bob Bombast; Kathy O’Donnell-Moss (Berlin) Mal Content; Eileen Baker (Old Saybrook) Penny Pincher; Karen Bergin (Bolton) Red Cent; Patricia Charles (Middletown) Ms. Superintendent; Tony Distasio (Plymouth) Peter Parent; and Ellie Cruz (Hebron) Nancy Newshound.
Students from around the state attended the Convention on Saturday. One of the workshops designed specifically for them was Students Representatives on Boards of Eduation: Policy into Practice. This workshop was led by Eileen Baker, Old Saybrook Board of Education member.
Members of the Connecticut State Board of Education met with Convention participants. Those in attendance were: Moderator Lydia Tedone, Patricia Keavney-Maruca, Charles A. Jaskiewicz, III, Stephen Wright, Chair Allan Taylor, and Commissioner Pryor. Not pictured but part of the discussion was Patricia B. Luke.
Congratulations to the CABE Board of Distinction winners - Level II What makes you board’s leadership especially effective in improving student achievement? Berlin Board of Education is completely focused on student achievement.
From the start of its meeting when the board chair states its mission statement, to the board agenda which practically eliminates non-student achievement items, to the use of student presentations to illustrate key student achievement initiatives, to the board’s preparation work with administrators and teacher on presentation concerning student achievement. To accomplish this focus the board has designed a committee structure directly aligned with their goals and its implementation. East Lyme Board of Education provides support and resources for
teachers and administrator development; provides support to try new improvements within the district such as our new Coastal Connection Program at the high school; provides the support for planning and implementing a five-year computer/ IT technology replacement and enhancement program.
Granby Board of Education has been extremely supportive of public education both within the state and the local community. Granby schools have benefited from strong and consistent board leadership and decision-making over a period of many years. The board works collaboratively and supportively with the community and town officials in a nonpartisan fashion as strong advocates for students and education. Granby schools have received many honors of the past years. Montville Board of Education works together to improve student achievement. Their goal is to engage in a cycle of continuous improvement to ensure all students are educated with high standards
Accelerate Reading Success) programs. Providing a strong program of professional development for all staff is another way that the Plainville works to improve student achievement. and achieve at the highest levels of learning in the schools.
Old Saybrook Board of Education works to improve student achievement by relating their mission statement and goals to agenda items. They support the appropriate use of technology in educational programming. The Board uses data to make informed decisions regarding student achievement. They also sponsor a community-wide discussion of issues.
Plainville Board of Education lives its vision statement “Promote: a challenging environment creating an extraordinary community to learners” in all that it does. The board has supported initiatives designed to improve student achievement starting with our youngest children in the form of our Reading Recovery and STARS (Strategies to
Plymouth Board of Education is effective and supportive in improving student
achievement in a variety of ways. They are involved in providing students with valuable learning experiences, support the development of methods to improve the use of achievement data to help shape instruction, and provide the necessary resources in identified areas of need. The Board supports Pearson Inform which will allow teachers and administrators to input student achievement data into the program which will assist staff in adjusting instruction based on student needs.
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
CABE Board of Distinction winners - Level II (continued from page 7) Putnam Board of Education and the superintendent work in partnership to
collaborate with the community to provide effective programs and procedures designed to improve student achievement.
Simsbury Board of Education has an in-depth understanding of continuous improvement as it relates to establishing goals, allocating resources and aligning efforts to support student needs.
education of its students by supporting the implementation of full day kindergarten across the district. The Board also supports ongoing professional development opportunities for staff that raised expectations for students entering kindergarten as well as for the students as they transition to grade one. including at the Board level. The Board recognizes that parent involvement is critical to the academic success of students.
Wethersfield Board of Education made Stratford Board of Education devela strong commitment to the future oped district goals with the primary focus being on student academic achievement. The Board became invested in the state’s CALI initiatives, data analysis, and revision of existing and implementation of new curricula throughout the district. Data driven decision making is now engrained throughout the district
Also, receiving the CABE Board of Distinction Award was the Madison Board of Education. Congratulations to all the Level II winners!
Madison Board of Education
Congratulations to the CABE Board Recognition Award winners - Level I What makes you Board’s leadership especially effective? Bethel Board of Education has demonstrated significant growth over the last five years. They have publicly committed to being “apolitical” in their collective work and have pledged their commitment to the families of Bethel by signing and posting a Code of Ethics. Bethel was one of the first Boards in the state to adopt a Bring Your Own Technology policy and works to ensure a positive school climate for all students.
Bloomfield Board of Education has established four main priorities for the next three years: holistic accountability,
curriculum instructions and assessment, positive school climate and parent and community engagement. The Board is committed to these priorities and have worked to align our activities to support the district’s administration in fulfilling the action steps required to meet their ambitious targets for student performance. Bloomfield will close the achievement gap and the Board of Education has an important role to play in achieving this goal.
Shelton Board of Education continues to work in a very nonpartisan manner to effectively set policies, engage the community, especially on major decision is impacting the district, and to boost achievement throughout for both students and staff. Six of our nine board members continue our commitment to participating in the CT SDE/CABE Lighthouse project.
Wolcott Board of Education is a policy and procedures driven board of education that is focused on what is best for our students. The Board’s vision is for a
Vernon Board of Education utilizes a system of committees to forward the work of the board. Committee meetings are held on nights separate from the regular board meetings. Minutes of the discussions of each committee meeting
Other Board Recognition Award winners were the Newington, Salem, Stonington, and the Waterford Boards of Education and for the first time the Winchester Board of Education. Congratulations to all the winners!
are disseminated to the rest of the board and all committees make recommendations to the full board for decisions on policy, personnel, budget, technology, curriculum, and facilities.
Salem Board of Education
quality school system, with high standards of student performance and a philosophy of doing what is best for all students. Stonington Board of Education
Waterford Board of Education Newington Board of Education
The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
Student Performers
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Workshop D6 - Friday Afternoon
West Hartford officials discuss Common Core Chris Seymour, Reporter, CABE
Mystic Middle School Jazz Band (Stonington) performed on Friday morning for Convention participants.
Waterbury Arts Magnet School High School Chorus performed on Saturday morning for Convention participants.
