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www.cabe.org

Vol. 25, No. 7

July/August, 2021

CABE Survey Results Released

Understanding and Reducing Cybersecurity Risks Doug Casey

Executive Director, Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology

See CYBERSECURITY RISKS page 6

Dr. Martha Brackeen-Harris DEI Consultant, CABE

Robert Rader

Executive Director, CABE

Yay Summer!

Equity / Roles and Responsibilities Workshop Held in Enfield Robert Rader

Executive Director, CABE

Last Spring, the Enfield Board of Education asked CABE to provide a workshop on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and roles and responsibilities. That workshop took place June 1st, led by CABE Equity Consultant Dr. Martha Brackeen-Harris and Executive Director Robert Rader. While CABE, through use of its Equity Toolkit, has facilitated community discussions on DEI issues, this workshop focused exclusively on the needs of the Enfield Board to better understand cultural competence and the duties of board members. Enfield Board Chair Walter Kruzel and Superintendent Chris Drezek were both very pleased with the workshop. Mr. Kruzel said that the workshop enabled the Board to discuss difficult issues in a collegial way. Superintendent Drezek stated that “I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback from members and it was an important first step on our “journey”. The workshop, provided at no

cost to Enfield, began with a discussion of “Who’s at the Table,” as equity work begins with understanding the backgrounds of the Board members, superintendent and assistant superintendent. This is consistent with the work that CABE has long presented as the need for the Leadership Team to know where other Board members and staff are “coming from.” This is one key to ensuring the Leadership Team successfully works together. This was followed by a discussion of some of the more important “fairness” definitions, including equity and equality, implicit bias, systemic and institutional racism. The work that CABE is doing helps Leadership Teams to become aware of the forces that have affected every human,

In collaboration with the Northeast Regional Educational Laboratory, the results of our survey on School Board Members in Connecticut has now been released. The goal of the survey, as determined by the CABE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, was to gather demographic data from school board members, as the Committee develops plans for affinity groups. Those groups will be designed to provide a space where those who share racial identities can discuss their common experiences, offer support, and encourage each other. At this time, the groups will be African American, white, and Latino members. In designing the affinity groups, the Association will help identify the needs of school board members and enable CABE to better help all members. The survey contained 11 questions on Board Members’ engagement in DEI activities and their demographics. The response was returned from 171 of the 1,275 Connecticut School Board Members. This 13.4 percent return rate was lower than we hoped, but, not altogether surprising. Other surveys have gotten low results in similar situations. However,

See WORKSHOP page 6

inside

The seismic expansion of technology over the last year and a half has created a “perfect storm” of cybersecurity risk. In response to the Coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020, districts invested in devices and home broadband connections to support remote learning. Connecticut is now a “1 to 1” state, with more than 140,000 computers procured and delivered to students through the Partnership for Connecticut and the State. Every student who needed a device in early 2020 should have one now, and tens of thousands of home broadband connections through the Everybody Learns initiative have brought those students online. District leaders and educators quickly adopted remote and blended learning approaches, with a 30 to 40 percent increase in educational software usage nationwide. The average district now uses more than 1,300 apps for teaching and learning, a staggering number that reflects the rapidly spreading digital footprint of student and educational data. This school year, with instruction shifting from remote back to in-person, those new computers have made their way into schools. Some of those devices have viruses and malware downloaded through unprotected home networks. The risk “vectors” and points of vulnerability have never been more numerous or widespread. Cyber incidents continue to blanket our news feeds, with plenty of local examples to raise concerns among Connecticut education leaders. If the national trends and totals seem concerning, consider that reported data generally underestimate the real

Federal Delegation Meetings

See SURVEY RESULTS page 6

There is an Urgent Need for Bus Drivers

Joint Statement on Culturally Responsive Education

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021 PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

Leadership in the Time of “Fear Culture” Donald Harris President, CABE

Serving on a local Board of Education has never been a popularity contest. Those who do well as Board members can sometimes lose their supporters when they do what they are obligated to do, rather than what is popular. As agents charged with implementing the educational interests of the state, Board members often have to do what is required, no matter how unpopular the decision is. In these times, several conditions have come together to make life even more difficult for those unpaid volunteers who take their responsibilities seriously. I am not going to discuss my personal opinions on these topics, but talk instead about how boards should consider dealing with them. First, the political climate has become very adversarial. Most Boards still work well together, even in the face of strong pressure from special interest groups or political parties, but the pressure has become unrelenting and it is hard to stand up to it day after day. With social media and the press bringing these issues to the forefront every day, it seems like there is no rest. The internet is full of conflicting messages about any number of issues, often driven by fear. In particular, two issues have come to the forefront with direct consequences for Boards of education. COVID-19 has been responsible for the deaths of many Americans and caused sickness and financial problems for the entire country. Whether it is controversy around vaccinations or the wearing of masks, Boards of education are right in the middle of an emotion-driven firestorm. Boards are under pressure from parents who demand that all children be vaccinated before being allowed into school and those who are vehe-

mently opposed to vaccination for several reasons. Likewise, the wearing of face coverings to stop the spread of infections has drawn similar battle lines. The part of the state statute that requires implementing the educational interests of the state requires full compliance with all state and federal laws, and so Boards are required to follow, among other laws, executive orders from the Governor. If the mandate comes down in September that all students and staff must be vaccinated and wear masks, then that is what you must enforce. Local health departments and federal and state health organizations are studying the pandemic and science should be the guide for what happens, not opinions or fearmongering. Having an opinion does not make one an expert and a global pandemic is not a time to listen to just anyone. Of course, there are plenty of sources of information that will support whatever opinion you want. I challenge you to look carefully at the information you use to make decisions and don’t fall prey to fear politics. Trust your superintendent to follow the science. These issues are scary, so fear is an undercurrent in our society right now. Look at as many facts as you can and make your own decisions, always remembering that you are an agent of the state and that the children and adults you are responsible for demand your greatest attention during these times. The other issue causing a loud voice of opposition (even if the number of voices is rather small) is Critical Race Theory (CRT). Again, it is not my intention to use this column to argue for or against the issue but to suggest how Boards should approach this topic.

