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Connecticut receives ESEA waiver

Spotlighting Best Practices

Sheila McKay Senior Staff Associate for Government Relations, CABE

that Lead and Inspire:

Approval has finally been granted by the U.S. Department of Education to Connecticut for a waiver sought by Governor Malloy to the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The waiver will result in the elimination of the eleventh grade Smarter Balance Assessment, known as SBAC, and will allow all eleventh grade students to take the SAT starting in the 2015-16 school year. The exam will be free for all students funded by Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE).

The SDE created a working group on testing last year and they will continue their work this fall. The Legislature wrote the working group into legislation in PA 15-238. CABEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy, will continue to serve as CABEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative on the Mastery Examination Committee.

Among the issues they will examine are: â&#x20AC;˘ how best to accommodate students with disabilities and those who are English language learners, â&#x20AC;˘ the administration of exams on computers or other devices, â&#x20AC;˘ the impact of testing on student learning time and, â&#x20AC;˘ whether the exams align with Connecticut curriculum standards.

The committeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interim report is due February 15, 2016 and its final report on January 15, 2017.

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note: CABE is very excited to continue its series on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Practices that Lead and Inspireâ&#x20AC;?. Please send us your Best Practices and they might be published in the CABE Journal. This month we are highlighting â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Welcome Back to School!

Funding for Advanced Placement Tests In an effort to increase the number of low income students taking Advanced Placement exams, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded 38 states, Washington D.C. and the Virgin Islands $28.4 million. Connecticut will receive $249,803.

John King, Senior Advisor delegated duties of Deputy Secretary of Education, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Advanced Placement classes and the corresponding exams come with very high expectations for our students, as well as important early exposure to the demands and rigor of college-level courses, all while still in high school.â&#x20AC;?

Preliminary results have the percentage of low income test takers increasing by more than 7% from 2014 to 2015. In the years

that Connecticut collected data on free and reduced lunch, from 2005-2011, the participation rate increased from 26.3% to 34.5%.

A passing score on these tests, three or higher, allows a student to get college credit for high school courses, which reduces the time during and cost of their college career. The press release from USDOE conveys that all but $12 of the cost of each advanced placement test would be covered based on their anticipated number of test takers.

The Connecticut supplement (February 2014) to the AP results can be found at http://media.collegeboard.com/digital Services/pdf/ap/rtn/10th-annual/10thannual-ap-report-state-supplementconnecticut.pdf. The next release of Connecticut AP data will be in September.

Sheila McKay Senior Staff Associate for Government Relations, CABE

Region 12 Program Title: Using Chromebooks as a 1:1 Tool for Students in Grades 3-12 Categories that best describes your program: Technology Grade Levels: Elementary, Middle School and High Schools Description of the program: Region 12 has purchased Chromebooks for all students in Grades 3-12. This year we also piloted the Chromebooks in Grade 2.

The Chromebooks allow for students to become comfortable with technology using it to make learning exciting and engaging.

Students are involved in movie making, app design, research, Skyping activities and participate in on-line courses. One of the best features for the Region 12 school district, is that the technology allows our students in the three towns of Bridgewater, Roxbury and Washington to work together in a collaborative manner through Google docs, Skyping and other real-time activities. Learning has become relevant and is applied to real-world situations.

For more information on this program please visit: Contact Information: Karen Fields, Instructional Technology Specialist fieldsk@region-12.org; 860-868-6201.

Nutmeg deals with board packets

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss the CABE/CAPSS Convention

CABE Annual Report

Re-amping music education

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81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242

Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Inc.

Periodical Postage PAID Hartford, CT

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

Teaching Science and Global Warming It is early August and I am sitting on my deck enjoying another glorious summer day in Connecticut. I am watching hummingbirds flitting about and contemplating on the subject of my next Journal commentary. As I am enjoying the summer morning, I realize school starts in less than four weeks which brought me from summer to thoughts of winter and what we all endured this past winter and to the larger subject of climate change.

While Connecticut has enjoyed a marvelous, albeit somewhat dry summer season, this has not been true for other regions of our country and the world. For example, Europe, India, and Pakistan and other areas have endured record setting heat waves which have killed thousands of people. Olympic National Park, a rainforest in the state of Washington, actually caught fire for the first time.

We all know, or have heard, about the drought in California which is now being described as the worst in a millennium. To top all of this off, James Hansen, the former NASA climatologist who brought climate change to our attention in 1988, with his current team of climate scientists is now forecasting that sea levels could rise 10 times faster than previously predicted, by Hansen and other scientists, to the tune of 10 feet by the year 2065!

(Rolling Stone, 8/15) Whatever models you study, it is clear that the earth’s climate is changing and will affect the lives of the children currently in our schools. So I ask, is climate change a major piece of curriculum in our public schools?

Apparently, not so much. I contacted several high school and intermediate school principals and the only content I could find was a single showing of Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” usually in ninth grade. One high school principal I spoke with thought I was asking about changing the climate within his building.

The good news is that the “Proposed Next Generation Science Standards” does address this issue, at least in part. For further information on the Next Generation Science Standards, CABE and the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) partnered in a webinar in May of this year to bring awareness of the new

New! CABE/CAPSS Convention App The CABE/CAPSS Convention app - available for Apple, Google Play and BlackBerry World – gives you instant access to the Conven-tion schedule, presenter bios, sponsors, and exhibitors, as well as the ability to register for the Convention and book your hotel room. During the Convention you will have the ability to complete workshop evaluations through the app.

Download the app by scanning the QR code included in this article. You will immediately have access to Convention information.

If you have any questions about accessing the app, please contact Lisa Steimer at lsteimer@cabe.org or 860-571-7446.

Science Standards to school board members, and others in the education community.

The webinar can be found at www.cabe.org/ page.cfm?p=1119.

Thanks to Commissioner Wentzell and to the SDE Science Education Richard Murray Consultant Liz Buttner for their assistance.

My guess is that with the textbook industry mostly based in states that are dominated by climate change deniers, ignoring the more than 97% of the scientific community who agree that climate change is happening and humans are the primary reason for the rapidity of the change, global warming will continue to be a political football.

The scientific consensus has no equivalent political agreement. The Republican Party rejects the link between human activity and climate change. (National Journal, 6/14).

Many science teachers feel that they must present a balanced view of global warming, for example if teachers show their students “An Inconvenient Truth” then some will show a documentary entitled “The Great Global Warming Swindle”.

Clearly science teachers around this country are at a loss when it comes to teaching about climate. The NGSS have been lauded by by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and by the American Meteorological Society.

Conservative organizations, such as Truth in American Education and The Heartland Institute oppose the NGSS, particularly the part that deals with global warming. A researcher for Heartland said the standards “impose alarmist globalwarming ideas on children”.

The Wyoming Liberty Group said they “drive an ecoagenda”, (National Journal) whatever that means. So far eleven states have adopted the NGSS, but at least six or seven have rejected the standards or are in the process of doing so. The consequence, as I said earlier, is that climate change deniers get equal time in the classroom.

It seems to me that this topic is another area where Connecticut, and other like minded states, could and should be real leaders nationally in bringing the subject to the fore. Clearly my generation has caused much of the change but does not seem to have the ability to even discuss climate change, let alone do anything about it.

The mistakes we have made will fall on future generations so let’s be sure they are properly educated in the sciences to create solutions to help slow the process and hopefully create new earth friendly industries and jobs to boot.

By the time you are reading this commentary, schools will have opened and I wish you all a successful and rewarding year ahead!

