EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY Summer — A Time to Reflect

Patrice McCarthy

Executive Director & General Counsel, CABE

I hope you have been able to take time to recharge and reflect – or have plans to do so in the coming weeks. Board members, superintendents, teachers, support personal, parents, students and CABE staff all benefit from a change of scenery or change of pace to reenergize before the new school year begins. We all have different ways to recharge – reading under a tree, hiking, spending time with family and friends, traveling, or taking a Polar plunge (yes, there are photos). Our minds and bodies benefit, and we can approach the challenges ahead with renewed momentum.

It is also important to reflect on the past academic year as well as plans for the year ahead. Many boards of education hold retreats during the summer to provide the opportunity to celebrate the successes of the past year, assess the performance of the board, and develop strategies for new initiatives to support students and staff. CABE staff is frequently called upon to facilitate those retreats, which are always a learning experience for the staff and the board.

Many of the Eight Characteristics of Effective School Boards identified by the NSBA Center for Public Education require the opportunity

Congratulations

(continued from page 1) school law; labor relations, and board operations.

Those earning the Certificated level are:

Jennifer Dube – Bristol

Gladys Cooper – Danbury

Dan Foley – Derby

Candice Carlson – East Lyme

Christine Vitale – Fairfield

Kim Shepardson-Watson – Groton

Crystal St. Lawrence – Plainville

Kristen Bedell – Stratford

Thomas Van Stone – Waterbury

David Furie – Windsor for the board to engage in reflection. Working together to commit to a vision of high expectations for student achievement, leading as a united team with the superintendent with strong collaboration and mutual trust, and engaging in professional development to build shared knowledge and commitments are supported by reflecting on what has been successful and what can be enhanced.

Congratulations to all!

To learn more about the CABE Board Member Academy, please go to https://www.cabe.org/professional-development/board-member-academy or contact Lisa Steimer at lsteimer@cabe. org.

Recharging and reflecting will enhance your growth and effectiveness as a volunteer local leader – and can be rewarding as well. You and your district will benefit from the investment!

Seventh Annual Teacher Leader Fellowship Academy

Patrice McCarthy Executive Director & General Counsel, CABE

The theme of the 7th Annual Teacher Leader Fellowship Academy Institute this spring was Reimagining Our Schools: Recentering Joy, Empathy and Belonging as Foundations for Teaching and Learning. The day began with a panel discussion featuring Maureen Ruby, Katie Cunningham and Joseph Polizzi, all professors at Sacred Heart University, discussing the importance of weaving joy, empathy and belonging into the fabric of our schools.

Seven elements of joy were discussed, including:

• Connections between students and staff;

• Choice;

• Challenge;

• Play;

• Discovery;

• Movement; and

• Story.

Creating an atmosphere of belonging for students occurs when students feel heard and adults in the building know their story.

A breakout session on Cultivating School Culture and Climate featured staff from the Read Elementary School in Bridgeport. They acknowledged that the stress for teachers and students after the pandemic can cause us to lose sight of what it means to feel joy. Strategies used by the Read School team include using morning announcements to set the tone for social and emotional learning and a sense of engagement. The announcements end with a daily call to “reach for your best self”. Similar strategies to create a sense of belonging are also used in staff meetings, helping staff transition from their other responsibilities to being engaged at a meeting. There is some down time to share one celebration and one challenge going on in their life.

The day long program offered multiple opportunities for teacher leaders to share best practices and increase their effectiveness in bringing joy to education.