What do you want? (not “what don’t you want?)

One Board CABE recently worked

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.

Board of Directors with started going back and forth about what CRT was or was not. Some Board members were concerned about what they envisioned CRT to be and voiced their concerns. Other Board members had a different vision of the impact that bringing the discussion of race into schools would have. Finally, Board members agreed that perhaps, with some effort, they could develop a policy that articulated what they did want for their children and community. I suggest Boards look to goals they believe will help their children and community, particularly in the area of race relations and social justice, through a policy lens and talk about what you want for your community. CABE is available to aid in this endeavor.

Make decisions based on facts

There is a lot of information out there, some accurate but sometimes misused, and some out and out fabrication. Please look to inform yourselves about what the issues are and make decisions based solely on the data.

Leave politics out of it

This area has become highly politicized. When an issue this sensitive is viewed mostly through the lens of politics, it is unlikely that a good discussion can take place or decisions made in the best interests of the children. Look to sources of information outside of either political sphere. During these contentious times, remember that our obligation is to provide a safe, nurturing environment that supports teaching and learning. I would suggest that this needs to include civil, thoughtful Board of education meetings that focus their work on doing just that.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Donald Harris | President, Bloomfield Elizabeth Brown | First Vice President, Waterbury Leonard Lockhart| Vice President for Government Relations, Windsor Bryan Hall | V ice President for Professional Development, East Hartford John Prins | Secretary/Treasurer, Branford Robert Mitchell | I mmediate Past President, Montville Christopher Wilson | Member at Large, Bristol Lydia Tedone | NSBA Director, Simsbury AREA DIRECTORS Bryan Hall | Area 2 Co-Director, East Hartford Leonard Lockhart | Area 2 Co-Director, Windsor Joan Trivella | Area 4 Director, Woodstock Academy Mic helle Embree Ku | A rea 5 Director, Newtown Karen Kleine | Area 6 Director, Westport George Kurtyka | Area 7 Co-Director, Derby Robert Guthrie | Area 7 Co-Director, West Haven Lon Seidman | Area 8 Director, Essex Sean Nugent | Area 9 Director, Preston ASSOCIATES Julie Auseré | Associate, Canton Eileen Baker | Associate, Old Saybrook Ethel Grant | Associate, Naugatuck Ann Gruenberg | Associate, Hampton Robert Trefry | A ssociate, CT Technical High School System Elaine Whitney | Associate, Westport COMMITTEE CHAIRS Becky Tyrrell | Chair, Federal Relations, Plainville Meg Scata | Chair, Resolutions, Portland Michelle Embree Ku | Chair, State Relations, Newtown CITY REPRESENTATIVES John Weldon | City Representative, Bridgeport Ayesha Clarke | City Representative, Hartford Yesenia Rivera | City Representative, New Haven Andy George | City Representative, Stamford Charles Stango | City Representative, Waterbury STAFF

Robert Rader | Executive Director Patrice McCarthy | Deputy Director and General Counsel Nicholas Caruso | Senior Staff Associate for Field Services and Coordinator of Technology Sheila McKay | Senior Staff Associate for Government Relations Vincent Mustaro | Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service Lisa Steimer | Senior Staff Associate for Professional Development and Communications Teresa Costa | Coordinator of Finance and Administration Pamela Brooks | S enior Administrative Associate for Policy Service and Search Services Terry DeMars | Administrative Associate for Policy Service Gail Heath | Administrative Associate for Government Relations Wilmarie Newton | Administrative Associate for Labor Relations Nancy Propfe | Administrative Assistant for Membership Services Corliss Ucci | Receptionist and Assistant to Executive Director

CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published bi-monthly by Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, 81Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Periodicals postage Paid at Hartford, CT.” POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CABE Journal, CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. CABE membership dues include $30 per person for each individual who receives The CABE Journal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75. Association members 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.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

CABE Affiliate Members BUSINESS AFFILIATES VALEDICTORIAN Connecticut Business Systems – A Xerox Company Finalsite SALUTATORIAN

Berchem Moses PC Shipman & Goodwin HIGH HONORS

Pullman & Comley HONOR ROLL Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield ESS JCJ Architecture Newman/DLR Group SCHOLAR Brown & Brown Chinni & Meuser LLC Coordinated Transportation Solutions Dattco, Inc. Goldstein & Peck, P.C. Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. The Lexington Group Network Support Co. OneDigital Health and Benefits Perkins Eastman T-Mobile The S/L/A/M Collaborative Zangari Cohn Cuthbertson Duhl & Grello, P.C.

EDUCATIONAL AFFILIATES American School for the Deaf Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) The College Board Communities in Schools Connecticut Arts Administrators Association Connecticut Association of School Business Officials Connecticut School Buildings and Grounds Association Connecticut School Counselor Association Connecticut Technical High Schools Cooperative Educational Services (C.E.S.) EASTCONN EdAdvance Explorations Charter School Integrated Day Charter School ISAAC LEARN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

Relax and Recharge! Robert Rader

Executive Director, CABE

I’m writing this as I am returning from a little vacation time in the West. My wife, Megan, and I hiked in Bryce Canyon, Zion National Parks and Grand Escalante National Monument.* If you haven’t been out to these parks in Utah, they are very different, each with its own rocky, dry characteristics. They are hard and beautiful, shaped by years of water, wind and other erosive forces that have made them unique. I was reminded in the national parks how small a person can feel while staring at massive cliffs and rocks that are millions of years old and weigh vast numbers of tons. That perspective helps us better understand how tied in to nature we are and how nature shapes the world around us. Don’t despair if you couldn’t get away this summer. Psychologists have told us that just a walk in the woods can help relax and recharge us. Take advantage of your opportunities to recharge. There were signs in the parks that remind us of that we are merely the trustees of these areas, much as our Boards and Superintendents are the trustees of their districts. Demographics, economics and the work of Boards and Superintendents shape our districts, much as rivers and volcanoes have shaped our national parks.

