School Attorneys Council Holds Mid-Year Meeting, Discusses Pending Title IX Rules

The Connecticut School Attorneys Council held its mid-year meeting virtually on June 22. The group discussed a number of timely legal issues relevant to Connecticut school districts. Patrice McCarthy (CABE) presented an overview of new education laws since the recent close of the legislative session. Kelsey Scarlett (Shipman & Goodwin) provided a summary of new, pending Title IX rules.

The group also discussed plans to conduct occasional meetings with the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Legal and Governmental Affairs Director, Mike McKeon. The meetings hope to be another avenue for attorneys who represent boards of education to be apprised of, and discuss, the implementation of education laws.

The group’s next meeting will be in-person at the CABE/CAPSS Convention in November at the Mystic Marriott Hotel.

On May 26, the U.S. Department of Education issued a message on its official blog, Homeroom, stating that it anticipates that the new Title IX rules will be released in October. Regardless of this tentative schedule for the release of the rules, it is not yet clear when implementation of the rules will be required. The new proposed rules include a variety of changes to how districts deal with Title IX compliance, including investigations and athletic eligibility, among other aspects.

Until the rules are released, and implementation is required, districts will still be operating under the current Title IX framework. Board attorneys should be contacted with any questions both in the interim and once the new rules are released.

While Title IX is a federal law, our state legislature recently enacted two laws touching on Title IX. Special Act 23-18 established a working group tasked with examining the feasibility

We are pleased to announce those school board members who earned the Master Board of Education Member and the Certificated Board of Education Member levels in the 2022-2023 school year.

The Master Board of Education Member (MBEM) program builds on the basics of the Certificated Board of Education Member program. To earn the MBEM, members must have earned the Certificated Board of Education Member level and 20 additional credits in core areas that include leadership, effective meetings, school/ community relations, strategic planning, group dynamics, board member ethics, school finance, labor relations, and school law.

Those earning the Master level are: Mary Kortmann – Coventry

Laura Harris – Derby

Edward Strumello - Seymour

To achieve the Certificated Board of Education (CBEM) level of CABE’s Board Member Academy, a board member must accumulate at least 20 credits, earned by participating in CABE programs. Core areas addressed in earning the CBEM are board relations with the superintendent, with the community and with each other; policy; curriculum; school finance;