Exhibitors
Participants visit the Exhbition Hall.
On Friday afternoon at the CABE/CAPSS Convention, West Hartford Superintendent Karen List and Director of Secondary Education Paul Vicinus presented a Common Core State Standards (CCSS) implementation workshop that touched on their district’s preparation for the switch. “The clock started ticking in the summer of 2010,” said Vicinus, noting that the standards were adopted by the State Board of Education in July 2010. “That first year was about educating some of our key stakeholders.” Indeed, West Hartford did not mess around and began planning immediately for the switch in the 2010-11 school year. This included participating in activities with the State Department of Education related to validation of the standards; beginning an internal study of the standards; and focusing on understanding the standards and anticipated assessments. “How do you make this process manageable?” rhetorically inquired Vicinus of the complicated switch. That question led to the district’s 2011-12 preparation, which was dubbed “a year of study and design.” That school year, West Hartford’s preparations included having its leaders attend CCSS workshops and a Board of Education presentation/workshops. The district began curriculum design in 2011-12, and in the summer of 2012, West Hartford began curriculum development. This year, the district continues to work on curriculum design/redesign and is utilizing teams to extend unit design. The district will also implement curricular changes, such as new units, performance tasks and assessments. Next school year, 2013-14, the district’s plans include continuing curriculum writing and revision, expanding curriculum design training, and integrating technology within the new and revised units of study. Finally, in 2014-15, West Hartford plans on implementing new assessments for grades 3-8 and high school, as well as continue its model of continuous improvement and
Paul Vicinus, Director of Secondary Education (pictured) and Superintendent of Schools Karen List of West Hartford spoke about their experiences implementing Common Core Standards in Language Arts and Mathematics.
revise, review, and modify curriculum as required to continue to align practice and expectations. List observed that she likes that the “standards are about depth” and described the CCSS English Language Arts/Literacy standards as “a deep and rigorous curriculum.” In terms of math, Vicinus said the CCSS are “about focus and coherence.” He added, “It’s more about depth of understanding and the why of things … and problem solving.” The presenting duo also discussed what adopting the standards means and doesn’t mean. For example, adopting the CCSS is a commitment to significant academic expectations for students, they observed, and is not simply a checklist, board policy or memo to staff. “We see it as content, knowledge, aligned curriculum and expertise in terms of good, quality instruction,” said List. Of course, with any new initiative comes cost considerations, and with the CCSS districts need to keep in mind additional expenses for summer curriculum work, supplemental costs for materials, and technology for online assessments.
Student Showcase As part of the student showcase students from Kennedy High School in Waterbury demonstrate their robotics skills.
Exhibit Hall draws participants.
Reception
Participants enjoyed desserts at the after-banquet reception sponsored by Shipman & Goodwin.
Students from Bethel demonstrated their Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) skills.
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
Saturday Morning Follow-Up Session
Noguera holds Q & A after General Session speech Immediately following his Saturday morning general session speech at the 2012 CABE/CAPSS Convention, Pedro Noguera held court in Session F, “A Follow-Up with Pedro Noguera.” Noguera, the Peter L. Agnew Professor of Education at New York University, is an urban sociologist whose scholarship and research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions in the urban environment, according to NYU. He holds faculty appointments in the departments of Teaching and Learning and Humanities and Social Sciences at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Development, as well as in the Department of Sociology at New York University. During the roughly 45 minute session, he fielded a variety of questions from about 20 board of education members and superintendents. Topics included school replication, the benefits of technical and career education, and overall strategies for change. In terms of change, Noguera was asked to detail strategies that could elicit change in education in the Constitution State. “I would really encourage you as an
association – CABE—to put forward your agenda and push back. Say here are three things – keep it short—that we think we should be doing differently. I think if it’s too long it’s going to get lost.” Another audience member asked Noguera: “What makes a school good and how do you replicate that?” The professor responded by first explaining what replication is. “What it really means is that, beyond the charisma, what are the systems that have been created? How are people working together that allows them to achieve these results?” Educators then need to try and determine of the successful school: “What are they doing that allows them to be successful?” according to Noguera. “That’s what happens in football; think of how many assistants [New England Patriots Head Coach Bill] Belichick has produced that are now head coaches in other places.” Though he didn’t elaborate from there, Noguera insinuated that extremely effective coaches – like extremely effective schools – will be replicated by others. Belickick, who has coached the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles during
his tenure, will certainly be a Hall of Famer one day. The professor later touched on his affinity for career and technical education and encouraged the board members and superintendents to partner with local business in those endeavors. “One thing I’m a huge proponent of is career and technical education but career and technical education done in partnership with industry,” he explained. “If you don’t address access to jobs you get dropouts because some kids feel ‘where am I going?’ Because [school’s] not leading me anywhere. You need to think strategically – who can be our partners in the private industry? Where is there going to be job growth in Connecticut?” Chris Seymour, Reporter, CABE
Mark you Calender NOW! November 14, 2013 CABE Delegate Assembly, Mystic Marriott Hotel, Groton
November 15-16, 2013 CABE/CAPSS Convention, Mystic Marriott Hotel, Groton
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
Congratulations to the school districts who won CABE’s 2012 Award of Excellence for Educational Communications contest CABE recognized school districts for excellence in educational communications at the CABE/CAPSS Convention. Members of the CABE Board of Directors and Staff will present the Awards to the winning boards at a meeting in their district after the first of the year. Entries were judged by Amanda Berry from Amanda Berry Designs.