Summer, 2021

I hope you got a chance to relax over this summer. It was very different from summer, 2020, when districts were busy preparing their three plans for reopening schools. It was a difficult fall and winter. In many districts, no matter which plan that the superintendent and Board adopted, it was very probably opposed by a segment of the school community. We are still dealing with the slow-moving firestorms that have broken the consensus for moving forward in many of our districts. Whether it’s mask-wearing or how districts are dealing with other divisive issues, we are heading back to school with tumultuous issues aplenty. When CABE tries to help our members deal with divisive issues, one of our primary recommendations is

always to focus first on the needs of our children. What will best support them as they prepare to enter their next grade level, the marketplace, the armed forces or higher education? By keeping focused on the issue of what is best for our children, some of our adult issues can be overcome. No, we don’t claim this is a panacea, but, an opportunity to focus with different lenses on these issues. It is that focus which gives the local school board the opportunity to make decisions, however divided the Board may appear to be. Making decisions in a civil, respectful, transparent manner builds the trust of Board Members in each other and the community in the Board.

Zebra Slot Canyon in Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument

No one expects all members of the Board to agree on every decision or vote unanimously on all issues. Those who are on the Board are not expected to be education experts, rather, they are on the Board to represent the varying perspectives of their communities. A unanimous vote may make the most sense and serve the Board and community best if it comes after hearing the different perspectives of all members of the Board. Based on the divisive issues over the last year and the upcoming elections for many Boards, it is important that those currently on Boards and those considering Board service understand their roles and responsibilities. What does it mean to “stay in your own lane”? What are the duties of individual Board members? The Board as a whole? The Superintendent? These differ to some extent, depending on the district. However, CABE and the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents

(CAPSS), put together a Governance Statement (www.cabe.org/page. cfm?p=1223) that helps delineate “best practices” on these issues. We also will be presenting webinars, asking, “Do You Want to Be a School Board Member?” on September 21, 22 and 23 at different times, to help those running for the Board to better understand what will be expected of them should they be elected to a Board. CABE has no regulatory or policing authority over Boards. We operate by encouraging Boards and their members to follow the “best practices” which we have set out in the Governance Statement and within the positions set out by our Delegate Assembly and our Board of Directors. Among your Association’s roles is to help Boards understand what is required of them and where they have opportunities to tailor policies and procedures that best fit their districts. The creative and imaginative solutions that Boards and their Superintendents develop are strong indications of why educational policy must be determined at the local level. As I saw this summer, our national parks can fire the imagination by providing new perspectives for our work. Let us spend the few short weeks left of the summer recharging and considering how we can provide the best education possible for our students and our communities as we head into a new school year. According to Ashley M. Biggers of Matador, a travel network, “the distinction between lands designated as national parks and national monuments can appear finite. The primary difference lies in the reason for preserving the land: National parks are protected due to their scenic, inspirational, education, and recreational value. National monuments have objects of historical, cultural, and/or scientific interest, so their content is quite varied.” *

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board and the First, Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments

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. The members of the Nutmeg Board of Education typically take the months of July and August off, and they were thus surprised when Mrs. Superintendent informed them that they needed to come to an expulsion hearing. Veteran Board member Bob Bombast was particularly agitated about this request. On the one hand, he is in a summer rental on the Cape and does not want to come back for a hearing. On the other hand, Bob hates to miss out on the action. So he called Mrs. Superintendent and asked her what was going on. “It’s serious!” Mrs. Superintendent explained. “Sally Student was on Instagram and she posted a number of pictures of one of her teachers that she had copied from the teacher’s Facebook page. To make matters worse, she added vulgar captions to the pictures, calling the teacher a ‘dumb &%@^*.’ The Board has to take a stand against such disrespect!” Bob was quick to agree, telling Mrs. Superintendent that she could count on his support if he could participate remotely, given that he is on vacation on the Cape. Mrs. Superintendent reminded Bob, however, that the Board has a policy prohibiting Board members from participating in executive session by remote means. But Bob was undeterred, and he asked Mrs. Superintendent to send him the link for the hearing. At the appointed date and time, the Board members met for the expulsion hearing. No one raised an issue when the Board convened into executive session and Bob signed on to the executive session Zoom link. The hearing started with Mrs. Superintendent presenting the case against Sally. “This student’s conduct was outrageous!” Mrs. Superintendent started her presentation in high dudgeon. She projected the various pictures Sally had posted on Instagram, including the vulgar captions, and dramatically concluded with “I rest my case.”

Mr. Chairperson then turned to Sally and asked her what she had to say for herself. Sally didn’t have much to say. She admitted that the posts were hers, and she explained that she didn’t mean any offense, as she was just fooling around. Mr. Chairperson complimented Sally on her honesty and was just about to close the hearing and start the Board’s deliberations. “Just one more thing,” Sally interrupted. “If you expel me, you will be violating my constitutional rights. That could be an expensive mistake.” Mr. Chairperson did his best to hide his annoyance at being threatened by a fifteen-year-old, and he declared the hearing closed. After Sally and her parents left the room, Mrs. Superintendent told the Board members that she certainly hoped that the Board would not back off because of Sally’s threat. Mr. Chairperson told the group that, while he found the posts offensive, he wondered whether Sally’s were protected speech. But Bob Bombast wasn’t buying it. “We need to protect our teachers from this abuse. If we let Sally get away with this, who knows what students will post online!” After further discussion and with Mrs. Superintendent’s encouragement, the Nutmeg Board of Education voted to expel Sally for the first marking period of the 2021-2022 school year. Should it be worried about Sally’s threat? • • • • • • • • • • • • • Given a recent decision of the United States Supreme Court, Sally may well have a valid claim that her expulsion violated her rights under the First Amendment. But this situation also raises a constitutional issue under the Fourteenth Amendment, and it highlights a change in the Freedom of Information Act that board members should know about. First, in June of this year, the United States Supreme Court held that the Mahanoy Area School District in Pennsylvania violated the free speech rights of a student when it suspended her from cheerleading for the season because, after the student did not make the varsity squad, she had posted pictures on Snapchat of her making vulgar gestures and statements about cheerleading. Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. (U.S. 2021). As readers may recall, the Court first ruled in 1969 that students have free

