CABE Journal - February 2015

7 68 33 25

('8&$7,21

$'92&$&<

7+(

www.cabe.org

www.facebook.com/ConnecticutAssociationBoardsEducation

-2851$/

&RQQHFWLFXW $VVRFLDWLRQ RI %RDUGV RI (GXFDWLRQ 7KH /HDGLQJ 9RLFH IRU &RQQHFWLFXW 3XEOLF (GXFDWLRQ Vol. 19, No.2

View from the Capitol

Personalized Learning

WOODSTOCK ACADEMY

Patrice A. McCarthy Deputy Director/General Counsel, CABE

Patrice A. McCarthy

education spectrum in Connecticut, has been hard at work building a vision of professional learning. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we are very pleased with the effort,â&#x20AC;? said Barzee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has taken longer than we would have hoped, but I think that is indicative of a process where we are allowing the process to work, so that at the other end, we end up with a product, if you will, that stakeholders feel they had input and buy in into.â&#x20AC;?

The Academy for Professional Learning includes representatives from CABE and CAPSS, teacher unions, administrator unions, higher education, and RESCs. Deputy Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy serves as CABEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative for the Academy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do believe that the broadly representative stakeholder group that we have assembled have had input to share their perspectives, their philoso-

Over a year ago the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) initiated work on a white paper dealing with personalized student learning. CABE, CAS and the RESCs were active participants in those discussions, which also included the teacher unions and the Connecticut Center for School Change.

The purpose of the white paper is to identify the barriers to personalized learning in current policy, to suggest how they can be removed or reduced, and to identify incentives to encourage districts to implement personalized learning.

The white paper was developed to generate discussion at the local and state level, and is not another educational mandate. Rather, it is a tool to be used by school boards that want to explore the issue.

A personalized learning system provides voice and choice on what, where and how students learn. It includes competency based programs that allow students to advance upon demonstrated mastery of learning expectations, multiple paths of study, and provides variable time based on a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs.

Among the changes to our current system that would enable districts to implement personalized learning are: â&#x20AC;˘ statutory revisions to allow students to progress based on demonstrated competencies, rather than moving through grades at fixed intervals in time â&#x20AC;˘ revise funding statutes to support flexibility in pursuing multiple paths â&#x20AC;˘ strategies for supporting personalized learning in teacher preparation programs and educator professional development

See PROFESSIONAL page 11

See PERSONALIZED page 10

Deputy Director/General Counsel, CABE

With the inauguration of the Governor and the swearing in of the members of the General Assembly, the legislative session has begun with a flurry of organizational committee meetings.

With 36 new legislators (3 previously served in the General Assembly) this is an important opportunity to expand their awareness of Connecticutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public education successes and challenges.

The Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Budget will not be released until February 18, which will be followed by hearings before the Appropriations Committee.

It is likely that serious budget discussions will continue until close to the Legislatureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adjournment date of June 3.

Board members and superintendents can take advantage of multiple opportunities to connect with Legislators through Area Legislative Breakfasts, CABEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day on the Hill on March 25th, testifying or submitting written comments, as well as informal conversations.

CABE will be keeping you informed about the multitude of bills that will be discussed.

FEBRUARY 2015

³2XW RI WKH SXEOLF VFKRROV JURZV WKH JUHDWQHVV RI D QDWLRQ ´ 0DUN 7ZDLQ 1RY

Professional learning system progressing Chris Seymour Reporter, CABE

A comprehensive and collaborative new professional learning system thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been in the works could be ready for presentation to the state Board of Education in March. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We anticipate to hopefully bring it to the March State Board meeting for review and approval of what we have got thus far,â&#x20AC;? explained Sarah Barzee, PhD., Chief Talent Officer for the State Department of Education (DOE).

The Connecticut Academy for Professional Learning, which is composed of numerous stakeholders from across the

See You in Court

SCHOOLS

Clear Thinking

Award Winning Author

Press Room

PAGE 9

PAGE 15

PAGE 17

81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242

of Boards of Education Inc.

PAGE 5

Connecticut Association

Periodical Postage PAID Hartford, CT

2

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015 PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

Achievement Gap/Opportunity Gap The phrase “achievement gap” is one of my least “Harlem” written by favorite in public education. I have maintained for some his father. time that the phrase is nothing more than code for Walter Dean disparities in standardized test scores between kids living Myers was quoted in poverty and those who are not. in a 1986 New York I believe that “opportunity gap” would be a more Times article, “If we accurate phrase. One example of an opportunity gap is in continue to make the March 14, 2014 Sunday New York Times, Week in black children non Review. The issue features two op-eds, one written by persons by excludWalter Dean Myers and the other by his son, Christoing them from pher Myers. books and by These opinion pieces were in response to a study by degrading the black the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the Univerexperience, and if sity of Wisconsin which stated: “Of 3,200 children’s we continue to books published in 2013, just 93 were about black neglect white Richard Murray people”. The study also determined that of those “3,200 children by not books for kids, 57 were about Latinos and just 48 were exposing them to written by them”. any aspect of other racial and ethnic experiences in a At the same time, the number of non-Hispanic white meaningful way, we will have a next racial crisis”. This students in this country has fallen to below 50%, quote is so critical; in other words, the lack of diversity in according to the National Center for Education Statistics, children’s books is detrimental to all kids. the actual number is 49.7%. I think these statistics might The March 2014 New York Times essay by Christoreflect an opportunity gap. pher Myers states: “The Walter Dean Myers was “. . . it really is up to us to continue apartheid of literature - in which characters of color born in 1937 and grew up are limited to the townthe work from our end by in New York City. The ships of occasional Times described him as a making sure that the apartheid historical books that distracted, disruptive boy concern themselves with who also read voraciously of children’s literature will the legacies of civil rights - Mark Twain, . . . Charles and slavery but are never not exist in our school districts.