Award Winners Newsletter EASTCONN “Connections” quarterly newsletter New Fairfield Public Schools The Consolidated Connection PTO Newsletter Stamford Public Schools Developing Futures Newsletter Annual Report EASTCONN Annual Report 2011-2012 Plainville Community School Plainville Community School Business Brief Stamford Public Schools Stamford Public School Report to the Community District Budget Salem Public Schools Salem Board of Education’s Approved Budget 2012-2013 South Windsor Public Schools 2012-13 Superintendent’s Proposed Budget
Glastonbury Public Schools Board of Education Approved Budget 2012-13 Parent/Student Handbook Region 9 Public Schools Joel Barlow High School Handbook 2012-2013 Wolcott Public Schools Wolcott High School Agenda Planner West Hartford Public Schools William H. Hall Student Handbook Course Selection Guide EASTCONN Programs and Services Catalog 2012-2013 Newington Public Schools Program of Studies 2012-13 West Hartford Public Schools LifeLearn Adult/Kids Summer 2012 Catalog Calendar Cooperative Educational Services 2012-13 Member District Calendar Amity Region 5 Public Schools 2012-2013 Amity District Calendar Hamden Public Schools District Calendar Special Project Region 9 Public Schools (Joel Barlow High School) Academic Integrity Program
Berlin Public Schools Berlin Board of Education, Member Handbook West Hartford Public Schools POPS N JAZZ Poster 2012
Going Green Redding Public Schools Recycle Garden Newington Public Schools Going Green Program
Special Project (AV) Redding Public Schools Taking Care - in the Cafeteria Cheshire Public Schools B-2 Day Diversity Day Video Stamford Public Schools Get An Insider’s View of Stamford Public Schools
Honorable Mentions
Computer Generated Project Redding Public Schools I AM ME New Fairfield Public Schools One-to-One Computing Innovation Powerpoint Presentation West Hartford Public Schools “The Hoot” Whiting Lane School online newspaper Website Salem Public Schools Salem School District Website Cheshire Public Schools Cheshire High School Newspaper Online West Hartford Public Schools West Hartford Public Schools Website
Bethel Public Schools Cheshire Public Schools Clinton Public Schools Cooperative Educational Services EASTCONN Fairfield Public Schools Glastonbury Public Schools Hamden Public Schools LEARN New Fairfield Public Schools Newington Public Schools Plainville Public Schools Region 5 Public Schools (Amity) Region 9 Public Schools Region 18 Public Schools Redding Public Schools Ridgefield Public Schools Simsbury Public Schools South Windsor Public Schools Stamford Public Schools Tolland Public Schools Wallingford Public Schools Waterbury Public Schools West Hartford Public Schools Weston Public Schools Wilton Public Schools Wolcott Public Schools
Planting the SEED: New Evaluation System discussed A SEED was planted on Friday afternoon at the CABE/CAPSS Convention as State Department of Education Chief Talent Officer Diane Ullman discussed the new state model for teacher and administrator evaluation. SEED – which stands for ‘System for Educator Evaluation and Development’— is a model evaluation and support system
that is aligned to the Connecticut Guidelines for Educator Evaluation (Core Requirements), which were adopted by the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) and inform implementation of model teacher and administrator evaluation and support systems being piloted in districts throughout the state during the 2012-13 school year, according to connecticutseed.org. Ullman said the system places an “emphasis on development and support,” pointing out that “without really highly skilled teachers students can’t learn.” She also stressed that SEED “is just one model; some people are adopting it as is and others are modfying it.” By mid-January, Ullman said school systems around the state will need to decide if they are writing their own evaluation system, adopting SEED or going with a hybrid of the two. “I’m
going to guess the vast majority will have some hybrid,” said Ullman. The design principles of the SEED model include promoting both professional judgment and consistency and fostering dialogue about student learning. SEED also considers multiple, standards based measures of performance, according to Ullman. “No one single measure can evaluate teachers … it has to be a combination of factors,” she said. Ullman said that Connecticut is one of around 40 states undertaking revised evaluation systems and will be able to learn from those who have gone before the Nutmeg State. “We are one of many – many have gone before us and we’ve learned lots of lessons,” she noted. In terms of teachers, SEED is broken down into four categories of teacher performance: observation of teacher performance and practice (40 percent), parent feedback (10 percent), student growth and development (45 percent), and whole school student learning and/or student
feedback (5 percent). There will be four performance levels, including exemplary, proficient, developing and below standard. As far as a timeline goes, the evaluation process will take place over the course of a school year, with goal-setting and planning happening between October 15 and November 15; mid-year check in in January/February; and end of year summative review and conference by June 30. The latter will include a teacher selfassessment, scoring and end of year conference. “At that point begins the next year’s cycle,” said Ullman. When asked by an audience member “why the rush?” in terms of evaluation implementation, Ullman said she feels there is a “sense of urgency in terms of student learning.” For more information on SEED please visit www.connecticutseed.org. Chris Seymour, Reporter, CABE
The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
A holiday message from the Connecticut Lottery Corporation for parents and educators:
For more information on the CT Lottery’s programs to prevent under age gambling, please contact the CT Lottery’s Director of Government Regulatory and Operational Affairs, Chelsea Turner at (860) 713-2826. Contributing over $7 Billion to the state’s General Fund since 1972.
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– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments with potential implications for use of drug sniffing dogs in public schools Kelly B. Moyher Senior Staff Attorney, CABE
The United States Supreme Court recently heard arguments in two cases originating in Florida with potential implications for the use of drug-sniffing dogs in public schools. The cases before the Court involve two different situations for the police use of drug-detection dogs – one outside the front door of a suspected marijuana “grow house,” and the other of a vehicle. While the use of drug-detection dogs in schools is not particularly widespread, the legal issues involved in these cases could offer guidance in a murky area of school law where these dogs have been used.
Case One In the first case, the question is whether a police dog’s sniff at the front door of a home ever constitutes a search under the Fourth Amendment. The Supreme Court has so far held in various contexts that drug-dog sniffs are not a search for Fourth Amendment purposes. The other case involves whether courts may impose training and certification requirements on such dogs. “Humans have relied upon dogs for law enforcement-related purposes, due to their extraordinary sense of smell, for centuries,” Gregory G. Garre, who was representing the state of Florida in both cases, told the justices. “Dogs, trained drug-detection dogs and explosivedetection dogs, are invaluable members of the law enforcement community today.” Public defenders for the convicted criminals in both cases raised concerns about the scope of such dog sniffs, including in the schools. Under Florida’s view of the Fourth Amendment, one public defender wrote in his brief, “police officers would be free to randomly take a narcotics detection dog up to the front door of selected houses in a suburban neighborhood, or take a narcotics detection dog up to the front door of every apartment in an inner city apartment complex selected by the police, or walk a narcotics dog up and down the halls of a school to sniff the students passing by.” In the first case, the home of Joelis Jardines was approached in 2006 by a drug-sniffing dog and handler with the Miami-Dade County, Fla., police department. The dog, Franky, was trained to detect the odor of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs. Franky alerted at the front door of the house, which the police used as the basis to obtain a warrant to search the house. They found numerous marijuana plants and growing equipment inside. Jardines was arrested, but both a trial court and the Florida Supreme Court, held that the use
of a drug detection dog at the door of the home was a search under the Fourth Amendment and had to itself be justified by probable cause.