speech rights in school unless their speech causes substantial disruption or material interference with the educational process or invades the rights of others. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (U.S. 1969). Until Mahanoy, however, the Court had never ruled on whether the authority of school officials to address disruptive speech extends beyond the “school house gate.” A majority of the judges on the Third Circuit, the appellate court that considered B.L.’s case, had ruled that Tinker does not apply to off-campus speech. Happily, while it ruled in the student’s favor, the United States Supreme Court rejected the Third Circuit’s reasoning: The school’s regulatory interests remain significant in some off-campus circumstances. These include serious or severe bullying or harassment targeting particular individuals; threats aimed at teachers or other students; the failure to follow rules concerning lessons, the writing of papers, the use of computers, or participation in other online school

activities; and breaches of school security devices, including material maintained within school computers. While it thus preserved the applicability of the Tinker rule to off-campus speech, the decision reminds us, however, that regulation of student speech is permitted under Tinker only when the speech “seriously” disrupts or “materially” interferes with the educational process. Applying this high standard to B.L.’s actions, it is not surprising that the Court ruled in her favor. Similarly, before voting to expel Sally, the Nutmeg Board should consider carefully whether and how Sally’s posts on Instagram disrupted the educational process. In addition to considering Sally’s First Amendment rights, the Board here should take a refresher course on due process. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide that no person should be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.

Aim Higher

Creative legal solutions for Connecticut’s public schools – because sometimes it is rocket science.

See SEE YOU IN COURT page 12

The Ninth Edition – Now Available!

A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law by Thomas B. Mooney, Esq. Shipman & Goodwin

CABE is delighted to announce that the Ninth Edition of Tom Mooney’s Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law is now available. PRICING: CABE Members: $54.99; CABE Non-Members: $79.99; Students: $44.99 There have been many changes in school law in the last few years, and the Ninth Edition has been extensively revised to provide updated guidance on the legal issues that govern our schools. Changes include descriptions and commentary on:

• Changes in teacher evaluation and teacher tenure. • New rules regarding employee background checks. • New requirements concerning student data privacy. • New rules for suspension, expulsion and alternative educational opportunities. • Revised requirements governing seclusion and restraint. • The new “Every Student Succeeds Act” and how it has changed “No Child Left Behind Act” requirements. • The CCJEF case and ongoing litigation over equal educational opportunities. • The Minimum Budget Requirement and new duties to collaborate with town officials. • A host of other changes in the rules that boards of education and school administrators must follow.

Shipman & Goodwin’s school law attorneys have more than 40 years of experience, and represent over 100 public school districts, as well as public school member organizations and associations, on a full range of legal issues that they confront, from general education law to special education matters.

Our school law site, www.ctschoollaw.com is devoted entirely to emerging school law issues. Attorneys counsel clients, monitor legislation and provide periodic alerts and updates. We regularly present seminars, quarterly workshops, webinars and professional development workshops for schools on current topics of interest. Our Practice Group Co-Chair, Tom Mooney, has written A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law, a comprehensive treatise on Connecticut school law, published by CABE and used by teachers, administrators and board of education members throughout the state.

Education is a core focus of our law firm. www.ctschoollaw.com

Contact: Thomas B. Mooney or Linda L. Yoder | 860.251.5000 | www.shipmangoodwin.com CONNECTICUT

NEW YORK

WASHINGTON DC

6 CYBERSECURITY

(continued from page 1)

impact of cyber incidents. For example, the oft-cited K – 12 Cybersecurity Resource Center points to 1,180 incidents since 2016, a five-year span. To put this low-ball number in perspective, the Connecticut Education Network has mitigated more than 800 denial-of-service attacks — just one type of incident in one of the smallest states in the nation — in this school year alone. By some measures, human vulnerabilities (i.e., poor “cyber hygiene”) are the source of more than 80 percent of all cyber incidents, especially data breaches. Browser and app-based systems are convenient not only for trusted district staff but also for hackers.

Why You Should Care

To understand why cybersecurity risks and protections matter, district leaders should consider the current footprint of connected systems and data in the average school system. Student data has garnered much attention in recent years, especially with the passage of Public Act 16-189. The use of each new app that collects and stores student information presents another point of vulnerability for that data. In many ways, systems that store employee data present a much greater risk, especially those with human resources, benefits, and medical information. Your counsel will likely agree that the risks posed by the exposure of employee medical, financial, and other information (e.g., Social Security numbers) generally far outweighs that of student data. Also consider the systems that

SURVEY RESULTS

(continued from page 1)

the data is important because goals of the DEI Committee include helping school Boards and district staff to reflect their community’s diversity and encouraging Board members to consider DEI issues as they make decisions in their individual districts. We know from other studies that people of color are poorly represented on some Boards across the country. We wanted to determine if this is also true in Connecticut, even as the number of students of color in Connecticut is now approximately 50 percent. We are well-aware that making generalizations based on such a small percentage of responses is fraught. However, we believe that we have a duty to report the results to the CABE membership.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021 run everything from attendance and individualized education plans (IEPs) to virtually every aspect of school operations. You likely depend on cloud-based systems to run school bus routes, serve lunch, and collect payments with credit card and/or checking account details. If having those systems offline or compromised does not give you pause, then also consider losing access to phones and email, the backbone of communications in your district. The “attack surface” of cyber incidents has never been broader, but many resources and approaches can help reduce that risk.

What You Can Do

The starting point for many districts in reducing exposure to online vulnerabilities has often been cyber insurance, but even that marketplace is undergoing shifts. For example, the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA) recently announced it would no longer include cyber insurance as part of its core coverage. More broadly, just to become eligible for cyber insurance, schools and towns need to prove due diligence in preventing attacks and reducing vulnerabilities through training and investments in third-party intrusion detection and prevention systems. The new emphasis from incident response to prevention reduces risk for carriers and customers alike. • I f your school system does not have updated incident prevention and response plans — in the same way you would prepare for natural disasters or school safety incidents — today would be a good time to start!

Is equity is written into board’s mission, vision, and/or policies? No response 1% Unsure 24%

No 16%

Yes 59%

Here are results of the survey: •A pproximately 75 percent of respondents identified as white or Caucasian, 7 percent Black or AfricanAmerican and less than 5 percent each for: Hispanic, Latino or Latina, BIPOC, Native American, Asian or a race not listed on the survey.