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 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 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 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: https://www.cabe. org/userlogin.cfm?pp=1024&userrequest=false&keyrequest=YES

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

CABE Affiliate Members BUSINESS AFFILIATES DIAMOND MEMBER Finalsite GOLD MEMBERS

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 Milone & MacBroom, Inc. Perkins & Eastman Siegel, O’Connor, O’Donnell & Beck The Segal Company

BRONZE PLUS MEMBERS BL Companies Coordinated Transportation Solutions Friar Associates JCJ Architecture Milliman, Inc. Morganti Group O & G Industries The S/L/A/M Collaborative Trane

BRONZE MEMBERS Brown & Brown Insurance Chinni & Meuser LLC Dattco Inc. ECG Engineering, PC Fuller & D’Angelo Architects and Planners Goldstein & Peck, P.C. Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. The Lexington Group Muschell & Simoncelli 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

NSBA: An Important Resource for Boards One of the best resources available to board of education members is the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Headquartered right outside of Washington, D.C., NSBA provides advocacy, professional development and important information to school boards and their associations across the country.

NSBA harnesses the strength that comes from having thousands of school boards working together, sharing ideas and united by the goal of ensuring “equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership”.

It aims at strengthening all boards and the important work that you do.

Lydia Tedone, CABE Immediate Past President and Chair of Simsbury, serves as a Northeast Regional Director on NSBA’s Board. She, as well as directors from across the country, have the important job of ensuring that this institution is strong and reflects the voices of state associations – and through them, the views of 90,000 school board members.

Lydia follows in the footsteps of other CABE past presidents, such as Barbara D. Reimers, Leonard Rovins, Patricia B. Luke and Mary Broderick in serving on this Board. Barbara, Len and Mary even became presidents of NSBA. Lydia comes on at a time of some difficulty for NSBA, as it works on important internal challenges as well as external issues that our boards are familiar with – reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the growth of nontraditional schools and how they are to be governed, funding issues and a myriad of other concerns.

What Does NSBA Do? For those of you unaware of what NSBA does for us, let me tell you more about the organization: Perhaps the most important role that NSBA plays is its role advocating before and providing information to the Federal Government. Like CABE at the State level, it serves as the united voice of school boards on Capitol Hill. It helps answer the difficult questions that face Congress, for example, as it grapples with difficult educational issues. It has encouraged the Congress to remember that school boards are the bedrock of our democracy – and that the best educational decisions are almost always made at the local level – a concept severely tested during the years of No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top. One area that does not get as much as much coverage, but I find particularly helpful and board members and superintendents should too, is NSBA’s Center for Public Education. It provides research reports on many different areas of importance to school leaders – evaluating schools, keeping kids in high school,

understanding funding and many other critical issues. It can be found at http:// www.centerforpubliceducation.org/.

Please Come to Boston!

NSBA’s biggest professional development event is its Annual Convention – and, I’m excited to report, its next one will be in Boston, April 9-11, 2016. We hope that many board members from Connecticut take this opportunity to attend. The speakers, networking opportunities, vendor show and the many interesting workshops should be a can’t-miss for our board members. While many of the conferences are not located as conveniently, Boston is not only nearby, it’s a great city – and this is coming from a Yankees fan!

NSBA also provides professional development to school attorneys across the country through the Council of School Attorneys (COSA), a group that was chaired by CABE’s own Patrice McCarthy, just a few years ago.

Connecticut’s school attorneys have a proud history of being involved in this prestigious group (Anne Littlefield of Shipman & Goodwin is currently on the COSA Board of Directors).

Your CABE staff takes part in other NSBA professional development and leadership positions: in 2006-07, I was chair of the Liaison Committee, which represents all school boards associations’ executive directors. (I am serving again on the group). And, there are other workalike groups NSBA helps support, such as Trainers (Nicholas Caruso is involved with this group), policy directors (Vincent Mustaro) advocacy (Sheila McKay) and a new group, founded, in part, by Lisa Steimer, helping convention planners.

Opportunities to Network NSBA also offers the opportunity for board members to join the Council of Urban Boards of Education, the National Black Council, the Hispanic Council and the Caucus of American Indian/Alaska Native School Board Members, to discuss issues of importance to these groups. At a time when understanding of the specific needs of these groups is rising, NSBA offers the ability to connect with them.

One of the programs that NSBA offers to individual school boards is its National Connections Program. It gives districts timely information, particularly, including the American School Board Journal (“ASBJ”)—and discounts on attending the National Convention. Consider joining the program to get more involved with NSBA. If you haven’t checked out NSBA and what it can help provide to your district, please do. Take a look at http:// www.nsba.org/.

And, I look forward to seeing you in Boston at the beginning of April!

Robert Rader

NSBA • Supports 90,000 local school board members who are dedicated to educating every child.

• Supports 3,000 attorneys representing K-12 public school districts and state school board associations.

• Supports urban school districts by fostering effective leadership and addressing challenges that exist.

• Supports equitable education access and opportunities for children through the National Black Council of School Boards, the National Hispanic Council of School Boards and the National Caucus of American Indian/Alaska Native School Board Members.

• Offers the opportunity for local boards to engage with Congress through the Federal Relations Network.

• Offers school board leadership services to help boards advance student achievement in their district.

• Supports the Technology Leadership Network to assist in educating the community about how technology can support learning and enhance district operations.

• Supports the Center for Public Education which offers resources for accuate, timely and credible information about public education and its importance to the wellbeing of our nation.

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

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

Policy implications of legislation concerning student attendance District policies and procedures pertaining to student attendance are impacted by recently passed legislation, P.A. 15-225, “An Act Concerning Chronic Absenteeism.” This Act requires boards of education to monitor and address absenteeism rates in schools.

Specifically, boards of education in this new school year are required to establish attendance review teams for their school district or individual schools when chronic absenteeism rates reach a certain percentage and to report annually to the Commissioner of Education the number of truant and chronically absent students for each district school and the entire district.

New Legislation Requires The new legislation also requires the State Department of Education (SDE), along with the Interagency Council for Ending the Achievement Gap, to develop a chronic absenteeism prevention and intervention plan by January 1, 2016 for local school boards to use.

“Absence” is defined in the new legislation as either an (1) excused,

unexcused, or disciplinary absence or (2) in-school suspension for at least half a school day. The State Board of Education is required to define “disciplinary absence” by January 1, 2016 to help boards of education comply with this new law and calculate district and school chronic absenteeism rates.

A “chronically absent child” means a child whose total number of absences at any time during a school year meets or exceeds 10 percent of the total days the student has been enrolled during that school year.

The Act calculates chronic absenteeism rates similarly for school districts and individual schools within districts. It calculates a “district chronic absenteeism rate” by dividing the total number of chronically absent children enrolled in a school district in the previous school year by the total number of children enrolled in that district in the previous school year.

It calculates a “school chronic absenteeism rate” by dividing the total number of chronically absent children for a school in the previous school year by the total number of children enrolled in that school for the previous school year.

Board Requirement 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=1256

Boards of education are now required to establish attendance review teams when chronic absenteeism rates in the district or at individual schools in the district reach a certain rate. Attendance teams must be created under the following circumstances: 1. A district team must be established when the district chronic absenteeism rate is 10 percent or higher.

2. A school team must be established when the school chronic absenteeism rate is 15 percent or higher.

3. A team for either the district or each school must be established when (a) more than one school in the district has a school chronic absenteeism rate of 15 percent or higher or (b) a district has a district chronic absenteeism rate of 10 percent or higher and one or more schools in the district have a school chronic absenteeism rate of 15 percent or higher.

Attendance review teams may consist of school administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, teachers, chronically absent children, parents or guardians of chronically absent children, and representatives from community-based programs who address issues related to student attendance by providing programs and services to truants.

These teams must meet at least monthly. They are required to review the cases of truants and chronically absent children; discuss school interventions and community referrals for truants and chronically

absent children; and make any additional recommendations for such children.

