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View from the Capitol
GROTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Patrice A. McCarthy Deputy Director and General Counsel
With the legislative session drawing to a close, the View from the Capitol is rather cloudy. The only way to have a clear picture of the ultimate actions of the General Assembly will be to attend CABEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Legislative Wrap-Up: What Happened and What Are the Implications for Your School District workshop on June 11 from 9:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:00 am at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. The easiest way to register is at www.cabe.orgpage.cfm?p=110 on the CABE website. At that point, a comprehensive analysis of the budget, as well as bills that passed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and those that did not â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will be available.
Consultant and Adjunct Professor of Education Leadership, Sacred Heart University
Pat: Well, I started out as a child who loved school. I ran all the way to school every day. I loved school so much; to me, it was magic! I went to a three room school in Connecticut. There were eight grades and there was no cafeteria, auditorium or gymnasium. When I was ten, my parents decided to winter in Florida every year. I went to a big, beautiful school in Sarasota that had everything. However, when I arrived each year, what the students were working on, would be something I had already learned and mastered in my little three room schoolhouse in
81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242
of Boards of Education Inc. Connecticut Association
Bob: Tell us first how you got involved in public education.
Ready for Rollout: CTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New Educator Evaluation Plan Betty Osga, Retired Superintendent,
Interview with Patricia B. Luke Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: Patricia â&#x20AC;&#x153;Patâ&#x20AC;? Luke has been involved in education most of her adult life. Pat was a school board member; President of CABE; and most recently, a member of the State Board of Education. Bob: Thank you for coming here. We really appreciate it. And we really appreciate all you have done for public education over the years. Pat: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasure to be here.
June 2013
Connecticut. So, I realized, even then, that big and fancy does not always deliver the best product. My little school in Connecticut, gave me a very good educational Patricia Luke foundation and for that and other lessons learned, I am deeply grateful. The contrast between my two school experiences remains in the back of my mind today when I look at school building projects where vast sums of money are being spent to create buildings that are quite grand: big and fancy doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always deliver the best product. Well, back to the point, I was always hooked on the magic of schools and schooling!!! However, when I headed for college, I was not aiming for teaching or a career in education. I wanted to be a Martha Graham dancer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but that is another story! Bob: Tell us about your early experience as an educator. Pat: I graduated from college and I went to work in a school system where I learned some sad and painful lessons. I was very young and I looked even See INTERVIEW page 14
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a long time since Connecticut revised its teacher and administrator evaluation requirements. While not on a fixed schedule, the State Department of Education (SDE) has historically revised guidelines every five to ten years. Districts have been expecting changes for a while. The timing is not a surprise. The direction probably shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be either. The new direction in educator evaluation has much to do with federal policies as expressed in No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. But federal policy is not the sole prompt for the new frontiers. Defined pressure to inject quantifiable measures into educator accountability has been on the agendas of many Connecticut citizens and groups for a long time. And so we have it: change that is due in timing and change that is in demand by policy and constituents. Understanding the changes and their impact on schools and educators will go a long way in helping Boards of Education support their districts in successfully readying for plan rollout. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start with understanding.
What are the Changes in Educator Evaluation? Connecticut educator evaluation has historically been based on assessments of See READYING page 8
INSIDE THIS EDITION Friday morning Convention speaker ........................ 4 See You In Court ................................. 5 Current reform initiatives can impact school climate and culture .................. 6 OECD leader discusses education leadership and evaluation ................... 9 CABE: Working for YOU ................ 10 School safety conference .................. 10 My NSBA conference experience .... 11 CTCEF annual conference for education foundations ....................... 12 Legal Briefs ...................................... 13 Hartford State of the Schools Symposium .......................... 15
Periodical Postage PAID Hartford, CT