Become familiar with frameworks from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (www. nist.gov/cyberframework) and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) (us-cert.cisa. gov). Excellent resources from CISA (see www.bit.ly/CISA-20) and the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN, www.cosn.org) help district leaders identify and mitigate against cyber risks specific to schools. Other state, regional, and national organizations can help protect your schools. The State’s education network, CEN (www.ctedunet.net), identifies and mitigates attacks that would normally grind school and town networks to a halt for days. Districts can also take advantage of low-cost solutions that protect student devices and school firewalls through CEN’s volume pricing agreements. •Y our information technology (IT) team can stay up to date on current threats by subscribing to updates from the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (www. cisecurity.org/ms-isac/). Finally, become familiar with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.IC3. gov), with supports before and after a cyber-incident. • S ummer is a perfect time for your school technology team to learn more about cybersecurity. The Federal Virtual Training Environment (fedvte.usalearning. gov) and SANS Institute (www.sans. org) provide free training for state and municipal employees, as does •F orty-one percent stated that they were 46 to 60 years old, one-third were over 61 years old and 18 percent were 31 to 45 years old. •F orty-seven percent have been on their Boards less than five years and 30 percent have been on five to 10 years. Six percent were over 21 years. • S ixty-two percent were female, 33 percent were male. Other gender identities each received less than 2 percent. •F ifty-four percent were from suburban districts, 29 percent were from rural districts and 16 percentwere from urban districts. Fifty-four percent of Board members stated that their board had engaged in DEI activities, including community conversations, trainings or town/city affinity groups. They also had discussions, wrote equity statements, read books, took part in com-

CEN with input from Connecticut subject-matter experts serving on its advisory councils (www.ctedunet. net/engagement-events/). A number of cybersecurity courses are starting soon from CoSN (see www.cosn.org/ cybersecurity). Depending on the skill level of your IT staff, you may want to seek outside assistance from a trusted third party in identifying the vulnerabilities of your network, devices, and systems. Consultants can also help develop a reasonable cyber security plan and recommend solutions that will help protect against vulnerabilities to your district. Merely protecting against the “enemies at the gate” shortchanges the holistic approach to cyber security you should take. Schools today depend heavily, if not almost entirely, on hosted solutions to manage their instructional and operational systems. For that reason, school leaders should make staff training on data and systems protections a priority. Consider investing in third-party systems to test employee responses to the types of human engineering campaigns we face every day. “Safe” phishing emails through these solutions will help identify who is likely to share data or download viruses with bad actors so that you can address and correct this behavior in a collegial, low-stakes way. Building a collective understanding of risks and best-practice approaches to reducing exposure will help your district in the long run. Start a conversation today, informed by the resources above, to stay ahead of the cyber threats to your district’s teaching, learning, and operations. mittee meetings and developed DEI policies. Six percent stated that their Boards had not. Eighty-one percent of respondents had personally engaged in DEI activities, including community conversations, trainings or webinars. They also reported that they had read books and articles on DEI, took part in conferences or national association events and discussions. Over three-quarters of Board members said their Boards were addressing DEI issues to a large, moderate or at least some extent. Sixteen percent reported that their Boards had not written equity into their Boards mission, vision or policies. The DEI Committee will continue its work on these issues and hope that all Board members will join us!

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

FEDERAL DELEGATION MEETINGS

CABE spoke with Congressman Courtney, (Education and Labor Committee) about the infrastructure bill, the homework gap, building a more diverse educator workforce and IDEA. CABE thanked him for fighting for Connecticut’s students.

CABE met with Marie Gualtieri in Congresswoman DeLauro’s office on IDEA, infrastructure, diverse educators, and the homework gap. Thank you board members Lydia Tedone, Leonard Lockhart and Michele Embree Ku.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

THE POLICY CORNER

We Are Well Suited to Respond to the Legal Needs of Boards of Education

Vincent A. Mustaro

Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABE

Time to Get Reacquainted with the Board’s Policy Role Leadership is often thought of as visionary planning, effective communication and the creation and fostering of positive interpersonal relationships. However, the effective leadership of boards of education, in addition to these traits, is based on policy. Policy is a board of education leadership tool that is without equal. Connecticut’s General Assembly has delegated many of its lawmaking powers for public education to local boards of education to exercise through locally developed and adopted board policies. The board is a policy-making body and the policies that it enacts are the local law of the school district. Board policy on a topic governs what the district will do and how it will require others to act. The National School Board Association (NSBA) has stated that policy is a board’s purpose. It reaffirms that policy is one of the most important means by which a board exerts its leadership. All aspects of school operations are permeated and dominated by board policy. NSBA has stated, in its “Key Work of School Boards” that policy provides the most powerful lever for the exercise of leadership. The board’s vision must guide the many decisions made by the board. Vision provides a target to advance student achievement. NSBA reminds us that policy is the intersection of vision and accountability. Through policy boards strive to meet the district’s vision and mission, codified in policy language, and align resources and personnel to achieve the intent of the policies. Good policy is best developed when it is researched and discussed before it is required and before it is needed as a reaction to a current issue within the district. It is best not to develop policy on an issue when the district is immersed in a crisis. This type of policy development often results in a policy that is not well thought out and purposeful. Similar to curriculum development, policy development, including monitoring, review, and revision, is a never-ending process. Boards, in addition to adopting new policy, must take the opportunity to review its existing policies. It’s a good practice to review selected policies or sections of the policy manual throughout the school year. Key questions NSBA suggests in this process include: “Are we getting what we wanted? Is the policy consistently enforced with board action?” Further, boards must make the necessary effort to keep the