Also, a new data element has been added to boards of education’s strategic school profile reports. Boards of education are required to include in their profile the number of truants and chronically absent children, which is more specific than the general truancy data previously required.

State Department of Education Requirement The State Department of Education is required in developing the chronic absenteeism and prevention plan to include the following elements: 1. Information describing (a) chronic absenteeism, including the definition of “chronically absent child” and (b) causes of chronic absenteeism, such as poverty, violence, poor health, and lack of access to transportation; 2. Information about the effect of chronic absenteeism on a student’s academic performance; 3. A description of how family and school partnerships with community resources, such as family resource centers and youth service bureaus, can reduce chronic absenteeism and improve student attendance; and 4. A means of collecting and analyzing data relating to student attendance.

The legislation allows the SDE plan to include a research-based, data-driven mentorship model that addresses and attempts to reduce chronic absenteeism using mentors, such as students, teachers,

administrators, intramural and interscholastic athletic coaches, school resource officers, and community partners. The plan may also include incentives and rewards that recognize schools and students that improve attendance and reduce the school chronic absenteeism rate.

The information pertaining to chronic absenteeism and truancy will be disaggregated by the SDE by school district, school, grade, and subgroup, such as race, ethnicity, gender, eligibility for free or reduced price lunches, and students whose primary language is not English.

The data collection by the SDE will be useful in assisting boards of education in tracking chronic absenteeism over multiple years and for the current school year, developing indicators to identify students at risk of being chronically absent, monitoring students’ attendance over time, and making adjustments to interventions as they are being implemented.

The new legislation also expands the children’s probate court truancy clinics that were pilot programs limited to the Waterbury and New Haven probate courts. The Act instead allows the probate court administrator to establish truancy clinics, without pilot limitations, within probate courts serving towns designated as alliance districts.

This new legislation impacts policy #5113, “Attendance and Excuses,” and policy #5113.2, “Truancy,” which have been revised to be compliant with this new legislation. They are available upon request.

Send Your School Board Candidates to CABE’s

So You Want To Be A Board Member?

Workshop A briefing on preparing for public office A brief orientation designed to help candidates for the board of education to better understand the many complexities of serving on a local or reigonal school board.

These workshops are being held from 5:30 - 7:30 pm in four locations – choose the most convenient for you.

Thursday, September 10 Education Connection, 355 Goshen Road, Litchfield Monday, September 21 CREC, 111 Charter Oak Avenue, Hartford Wednesday, September 30 ACES, 205 Skiff Street, Hamden Tuesday, October 6 LEARN, 44 Hatchetts Hill Road, Old Lyme For more information, go to the CABE website: www.cabe.org.

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

The Nutmeg Board deals with board packets Thomas B. Mooney, Esq.

frustration with Mr. Superintendent.

When Nancy followed up with Bob, he was embarrassed by his emails, and had The Nutmeg Board of Education no further comment. But the whole makes many mistakes. The latest imbroglio created by the board will be reported question of secrecy got Nancy thinking, and she wrote a comprehensive FOIA here each issue, followed by an explanarequest of Mr. Superintendent, asking for tion of what the board should have done. all records concerning disciplinary action Though not intended as legal advice, taken against any school district employee these situations may help board members in the preceding twelve months. avoid common problems.

Mr. Superintendent groaned when he The members of the Nutmeg Board of received the request, and in checking with Education are a conscientious group, and Ms. Board Attorney, he learned that these they want to know everything about the personnel records were not exempt. operation of the Nutmeg Public Schools.

Fortunately, it has been fairly quiet in For his part, Mr. Superintendent has tried Nutmeg during the last year, and there to keep up with their questions, but it was only one case of discipline, the seems that his updates simply whet the records of which he now had to share with appetites of the Board members for more Nancy. information.

In that case, Nora Moreover, Naïve, a third-grade whenever Mr. “No individual board teacher, had posted Superintendent several pictures on provides one Board member should be her Facebook page member information of “hunky” men, in response to his or adding her own her questions, other favored with special commentary, such Board members as “break me off a invariably find out information. All board piece of that.” For and ask for the same her poor judgment, the information as members have the same her principal gave well.

Nora a written Given the Board member’s hunger for oversight duty, and all reprimand letter, which Nancy information, Mr. obtained through Superintendent board members should her FOIA request. decided to formalize Nancy was quick a process for keeping have access to the same to call each of the Board members in Board members to the loop. First, he talk about Nora’s beefed up the Board information to fulfill conduct, asking packet so that Board them if the teacher members now receive that responsibility.” should have been a great deal of backsuspended or fired up information for her posts. To before each Board their credit, the Board members did not meeting. respond to Nancy immediately, but some Second, he added a question-andfelt that they had to say something, given answer session to the agenda of each their role in overseeing district operameeting, providing each Board member tions. the opportunity to ask whatever he or she What should they say? wants about the Nutmeg Public Schools.

Given confidentiality concerns, however, If Board members wish to respond at Mr. Superintendent sends the supplemenall, Nancy has given them an excellent tary information in a confidential enveopportunity to explain that operational lope, and each of the Q and A sessions issues, including employee discipline, are are held in executive session. the responsibility of the superintendent, These actions were a big help in not that of individual board members. It quieting down the Board members, and can be hard not to comment on personnel Mr. Superintendent thought that he had matters, especially when prodded by a resolved their concerns. However, persistent reporter. veteran Board member Bob Bombast However, board members must continued to complain quietly in emails to remember the limited role that they can fellow Board members about Mr. have in such matters – acting as an Superintendent’s “secretive” ways.

Things came to a head when Bob made impartial judge. Playing that out here, for example, if a Board member were to an offhand remark to Nancy Newshound, comment that Nora should have been veteran reporter for the Nutmeg Bugle suspended, that Board member may have Dot Com, the “online source for Nutmeg to recuse him- or herself from the case if news,” about how hard it was for him to later Nora is recommended for contract get information out of Mr. Superintentermination for continued poor judgment. dent. Nancy’s eyes lit up, and she Having made those previous comments, promptly filed an FOIA request for all the Board member would be hard-pressed emails that Bob sent to his colleagues. to claim he is impartial.

In response, Nancy received a number More generally, the struggle in Nutmeg of emails in which Bob expressed his Shipman & Goodwin

to determine what information board members need to receive is typical of school districts throughout the state.

Conscientious board members exercise an oversight role, and to do so, they want and need information about district operations.

To be sure, some information is confidential and may not be shared.

When a problem with a teacher could proceed to termination, board members should not receive related information, as discussed above.

Similarly, personally-identifiable student information is confidential under FERPA and may not shared unless board members need that information to do their jobs (as is the case, for example, in an expulsion hearing). However, board members are otherwise generally entitled to information about district operations, and boards and superintendents should work together to develop appropriate procedures to assure that board members receive information necessary to fulfill their important oversight role.

Mr. Superintendent’s efforts here were well-intentioned, but problematic.

Providing more information in the Board packet was fine, but it would usually not be confidential.

The Freedom of Information Act permits school officials to maintain records as confidential only when there is a specific FOIA provision so permitting, and the material in the Board packet, for

example, is all subject to public disclosure unless there is a provision in the FOIA exempting specific information from disclosure.

Similarly, the Q and A sessions in Nutmeg were not properly the subject of executive session except to the extent that discussion of an individual question would be so privileged. Moreover, other than a quick response to a question, board discussion of district issues during a Q and A session could also violate the posting provisions of the FOIA. The agenda must fairly apprise the public of the business the board will be conducting, and a lengthy discussion of a district matter without identifying that matter on the agenda other than by “Q+A” would violate that requirement.

Finally, in responding to Board member questions, Mr. Superintendent made a key mistake. Whenever one board member asks for information, it should go to all board members. No individual board member should be favored with special information. All board members have the same oversight duty, and all board members should have access to the same information to fulfill that responsibility.