Dickens, . . . Honore de given a pass card to Bazac, James Joyce - even We need to insist that the few traverse the lands of after he dropped out of curiosity, high school. Myers said ethnically diverse books that have adventure, imagination or personal there was something missbeen published are indeed in our growth”. ing: “I needed more than Chris goes on to say the characters in the Bible school libraries and classrooms that a consequence for to identify with, or even children of color is “a and these books are being read the characters in Arthur gap...in the sense of selfMiller’s plays or my belove that comes from in all of our public schools loved Balzac. As I disrecognizing oneself in a covered who I was, a black by all of our children.” text, from the understandteenager in a white-domiing that your life and lives nated world, I saw that these characters, these lives of people like you are worthy of being told...and celwere not mine”. ebrated”.

Mr. Myers stopped reading and eventually joined Walter concludes his essay with, “then I am told that the Army at age 17. He continued to struggle after black children, and boys in particular don’t read. Small the Army until he read “Sonny’s Blues” by James wonder”. “There is work to be done”. Christopher Myers recently said of his father: “All his books were Baldwin. Myers says he was “lifted by the story that about rendering the invisible visible”. took place in Harlem, and it was a story concerned Walter Dean Myers passed away in July after writing with black people like those I knew. By humanizing the words “there is work to be done”. So, it really is up the people who were like me, Baldwin’s story also to us to continue the work from our end by making sure humanized me”. He went on to say that Sonny’s that the apartheid of children’s literature will not exist in Blues gave him “permission” to write about his own our school districts. experiences.

We need to insist that the few ethnically diverse books that have been published are indeed in our school Walter Dean Myers would eventually write more than libraries and classrooms and these books are being read a 100 books for Young Adults, (YA). He wrote novels, in all of our public schools by all of our children. poetry, biographies, and a memoir. He won two John By ensuring that public schools have some books Newbery Medals, the first ever Michael L. Printz Award, featuring African-American and Latino children we can six Coretta Scott King Awards for Authors, three times a hopefully put more pressure on book publishers to print National Book Award Finalist, and numerous Lifetime books by increasingly diverse authors with more diverse Achievement awards. Mr. Myers’ personal mission was settings and characters and just maybe we can shrink and to: “to create literature about the people whose stories or eliminate this opportunity gap.

By the way, I have re-read several of Mr. Myers had been left off the shelf.”

Christopher Myers graduated from Brown University. stories in preparing for this Journal. He is truly a very gifted writer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the short He is a writer and illustrator of children’s books. Chris stories of kids growing up on 145th Street in New York won a Caldecott for his illustrations in the YA book City.

Mission: To assist local and regional boards of education in providing high quality education for all Connecticut children through effective leadership.

Vision: CABE is passionate about strengthening public education through high-performing, transformative local school board/superintendent leadership teams that inspire success for each child.

CABE Board of Directors EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Richard Murray .................................................. President, Killingly Ann Gruenberg ................................. First Vice President, Hampton Robert Mitchell ................ VP for Government Relations, Montville Elaine Whitney ........... VP for Professional Development, Westport John Prins ......................................... Secretary/Treasurer, Branford Lydia Tedone ............................................ Immediate Past President Donald Harris ........................................................ Member at Large

AREA DIRECTORS Daniel Gentile ......................................... Area 1 Director, Plymouth Jeffrey Currey ............................. Area 2 Co-Director, East Hartford Susan Karp ................................... Area 2 Co-Director, Glastonbury Donald Harris ................................. Area 2 Co-Director, Bloomfield Laura Bush ................................................. Area 3 Director, Vernon Douglas Smith ........................................ Area 4 Director, Plainfield Andrea Veilleux ................................ Area 6 Co-Director, Stratford Jennifer Dayton ............................. Area 6 Co-Director, Greenwich Roxane McKay ............................. Area 7 Co-Director, Wallingford John Prins ......................................... Area 7 Co-Director, Branford Lon Seidman ................................................. Area 8 Director, Essex Andrea Ackerman ..................................... Area 9 Director, Groton

ASSOCIATES Eileen Baker .............................................. Associate, Old Saybrook Sharon Beloin-Saavedra .............................. Associate, New Britain Gary Brochu .......................................................... Associate, Berlin Robert Guthrie .............................................. Associate, West Haven Robert Trefry ........... Associate, CT Technical High School System COMMITTEE CHAIRS Elizabeth Brown ......................... Chair, State Relations, Waterbury Donald Harris ......................... Chair, Federal Relations, Bloomfield 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 Gail Heath ........................................ Admin. Assoc. for Government Relations Wilmarie Newton ........................................ Admin. Assoc. for Labor Relations Denise Roberts .................................... Admin. Asst. for Membership Services 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

3

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

CABE Affiliate Members BUSINESS AFFILIATES DIAMOND MEMBER Finalsite GOLD MEMBERS

Advanced Corporate Networking dba. Digital BackOffice Berchem, Moses & Devlin Centris Group Guidance Counselors for Senior Teachers Pullman & Comley Shipman & Goodwin SILVER MEMBERS Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Arthur J. Gallagher & Company Corporate Cost Control Milliman, Inc. Milone & MacBroom, Inc. Perkins & Eastman Siegel, O’Connor, O’Donnell & Beck The Segal Company BRONZE PLUS MEMBERS BL Companies Friar Associates Goldstein & Peck, P.C. Milone & MacBroom Morganti Group O & G Industries The S/L/A/M Collaborative Trane BRONZE MEMBERS Brown & Brown Insurance Chinni & Meuser LLC Dattco Inc. Fuller & D’Angelo Architects and Planners JCJ Architecture Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. The Lexington Group Muschell & Simoncelli Ovations Benefits Group Suisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law

EDUCATIONAL AFFILIATES American School for the Deaf Area Cooperative Educational Services Capitol Region Education Council The College Board Connecticut Association of School Business Officials Connecticut Center for School Change Connecticut School Buildings and Grounds Association Cooperative Educational Services EASTCONN EDUCATION CONNECTION LEARN Unified School District #1

School Boards exist to add common sense Over the holidays, which seem so long ago, I read an interesting article online (thus, it must be true!) about the effect of all of our laws, regulations and policies designed to regulate how we do things in our society.

The title of the article is “Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans”. It is written by Phillip K. Howard, an attorney at a large firm, who has written often about these issues.

