The CABE Journal - May 2022

Page 1

B C

www.cabe.org

Vol. 26, No. 5

May, 2022

View from the Capitol

The final days of the legislative session bring the usual flurry of intense activity. Particularly in a short legislative session, many pieces of proposed legislation will not receive final approval prior to the mandatory adjournment at midnight on May 4th. While it is always possible for the legislature to later convene in a special session, that option is generally reserved for issues with an immediate deadline for action, as well as legislation needed to implement budget provisions. There will be several task forces meeting in the interim in preparation for the convening of the newly elected Legislature in January 2023. Stay tuned for updates!

Patrice McCarthy

Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

best parts of my job. I believe the epitome of leadership is establishing, and clearly articulating, a vision for the future. Over the years, however, I’ve noticed that sometimes the exercise of crafting goals is considered the end product, and not the work it is supposed to inspire. In some cases, I have gone back to a district after a year or more to review existing goals or to create new goals, and find there was little or no conversation about what work has been done to achieve the prior goals. Sometimes, when I ask boards about existing goals, somebody has to go look them up on the website. In one district there were three separate sets of goals currently in play, with little coherence between them (one set of goals had 27 objectives).

The Connecticut State Advisory Council for Special Education recently issued their 2022 Annual Report. The Council, chaired by Tammy Raccio, Chairman of the Wallingford Board of Education has been authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) since the Act’s inception in 1975 and is one of 50 “state advisory panels”. The Council is also authorized under Section 10-76i of the Connecticut General Statutes with the express purpose to “advise the General Assembly, the State Board of Education (SBE) and the Commissioner of Education” on special education matters. The duties of the Council include: • Advise the CSDE of unmet needs in educating children with disabilities. • Review periodically the laws, regulations, standards, and guidelines pertaining to special education and recommend to the General Assembly, and the State Board of Education any changes which it finds necessary. • Comment publicly on any new or revised regulations, standards and guidelines proposed for issuance. • Advise the CSDE in developing and implementing policies relating to the coordination of services for children with disabilities. • Participate with the State Board

See WE HAVE GOALS page 6

See ADVISORY COUNCIL page 7

April Showers… Bring May Flowers!

We Have Goals… Now What?

Nicholas Caruso, Jr.

Sr. Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of Technology, CABE

Having experienced the goal setting process with numerous boards of education over the past 28 years, I have seen some really great things happen when like-minded people work hard to establish a clear vision of what the district should be focusing on. In many cases I’ve been really impressed by the collaborative process, the clear articulation of expectations and the careful wording of goals that truly can inspire great things within the district. I count these experiences among the

CABE Engages at the National Level Patrice McCarthy

Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

At the recent Annual Conference of the National School Boards Association, Connecticut leaders again served in many key roles. During the NSBA Delegate Assembly, where the Beliefs, Policies and Resolutions of the Association are adopted annually, CABE was represented by Vice President for Government Relations Meg Scata (Portland), Vice President for Professional Development John Prins (Branford) and Immediate Past President Donald Harris (Bloomfield). CABE’s belief statement Anti-Hate Speech, which calls on school districts to actively respond to incidents See CABE ENGAGES page 14

inside

Patrice McCarthy

Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

CT State Advisory Council 2022 Annual Report

6

CABE Recommends “Goal Setting Best Practices”

7

Resources Available for School Boards, Superintendents

8

When Conflict Arises in the Board Room


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.