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 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=1241

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

7

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

Why you shouldn’t miss the 2015 Annual CABE/CAPSS Convention Lisa Steimer Senior Staff Associate for Professional Development, CABE

1. Advocate for Connecticut’s children CABE’s mission is “to assist local and regional boards of education in providing high quality education for all Connecticut children through effective leadership.” Board member education and advocacy go hand-inhand if the children are to benefit.

You can be part of advocating for all of Connecticut’s children.

2. Exercise leadership CABE represents nearly all Connecticut school districts, and is a powerful organization. Every one of you is a “mover and shaker” in your home community. You come from every possible political agenda and yet you put that aside to pull together for children. How many other gatherings can you think of where over four hundred diverse people can gather together for a purpose as noble

4. Reenergize yourself Each of us needs to be nudged out of our rut occasionally to help us regain the fervor we possessed as a newly elected board member ready to revolutionize education. Attend the annual Convention to be inspired so that you can return home and dig in anew to make your district even better.

5. Find common interests and concerns If you thought your district was the only one dealing with a particular issue – think again! Attend the annual Convention to learn how other districts are dealing with specific issues, addressing concerns, and implementing curricula to meet the needs of children.

6. Connect with other board members The opportunity to talk with others who share a common interest is

Participants networking between sessions.

school board members must set the example as adults respecting each other. The annual Convention provides you with the opportunity to learn more about each other by sharing concerns and successes with other districts.

8. Become a part of the solution As an association we will always have potentially divisive issues before us. When board members speak from the heart and everyone gives a little to go forward, we are a strong, unified voice for education.

We come from all over the state, we have many different personal beliefs, but during the Convention we work toward common goals to advocate for Connecticut’s children. Attend the Convention to better understand the issues so we can move quickly towards developing solutions together.

CABE Secretary/Treasurer John Prins (Branford) talks with the Bethany Girls in Math and Science students.

as the education of children? Attend the annual Convention because you want to make things happen for Connecticut’s children.

3. Develop your boardsmanship skills If you believe in education for children should you expect any less for yourself? Every industry and agency believes in training. Public officials need to also realize that their skills need to be constantly honed in order to remain effective. Attend the annual Convention to learn new skills that will help you become a better school board member.

invaluable. The annual Convention is the perfect place to meet individuals who share your passion for education. Talk one-on-one with people who are as energetic, committed and caring as you are. No one is a stranger for long at the Convention. The annual Convention provides an unprecedented forum where sharing and networking occur constantly.

7. Become familiar with the uniqueness of other districts Connecticut is a diverse state and to effectively educate all of children,

9. Renew old friendships and develop new ones It is a great feeling to know you have friends across the state that you will see periodically through the year.

Board members are never at a loss for conversation because they have the universal bond of children’s education to discuss.

10.To divide and conquer To gain optimum learning and to make sure your school district gets full value for sending more than one board member, develop a plan to divide and conquer. Examine the agenda, select topics of interest and send each board member to a different seminar session. Follow up and share what each has learned over dinner at the Convention or during an informal work session back in your district.

Register today to be a part of this professional development opportunity!

If you need more information or have questions, contact CABE at 860-571-7446 or 800-317-0033.

You can register online at www.cabe.org

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/September 2015 Friday Keynote Speaker – Book Review

World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students Patrice A. McCarthy Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

In this book, prolific author Yong Zhao challenges current education policies and practices. With a focus on college and career readiness in education reform, Yong Zhao questions what college and career readiness means when most of the careers for today’s students have not yet been invented.

Dr. Zhao grew up in China and now lives in the United States, so he has personal experience with the education system in both countries. While Yong Zhao observes that there is not definitive research to show to what degree school experiences increase or decrease creativity in entrepreneurial capacities, he does point to a longitudinal

study that indicates a decline in creativity as children become older. (Land and Jarman, 1992). He points to the value of learning from failure, in the words of Henry Ford, “failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” In analyzing the Chinese education system, he finds that students are working to complete the prescribe task in the prescribed manner without the opportunity to make their own mistakes or undertake tasks based on their own interests.

Yong Zhao advocates for education to be designed to be child centered and meet a child’s unique needs, capitalize on their strengthens, and grant autonomy so the child can take responsibility for learning.

These concepts are embodied in the personalized learning initiative that CABE, CAPSS and CAS have worked on for several years.

Zhao expresses the concern that the current educational reform efforts focused on providing a homogenous and standardized educational experience in the United States does not serve to educate students for the future.

He advocates for the physical environment in schools to be flexible, in order to allow for group as well as individual work, large meetings, instructor led activities and student initiated activities. He also advocates for a variation of class time and formats, with some traditional 45 or 50 minute classes, but also short lectures, field trips or long workshops.

This environment enables personalization.

He also advocates for project based learning, with the goal of making things for real audiences. The project can be assessed based on three guiding questions: • Does the product meet or exceed the criteria set at the time of the project?

• Has the student developed the skills required for the execution of the project?

• Has the student learned the curriculum content required for the project?

The importance of developing students with “global competence” is also emphasized. One definition of competence is

“having an open mind while actively seeking to understand cultural norms and expectations of others, leveraging this gained knowledge to interact, communicate and work effectively outside one’s environment.” (Hunter et al, 2006) Zhao provides a global prospective on what it means to be well educated and addresses many issues already under discussion in Connecticut.

Attend the CABE/CAPSS Convention on November 20, 2015 to hear Yong Zhao in person. He is the Friday morning (8:30) keynote speaker.

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

Highlights from CABE’s Annual Summer Leadership Institute Reunion at the Conference

Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, along with Lisa Steimer, Senior Staff Associate for Professional Development (not shown) faciliated a discussion with Leadership Institute alumni.

Topics of discussion included: Common Core Standards, personalized learning, educator evaluation and support, preschool and high school graduation requirements impacting every community.

William Brown to speak on Education Foundations on “Vision Capitalists” at CTCEF’s 16th Annual Conference on September 29 Liz Stokes President, Connecticut Consortium of Education Foundations (CTCEF)

William Brown, Director, Eli Whitney Museum, will speak at the Connecticut Consortium of Education Foundations’ (CTCEF) 16th annual conference on Tuesday, September 29, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Crowne Plaza Cromwell Hotel. Bill’s topic will be, “Education Foundations as ‘Vision Capitalists.’”

He compares the role of education foundations in their communities with the work of venture capitalists in our economy. He will discuss how small, local investments in educators and focused experiments in our schools incubate innovations and growth that invigorate a school system’s mission.

Bill will also present a conference workshop on “The Power of Pluralism.”

He is particularly interested in ways to reframe the perception of vocational training as we face a future of rapid change.

Other workshops will cover a variety of topics. Jeff Greim, Director of the M.S. Program in Nonprofit Management

and Philanthropy at Bay Path University, more to be recorded into your donor will cover “Strategies for Improving the management system.

Effectiveness of “Unique Events” Your Board.” will be an interactive He will review idea-sharing session, “In times of fiscal standard practices of led by John boards that support Pearson, Barnum pressures, we should the growth and Financial Group. sustainability of Panel members from resist the temptation foundations and education foundato supplant local budgets tions in Ridgefield, discuss clarifying the roles between Guilford, Milford, in favor of adding value and West Hartford foundations and the institutions they with foundation support; will describe how support. they get the word This year’s foundations should be out, how they follow technology topic up after the event, empowering bright ideas how their event’s will be “Integrating your Donor Managerevenue streams and rather than keeping ment System and purpose have website to Maximize evolved over time, the lights on.”

Results.” Guy and what their plans Iaccarino, are for the future.