Case Two The second case involves a 2006 traffic stop of Clayton Harris outside of Tallahassee, Fla. A sheriff’s department officer had his drug-detection dog, Aldo, sniff around the exterior of the truck. Aldo alerted for the odor of drugs at the door’s handle, and based on that, and the nervousness of Harris, the officer felt he had probable cause to search the cab of the truck, which turned up ingredients to make methamphetamines. The Florida Supreme Court found in Harris’s favor, holding that the search evidence should have been surpressed. The court said probable cause for searches after a dog alerts may only be established after the state has proven the dog’s reliability by presenting training and certification records, including field performance records and evidence about the experience and training of the officer handling the dog.
Florida Appealed to Supreme Court Florida appealed both rulings to the Supreme Court. “These dogs have been used and are being used in many settings across the country and across the world today,” Garre said during the Harris arguments. “And the reason they are being used is because the people who work with them know that they are reliable.” Joseph R. Palmore, an assistant to the U.S. solicitor general, also argued against the Florida Supreme Court’s list of requirements. “I think it’s critical . . . that the courts not constitutionalize dog-training methodologies or hold mini-trials with expert witnesses on what makes for a successful dog training program,” Palmore said. “Because ... the government has critical interests, life and death interests, that it stakes on the reliability of these dogs.” He noted that there were “39 K-9 teams in the field right now in New York and New Jersey looking for survivors of Hurricane Sandy. So, in situation after situation, the government has, in a sense, put its money where its mouth is, and it believes at an institutional level that these dogs are quite reliable.”
School Searches In schools today, it is most common for school authorities to invite the police and detection dogs into the schools to sniff
lockers or parking lots. Another tactic is requiring students to leave their backpacks to be sniffed by detection dogs. In 2010, a Texas state appellate court upheld the delinquency finding for a student whose backpack contained marijuana. The Austin, Texas, police brought a detection dog into a high school to conduct a classroom-by-classroom sniff of student’s belongings. The detection dog alerted to one student’s backpack, and a search turned up marijuana. The Texas Court held that the dog sniff of the student’s backpack “implicated a relatively minor privacy interest” and that “the seizure effectively addressed the problem of student drug use and served the important governmental interest in protecting the students’ safety and health.”
Supreme Court Decision The Supreme Court arguments in the Florida cases did not veer into school situations, but several justices expressed concerns about where upholding the frontdoor search in the Jardines case might lead. “The police could take a dog and go down every house on the street, every apartment in the buildings” Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg asked. Garre said the police could do that, but the court has long recognized that a limit on resources and the potential for community hostility have limited such a wide-ranging tactic.
It appeared that a majority of the court was hostile to Florida’s arguments in the home-search case. Justice Antonin Scalia, who wrote the opinion for the court in a 2001 case that rejected the police use of thermal-imaging technology to detect powerful lamps used to grow marijuana, seemed to be equally concerned about the use of detection dogs at the front door. “It seems to me crucial that this officer went onto the portion of the house . . . [where] there is privacy, and used a means of discerning what was in the house that should not have been available,” he said. But in the Harris case, involving the reliability of detection dogs, the justices seemed less inclined to accept the Florida Supreme Court’s broad training and certification mandates. The police “like to search where they’re likely to find something, and that only exists when the dog is welltrained,” Scalia said to the public defender representing Harris. “It seems to me they have every incentive to train the dog well.” Decisions in the cases are expected by next June. Any implications for school districts in Connecticut as a result of the decisions will be immediately addressed by CABE. Reprinted in part from the School Law Blog, October 31, 2012.
Letter to the Editor Bob Rader’s editorial in the October Journal, Always On and Always Available, on the digital expectations of both superintendents and board members, really resonated with me. When I started my position in Fairfield, the Board and I had a mutual understanding that I would not check or reply to email on weekends and that I would have my phone turned off on Friday afternoon and back on Monday morning. The chair has my home phone number in case of an emergency. The Board members here have been very good about understanding that I need some time with my family. As a result, they know that if they email me at night during the week they are not likely to get a response until the next day. And all of the same “rules” apply when I am on vacation. As Bob suggested in the article, if the superintendent and board are “on the same page” with this, then it can work really well. David G. Title Fairfield Superintendent of Schools
The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
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Coventry increases student credit requirements Jennifer Beausoleil, Chair, Coventry Board of Education
Michele Mullaly,
Principal, Coventry High School
David J. Petrone,
Superintendent, Coventry Public Schools
As Coventry examined current programs to determine the next level of refinement at the high school, it was clear that we needed to continue our focus on advancing the achievement of all students by increasing the credit requirement for graduation to 25. Although many programmatic changes have been made over the years, the one area that remained unchanged since 1996 was the credits required for graduation. Once this focus became a priority of the administration, it was crucial to gain Board support for this change. The Board was very receptive to understanding the rationale behind this initiative and the importance of advancing the achievement of all students at Coventry High School by reviewing course requirements and increasing credit requirements. The Board quickly adopted this as a 2012/2013 budget priority. Although the Board was fully aware that the increase in credit requirements as a result of Connecticut’s Plan for Secondary School Reform would not go into effect until 2018, they believed in order to provide the best possible program for our students it is better to be proactive than reactive. With this in mind, the Board approved increasing the credit requirement for graduation at Coventry High School from 22 to 25 and the math graduation requirement to four years beginning with the Class of 2016. Armed with Board support, the administration began to outline in greater detail the impact this change would have on students and programs at Coventry High School. While many students graduate with more than 22 credits, with our relatively new eight period schedule, a 25 credit requirement
would enhance learning time and provide students with more opportunities to explore the many academic pathways through our high school including college credit bearing courses, elective courses, and online learning opportunities through Virtual High School. The requirements of Connecticut’s Plan for Secondary School Reform, including the 25 credit requirement and the opportunities provided by the eight period schedule, necessitate planning for additional sections of courses and two additional full time teachers to instruct these classes. To explore these possible changes, we needed to involve the faculty further in this process to ensure that we had full stakeholder support of this initiative. The staff understood the need for graduating students to master standards focused on career and college readiness and to demonstrate their acquisition of 21st Century Skills. The Common Core State Standards and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), our accrediting organization, require schools to produce students who are career and college ready. The importance of college readiness cannot be overestimated. Studies show that nationally more than forty percent of high school graduates entering college will require remediation classes in English and math and those students who enter college needing remediation are not likely to graduate.1,2 The fourth year of math at Coventry High School will provide additional opportunities for students to master skills and content needed to be successful in college, no doubt this is the reason most colleges and universities recommend four years of high school math. Connecticut’s Plan for Secondary School Reform stipulates that all high school students must take four years of math regardless of how many mathemat-
ics credits they earn by the end of Grade 8. Accelerated students in mathematics may choose to take college-level courses to meet the fourcredit requirement; for other students, Algebra II or Probability and Statistics may be their fourth credit. Listed below are the graduation requirements including the proposed changes to be implemented beginning with the Class of 2016. A Coventry High School student is eligible for graduation upon the successful completion of the requirements leading to the award of a diploma. These requirements include successful completion of a minimum of 25 credits to meet the course distribution requirement, completion of an
electronic Portfolio which adheres to school rubrics and represents a student’s academic achievement/ growth, a community service component, and passing all areas of the Connecticut Academic Proficiency Test (CAPT). Students who do not meet the district goals on the CAPT in Grade 10 are required to retake the CAPT during their junior year. Those who do not meet district goals for the second time will receive additional academic support and the appropriate alternate assessments to demonstrate skill proficiency. 1,2 (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2006.) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2004.)