Howard gives examples of the effect of law, which “is essential because it safeguards citizens against misconduct and abuse” and enables people to have the freedom to “act spontaneously without undue defensiveness.”

He writes, however, that law’s “proper role is now seen as instructing people how to make daily choices. Instead of providing the framework for freedom, law has replaced it, creating a legal minefield rather than an open field for free choice.”

He cites “everyday examples”: • Teachers are “told never to put an arm around a crying child.

• Principals are “required to suspend students who did nothing wrong, such as the seventh-grader who had ‘possession’ of a pill for one second before immediately rejecting the supposed gift.”

• Employers no longer give job recommendations.

Each year, the “rulebooks get thicker. . .

Did something go wrong? Write a rule.

Did someone find a loophole? Clarify it with another rule. Is there ambiguity?

Write a regulation… Legislators get credit for passing laws, not pruning them…”

Since we assume law is good, the more law the better. “Our dream society lies just over the horizon, once lawmakers and regulators figure out how to make the intricate pieces fit together.” The result?

“It drives people to distraction by diverting energy to mindless legal compliance.

All these rules have an opportunity cost; complying with immaterial rules uses up the discretionary time and energy of doctors, teachers, social workers, and managers of all sorts. It is often counterproductive.”

Howard believes that our society has “reached a tipping point… where Americans are now trained to look to the rules instead of their own judgment. Instead of asking ‘What is the right thing to do?’ we ask, ‘What does the rule require?’”

And, the right thing to do “requires human judgment.” Common sense must figure in how we do things. “For anything to work, including law itself, there must be ample room for individual responsibility.”

While Howard’s views and solutions are radical (the “legal jungle must be bulldozed, and replaced by radically simpler framework and principles…”), it is an

interesting take on our society and how we govern.

I asked CABE’s Senior Staff Associate for Policy Vincent Mustaro what he thought of Howard’s ideas. His response: “I get calls from districts all the time asking if we have model policies on issues that should be determined by the judgment of individuals, especially, knowledgeable administrators and other members of the staff. Not everything that can be put in a policy manual should be. Discretion and the use of good judgment are critical if we are to operate school districts successfully.”

“While common sense may not be all that common, it is exercised by school boards all of the time. . . .We maintain that the best decisions are made as close as possible to those who are implementing them and those who are affected by them.”

Now, Vin is not saying that policy manuals should be the size of a thin notebook. On the contrary, all of our districts must have required policies and regulations and, of course, they must follow the law and regulations. But, in trying to determine the best possible policies in your district, you must take into account the necessity to make judgment part of the equation.

Vin also has had administrators ask him for a virtual “cookbook” of how to handle situations. “The key”, he says, is for them to “use their best judgment, instead of ending up with a huge policy manual.” And, for Boards to back administrators, rather than prescribing strict protocols on… everything.

Boards and Common Sense That’s why school boards count for so much. The very idea of developing overall policies for the district is left to citizens who have been elected. There is no necessity that they be individuals with expertise in education or finances, but the expectation is that board members will heavily consider the judgment of their superintendent and the rest of staff, but make decisions based on their own independent thinking and good common sense.

Robert Rader

As Bill Daggett said at the 2014 CABE/CAPSS Convention, school boards nationally and in states are the “voice of reason” in the room when discussing educational issues.

Our Founding Fathers were wise when they set up committees during the Revolution, which set up the policymaker (the Continental Congress) and implementers (the Continental Army).

This system was later used as a model for boards of education, keeping policymakers accountable through elections and experts accountable to the laypersons.

While common sense may not be all that common, it is exercised by school boards all of the time. We have asked that the Legislature allow boards as much flexibility as possible when they dictate the rules, just as boards generally provide latitude to superintendents in carrying them out. We maintain that the best decisions are made as close as possible to those who are implementing them and those who are affected by them.

I have heard some people scoff at this idea of “local control”. However, that “local control” provides the kind of accountability and wise decision making that someone like Phillip Howard would probably applaud. And, sure, there are sometimes mistakes and course corrections, but those cannot be zeroed out in any human-run organization.

Howard’s ideas certainly have relevance for the Legislature and the Congress. Let’s speak to our legislators and ensure they understand the needs and concerns of local boards. As Lighthouse training suggests, they should start asking “why” they are writing laws (?) and boards should handle the “how.”

Our 2015 Legislative Priorities asks lawmakers to “reduce constraints on the delivery of education and remove mandates that fail to promote student achievement.”

While good common sense is not a panacea for the myriad of concerns in education, it sure is a good place to start!

The Daily Beast article can be found at www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/ 27/the-red-tape-strangling-goodsamaritans.html?source=socialflow&via= twitter_page&account=thedailybeast& medium=twitter

4

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015

The Policy Corner Vincent A. Mustaro, Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABE

Policy clarification: Meeting conduct/public participation Boards of education have significant discretion in establishing policies and bylaws and determining procedures for conducting meetings. The public has a right to attend the meetings of the board of education but a board of education does not have to permit the public to participate in the meeting. A board of education meeting is a meeting that must be held in public, but it is not a public meeting.

However, most boards of education, through policy or bylaw provide the public with the right to make comments to the board, usually in a “public comment” agenda item at the beginning of the meeting. However, there is no legal obligation for boards of education to do so.

Interested persons may be allowed, through a policy and/or bylaw, to appear before the board to address the board on board business. Usually, a time limit is imposed, such as thirty minutes at the beginning of the meeting to allow members of the public to address the board.

The reasoning behind the time limit is to allow the board time to carry on its normal business, as delineated in the agenda for the meeting, and not be “filibustered” by individuals with narrow interests. In addition, boards usually allow the public to speak early in the agenda to keep those persons from having to sit through long hours of board business before being allowed to speak.

If a board of education chooses to hear from the public at its meetings, it must do so in a constitutional manner. A board of education meeting is a public forum. Therefore, free speech requirements apply to public statements made at board meetings.

A board of education that has made the decision to create a public forum by allowing public comments may not pick and choose from among the speakers on the basis of the viewpoint they express.