Greenleaf AdvanceMarge Hiller, ment, and Bruce Thompson, Kilakwa Bridgeport Public Education Fund, and Associates, will focus on integrating your Carolyn McNally, ACES Education organization’s donor management system Foundation, will present, “Need Money? and website to create a seamless environThe 1-2-3 Secrets of Grant Writing.” ment that allows online donations, event Participants will learn how to turn their registrations, volunteer sign-ups, and great idea/project into a fundable grant

application.

Weston superintendent, Colleen Palmer, will lead “Keeping the Boundaries Clear: A Panel Discussion with Superintendents.” Stamford superintendent, Winifred Hamilton, and Newington superintendent, William Collins, will join Colleen.

In times of fiscal pressures, we should resist the temptation to supplant local budgets in favor of adding value with foundation support; foundations should be empowering bright ideas rather than keeping the lights on.

Join us to celebrate CTCEF’s almost 16 years of service to education foundations during lunch. Luncheon Discussion Groups will cover topics from great websites to blended learning and from legal issues forum to maker nation.

CTCEF facilitates the creation, growth, and effectiveness of local education foundations in Connecticut.

To register now for this important conference, visit our website at www.ctcef.org and click on Events/ Annual Conference.

For more information, contact CTCEF president, Liz Stokes, at 203-227-9323.

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

2014- 2015 CABE Staff Administration

Robert Rader Executive Director rrader@cabe.org

Teresa Costa Coordinator of Finance and Administration tcosta@cabe.org

Cory Ucci Receptionist/ Assistant to the Executive Director cucci@cabe.org

2014- 2015 CABE Board of Directors Executive Committee

Richard Murray President Killingly (h) 860-774-4165

Government Relations

Ann Gruenberg First Vice Predsident Hampton (h) 860-455-1211 (b) 860-465-5268

Robert R. Mitchell VP for Government Relations Montville (h) 860-447-8882 (b) 860-443-7441

Elaine Whitney VP for Professional Development Westport (h) 203-221-7335

John Prins Secretay/Treasurer Branford (h) 203-481-6279 (c) 203-623-6191

Lydia Tedone, Immediate Past President Simsbury (h) 860-658-1173 (b) 860-653-5524

Donald Harris Member at Large Bloomfield (h) 860-243-3611 (b) 860-878-1403

Susan Karp Area 2 C0-Director Glastonbury (b) 860-633-5603

Laura Bush Area 3 Director Vernon (h) 860-872-2420 (b) 860-798-1693

Douglas Smith Area 4 Director Plainfield (h) 860-564-8339

Andrea Veilleux Area 6 Co-Director Stratford (h) 203-380-1938

Area Directors Daniel Gentile Area 1 Director Plymouth (w) 860-314-8004

Patrice A. McCarthy Deputy Director/ General Counsel pmccarthy@cabe.org

Sheila McKay Senior Staff Associate for Government Relations smckay@cabe.org

Gail Heath Administrative Associate for Govt. Relations gheath@cabe.org

Donald Harris Area 2 Co-Director Bloomfield (h) 860-243-3611 (b) 860-878-1403

Policy Service

Andrea Ackerman Area 9 Director Groton (h) 860-536-2422 (b) 860-527-2110 Vincent A. Mustaro Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service vmustaro@cabe.org

Pamela Brooks Sr. Administrative Associate for Policy Serv.\Search Services pbrooks@cabe.org

Terry DeMars, Administrative Associate for Policy Service tdemars@cabe.org

Jennifer Dayton Area 6 Director Greenwich (h) 203-637-5823

Labor Relations

Roxane McKay Area 7 Co-Director Wallingford (h) 203-269-5404

John Prins Area 7 Co-Director Branford (h) 203-481-6279

Lon Seidman Area 8 Director Essex (h) 860-577-0566

Associate Directors Committee Chairs Wilmarie Newton Administrative Associate for Labor Relations wnewton@cabe.org

Membership Services

Bonnie B. Carney Senior Staff Associate for Publications bcarney@cabe.org

Nicholas Caruso Senior Staff Associate for Field Services and Coordinator of Technology ncaruso@cabe.org

Eileen Baker Associate Director Old Saybrook (h) 860-388-2761

Sharon Beloin-Saavedra, Associate Director New Britain (h) 860-827-0136 (b) 860-827-0136

Becky Tyrrell Resolutions Plainville (h) 860-793-0615

Donald Harris Federal Relations Bloomfield (h) 860-243-3611 (b) 860-878-1403

Elizabeth Brown State Relations Waterbury (h) 203-754-7163 (c) 203-560-7028

City Representatives

Lisa Steimer Senior Staff Associate for Professional Development lsteimer@cabe.org Robert Guthrie Associate Director West Haven (h) 203-934-7565 (c) 203-996-2382

Denise Roberts Administrative Assistant for Membership Services droberts@cabe.org

Gary Brochu Associate Director Berlin (h) 860-828-1579 (b) 860-251-5705

Robert Trefy Associate Director CT Technical High School System (h) 203-521-8371 (b) 860-807-2182

Richard Wareing City Representative Hartford (b) 860-695-8000

Carlos Torre City Representative New Haven (h) 203-387-1277 (c) 203-668-9940

Polly Rauh City Representaitive Stamford (h) 203-325-9379 (b) 203-325-9379

Charles Stango City Representative Waterbury (h) 203-575-0411

11

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/September 2015 CABE 2014-2015 Annual Report

It’s your Association – Get Involved!

This year, CABE continued its progress in helping Boards become more efficient and effective. This is due to the hard work of our CABE Board of Directors and Staff, working to address the needs of our member boards and those equally hard-working member boards which support this relationship.

Our aim is always to continuously strengthen these relationships, which translates into more success at the State, regional and local levels.

timing of the use of Smarter Balance testing and other concerns around professional educators’ evaluations.

We helped ensure that the concerns of school boards, together with superintendents and principals were taken into account.

We continued work as a partner in LEAD CT, helping grow leaders and revising the CABE/CAPSS Governance Statement and Team Assessment documents.

CABE was involved in an unprecedented number of discussions with legislative leaders and the Governor’s office, and partnered with numerous other organizations to promote public education. Our Federal Relations Committee lobbied the Connecticut Congressional delegation on several key issues. To provide the most upto-date information to our members, our staff participates in and monitors numerous task forces, commissions and legislation.

Additionally, we provide testimony and lobby those with an impact on education, meeting with legislators around the state and preparing board members to do the same. We worked this year to maintain current levels of education funding, including maintaining the student tranportation grants.

CABE Day on the Hill

We continue to work closely with various coalitions and partnerships, which have resulted in more access to legislators and the Governor’s staff and greater visibility, both at the Capitol and in the media.

We invite you to follow us on both Twitter (@CTAssocBdsofEd) and Facebook (https:// www.facebook.com/ConnecticutAssociation BoardsEducation). The CABE Journal, in its 41st year of publication, was available in both paper and electronic forms to better meet the needs of our readership and at the same time reducing the cost of producing this valuable resource.

Policy Services continued to provide services and to be a respected resource to a great number of districts by providing bi-weekly Policy Highlights, Customized Policy Manuals, Policy Update, Policy Audit, Custom Policy Updated, Connecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.), and the valuable reference tool, the CABE Policy Reference Core Manual. Additionally, as the goto resouce the Policy Service staff fields approximately 600 requests for policy information and/or sample polices from CABE member districts.

We also continued our partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE), particularly with our emphasis on the need for student growth, through the Lighthouse Project, CABE’s Leadership Institute, our work with school governance councils and workshops which highlighted each board’s critical role in increasing student achievement. As our members began to implement the new Common Core State Standards, we published articles on the issues facing districts and spoke about the Standards at a number of forums.