contents of its policy manual up-to-date. Remember, policy is always at the center of the work of effective school boards. It is critical to keep in mind the importance of the words used in school district policy. Through its policies, the board establishes written expectations that articulate priorities, provide direction, assign responsibilities, establish commitments, offer public accountability, give notice of legal responsibilities to ensure compliance and provide stability and continuity from year-to-year. CABE partners with its member school districts assisting them to successfully fulfill the board’s important policy function. Sample policies are available from CABE which serve as a starting point for the local district. It is recognized that writing policy can be a difficult task. In addition, CABE’s Policy Service offers a numbers of different services to assist boards of education review their manuals, develop new manuals, address new timely policy topics, and to keep abreast of current events impacting policy. The district, when developing new policies or revising existing ones must keep some key factors in mind. Good policy is legal, clear and workable. It must have clarity. Whenever possible, avoid a policy that is overly philosophical, legalistic and/or contains too much verbiage. It must be easily understood with clear concise language. It must be understandable in purpose and direction to those responsible for its implementation and to those impacted by the policy. Next, avoid placing excessive detail in the policy that can get into the dayto-day operations of a school or contain multiple subtopics. Make your policy specific enough to convey the board’s message clearly, but not so specific that it strays into administrative territory or unnecessarily constrains board prerogatives. The policy should state the board’s philosophy on a given topic and indicate what it wants to see happen, or conversely what the board wants not to happen. The policy’s implementation should be left to the professional judgment of the superintendent and his/her staff. Too much detail placed in the policy can restrict the superintendent from exercising his/ her professional judgment, training and experience. Unfortunately, a trend is now clearly evident, based on the experiences of the past few years, that is causing the placement of considerable detail and verbiage

into policies. This trend is the result of the legislative process at the federal and state levels which, in addition to requiring policy on an increasing number of topics, is now also stating what must be contained in the policy statement. Examples of this practice include policies pertaining Title IX, bullying and safe school climate plans, the use of restraint, seclusion, and exclusionary time-out, and student wellness. A number of new policies that will be required due to the actions of the 2021 session of the General Assembly continue this trend! When looking at your district policies, look for words such as “will” and “shall”. Such words give strength to policies and the board’s expectations. Words such as “should,” “may” and “can” are weak and provide an option as to whether action is to be taken on the issue in question. Policies should also be sufficiently general enough to offer the administration guidance but be applicable to more than one specific instance. However, it is not possible to anticipate every circumstance that will arise between board meetings nor be able to adopt in advance all of the policies needed to take care of every imaginable contingency. Provision must be made to allow for administrative action in such cases and the superintendent is the person to entrust with that authority. Every board should adopt a policy that empowers the superintendent to act when no written policy exists to guide that action. Some policies may simply restate the law. Strive to avoid such policies, when possible. However, there exists some specific language that is required by statute on various topics that needs to be placed in policy language. As previously indicated, this has become a too familiar trend. There are a number of questions that can be used to evaluate existing or proposed policies to determine if they are good ones, assuming they fulfill legal mandates and do not hamper the administration in the implementation process. Some include, but not limited to, the following: • Is the policy within the board’s legal and moral areas of interest, authority and responsibility? • Does the policy express the district’s values or intentions? • Does the policy comply with existing policy, law or judicial decision? • Does the policy avoid making the board appear arbitrary or capricious?

• Exactly what is authorized or required by the policy? Remember that policy is considered a living document that should be evaluated and updated on a continual basis to correspond to changes in the legal and school environment and school board and community beliefs. As we embark on a new school year, be sure your board has a process in place to ensure that its policies are up-to-date with recent legislation, court rulings, Commissioner’s decisions and state regulations. In some situations, policies on certain topics, while not legally required, may be locally desired. Utilize CABE’s many resources available to its member districts to assist in the fulfillment of this most important of all board responsibilities-the policy function!

Attorneys and Counselors at Law

WORKSHOP

(continued from page 1)

including their students and faculties. It is not about affixing blame for perceived or real inequalities or oppression in our society. It is attuned to the work that boards and superintendents do to enable our schools to move forward, especially as demographics change. After that discussion, we talked about the roles and responsibilities of Leadership Teams, particularly board members. There were reminders of the • f unctions of the board, for selecting, supporting and evaluating the superintendent, adopting a budget and approving board policies; • t hat the authority of board members is that of any other citizen, except when at the board table; and, • t he need to tell citizens with concerns about the schools to use the board-adopted chain of command. Such a workshop can be tailored to the needs of any member board. It has become evident that boards desire the information provided in such workshops and the CABE Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is addressing those needs. Should your board desire such a workshop, please contact either Dr. Brackeen-Harris or me. At this time, there is no charge for such a workshop for member boards.

Berchem Moses PC is a leading player in the State of Connecticut in the field of Education Law. With 10 attorneys dedicated to this specialized practice, we offer a long history of experience and deep resources. We promise the highest level of service in a more cost effective manner. We work with boards of education to address a myriad of complex issues including labor and employment, student issues, special education, general counsel, and other challenges facing educators today. Be sure to visit www.connecticuteducationlawblog.com where our attorneys regularly cover legal matters that pertain to Connecticut schools.

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

by Ashley Wilborn, Project Manager, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

STATE CRISIS: Kids Are Ready to Go Back to School, But How Will They They Get There?

Urgent Need for Bus Drivers Throughout the State to three months to onboard a driver, given the fact that there are rigorous background checks as well as extensive Commercial Drivers License training that need to be completed for all new drivers, as well as continuous training for existing drivers. While some COSTA members were able to continue to pay many drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, due to contracts being honored by their districts, there were also a number of drivers who preferred filing for unemployment. These benefits were extended much longer than expected which has resulted not only in a lack of new potential employees applying for positions, but it has also resulted in a

huge hit to driver retention. COSTA is hopeful that you will help spread the word in your communities through your parent organizations and other communication channels so that people know how crucial it is to get drivers hired now! These positions are often filled by stay-at-home moms and dads who want to work on their kid’s school schedule, retirees, or individuals who just want to earn some extra income. It is important for all of you as part of the Connecticut education system to understand that this is an urgent need. If not resolved quickly it will affect student transportation for the 2021-2022 school year, not only in terms of getting students to

CABE: Working for YOU

The Media Message

As many schools gear up for in-person learning this fall, there is now a great concern that there won’t be enough bus drivers to get students to school. COSTA (Connecticut School Transportation Association) wants Boards of Education, Superintendents, school business officials, and Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) to know that they are in the midst of a self-declared hiring crisis and needs these organizations’ help! To try to recruit new drivers, COSTA is running a vigorous traditional and social media campaign with the goal of attracting bus drivers for the upcoming school year. The issue is, it takes approximately two

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

and from school, but also to athletic events and field trips. In response to this crisis, a campaign called Drive CT Kids, www. drivectkids.org, has been created as a “landing page” for all interested candidates. The goal is to make it as easy as possible for a potential bus driver to go to this site and submit an application for their corresponding city or town. Again, the process of onboarding a driver can take up to three months, so we need to get drivers in seats… yesterday. Your awareness and cooperation is crucial.