However, the board can limit public comments to a particular topic or to items that are on the meeting

agenda. In doing so, the board creates a limited public forum. The creation of a limited public forum in this manner is a way to prevent public comments that could include charges or complaints against an employee of the board.

It is permissible for boards of education to adopt reasonable restrictions as to time and manner of speech at their meetings. Boards of education can require that speakers sign up to speak, and they can adopt a rule that each speaker be allowed no more than a certain number of minutes to speak, usually in the range of 3 to 5 minutes. The board, generally acting through its chairperson, can also require that speakers adhere to reasonable standards of decorum.

“Robert’s Rules of Order” provides that the chairperson may require that speakers be courteous, avoid personal attacks, and refrain from the use of vulgarity and the like. Such requirements must be evenly imposed, without regard to the viewpoint, as opposed to the manner, of the individual’s speech. No speaker at a meeting of the board of education has a right, under the First Amendment, to be disruptive or rude.

Policy Implications Bylaw #9325, “Meeting Conduct,” pertains to this issue. In addition, policy #1120, “Public Participation at Board of Education Meetings,” also pertains to this topic.

An issue has arisen with the following language which previously appeared in CABE’s sample bylaw #9325, which has been adopted by many boards of education: No oral presentation shall include charges or complaints against any employee of the Board of Education, regardless of whether or not the employee is identified in the presentation by name or by another reference which tends to identify an individual. All charges or complaints

Diversity (or lack of it) at education organizations Readers of the CABE Journal may have noticed that we have focused more on diversity on school district teaching staff and boards of education over the last few months. As we move towards a society where the majority of students will soon be members of a minority community, we need to be sensitive to their needs and concerns.

In From Intention to Action, Koya Leadership Partners and Education Pioneers examined racial and ethnic diversity and inclusion in 44 education organizations across the country. In almost every organization, its leaders “think diversity is supported at their organizations”, but only a third “name diversity as a core value” and only 31% even have a definition of diversity.

Except for a few, the organizations which took part in the study were not identified. A reading of participant data indicated that over 80% of the organizations were large, with budgets above $5 million. Almost half had staffs in excess of 100.

On boards of directors and advisory boards, the numbers were striking—nearly the same as one national study of school boards found: African Americans total 6%, Asian Americans total 6%, Latinos 4%.

The “few” organizations that appeared to be success-

ful “recruiting and retaining leaders of color shared three foundational elements: • A clearly articulated vision for diversity was embedded in the organization’s overall mission.

• Single-point accountability was assigned to an executive team leader for all diversity activities and goals.

• The executive director/CEO and board of directors had voiced diversity as a clear mandate and strategic priority.”

The study also discussed best practices for increasing diversity, including the organization being aware of top sources for diverse talent; offering anti-bias training; mandating a diverse interviewer on search panels; investing in recruitment and retention; and has “diversity-specific interview training”.

These are certainly issues that should be considered as school districts and organizations consider how to increase diversity.

The study is available at www.educationpioneers.org/ impact-insights/from-intention-to-action.

Robert Rader Executive Director, CABE

against employees shall be submitted to the Board of Education under provisions of Board of Education policy.

Such language is considered inappropriate if the board through policy or bylaw language has created a public forum, as described previously, for public comments. In such a case, the board cannot restrict an individual’s comments.

However, if, as stated above, a limited public forum is created by limiting comments to specific topics or to agenda items, such language, as above, would be permissible. Alternate language to consider regarding personnel complaints if the board has created a public forum would be: Speakers may offer objective criticism of district operations and programs, but the Board encourages members of the public to address complaints concerning individual district personnel through the proper chain of command. The chairperson may direct the member of the public to the appropriate means to address concerns brought before the Board; however the Board will not respond with action but will take comments under advisement and direct the comments to the appropriate staff member to address outside of the board meeting.

Samples of this bylaw and policy have been updated. One version permits public comment on any subject that lies within the jurisdiction of the board, thereby creating a public forum.

Another version of the bylaw limits public comment to items on the posted agenda for the meeting or to particular topics, thereby creating a limited public forum. These samples are available upon request from CABE’s Policy Department.

CABE presents

Discipline and Discrimination: It Can Be a Fine Line Thursday, February 19, 2015 9:00 am - 11:30 am Rovins Conference Room, CABE , Wethersfield By attending you will learn: how to make the process more fair and guidance to help steer clear of discrimination pertaining to discipline.

For more information or to register go to the CABE website www.cabe.org/page.cfm?id=922 &start=02/20/2015&verbose=220

5

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015 See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board vs. the Nutmeg Board of Finance - who’s right?

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.

After the trauma he suffered during the last budget season, Mr. Chairperson vowed that this year would be different.

“The Nutmeg Board of Education is an independent agent, responsible for implementing the educational interests of the state,” he announced in an email pep talk to his Board colleagues. “We must do the right thing and make our decisions in the best interest of the children of Nutmeg.”

Red Cent, another Board of Education member, forwarded this email to Seymour Dollars, long-serving Chairperson of the Nutmeg Board of Finance. Seymour responded to Mr. Chairperson in an email to the entire Board of Education.

“In response to Mr. Chairperson’s diatribe, let me make one thing perfectly clear. The Board of Education is powerless without the funding the Board of Finance provides. You are anything but independent, and we expect you to listen carefully to us.”

Mr. Chairperson was upset by the threat implicit in Seymour Dollars’ response, so he called up each Board member and encouraged them to hang tough and support the Superintendent’s budget. “United we stand,” he concluded each conversation.

At its next meeting, the Nutmeg Board of Education received the Superintendent’s budget, and Mr. Chairperson asked for a motion to approve the proposed budget immediately after Mr. Superintendent concluded his presentation.

“Wait a minute,” responded veteran Board member Bob Bombast. “I thought that we are supposed to pick this budget apart. Isn’t that why we were elected?”

“As we all discussed, Bob, I think that it is time for the Board to show solidarity and not kowtow to Seymour Dollars and his threats. Is there a motion?”

The other Board members wanted to avoid the embarrassment of further public conflict between Mr. Chairperson and Bob, and they quickly proposed and passed the motion, with only one “no” vote – Bob Bombast. The Superintendent’s budget was thus submitted to the Nutmeg Board of Finance unscathed.