We also worked on the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC) as it wrestled with issues of

Representing districts at press conferences

Professional development opportunities

We were also actively involved with the National School Boards Association, including presenting workshops at its Annual Conference, having Immediate Past President Lydia Tedone elected to the NSBA Board of Directors, Patrice McCarthy serving on the Council of School Attorneys’ Board of Directors, Robert Rader on the Liaison Committee (representing state school boards association executive directors) and developing a paper representing all states’ executive directors on the Future of School Boards.

As mentioned above, CABE has provided the C.O.P.S. online service since 2007. There are currently 40 subscriber districts to the C.O.P.S. service. CABE also provides another online service, CABE-Meeting, a paperless meeting product which has 19 subscriber districts.

CABE’s attorneys responded to hundreds of requests from board members and superintendents asking for individual assistance on legal issues covering many subjects. CABE also provided individual (continued See CABE 2014-15 page 12

Additionally, CABE hosted both the NSBA Northeast Regional Meeting and the 2015 Southern New England NSBA Federation Trainers and Meeting Planners Conference.

Both these meetings allowed us to showcase the work being done in Connecticut.

Representing Connecticut in Washington, D.C.

We continue to look at our communications with our members and others to ensure we are providing timely information in a format that is desirable, whether via email, listserv, website or social media.

2015 CABE Leadership Institute graduates

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

CABE 2014-15 Annual Report – It’s your Association - Get Involved! from page 11) board workshops, statewide workshops, and collecting and distributing district budget information each season. CABE

of Excellence for Education Communications for school districts.

The 2014 CABE/CAPSS Convention

CABE/CAPSS Convention planning committee

also participated as amicus curiae in cases of statewide impact.

CABE’s Affiliate Membership Program grew this year, which is great news in that the revenue from this program and others is “non dues” revenue, a category of revenue we always look to grow in an effort to offset dues.

in November was a great success with nearly 700 people in attendance. The CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee and staff look to grow the Convention each year – both in quality of programming and the number of people in attendance. We hope to see you at the 2015 CABE/CAPSS Convention on November 20-21 at the Mystic Marriott.

CABE continues to grant awards to boards of education through the CABE Board Recognition Awards, students through the Student Leadership Awards program which granted a record 444 students with awards in 2014-2015, and in conjunction with ConnSPRA the Awards

CABE provides professional development for board members in a number of ways. CABE staff work with individual boards of education on a variety of topics of particular relevance to the individual board, present statewide workshops on topics of broader interest and through

webinars that are most often presented live and then archived on CABE’s website for additional viewing.

To assist boards of education carry out one of their most important responsibilities, CABE offers Search Services program. We currently have four talented search consultants who assist boards in recruiting and retaining superintendents, principals and other critical members of the district’s staff.

CABE is pleased to offer, in conjunction with Baldwin Media, a variety of services for those who are in need of communications expertise. Your need can be internal communications, external communications, or crisis communications.

We provide additional services to member districts that include an unem-

ployment cost control program and business travel insurance.

We want to remind you, if you would like to use the Rovins Conference Room at the CABE Office, please let us know. We don’t charge for use of the room and it’s a great place for a meeting or a retreat. We want our building to be seen by board members as your building!

We again urge all board members to be involved with the work we do. Don’t wait for someone else to take the lead—we need every board member to be involved with school boards’ one statewide association - CABE! The entire CABE Annual Report can be found on CABE’s website at http:// www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1329

Testifying before the Education Committee .

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

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/September 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 planning meeting for Statewide Conference on Family Engagement being hosted by the State Department of Education.

Wrote article on school climate, safety and security for the American School Board Journal.

Attended Governor’s bill singing ceremonies for four education bills.

Attended U.S. Department of Justice meeting on juvenile justice issues.

Attended meeting of the MORE Commission Technology Subcommittee.

Attended NSBA Summer Institute for State School Boards Associations Executive Directors, including the Liaison Committee, which represents the Executive Directors, presented information on the “Cadillac Tax”, an excise tax which may hit school

districts in 2018.

Attended meeting of CAPSS’ NextED2 Committee, on the next iteration of this paper.

Met with new Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Executive Director Joe DeLong.

➤ By providing opportunities

•

•

•

for members to learn how to better govern their districts:

•

• • • •

•

Participated in conference call with Brent Robertson, speaker at the Summer Leadership Conference.

Held annual meeting of CABEMeeting Meeting Managers.

Planned and implemented successful Summer Leadership Conference.

Trained newly hired staff in Madison on use of CABE-Meeting.

Trained staff in newly enrolled district, Clinton, on use of CABEMeeting.

Facilitated a Roles and Responsibilities workshop with the Suffield Board of Education.

Met with Area 2 Director Donald Harris, Chair of the CABE Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity and First Vice President Ann Gruenberg on work of the committee.

Met with members of the Executive Committee who will serve on the Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity.

Provided policy information to 25 districts, one charter school, and one RESCs, two newspapers, and two out-of-state school board associations through 42 answered requests for information or sample policies, on 42 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 included social media, attendance, administration of medications, and equity and diversity.

➤ By helping school boards to increase student achievement

•

•

Participated in Lighthouse training with the Winchester and Gilbert School Boards of Education.

Sent out three issues of Policy Highlights via email listserv covering topics that affect student achievement. This included a listing of required annual due process notifications for students and parents/ guardians, sexual abuse and assault awareness programs, pesticide applications, teacher evaluation, bilingual education and school resource officers.

➤ By promoting

public education:

•

Spoke to the Waterbury Republican on demographic issues that will affect boards of education.

➤ By providing services

to meet members needs:

• • •

•

•

•

Completed 2015 Education Law Summaries.

Facilitated annual Montville Board of Education goal setting session.

Met with Litchfield Superintendent Lynn McMullin on CABE Services, activities and programs.

Contracted with the Fairfield Board of Education to do an audit of their policy manual.

Mailed the Policy Update Service publication detailing legislative actions impacting policy. Continued revision of policies impacted by recent legislation.

Placed Sherman’s policy manual online utilizing the Connecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.).

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts.

It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it,

➤ By ensuring members

receive the most up-todate communications:

•

•

•

•

Received training on creating additional content for the CABE/ CAPSS Convention app.

As part of the development of new policy manuals utilizing the Custom Policy Service, materials were prepared for Ellington, New Canaan, Plymouth, and Thomaston Boards of Education.

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

A contract was entered into with New London Board of Education to develop a new policy manual.

especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine.”

Chris Hadfield

15

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

Now is the time to book your next board retreat or training session!

With school board elections coming for most school districts this year, it is important to remember to schedule your board workshops with CABE staff as soon as possible.

We encourage you to sign up your new board members for our New Board Member training session on December 9 (information to follow).

You may also be looking to schedule a workshop for the whole board. Whether it is goal setting, roles and responsibilities, or a board retreat, this fall and winter promise to be a very busy season.

We encourage you to lock in your dates as soon as possible. To learn how CABE trainers can provide your board with professional development, or to schedule a meeting, contact Nick Caruso, Senior Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of Technology (ncaruso@cabe.org)

People in the News James Sanders, Sr. a school board member from New Britain is retiring from the Board of Education after 32 years of service. Sanders has served on every school board committee ranging from expulsion to finance, curriculum and personnel. We thank Mr. Sanders for his years of service to the students of New Britain.

Patrice McCarthy has recently been reappointed to the Labor and Employment Executive Committee as well as the Education Law Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association.

CABE First Vice President Ann Gruenberg (Hampton) and CABE Vice President for Government Relations Robert Mitchell (Montville) are featured in a podcast entitled “Board-Superintendent Collaboration on the Monitoring Front,” on the Board Savvy Superintendent Blog site.

Starting off this podcast is CABE Executive Director Robert Rader. To listen to the podcast go to: www.board savvysuperintedent.com/?p=139.