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:

topics that affect student achievement. Included topics pertained to vaccinations/immunizations, Title IX, assistant principals, professional development, instructional practices, cyberattacks, board member censure and First Amendment issues, and online learning.

B y providing opportunities for members to learn how to better govern their districts: zF acilitated roles and responsibilities workshops for Enfield, East Windsor, and Torrington Boards of Education. zF acilitated CABE Board Chair Check-In and Update meetings. zH osted CABE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee meeting. zF acilitated Andover Board of Education retreat. zF acilitated board self-evaluation for Darien and Region #15 Boards of Education. zR esponded to 50 requests for policy information from 26 districts and two out-of-state school board associations, providing sample materials 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 were those pertaining to equity and diversity, graduation requirements, Title I, Transgender Youth and Use of social Media. zP rovided New Board Member training for the Hartford Board of Education.

B y helping school boards to increase student achievement:

zP articipated in several board retreat-planning sessions for the Hamden Public Schools.

B y ensuring members receive the most up-to-date communications: zP repared materials, as part of the Custom Policy Service, for Sharon. zR evised policies in the master resource file of policies and in the online Core Manual. zC ompleted draft of the Policy Update Service publication containing legislative updates. zR evised the listing of required and recommended policy topics.

B y promoting public education: zP articipated in SDE Focus Group meetings on goals of the State Board of Education. zA ttended Pullman and Comley legal seminar. zA ttended CAPSS Board of Directors meeting. z Hosted meeting of alliance district chairpersons.

z S ent four issues of “Policy Highlights” via e-mail listserv covering

zA ttended meeting of retired superintendents.

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B y providing services to meet member needs: zP rovided Legislative Wrap Up webinar after both the regular and special sessions.

zP articipated in CABE Alliance District webinar. zA ttended Nellie Mae Foundation webinar on (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) issues.

zH osted Government Relations, State Relations and Resolutions Committee meetings.

zP articipated in SDE Educational Partners (CABE, CAPSS, CAS, CEA and AFT-CT) meeting.

zP osted policies online for districts utilizing the Connecticut Online Policy Service (COPS) for Branford, Bristol, Brooklyn, Chaplin, Cheshire, Derby, Danbury, Granby, Griswold, Killingly, Portland, Region #18, Ridgefield, Stamford, Voluntown, Westbrook, Westport, Windsor, Wolcott, and Woodbridge.

zA ttended Anti-Defamation League webinar on APPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) Hate issues and ADL CT Regional Board meeting. zA ttended Educational Commission of the States webinar with Acting SDE Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker and President of the California State Board of Education Linda Darling-Hammond.

zR evised policies for East Hampton, New Fairfield, Putnam, Sterling, Union, and Windham as part of the Custom Update Service.

zA ttended meetings of the Northeast Regional LAB.

zA ctivated online posting of manuals using COPS for Danbury and Westbrook. zC ompleted policy manual audits for Hartford and Wallingford. zU pdated the policy section of the CABE website. zW orking on audit of the policy manuals for Brookfield. zD etermined recipients of CABE’s Board Leadership Award.

B y attending Professional Development to strengthen staff knowledge and skills: zA ttended Federal Department of Education webinar on equity issues. zA ttended Connecticut Society of Association Executives annual meeting. zA ttended SDE webinars on learning recovery strategies. zA ttended NSBA Virtual Equity Conference.

B y representing Connecticut school boards on the state or national level: zA ttended meeting of Campaign for a Working Connecticut. zA ttended DPH/SDE webinars. zA ttended meeting of SDE’s Educator Evaluation and Support Council.

zP articipated in NSBA Advocacy Institute. zA ttended NSBA State Executive Directors and Liaison Committee meetings. zP articipated in NSBA Northeast Region meeting. zW as guest on the Peter Mezzitti local public television show. zA ttended SDE’s Minority Teacher Recruitment Council meeting. zH osted CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee meeting. zA ttended CT Family School Partnership Advisory Council meeting. zP articipated in NSBA State Association Counsel calls. zP articipated in media interviews for WNPR, Hartford Courant, and WTIC-AM. zP articipated in Special Education Leaders workgroup meetings. zA ttended NSBA Virtual Advocacy Institute and Federal Lobbying meetings. zA ttended CT School Attorneys Council meeting. zA ttended CREC Council meeting. zA ttended Social Emotional Learning Collaborative meeting. zP articipated in the CAPSS Technology Subcommittee meeting. zP articipated in the quarterly meeting of the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology.

12 SEE YOU IN COURT

(continued from page 4)

Essential to due process is an impartial decision-maker. When board members consider a recommendation from a superintendent that a student be expelled, they sit as judges, and they should be impartial. Just as it would be improper for a prosecutor to talk ex parte with the judge in a pending case, so too was it improper for Mrs. Superintendent to talk with Bob about the merits of the case before the hearing. Compounding the problem, Mrs. Superintendent sat in and even

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021 participated in the Board’s deliberations. Once the hearing is closed, boards should make decisions about expulsion recommendations without further input from the superintendent. Finally, we note that the Nutmeg Board has a policy against Board members participating remotely in executive session. Such restrictions are not uncommon, and they reflect a concern that it is not possible to assure the confidentiality of executive session if a board member is participating by electronic means. However, such prohibitions are no longer enforceable, given a provision of the recent-

ly-passed Budget Implementer bill. Specifically, Section 149 of P.A. 21-2 of the June 2021 Special Session amends the FOIA to provide: Any public agency that conducts a meeting shall provide members of the public agency the opportunity to participate by means of electronic equipment, except that a public agency is not required to adjourn or postpone a meeting if a member loses the ability to participate because of an interruption, failure or degradation of that member’s connection by electronic equipment, unless the member’s participation is necessary to form a quorum.