Seymour Dollars was incensed by the impertinence of the Board of Education, and he called an impromptu meeting of the Board of Finance at his home that evening. “These people just don’t get it.

We are still in hard times, and we need to show the Board of Education who is boss here.”

With that, Seymour and the other members came up with a laundry list of cost-saving measures to recommend to the Board of Education, including layoff of all maintenance workers and allocation of their work to the Town maintenance

department, consolidating the IT function under Town control, and adopting a policy of hiring teachers only on the first step on the salary schedule. Seymour then sent this list of suggestions by email to the Board of Education, and he demanded an answer within seven days.

At the next meeting of the Board, Mr. Chairperson read aloud the list of suggestions from the Board of Finance, and then he asked, “Who wants to serve on a committee to review these suggestions and to explain to the Board of Finance why they make no sense?”

perform the Board’s maintenance work, and any transfer of that work to others, union or non-union, must be negotiated with the exclusive bargaining representative, a process that can take months or years and may or may not be successful.

The consolidation of the IT function raises more practical than legal issues (unless of course the affected employees are unionized as well). But those practical issues are significant.

Who will supervise those employees?

Who will make hiring and firing decisions? Who will set priorities for these

“. . . the fiscal authority must make its suggestions for consolidation and efficiencies within ten days of receiving the itemized budget estimate from the board of education.”

No one volunteered, but Mr. Chairperson quickly appointed three Board members to a committee to review the suggestions and report back to the Board of Education and the Board of Finance.

“Take your sweet time,” he concluded.

Do you see any problems with the Board’s response?

The Nutmeg Board of Education is dealing with a statutory change that school boards confronted for the first time during last year’s budget season.

Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 10-222, as amended by Public Act 13-60, now adds to the annual budget process the following requirement: “The board or authority that receives such estimate shall, not later than ten days after the date the board of education submits such estimate, make spending recommendations and suggestions to such board of education as to how such board of education may consolidate noneducational services and realize financial efficiencies. Such board of education may accept or reject the suggestions of the board of finance, board of selectmen or appropriating authority and shall provide the board of finance, board of selectmen or appropriating authority with a written explanation of the reason for any rejection.”

As stated, the fiscal authority must make its suggestions for consolidation and efficiencies within ten days of receiving the itemized budget estimate from the board of education.

The board of education must respond in writing if it does not accept those recommendations, but interestingly there is no similar timeline for the response.

Here, the Town made two suggestions that fall within the scope of this new statutory requirement – consolidation of maintenance work and the IT function with the town. However, the first recommendation has serious labor relations implications.

Bargaining unit members currently

employees? Perhaps most important, what will happen if the arrangement doesn’t work – how would the Board get the money to pay for IT back into its budget? Clearly, great caution is warranted.

The third suggestion – hiring teachers only on the first step of the salary schedule – is big trouble for two reasons. First, hiring teachers is clearly the Board’s business, and it falls outside the scope of the new statutory opportunity for the

Board of Finance to make suggestions as to how the Board of Education “may consolidate noneducational services and realize financial efficiencies.”

Moreover, a policy of hiring only inexperienced teachers is questionable from an educational perspective, and it also may be illegal. The courts have held that such policies may operate to discriminate against older candidates because inexperienced teachers are often young.

Finally, as usual there are FOIA issues with the actions of the Nutmeg Board of Education. Mr. Chairperson called each of the Board members to urge them to support the Superintendent’s budget. By itself, those conversations are not a problem.

However, if Mr. Chairperson shared information from other conversations among a quorum of the Board (as may be inferred from how he closed each conversation with “United we stand”), he may have conducted an illegal “seriatum” meeting.

Moreover, it appears that the “impromptu” meeting Seymour held was not properly posted. Political issues come and go, but the FOIA is with us always.

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.

The Eighth Edition is finally here!!

A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law

by Thomas B. Mooney, Esq. Shipman & Goodwin The Guide comes with a CD which provides hyperlinks to many cases and statutes and will permit ord searches as a supplement to the Index.

The Eighth Edition was substantially rewritten to reflect statutory changes, significant case law developments in state and federal courts. Some of the numerous legal developments and update are as follows: • School Safety and Security • Bullying Law • Teacher Evaluation and Support • Teacher Tenure Act • New Requirements for Professional Development • Budget Issues • Prohibitions on Electronic Notifications of Referenda • Minimum Budget Requirements • FMLA for Paraprofessionals • Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements • Uniform Regional School Calendars • Excusal • Student Assessments • Pool Safety • Concussion Prevention and Education • Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention and Education • Administration and Storage of Epinephrine • Excused Absences • Student Free Speech • Employee Free Speech

Order your copy TODAY by going to the CABE website: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=749

6

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015

CABEMeeting CABE-Meeting is a user-friendly online service offered by CABE specifically for school boards. Users can eliminate unnecessary paperwork, increase efficiency and reduce costs while enabling board members to utilize the latest in cutting edge technology.

Using CABE-Meeting, the Meeting Manager can create and electronic meeting from developing the agenda to creating the minutes and everything in between.

When the meeting is ready, the Meeting Manager emails your board members and designated administrators to let them know they can log in. Users can login from the comfort of their homes or work place. With a mouse click, agenda and related documents are open and ready for viewing. Using the search features, administrators and board members can easily locate information from previous board meetings. No more time consuming, tedious searches through mounds of paper!

What Else Does CABE-Meeting Offer?

• Secure login access for board and district staff • Password protected access for certain features and audiences • Access from any location with Internet access • Search archived agenda and meeting related items in a flash.

• Ability to download and print attachments • Option to provide a public link to board meeting information • Calendar for tracking events of district interest

Your CABE-Meeting Subscription Provides: • • • •

Access to CABE-Meeting Initial and ongoing training Support and maintenance Upgrades to the service

CABE Member Subscription Information: Initial Subscription Fee – $3,000 Annual Maintenance Fee – $1,500 If you have an interest in this service, contact Lisa Steimer at 860-571-7446 or lsteimer@cabe.org.