CABE E-Meeting Managers’ summer meeting

What will the Connecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.) provide YOUR district?

• A policy manual updated within days of a board meeting.

• Access to your policy manual 24/7 anywhere with Internet capability.

• Timesaving links to legal and cross references.

• A search engine specifically designed for board policy manuals.

• The ability to search other online districts for similar policies or language.

• A happier staff that will have less paper to deal with.

If you would like additional information on CABE’s Connecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.), call Vincent Mustaro at 860-5717446 or email vmustaro@cabe.org for full details.

Let the CABE staff make your policy life easier.

CABE-Meeting managers met recently in the Rovins Conference Room at the CABE offices. If you would like more information on CABE-Meeting, go to the CABE website: www.cabe.org or contact Lisa Steimer at lsteimer@cabe.org.

New CABE offering for Central Office Staff CABE is now assisting districts by offering periodic professional development and best practices idea exchanges for Superintendents’ Executive Assistants, Administrative Assistants and Secretaries. We hope these programs provide these valuable staff members with collegial support and additional tools and resources that will help them be as effective as possible in their important roles.

The first session will be held on:

October 29, 2015 2:00 - 4:00 pm CABE Office, Wethersfield Legal Issues Impacting the Daily Work of the Superintendent’s Executive Assistants, Administrative Assistants and Secretaries Topics to be discussed include FOI, legal protocol – specifically records retention, magnet school enrollment verification, and homeschooling. Additional topics to be covered will be determined by the participants.

Presenter: Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE Registration Fee: $25.00. To register go to https://em.eboardsolutions.com/ cabe/emembership/getevents.asp. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Steimer at 860-571-7446 or lsteimer@cabe.org

16 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/September 2015

Fairfield rising to the occasion Chris Seymour Staff Reporter, CABE

They were without their chief executive officer for six weeks earlier this year, but the members of the Fairfield Board of Education – and the administrators in the central office – rose to the occasion to keep their district running smoothly.

Fairfield Superintendent Dr. David Title was out of work for six weeks this spring after donating a kidney to his 26year-old son, Russell, who was born with a variation of a genetic condition known as Alport syndrome; its effects include a slow deterioration of the kidney function over the course of one’s lifetime. Earlier this year, doctors determined Russell would need a new kidney and his father turned out to be a perfect match.

“From the point of view of running the school system, I was out of work for six weeks beginning April 29, which is obviously a very busy time of year,” Title told The CABE Journal last month. “But we didn’t have any choice about that.”

Title developed a plan with his central office staff members, who collaborated to fill the void left by his absence. “He prepared his staff to maintain business as usual and continue to work on the goals that we have all agreed to and to work with the board to accomplish those goals,” explained Fairfield Board of Education Chairman Philip Dwyer. “And, in June, when we met with Dr. Title as we do every year, to say, ‘how did the year go?’ There wasn’t a single goal that was not worked

on, advanced or accomplished despite his being out of commission for nearly a couple of months.”

Dwyer stressed that Title refused to let any of the district’s goals stall or be neglected because of his absence. “It is always a challenge to lead a district when your chief executive officer is out, but at the same time, Dr. Title refused to accept that the district’s goals would not still be focused on and accomplished and so he worked very hard to make sure that happened,” said Dwyer.

Title’s capable staff – led by his Deputy Superintendent Karen Parks – kept the day to day operations of the district humming along.

“We put a whole plan together, and most of the work fell to my deputy superintendent Karen Parks and she is somebody with whom I have worked professionally for 25 years,” said Title. “I have a lot of faith in Karen; we have worked together in three districts. She knows how I would approach things and she probably can finish my sentences for me.”

The rest of the central office team divvieded the remaining tasks that needed to be covered with Parks stepping in as de facto superintendent. “It’s a big district here so I have got a nice central office team; they all divvied up the responsibilities and some of Karen’s work as well,” he said. “I am blessed to have great people here who can step in.”

Title’s administrative assistant Meg Brown, whom he called a “godsend,”

checked his emails – he gets around 100 a thing to happen to Russell and so we day – and made sure that he didn’t have to started having him tested more frequently check his work email once during the six for his kidney function,” said Title. weeks he was out, enabling him to focus At the beginning of 2015, doctors told fully on his recovery.

Title’s family it was time to start looking “I was kind of sitting at home and I was around for a donor for Russell. “His kidstarting to get some function and I was ney function was not at that point where he getting kind of antsy,” said Title. “So I would need a donor, but he was going to kind of dropped some hints that if you do need a donor sometime in the next say, 12need me to help, or you do need me to 18 months, and so we then started to try weigh in on something, I am home and and look for donors,” said Title. you can call me.

Within a month, it was determined that “And I think the staff just decided may- Title was “a perfect match” for his son “and be for my own good, but also for their own that nobody else who was in the pipeline good, that they were not going to involve was even close,” he said. At that point, the me at all,” continued Title. “And so really family resolved to keep looking for another for six weeks, I had absolutely no – almost donor – the hope was that a younger donor no – contact with anything work related at would be found – but Russell’s condition all so I could completely focus on just quickly declined. getting myself recovered.”

“His kidneys started to decline fairly Title estimated he missed about five rapidly – much more rapidly than they had Board anticipated,” meetings said Title. during his “And he absence, but started losing Parks was a weight; he had more than some other capable fill medical in, accordconditions that ing to were worsenDwyer. “His ing as a result, Deputy and it was Superintengetting to the dent Karen point where he Parks rose would have to to the go on dialysis occasion soon. And we and sat in had been Dr. David Title and his son Russell for the through that superintendent at our board table for the with my other son and it didn’t end well meetings,” said Dwyer. because dialysis has its problems as well.”

Dwyer added that Title has a leaderThis spring, for the sake of his son, Title ship style that is based on teamwork and had no choice but to undergo surgery and so it’s not uncommon for him to, when donate a kidney. “It got to the point where asked a question at a board meeting, to [doctors] said, ‘look, we know this is a ask his staff members present to directly terrible time of year for you at work and answer those types of questions. you had said this would be much bet-ter “And so Karen had the same ability to done in the summer or fall but your son draw on staff and respond to questions can’t wait,”’ recalled Title. that the person who has all the detailed “And so it was really a no-brainer and I information might be better off answersaid, ‘schedule it, I will be there; people at ing,” said Dwyer. “And one of our board work completely understand this; my board members, in talking about [Title being completely understands this; we will make out] in June said, to [Title’s] credit, ‘we it work at the office, this is the least of the didn’t miss a beat’ is the phrase they problems, knowing what had hap-pened to used.’” my other son,”’ explained Title.

While Title’s staff “did very well in After surgery, Title missed six weeks his absence,” according to Dwyer, “His and then returned to work part-time until staff would probably say, ‘we missed July 1, when he began working full time him; yes, we rose to the occasion, but we again. missed him and are glad he is back.”’

Though Title is still recovering, both he Title, for his part, appreciated the sup- and his son are doing well. “My son is port he received from his board. “The doing great; he is like a new person and has board was very supportive, particularly so much energy,” he said. “A number of the Phil Dwyer, but all of them,” said Title. medical issues that were caused by the “They knew what was happening and kidney failure have cleared up.” they understood they would not have this Had he not donated his kidney to his ac-cess to me but that they could access son, Title said Russell would have been on other people.” a donor waiting list for three to four years, It has been a difficult few years for “during which time he would be on dialyTitle and his family. In April 2014, his sis, which we don’t know he could have 20-year-old son Jack, who also had survived.”