Students must receive credit in the following areas for graduation: English - 4 credits Mathematics - 4 credits to be earned while the student is in Grades 9-12 (including Algebra I, if high school credit was not earned in Grade 8, Geometry, and Algebra II or Probability and Statistics) Social Studies - 3 credits (including 1.0 credit in World Understanding, 1.0 credit in U.S. History, and a Civics requirement) Science - 3 credits (including Biology/Lab) Physical Education - 1 credit Arts/Vocational - 1 credit Electives - 8.5 credits
How to CABE Your Ways
Attention!!! We have had many requests for the speeches by Mary Broderick and Robert Rader at the Friday night Convention Banquet. Their speeches are now available on our website’s homepage – www.cabe.org. Also, available on our website are some of the handout material from the workshop presenters at the CABE/CAPSS Convention – www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=400.
The CABE administrative assistant staff held a webinar for school district administrative staff to help familiarize them with the CABE website and database. This webinar is archived on our website at www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=354. Staff members taking part in the webinar were: (standing) Melissa Dickinson, Administrative Assistant for Membership Services; Terry DeMars, Administrative Associate for Policy Service; Cory Ucci, Receptionist and Assistant to the Executive Director; Gail Heath, Administrative Associate for Government Relations; (seated) Wilmarie Newton, Administrative Associate for Labor Relations; and Pamela Brooks, Senior Administrative Associate for Policy Service and Search Services.
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
What are Alliance Districts doing to increase student growth? As of this writing at the beginning of November, 24 of the eligible 30 Alliance Districts have had their applications approved. In order to receive the additional funding, there were “rounds of dialogue between the State Department of Education (SDE) and districts to ensure proposals fulfill program guidelines and goals” and districts were asked to revise, expand, focus, and/or clarify components of their proposed plans and consult local stakeholders, including bargaining units, and submit plans to their boards of education for approval. Here is a summary of SDE’s statements of what the new funding will accomplish in some of the approved districts. Generally, we did not include requirements that all districts will have to implement, such as Common Core Standards and professional evaluation and support programs:
Ansonia: $539,715 • For K-3 literacy, Ansonia will transition to a new instructional model and introduce a literacy anthology to improve classroom libraries. The district will also implement embedded professional development and expand the role of a pre-literacy coordinator. • Ansonia will recruit and train three inhouse master teachers who will serve as embedded supports for all Ansonia
High School faculty. These master teachers will develop and deliver indepth training in effective teaching strategies. This training will be based on data gleaned from implementation of the state’s System for Educator Evaluation and Development (SEED) evaluation program. • Ansonia will lengthen the school year by 10 days for freshmen students through a Freshman Academy, through which a small number of staff will teamteach all freshmen, enabling the cultivation of meaningful teacherstudent relationships to help ease the transition to high school.
Naugatuck: $635,149 • In order to create career opportunities for talented local individuals, and to develop the next generation of school leaders, Naugatuck will create an administrative internship program. Through this program, teachers will be granted a leave of absence to act in the role of an assistant principal for one year. • Currently, principals in Naugatuck perform multiple duties that prevent the devotion of adequate time to their role as instructional leaders. Naugatuck plans to add four school counselor positions to enable principals to dedicate more time to instructional leadership.
Windsor Locks: $252,306 • Windsor Locks has dedicated its entire Alliance funding allotment, as well as nearly double this amount of district resources, to one high-leverage initiative, extended time. This plan will extend the school schedule by 200 hours a year. • Windsor Locks will engage in a pilot year, and has solicited interested teachers to be reassigned as “extended day/year teachers.” These teachers will coach their peers on extended time strategies, identify best practices, and lead the way as Windsor Locks transitions from the pilot in year one to full implementation in year two.
Waterbury: $4,395,509 • Waterbury will address the issue of equal access to quality curricula across the district by centralizing the curriculum development function. • It will pilot preschool programs in four elementary schools to ensure that students arrive in kindergarten with the preparation needed to succeed. • Waterbury will redesign and modernize its central office through the identification of new senior staff and new leadership roles. • To help improve graduation rates for struggling high school students, Waterbury will launch an extended-
year alternative education program and a credit recovery program. • Waterbury also will engage in new initiatives to improve parent involvement and create a positive school climate.