Clear Thinking: The State Board of Education’s Concussion Education Plan and Guidelines for Connecticut Schools Michael P. McKeon, Esq. Pullman & Comley, LLC

With each new year, it seems as if Connecticut legislators collectively agree to the same resolution – create new legal obligations for local and regional school boards. This year is no different. Although passed in early 2014, the most sweeping components of Public Act 1466, entitled “An Act Concerning Youth Athletics and Concussions” [“the Act”], kick in this year.

The Act imposes new mandates on school boards regarding the increase in concussions suffered by student athletes.

As of January 1, 2015, the State Board of Education (SBE) – after consultation with the Department of Public Health, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC), and various medical groups – was required to develop and approve a con-cussion education plan that would serve as a template for local and regional boards of education.

The resultant Concussion Education Plan and Guidelines for Connecticut Schools [“the Guidelines”] elucidates the Act, delineating the components of the plans that school boards must implement no later than July 1, 2015.

Boards are expected to incorporate these concussion education plans into their policies and procedures, and the plans must, at a minimum, focus on: 1. The signs or symptoms of concussions; 2. The means of obtaining proper medical assessment of and treatment for concussions; 3. The nature and risks of concussions, including the dangers of further engaging in athletics; 4. The protocol for allowing a student athlete to return to athletics following a concussion; and 5. The current best practices for preventing and treating concussions.

The Act – as expanded upon in the Guidelines — also prohibits any student from participating in any school-based athletic activity until both the student and the student’s parent or legal guardian has read written materials, viewed online training or videos, or attended in-person training regarding the district’s concussion education plan.

In addition, the parent or guardian must sign and provide the district with an informed consent form, authorizing the student to participate in athletics. At a minimum, the consent form – which must first be approved by the SBE — must include a summary of the concussion education plan and a summary of the board’s policies pertaining to concussions.

Additionally, the Act requires coaches to complete an SBE-approved initial training course on concussions, to annually review any current information developed or approved by the SBE, and beginning with the 2015-2016 school year to complete a refresher course on concussions within five years of having completed the initial class.

The Guidelines also set forth the steps that coaches must take if they suspect that a student has incurred a concussion. For example, coaches must “immediately remove” a student from participating in any interscholastic or intramural athletic activity – including practices – if the student exhibits signs or symptoms consistent with concussions or is currently diagnosed with a concussion.

In addition, the coach or other “qualified school employee” – including a principal, teacher, school nurse, licensed athletic trainer, licensed physical or occupational therapist employed by the district – must make reasonable efforts to immediately inform the student’s parent or guardian of the suspected concussion, but in any event within 24 hours.

Following a concussion, coaches are prohibited from allowing the student to participate in any activities, including practice or conditioning, until the student receives written clearance from a licensed health care professional “trained in the evaluation and management of concussions.”

The Guidelines’ language suggests that this clearance may need to be issued by a neurologist, or, at the very least, by a physician who possesses the requisite knowledge of concussions. Although the student and his parents or guardians are responsible for obtaining that clearance, there is some question as to whether the district would be accountable were the clearance issued by someone who lacks

CABE Search Services Call CABE for your recruiting needs For an update or more information on vacancies go to our website:

www.cabe.org For more information contact, CABE Search Services, 860-539-7594 Jacqueline V. Jacoby, Senior Search Consultant Paul Gagliarducci, Associate Consultant Mary Broderick, Associate Consultant Bob King, Associate Consultant P.O. Box 290252, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0252 www.cabe.org/support Equal Opportunity Employers

the requisite expertise.

Thus, boards should consider specifying in their policies and plans the health care professionals – such as neurologists or pediatricians – from whom they would accept such clearance.

Finally, even after clearance has been issued, coaches are precluded from permitting full participation until the student has been medically cleared for unrestricted activity and is no longer exhibiting any symptomology, although it is unclear as to who is responsible for assessing the latter.

Given the July 1 deadline, it is incumbent upon school boards to begin revising their policies, drafting their concussion education plans and obtaining SBE approval for their informedconsent authorizations.

Additionally, districts should strongly consider forming a School Concussion Management Team, charged with overseeing the creation and the implementation of the district’s concussion education plan and protocols.

Compliance with the Act is, obviously, a legal requirement, but it also serves the greater purpose of helping protect students against the deleterious effects of concussions.

Attorney McKeon is a member of the law firm of Pullman & Comley LLC, which represents a number of Connecticut school districts. More articles about issues pertaining to school districts and other educational institutions can be found on the firm’s blog “Education Law Notes” at http://schoollaw.pullcom blog.com Available from The CABE Bookstore!

Understanding the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act and Access to Public Meetings and Records - Fourth Edition

Written by: Mark J. Sommaruga, Esq. Pullman & Comley, LLC to order the FOIA book go to the CABE Online Bookstore at www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=749

The Journal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015

7

8

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015

Make sure you are included in this year’s picture!

CABE’s Day on the Hill • March 25, 2015 8:30 AM • The Bushnell • Autorino Great Hall • Capitol Avenue, Hartford SPECIAL FEATURES •

Legislative Leadership – The morning will feature remarks by the leadership of the Connecticut General Assembly.

•

Issue Briefings – Learn how pending legislation can impact your school district.

•

Education Rally – Make your voices heard as we gather to support public education.

•

Visits with Legislators – All participants will visit their own legislators at the State Capitol. The materials and briefings provided by CABE will assure effective lobbying.

•

Student Participation – Day on the Hill is an excellent opportunity for high school students to gain a first hand experience in civics by accompanying their board members and/or superintendent.

Come to learn the latest on key education issues before you lobby your legislators on how they will impact your district.

A State Legislative Network Program for CABE Member School Boards, their Superintendents and staff, PTA and PTO members, students and guests.

Contact the CABE Office or visit our website at www.cabe.org to register.

Award winning author Catherine Gibson encourages students to find their something special Amanda Argazzi Reading Specialist in Connecticut

This December, Hartford’s S.A.N.D. School and the Ropkins Branch of The Hartford Public Library enjoyed a visit from award winning children’s author, Catherine Gibson.