Alport syndrome, passed away. “BasiWhile many people have praised Title cally, Jack’s kidney function, rather than for his selflessness in donating his kidney deteriorating slowly, deteriorated very to his son, he says he was just doing what rapidly and it led to a sequence of events any parent would. “Parents make sacrifices that ultimately ended up in his dying,” for their kids all the time and this is recalled Title. something I think any parent would have “Right after that, we decided that we done,” said Title. “I did not even think didn’t want to wait around for the same twice about it.”

17

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

The

Media Message

from Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

5 Tips for Effectively Marketing your School District For those of us who work in school communication we know how much our efforts contribute to the districts’ bottom lines. We are beginning to understand just how consistent communication year-round and meaningful parental and community involvement build support for our schools and the children they serve.

Therefore, with the new school year now underway, I thought it might be helpful to pass along what I consider to be the top five things that all school districts can do to better communicate with their school community:

1. Regularly Updated Messages from the Superintendent or School Board In this technology based world, a website is a key factor in promoting your school and creating a sense of community within it.

Therefore, it’s important that

Superintendents and School Boards have a strong presence on their school or district’s website.

2. Share Your Strong Suits What does your school or district do best? What programs does your school focus on? Don’t be afraid to express and promote those unique characteristics which set your school apart and what it excels at. By being forward about all that your school has to offer, it will create excitement among parents, students, and teachers that they are part of a school community that has so much to offer.

3. Have a Recognizable Key Message What does your school stand for?

What as an educational community, do you want to instill in your students? Having a recognizable key

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message that truly captures the values of your school is important to create consistency in the learning environment and something educators and students are passionate about upholding both inside and outside of the school.

marketing your school district.

Keeping the conversation going throughout the school year is just as important as your enthusiasm on the first day of school. Keeping students, faculty and parents in “the know” about major accomplishments and events will keep them excited about being a part of your school community and all that it has to offer.

4. Make Concerns a Priority Take any concerns about what is going on in your school community seriously and make sure that you have a plan in place to communicate both good news and bad news.

Remember, if you don’t have a voice on a particular issue, someone else will and those people are usually not the voice of reason.

The bottom line is good communication is the heart of education and is a key component to educational success. Effective two-way communication is a necessary trait for success at all levels of education, from school board to superintendent to principal, administration, teachers and parents.

5. Stay Consistent!

Consistency in communication with your community is the crux of

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18

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

Re-amping music education: the modern bank program Danielle Fahey, Intern, CT State Dept. of Education Arts Education Creativity, motivation, thinking skills and teamwork are just a few of the many positive effects music education has on students; simultaneously, such instruction enhances a community with recitals, concerts and cultural expansion.

Sadly, many schools throughout the nation are cutting their music programs.

Consequentially, thousands of students have been left at a disadvantage; children in low-income areas, who are not able to afford such instruction outside of the school day, are especially affected.

However, one former elementary school teacher and his team are restoring and reinventing music programs for students, one instrument at a time.

Little Kids Rock Little Kids Rock (LRK) is a music education non-profit that began in 2002 with California school teacher, David Wish, and a handful of volunteers. What

as a Second Language,” a unique musical pedagogical approach, with Modern Band, an innovative program that teaches students to “perform, improvise and compose using the popular styles that they know and love.” Using a variety of instruments that are common to the genres, kids are able to play modern music styles, such as rock, pop, reggae, hip hop and R & B. Gail Lumpkin is a music teacher at the R.J. Kinsella Magnet School in Hartford and has been involved with Little Kids Rock since 2014. Gail incorporated the program into her 5th-9th grade classrooms this past year and will bring it to the 10th grade this fall; she says the instruments have been “a blessing.”

When asked about Modern Band, Gail responded, “I love it! Kids are working together and helping each other— keyboards help guitar with chord progressions and I use the piano with older kids.

[Modern Band] gets more kids involved because they love popular music; vocal kids, bass kids, choreography—they all want to do the popular music!”

Students from Two Rivers Magnet School performing percussion on Friday morning at the 2014 CABE/CAPSS Convention.

themselves reflected in the curriculum.

The popular music inspires students because it draws them in on a personal level. Gail also says that she “likes that [Little Kids Rock] send out new songs with new arrangements all the time.” By keeping the curriculum fresh and relevant, Modern Band continues exciting students throughout the year.

To Expand, On Modern Band

The Berlin High School Jazz Ensemble performed at the Saturday morning General Session at the 2014 CABE/CAPSS Convention.

began as informal guitar lessons has now evolved into a noteworthy musical prosperity that has served over 400,000+ students nationwide.

The program came to Connecticut in 2014 and is currently in thirty-nine schools within the Hartford and Bridgeport districts. With free instruments, curriculum and training provided by Little Kids Rock, fifty-one partner teachers are able give an impressive 13,000 students the opportunity to learn, play, and enjoy music education.

Connecticut Jams with Popular Music The LKR curriculum combines “Music

Music educators, like Gail, are able to expand upon existing musical programs with Modern Band because it engages kids who otherwise would not have participated in school music programs.

Students who may not have been interested in traditional keyboard lessons get excited when they find out they can learn their favorite Taylor Swift, Kayne West or Black Eyed Peas song. It is music they know; it is music they want to play.

In fact, “94% of teachers state that their students are more engaged since implementing the Modern Band program and 80% of them reported increased enrollment in music programs.”

Improved engagement and enrollment comes from students’ ability to see

The songs and artists aren’t the only contemporary part of the Modern Band curriculum. Activities like “Rap Talk” and “Hip-Hop Hamburger” are examples of modern lessons in creativity, composition and innovation.

At first, lessons in hip-hop can sound outlandish, and objectionable associations with the genre can induce an initially negative connotation; however, the worth of such instruction is considerable upon review: Many students immediately engage in the unorthodox activities because of the popularity of hip-hop in both youth and urban culture; students can identify with

the genre, causing an increase in music program participation.

Also, while exercises like “Rap Talk” instill practices of keeping rhythm and tempo, they also encourage outside teachings, like quick-thinking and using effective language. Even for kids who don’t necessarily prefer hip-hop, such application still enforces inventivethinking and bolsters language skills.

Music to Your Ears As funding for music departments decreases, the number of students being empowered by LKR and Modern Band increases. By providing teachers and schools with the support they need, at zero cost, Little Kids Rock gives students the “chance to unlock [their] inner music makers” and obtain a musical education.

To learn more, check out the LKR website at www.littlekidsrock.org. To get modern band happening in your district contact Jackie Coleman, Education Consultant for the Arts with the CT State Dept. Of Education: Jacqueline.Coelman@ct.gov.

“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent”.

Victor Hugo

19

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

2015 Summer Leadership Conference

Greetings

Lydia Tedone (Simsbury) NSBA Regional Director-Northeast Region brought greetings from NSBA.

CABE President Richard Murray (Killingly) welcomed everyone to the Conference.

Communications

Convention App State Education Commissioner Dianna R. Wentzell, spoke about the future of public education in Connecticut.

Demographics Implications l. to r., Patrice A. McCarthy; Robert Giesen, Business Manager, Region 12; and Lon Seidman, Chair, Essex discussed both the positive and the negative implications of the changing demographics of school districts.

Lisa Steimer, Sr. Staff Associate for Professional Development explained an exciting new feature for this yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CABE/CAPSS Convention The Convention App.

Q & A Session

Demographics

Board members participate in a question and answer session.

Roles and Responsibilities

Michael Howser, Harleigh B. Trecker Library Director, Head of Digital Scholarships & Data Curation, Connecticut State Data Center Director.

l. to r., Deputy Director and General Counsel Patrice A. McCarthy and Executive Director Robert Rader shared the recent draft revisions to the CABE/ CAPSS Governance Statement and Teacher Assessment documents.

Steven Batt, Associate Director of the Connecticut State Data Center.

Brent Robertson, Partner and Founder, Fathom, spoke about school district communications with the public.

20

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

2015