Bloomfield: $204,550 • Bloomfield will expand an existing extended learning time program, adding 60 minutes of instructional time to the school day for third through eighth graders. This program will coordinate with the Early Start Program, which adds five weeks of instruction to the summer months, by aligning curriculum between the initiatives. • Bloomfield will institute a Leadership Academy, which will serve principals, teachers, and parents. • Bloomfield will strengthen its curriculum, instruction, and assessments through, among other mechanisms, creating a feedback loop between teacher evaluation results, professional development, and student performance data.
Danbury: $1,696,559 • Danbury will enhance its work to address the achievement gap for English language learners by augmenting the district’s team of instructional (please see ALLIANCE page 17)
CABE-Meeting CABE-Meeting is a user-friendly, web-based service specifically designed to assist the board, superintendent and central office staff in preparing for and running board of education meetings. An exciting feature designed for use by committees, in addtion to boards of education, was recently added to CABE-Meeting. Now all your board work and committee information is conveniently located in one place!
Is CABE-Meeting for you?
Learn more:
• Do you want to save your district money? • Do you want to utilize technology to enable staff to be more efficient? • Do you want to focus more of your human and financial resources on increasing student achievement in your district? • Do you want to enhance communication with your community? • Do you want to model the methods that should be used to infuse technology in your schools? If you answered “yes” to at least one of the above questions, read on. CABE-Meeting can help you!
Take a few minutes and go to http://www.cabe.org/ page.cfm?p=158 to complete our CABE-Meeting cost analysis worksheet (located at the bottom of the page) and see how much your district can save in one year. Districts can save thousands of dollars each year by using CABEMeeting.
For more information, a list of districts currently using CABE-Meeting or to schedule a demonstra-tion for your board, call Lisa Steimer at 800-3170033 or 860-571-7446 or email lsteimer@cabe.org.
CABE-Meeting Lisa Steimer Connecticut Association of Boards of Education 81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 www.cabe.org
The Journal
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– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
What are Alliance Districts doing to increase student growth? (continued from page 16) interventionists. Danbury will supplement literacy instruction by adding instructional time before, during, and after school. • Danbury will improve high school instruction through new job-embedded coaching for ninth grade instructors in core academic areas in year one. In years two through five, this coaching model will be expanded to all high school grades. • Danbury will phase in full-day kindergarten district-wide, starting with five schools in year one, and continuing with additional schools in years two and three.
East Haven: $500,400 • East Haven will partner with Literacy How to provide job-embedded professional development in literacy via reading specialists, who will assist in coaching district teachers in various instructional strategies. This shift will increase the capacity of district educators and ensure that high quality lessons are provided to the greater number of students. • East Haven will develop a comprehensive data system that will guide teachers in the formation of individualized instruction plans for students, and inform the areas in which teachers will receive targeted professional development. • East Haven will also establish a Newcomer Center, which will increase instructional time and deliver specialized lessons to English language learners in need of support.
East Windsor: $168,335 •
East Windsor will create a literacy initiative for students in kindergarten through third grade at the district’s single Focus School. This intensive reading intervention strategy for students reading below proficiency will include a literacy coach, four reading interventionists to provide differentiated support, and year-long embedded professional development for the principal and teachers.
Hamden: $882,986 • Hamden will intensify support for its lowest performing schools by conducting instructional audits, evaluating building principals, and using the results of these tools to provide executive coaches to principals in need of support. • Hamden will expand its use of student data to drive instructional decisions in the classroom by bringing aboard two new data facilitators. Data personnel will train teachers and administrators in the effective use of data to drive instructional and administrative decisions. • Hamden will identify middle school students from typically under-represented groups and provide support, through summer and year-round programming, for their increased participation and success in high-level
high school courses. • Hamden will partner with Hamden Partnership for Young Children (HPYC) to establish a 4 week transition to kindergarten program in each of the lowest performing elementary schools for children with little or no pre-K experience.
Manchester: $1,343,579 • The district will initiate a six and a half week summer start program to ease the transition for young learners entering school, and ensure that these new students are socially, emotionally, and academically prepared to start kindergarten. • Manchester will add significant support for its K-5 students in need of reading support via the provision of additional tutors and coaches, access to online assessments and dataevaluation tools to ensure effective practice, and, beginning in year 2, the implementation of a six week summer literacy intervention for students below grade level.
New London: $809,001 • New London will partner with National Center for Time and Learning to create extended learning time teams in all elementary schools and Bennie Dover Middle School. This initiative will also increase learning time by 80 hours at Jennings and Winthrop Elementary in this academic year. • With the restructuring of its Central Office, New London will augment its focus on developing a high quality teacher corps by bringing on a Human Resources/Talent Director to spearhead the implementation of a systematic talent development plan.
Stamford: $920,233 • New strategies will include extending the school day for struggling students – so that educators can provide interventions for these students without pulling them out of regular instructional courses. In year one, Stamford will extend learning time in all twelve of its elementary schools by implementing before and after school literacy programs. In year two, Stamford will extend time for young learners by expanding a summer pre-K program to all twelve elementary schools. In addition, Stamford will add a six week summer school program for incoming Kindergartners in its two Focus Schools. • Stamford will re-initiate its Project Opening Doors initiative, which has increased participation and success in AP classes for under-represented students. • Stamford will rewrite its literacy and math curriculum and train instructors to align instructional practice with the Common Core State Standards.
West Haven: $1,381,848 • West Haven will expand and evolve its existing teacher leader initiative by launching a transition from group-
based professional development to a new model of job-embedded training. Training in the new model will be tailored to the needs of teachers, as identified by the results of the state evaluation and support system. • The district will provide six coaches to work with new teachers in math (which student achievement data has shown to be an area in need of improvement) and 10 literacy coaches to provide coaching to teachers and interventions with students. • West Haven will intensify its support of early learners by expanding its summer program for at-risk prekindergarten, special education, kindergarten, and first grade learners from four weeks to five.
Winchester: $207,371 • Winchester will partner with the University of Connecticut to develop a comprehensive teacher and administrator evaluation and support model that will provide job-embedded coaching for the transition to the Common Core, and establish a district data team to ensure professional development decisions are informed by student performance outcomes. • To support its K-3 reading initiative, Winchester will hire a literacy coach to lead the district’s literacy staff, interface with the district data team, and provide coaching to classroom teachers.