Cathy’s non-fiction books are based upon her own teaching experiences at The American School for the Deaf, and the experiences of other Connecticut residents who succeed in spite of disabilities.

Cathy’s two “Sophie” books include the sign language translations and fingerspellings of the words in the story.

Her most recently published book encourages readers to look within themselves to find, “What’s Your Something Special?” Ms. Gibson shared her message of love and acceptance by teaching students in grades K to two how to sign “Sunshine on My Shoulder” and by reading and signing from her books.

Her 2014-2015 booktour has taken her to schools and libraries as far away as

S.A.N.D. students with Author Catherine Gibson demonstrating their use of sign language they learned from her books.

California, but we are fortunate that she stopped near her hometown of Bristol, Connecticut to work with our students here at S.A.N.D. Mr. Curtis Porter, Director of Community Outreach for the S.A.N.D School said that this event “fosters our schoolwide and district-wide goals to increase parent involvement and forge a partnership with our city and community organizations”. Parents who enjoyed the

event include, Luz, the mother of Ashley and Kimberly who attend S.A.N.D. Luz’s daughter Ashley assisted Cathy Gibson during her reading.

For additional information on author and public television host, Catherine Gibson please visit the website: www.forchildrenwithlove.com. is grateful to all of the staff and students who helped her to plan this event and to make it special for our S.A.N.D. families.

9

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015 The

Media Message

from Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

PRESS ROOM: Tips for preparing for a media interview Too many people go into a media interview without being properly prepared. Whether you have five minutes, or five days, you need to take the time to do it right. Preparation not only helps ensure that your key message gets out to the public, but it will also help increase your comfort level when it comes to dealing with the press.

Before participating in any interview with the media there are some basic steps you should follow. Some of this may seem pretty basic, but as a former reporter who now helps businesses and individuals “deal” with the media, it amazes me how many people go into interview situations without the knowledge they need in order to be effective.

For this CABE Journal article, I have taken a page right out of my media training program with the hope that before you or someone you know is interviewed that they will take the time to ask the reporter, or the producer the following questions:  What is the topic of the interview?

How can you possibly deliver your key messages if you don’t know what the reporter wants to talk about?  Where is the interview going to be conducted? If it is a print or radio

interview is it going to be over the phone? If so, don’t do it on your cell phone! Or if it’s a television interview are they coming to you?  Who is the interviewer? Too many times people get all excited about doing an interview and fail to find out who the reporter is.

Is this person an investigative reporter?

Is their interview and reporting style fierce or friendly?

If you don’t know ….find out!  Who are the other guests? This especially applies to the political and issue oriented radio and talk shows. What you don’t want to happen is for you to show up to appear on a program and find your opposition sitting next to you and you didn’t know that because …You didn’t ask.

 Is the interview going to be live or taped? This is pretty self explanatory.

Obviously the comfort level is usually higher with a taped program because if things go terribly bad, there is a chance it can be re-recorded. When it’s live, it’s live!

Once you have those answers, here are the questions that you need to ask yourself:  Who is the best person to be speaking on the issue? Just because you are the one who received the call from the reporter, may not mean that you are the best spokesperson.  What are the two or three key points that need to be made? There isn’t room, or time for any more than that. Regardless of the question you are asked, stick to your key messages.

Prepare talking points on the issue you

will be discussing. Speaking from talking points will make you feel more comfortable and allows you to have concise answers on difficult or complicated issues.  Who is your audience? Who is it that you are trying to reach with this information? What kind of behavior or influence do you want to motivate with the people who are reading your quotes, or viewing the program?

Make sure that your message fits the audience.  Are you ready for the tough question? Just because you don’t want to talk about it doesn’t mean that it isn’t going to be asked. As a matter of fact, it is the tough stuff that you had better be prepared for!  Finally, how did you do? Find out when the interview will be published or broadcast and get copy of the final piece. This way you can find out what the public saw or heard, particularly if your interview was edited.

This also provides you the opportunity to evaluate your performance in the interview and perhaps identify what you could do better the next time.

Remember….The media has its agenda, what’s yours?

CABE and Baldwin Media: Partners in Managing Communications

10

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015

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. We did this:

➤ By representing Connecti• • • •

• •

• • • •

• •

•

• •

cut school boards on the state or national level:

•

Attended State Board of Education meeting.

Attended CAPSS School Finance Forum.

Represented CABE at Juvenile Justice Task Force meeting.

Represented CABE at Municipal Opportunities for Regional Efficiencies Special Education Committee meeting.

Participated in Fox 61 The Real Story.

Represented CABE at Professional Learning Advisory Committee meetings.

Discussed education issues in the 2015 Legislative Session on WTIC. Participated in CCM Municipal Advocacy Group meeting.

Participated in discussion on mastery based learning guidelines.

Participated in NSBA Council of School Attorneys Nominating Committee meeting.

Participated in Jump Start Financial Literacy Board meeting.

Participated in Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Steering Committee meeting.

Participated in review committee of student performers for the NSBA National Conference.

•

• •

Participated in Connecticut Coalition for Public Education meeting.

Hosted meeting of Big 6 Coalition (CABE, CAPSS, CAS, CCER, CBIA, ConnCAN).

Met with Erin Benham, State Board of Education member.

Hosted meeting of the WhatWillOurChildrenLose Coalition (CABE, CAPSS, CAS and CASBO).

Attended farewell gathering for Commissioner Stefan Pryor.

Met with representatives of Guidance Counselors for Senior Teachers, John Kowakski and Bill Sudol.

➤ By providing opportunities for members to learn how to better govern their districts:

•

•

• •

Held business meeting and planned and participated in the CABE Board of Directors Retreat.

Provided roles and responsibilities workshop for the Stratford Board of Education.

Participated in retreat planning with the Waterbury Board of Education.

Provided policy information to 25 districts and one RESC through 32 answered requests for information or sample policies, on 25 topics.

Further, districts continue to access CABE’s online Core Policy Reference Manual and/or online manuals posted by CABE for policy samples.

The topics of greatest interest pertain

to wellness, graduation requirements, concussions and drugs.