The law places no conditions on the “opportunity to participate” in a meeting “by means of electronic equipment,” and a blanket prohibition against board members participating remotely in executive session is no longer permissible. 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. Shipman & Goodwin is a CABE Business Affiliate.

For an update or more information on vacancies go to our website:

https://www.cabe.org/ page.cfm?p=1176 MARY BRODERICK, ED.D SENIOR CONSULTANT

The CABE Government Relations, Resolutions and State Relations Committees met on July 12 in the CABE office. This was CABE’s first in-person meeting since March, 2020. Those meeting in-person included Gail Heath (CABE), CABE First Vice President Liz Brown (Waterbury), CABE Resolutions Chair Meg Scata (Portland), CABE Vice President for Government Relations Leonard Lockhart (Windsor), CABE Immediate Past President Bob Mitchell (Montville), Patrice McCarthy (CABE), Sheila McKay (CABE), CABE State Relations Chair Michelle Embree Ku (Newtown), and CABE President Donald Harris (Bloomfield). CABE Federal Relations Chair Becky Tyrrell (Plainville) and CABE Associate Director Julie Ausere (Canton) joined virtually.

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The Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), often called the “Sunshine Law, is a series of laws that guarantee the public access to meetings and records of governmental entities in Connecticut. The FOIA also sets forth numerous exceptions to its open meetings and records requirements. Over the years, however, both the FOIA and its exceptions have often been misconstrued.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

Joint Statement on the Importance of a Culturally Responsive Education Editor’s Note: This statement was developed based on existing CABE positions. The Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Connecticut Association of Schools, American Federation of Teachers Connecticut, and Connecticut Education Association are committed to the Connecticut State Board of Education’s goal of improving the academic lives of Connecticut’s increasingly diverse student body. This includes sustaining equitable and welcoming learning environments in which all students feel valued, respected, and safe to learn and grow. This diversity, which represents a multitude of backgrounds and identities encompassing race, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, nationality, status of citizenship, and sexual orientation, is a strength to be celebrated. In response to challenges to our public education system, and to continue the mission of advancing opportunity for all, it is our shared priority to affirm, value, and leverage this diversity as an asset embodied and mirrored in teaching and learning. Education must continue evolving to remain relevant to, and reflective of, students’ social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds to assist in the development of their lifelong respect and compassion for themselves, their classmates, their communities, and the world around them. Engaging in inquiry-based learning that broadens students’ appreciation of perspectives

beyond their own results in stronger motivation, open-mindedness, and critical thinking skills. We want our students to graduate as responsible, well-rounded, and productive citizens who are ready to engage with others and thrive in our interconnected, diverse global society. Our students are best served when empowered with the tools to understand and investigate the countless lived experiences that exist in the world around them. To ensure the well-being of and positive life outcomes for Connecticut’s students, we pledge ourselves to carrying out the following:

them with culturally and socially relevant content that resonates. • Aligning and providing resources, guidance, and support to districts to continue developing and implementing policies, procedures, and relevant curricula that affirm their students’ identity and their sense of belonging.

We believe and fully support fostering inclusive and culturally responsive educational environments that welcome, respect, and acknowledge the individual identities of all members of a school community as a cornerstone of preparing each and every student to succeed in college, career, and civic life.

• Building a culturally sustaining and responsive education system that fosters our children’s cultural awareness and development. • Cultivating authentic relationships with all members of a school community, including culturally diverse families, via two-way, reciprocal conversations around the development of curriculum, instructional methods, and expectations for student learning. • Supporting the State Board of Education’s 2020 Position Statement on Culturally Responsive Education – updated from 2011 – which strongly encourages public school districts to adopt policies that demonstrate their commitment to all students because we know there is a greater impact on student outcomes when we meet

C.O.P.S.

What will provide YOUR district? • A policy manual updated within days of a board meeting. • Access to your policy manual 24/7 anywhere with Internet capability. • Time saving links to legal and cross references. • A search engine specifically designed for board policy manuals.

The new Fifth Edition has been updated to now include:  The latest statutory changes and important decisions concerning the FOIA

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

 The latest developments concerning:

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

✓ law enforcement records ✓ school videos ✓ personnel records  Additional details regarding FOIA compliance

To order please visit the CABE online publication store at CABE.org

Patrice McCarthy, CABE Deputy Director and General Counsel and Sheila McKay, CABE Sr. Staff Associate for Government Relations, with the support of Gail Heath, CABE Administrative Associate for Government Relations, provided CABE’s Legislative Wrap Up on June 14.

If you would like additional information on CABE’s Connecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.), call Vincent Mustaro at 860-571-7446 or email vmustaro@cabe.org for full details

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | July/August, 2021

Trusted Legal Counsel in Extraordinary Times Now more than ever, school districts, their boards of education and their administrators are turning to Pullman & Comley’s School Law practice for informed, accurate and timely information on the unprecedented legal issues they face in the age of COVID-19, including those surrounding the safe reopening of schools, remote learning, PPE protocols, and labor and employment matters. At the same time, our attorneys are counseling clients on new laws affecting school districts, including the Title IX regulations effective in August 2020, transgender athlete policies and the sexual harassment training obligations mandated by October 2020.

Please visit our Education Law Notes blog for up-to-the-minute alerts, commentary and insights on critical legal issues affecting educational institutions. Schoollaw.pullcomblog.com And, for critical information on the legal implications as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our COVID-19 Focus page at pullcom.com to view recent publications, receive alerts, and to register for and view our webinar series related to the pandemic.

Our attorneys are accessible to their clients, responsive to concerns and always available to answer questions on these issues as well as on the challenges schools face on a routine basis in their daily operations.

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Stephen M. Sedor 203.330.2137 ssedor@pullcom.com

Michael P. McKeon 860.424.4386 mmckeon@pullcom.com

Mark J. Sommaruga 860.424.4388 msommaruga@pullcom.com

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