Windham: $763,857 • Windham will implement a comprehensive talent management strategy through which highly qualified teachers will partner with beginning teachers for a full year of co-teaching experience. These highly qualified teachers will be identified as master teachers based on student assessment data and administrator evaluations. Students with the greatest academic need will be placed in these co-taught classrooms. • Windham will increase instructional time in two of its highest need schools by launching a planning process for increasing the school day and school year. A redesign team will coordinate with parents to implement a phase-in system which will increase learning time at both Sweeney Elementary School and Windham Middle School by 300 hours by year five of the Alliance District Designation. These two schools will add one hour of instructional time to each school day beginning in January 2013. More information on all of the districts can be found at the Alliance District page on the SDE website (http:// www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a= 2683&Q=334226). – Robert Rader Executive Director, CABE
Does your policy manual LOOK LIKE THIS? Then you are the perfect candidate for the
CABE Customized Policy Service! CABE’s Customized Policy Service tailors a policy manual for a subscribing board of education that reflects the specific needs and priorities of that community. The service includes: • Review and analysis of existing policies for relevancy and compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations. • Review of current contracts and student and personnel handbooks for explicit and implied policies. • On-site consultation for school board members and school administrators by CABE staff. • Update of existing policies • Legal referencing of policies: Connecticut and U.S. statutes Federal/state court decisions • Development of needed policies and regulations. • Use of CABE Codification System • Printing of policies and arrangement in manual. • Manual on CD Fee is based on school district enrollment. For more information contact Vincent Mustaro at CABE 860-571-7446 or 800-317-0033. You can also email Policy Services at vmustaro@cabe.org.
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
CABE: Working for YOU! Individualized Workshops • Professional Development Opportunities • Legal Services • Policy Services • Representing You Statewide and Nationally Below are the highlights of activities that the CABE staff has undertaken on your behalf over the last month and a half. We did this:
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➤ By helping school boards to increase student achievement: •
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Sent two issues of Policy Highlights via email listserv covering topics that affect student achievement. This included information pertaining to the observance of religious holidays in the schools, evaluation of principals, bullying prevention, substance abuse, and online education. Attended and wrote an article on CAPSS’ Personalized Education conference.
➤ By promoting public education: •
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Answered questions about the current legal issues facing boards of education. “HOT” topics this month were: Use of personal technology in schools, medication administration, abuse and neglect reports, reasons for executive session, and board minutes. Attended a meeting of CAPSS Retired
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Superintendents committee to discuss assistance to current superintendents on various educational issues. Provided policy information to 23 districts, one RESC, and one out-ofstate school board association, and one newspaper, through 37 answered requests for information or sample policies, on 33 topics. The topics of greatest interest included student records, attendance and truancy issues, and bringing your own devices to school. Use is also being made by districts of the online Core Manual to access ample policies on a host of topics. Met with representatives of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) on strengthening public education.
➤ By representing Connecticut school boards on the national level: • • • • •
Participated in small school district task force meeting. Participated in CCM Annual Convention workshop on education reform. Attended Achievement Gap Task Force meeting. Attended ECS Task Force meeting Attended CREC Council meeting.
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Attended CCJEF Steering Committee meeting. Attended meeting of the CAPSS Technology Subcommittee. Participated in two meetings of the Connecticut Coalition for public education. We discussed legislative and other concerns, including PEAC and what is happening as pilot district move forward. Attended Sheff group recognition of CREC and its Executive Director Bruce Douglas for contributions to achievement more racial diversity in our schools. Attended retirement celebration of LEARN Executive Director and CABE Friend of Public Education 2012 awardee Ginny Seccombe. Attended Governor’s Prevention Partnership’s Annual Governor’s Luncheon. Participated in meeting of the Governor’s Prevention Partnership’s Audit Committee. Met with the other partners from the “Big Six” partnership on the upcoming Legislative Session.
to school. Use is also being made by districts of the online Core Manual to access sample policies on a host of topics.
➤ By ensuring members receive the most up-todate communications: •
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Prepared Custom Policy Service material for Derby, Griswold, Park City Prep Charter School, East Windsor, Wallingford and Woodbridge Boards of Education. Prepared for Custom Update Service, revised and/or new policies, based on recent legislation for Sterling Boards of Education. The first issue of the Policy Update Service publication was mailed to subscribing districts. Met twice with UConn students who will help survey our members on demographic issues and how to achieve greater participation in advocacy and professional development.
➤ By providing opportunities ➤ By providing services for members to learn how to better govern their districts: • •
• • • • •
Facilitated retreats on Roles and Responsibilities for the Stratford and Bristol Boards of Education. Met with Enfield Board Chair Tim Neville and Superintendent Jeffrey Schuman on CABE services, activities and programs. Facilitated Board Retreats for the Plainfield and Wethersfield Boards of Education. Facilitated Board Workshop for the West Haven Board of Education. Attended meeting of the Connecticut Technical High School Board of Education. Planned and implemented successful CABE/CAPSS Convention. Provided policy information to 23 districts, one RESC, one out-of-state school boards association, and one newspaper, through 37 answered req uests for information or sample policies, on 33 topics. The topics of greatest interest included student records, attendance and truancy issues, and bring your own devices
to meet members needs:
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Met with board chairmen in Regional School District 1 to discuss collective bargaining. Visited with the Policy Committee and Superintendent of the Watertown Board of Education to review the results of the completed audit of their policy manual. In process of completing the audit of the policy manual of the Norfolk Board of Education. Planned and facilitated Board Chair Roundtable focusing primarily on mandates and how we can help districts by getting relief from them. Presented a webinar on “How to CABE Your Ways”, helping superintendents’ assistants and others better understand how to use CABE online services, such as the website, policy services and others. It is archived on the CABE website, www.cabe.org/ page.cfm?p-354. CABE Support Staff did all of the hard work on this project! Participated in meeting of the CABE Vision Committee, focusing on how CABE will be better able to meet member needs in the future.