➤ By providing services

to meet members needs:

•

•

•

• •

• •

Facilitated a town meeting planning session with the North Stonington Board of Education.

Met with and then served as host to Steven Armstrong, new SDE Social Studies Coordinator, as he and others presented a webinar on the new Social Studies Frameworks.

Participated in teleconference for the Educators Preparation Advisory Council (EPAC).

Participated in meeting of the CABE/ CAPSS Convention Committee.

Completed the audit of the policy manual for the Hamden Board of Education.

In the process of auditing the Portland Policy Manual.

Entered into an agreement to do an audit of the policy manual for Region 14 Board of Education.

➤ By ensuring members •

•

•

As part of the Custom Update Service policy materials were sent to East Windsor, Marlborough and West Haven.

The second edition of the Policy Update Service publication was distributed to subscribing districts.

➤ By helping school boards to increase student achievement

• •

•

Worked with CAPSS on roll-out of Personalized Learning white paper.

Provided Lighthouse training session for the Vernon Board of Education and discussed Lighthouse training with the Stamford Board of Education.

Sent out three issues of Policy Highlights via email listserv covering topics that affect student achievement. This included student internet use and data privacy concerns, advanced placement courses, immunizations, E-rate programs, grade retention, and the use of school resource officers.

receive the most up-todate communications:

➤ By promoting

As part of the development of new policy manuals utilizing the Custom Policy Service, materials were prepared for Avon, Branford, Bloomfield, Columbia, Stamford and Thomaston.

•

public education:

•

•

•

The planning has begun for the 2015 CABE/CAPSS Convention

Held first CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee meeting of 2015.

Met with CAPSS Executive Director Joseph Cirasuolo about Convention Exhibit Hall.

Presented a workshop on the role of Directors to the Maine School Boards Association.

Answered questions about the current legal issues facing boards of education. “HOT” topics this month were: Teacher evaluations, personnel search committee, student records, access rights, minimum budget requirement, and coaches and school volunteers.

Personalized Learning

The CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee met on January 13, to debrief on the 2014 Convention and the begin the planning for the 2015 CABE/ CAPSS Convention. Committee members in attendance were: Gary Brochu (Berlin), Lydia Tedone (Simsbury), Pat Perugino (Plymouth), Robert Rader (CABE), Donna Leake (Retired Superintendent), Committee Chair Elaine Whitney (Westport), President Richard Murray (Killingly), Lisa Steimer (CABE), Superintendent David Erwin (Berlin), Patrice A. McCarthy (CABE), Doug Smith (Plainville), Denise Roberts (CABE), Bonnie Carney and Nick Caruso (CABE) not pictured.

(continued from page 1) • developing examples of formative assessments that help teachers determine if students have mastered competencies • developing portfolio data systems to track student progress through a personalized learning system The full report can be accessed at www.cabe.org/uploaded/Book_Reviews/ CAPSS_Whitepaper_FINAL_12-3014_.pdf

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015 Professional learning system progressing (continued from page 1) phies; it’s been a very collaborative process,” furthered Barzee. “All of the stakeholders around the table are reporting they feel very confident in both the process and what is going to come out the other end.”

The Professional Learning Advisory Committee (PLAC) is a subcommittee of the Academy, and it features a representative of each stakeholder group that attended the Academy. “We have had incredibly fruitful and productive meetings at the PLAC level,” explained Barzee.

Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel for CABE and a member of the Academy and PLAC, echoed that sentiment.

“The members of the PLAC and the Academy are committed to the challenging task of developing a definition, standards and guidance for a Professional Learning System that supports both educator and student growth and development and is sustainable,” said McCarthy.

Richard Murray, the President of CABE and a member of the Killingly Board of Education, also serves on the Academy.

“The Academy for Professional Learning has been a ‘real learning

experience for me,” observed Murray. people in the room together.”

“It has been an honor serving with All those people in the room, the education professionals from Connecticut. stakeholders, have worked on numerous The process has been collaborative and items, including developing a definition intensive with directed facilitation from for professional learning as well as a set folks at the Learning Forward, a profesof standards for professional learning. sional learning association.

“This is really intended to support how The Academy districts can has worked hard enhance their trying to define current systems of “This is really intended exactly what professional to support how districts professional learning and development intersect them with can enhance their current the evaluation should be and how we can get there system,” said systems of professional for public school Barzee. staff. I look In the first two learning and intersect forward to years of implethem with the continuing the mentation, the work when we mechanics of the evaluation system, . . .” meet again in new system for March.” educator evaluaThe finished tion and support product that comes out of the Academy were “so complex and you can only learn and PLAC process will ultimately serve to so much and throw so much on people at “provide guidance to districts,” according once,” explained Barzee. to Barzee.

“Now that people understand the four “This is about more sustained, ongolevels and they understand the system of ing, job embedded opportunities,” said 45-40-10-and 5; now, we believe, it is Barzee of professional learning. “This is critical that we design the system that intended to provide guidance to districts says, ‘This is about supporting educator and let the learning and work begin to growth and development, using educator happen at the district level with support. evaluation as one piece of the information We believe we have built a robust system that informs professional learning—but of support because we have put so many not the only piece,’” added Barzee.

11 According to the Chief Talent Officer, the plan is to provide guidance to teams of practitioners in districts “to come together and figure out how to provide relevant, timely professional learning opportunities that support growth and development,” said Barzee.

Barzee hopes that the days of “one and done” professional learning experiences will soon be a thing of the past.

“It needs to move and be a whole coordinated system across a continuum from awareness and information to skill building and then, ultimately, building the capacity within an entire system, like a team, like a school, like a district. So it’s not just individuals,” added Barzee.

“Be comfortable in your own skin. Know who you are, the good and the bad. And find the courage not just to be yourself, but to be the best version of yourself. These are the foundations of selfleadership, and all leadership starts with self-leadership because you can’t lead the rest of us if you can’t lead yourself.”

– Rex W. Huppke

12

The Journal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/February 2015

13

The Journal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/January 2015

.

14

The Journal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/January 2015

The Journal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/January 2015

15

16

The Journal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/January 2015