Condolences - Lee VanBremen Patrice A. McCarthy Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE
Lee VanBremen, CABE President in 1973-74 and a former member of the New Britain Board of Education, died recently. Lee joined the NSBA staff in 1974 as membership director and state association liaison. He served as NSBA Assistant Executive Director from 1978-1983. Lee was also a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Board of Directors and was chairman of the ASAE Foundation. Pat Luke, a member of the State Board of Education, who served with Lee on the New Britain Board of Education, said “Lee VanBremen was my colleague and my friend. He lived a life filled with achievement and service and was devoted to public education and the children it serves.” CABE extends sympathy to Lee’s wife Jane and children.
The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
Don’t miss these professional development opportunities!
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Mark your CALENDAR December 6 Legislative Breakfast SECASA and MSSA Superintendents 7:45 - 9:00 am Montville High School Cafeteria Montville
December 7 Legislative Breakfast CES/South Fairfield Superintendents 8:00 am CES Special Education Building Trumbull
December 11 Legal Implications of the New State Board of Education Guidelines for Evaluation 9:00 - 12:00 pm Rovins Conference Room CABE
December 12 Legislative Breakfast ACES South Central Superintendents 8:00 am ACES, Hamden
January 11, 2013 Legislative Breakfast Education Connection Western Area Superintendents Danbury
February 7 Legislative Breakfast CREC Hartford Area Superintendents Capitol, Hartford
March 6 CABE Day-on-the-Hill 8:30 am - 3:00 pm The Bushnell Hartford Workshop information as well as registration information is also published on the CABE website at: www.cabe.org. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Steimer at the CABE Office 800-317-0033 or 860-571-7446 or email Lisa at lsteimer@cabe.org.
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CAPSS explores personalized learning (continued from page 1) While not all of those issues could be addressed, here is some of what I learned at the first day of the conference: • Dr. Michael Nakkula of the University of Pennsylvania, spoke about the importance of considering how children learn. They do so on when they feel that they are an active part of the learning process. And they learn best on an interpersonal level – learning from one another or a parent or teacher. How do we customize our teaching so that students feel they are part of the process? According to Nakkula, we learn through networks and students need these networks so that they will not only learn, but so that they will want to learn. Students will try hard at things they think they’re good at naturally. Although effort can breed success, often it is success that breeds more effort. Thus, if a student is acknowledged for a success, he or she will better understand that they can succeed. This is critical at the high school level. We see the opposite effect in college: kids who did well in high school with lower expectations, where they always succeeded, can become demotivated when they face tougher standards in college. It’s thus important that we push high expectations at same time we educate within the student’s comfort zone. We need to ensure they keep having success, so they will keep trying. Back in preschool to twelfth grade, we have to be sure to keep them engaged and finding success • Dr. Barbara Cervone from Rhode Island, discussed the “Core Elements of Teaching Practice in StudentCentered Learning”: • Strong relationships with students; • Anytime, anywhere, and real-world learning (flexible scheduling; community internships; curricular projects that engage the world outside schools); • Personalization and choice in curricular tasks (personal learning plans, opportunities to show mastery in various ways, independent projects that build on special interests [such as senior capstone projects]); • Technology that is integral to teaching and learning (appropriate online learning and tools that promote collaboration); • Appropriate challenge levels for each learner (differentiated instruction; focusing on habits of practice and revision so that students push themselves);
• Clear, timely assessment and support (“just in time” feedback); • Supporting social and emotional growth (educating the whole child); and • Fostering autonomy and lifelong learning • Beatrice McGarvey, of Maine, spoke about “Mass Customized Learning: Learning in the Age of Empowerment, It’s Inevitable”. She began by discussing that mass customized learning is not a program or a model. It is a vision of what education can be. Her “foundational principles for learning include that students learn in different ways and in different timeframes”. To her, effective school cultures need to: • Have a clear, articulated mission and vision; • Operate from a set of guiding principles about learning; • Model continuous improvement; • Create a growth mindset culture; • Are research and evidence based; • Have a guaranteed and viable curriculum; and • Improve teacher expertise McGarvey made the argument that the assembly-line school paradigm that still exists was originally based on schools separating out the students with “talent, who would become professionals or other types of leaders, from those who would work
in factories or on farms. She made a passionate “rant” [her word] against the Common Core Standards, because although they may teach what students need to know for the future they will inherit, their instructional process is based on time (for example, identified curriculum must be learned in specific grades). This contradicts the idea of personalized student learning She added that the current structure of schools has prevented professionals, such as teachers, from doing what professionals do: using the information they have and applying it to their missions. They are driven by the curriculum and expectations of what they must teach – and when. We will hear much about these ideas as we reform our education system. Moving to personalized learning is fraught with obstacles, such as whether we have the infrastructure, space, transportation or the educated staff to do this. If we continue to move forward with personalized learning, boards and superintendents will need to learn much more about these concepts and how to apply them. But, if you believe, as we do, that this is the most effective education we will be able to provide, it is critical that we start learning about building such a system as soon as possible. If you would like to read NextEd in its entirety, go to www.ct.nexted.org. For CABE’s response to NextEd, please call the CABE Office.
Goals: Important in Hockey, Soccer and Basketball, and to Boards of Education (continued from page 1) vague, to allow more flexibility to the administration to better identify and meet targets. Boards should work in concert with the superintendent to formulate goals, but it is the job of the superintendent and his or her staff to develop an action plan and timeline to accomplish the goals. For instance, data might support a need to improve literacy in the early grades. It would be very appropriate to set a goal that focuses on improving reading or writing for the younger grades. However, the superintendent, with staff, should determine what an appropriate benchmark should be and what assessments will be used to measure progress. Board goals identify the work the board of education feels is important for them to accomplish. They might be set to focus on the work that the board needs to do to support the district goals. Are board meetings run with achievement as the main topic of discussion? Are subcommittees working effectively to streamline the decisionmaking process or do they make
more work for your staff with no apparent purpose? Is the board distributing resources in a way that supports the district goals? Good board goals make it easier to get board business done because it focuses the work on the priorities of the district.
Where most boards miss the boat If the board only sets goals and never reviews them, then it will most likely have little impact on student achievement. We recommend that boards of education include an update on goals in every agenda – maybe as part of the superintendent’s report. Only when the board constantly asks “How are we doing?”, will the rest of the district take the goals seriously, and continue to concentrate its work on those goals. If your district is interested in goalsetting, please contact CABE for assistance.
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The Journal
– Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2012
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