The CABE Journal - May 2024

View from the Capitol

SB 5, An Act Concerning School Resources, removes the tiered distribution of the special education excess cost reimbursement grant. It also requires the State to fully reimburse school districts for any costs for special education in excess of four and a half times their net current expenditures per pupil, starting with FY 25.

The two-year budget adopted last year and signed by the Governor stands with likely adjustments by the legislative leadership and the Governor. That adjustment process happens late in the session, and you still have the opportunity to lobby for full funding NOW as you are reading this.

The session ends on May 8. Please contact leaders and the Governor.

Leader email addresses:

n Matthew.Ritter@cga.ct.gov

n Vincent.Candelora@housegop. ct.gov

n https://www.senatedems.ct.gov/ senator/martin-m-looney/ email-contact

n Stephen.Harding@cga.ct.gov

n https://portal.ct.gov/office-of-the-governor

CABE Rolls Out Board Chair Mentor Program

CABE is pleased to announce a new service for Connecticut boards of education. Thanks to CABE’s work with the Connecticut State Department of Education, CABE now provides a mentorship program for all board chairs.

CABE Executive Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy was pleased to announce the new service. “Board chairs are often the lightning rod for action in Connecticut’s cities and towns. Chairs have asked us for assistance in dealing with the challenges they face. This is a great opportunity for us to utilize incredible people with great experience to provide better service.”

CABE President and former Windsor board chair Leonard Lockhart was quick to agree. “Board chairs are crucial to student success through

their ability to govern board of education meetings and to help the board negotiate the complicated world that exists today, I applaud the former board leaders who are participating in this program,” continued Lockhart. “They are sharing their experience and expertise with the next generation of board leadership. I encourage anyone who is a board chair to consider asking for a mentor.”

The mentor program is available to any board chair in Connecticut.

If interested, please contact Nick Caruso, Sr. Staff Associate for Field Services and Coordinator of Technology, at ncaruso@cabe.org.

In October 2023, the Connecticut State Board of Education (SBE) adopted The Comprehensive Plan for Education 2023 – 2028. This plan outlines four strategic priorities to drive policy considerations and administrative actions over the next five years. One of these strategic priorities focuses on the reciprocal connection between health and learning, with the Board calling for schools and districts to “address the academic and non-academic needs of the whole child” by creating learning environments that address the academic, physical, and social-emotional well-being of students in a comprehensive manner (Connecticut State Board of Education & Connecticut State Department of Education, 2023, p. 6). A priority on whole child development certainly can be argued as necessary, but in the face of initiative fatigue, financial constraints, and growing concerns about student and employee wellness, how can districts put it into action?

This is where strong capacity for coordination and integration takes center stage, and also where a good biology analogy helps explain the

Sheila

Nicholas D. Caruso, Jr. Sr. Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of technology, CABE

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY Investing in OUR Children

Leonard Lockhart President, CABE

May is a busy month in Connecticut as it relates to town budgets, including public education funding. We must continue to advocate for children by lobbying our local municipalities and the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) for full funding. Priorities and philosophies are part of crafting a budget and the final budget being approved. These are OUR children that we are investing in and it’s our job to advocate for them.

I led the Connecticut delegation to the National School Boards Association (NSBA) Rural Education Summit and Annual Convention in April. I went in with a focus on education innovation, including reaching parents, funding, data, questions in education, handling disruptions, delivery models, skills, design thinking, diversity, etc. I am looking forward to working on a mindset that delivers results through environment, engagement, expectations, and encouragement.

The NSBA advocacy priorities for 2024 (and supported by CABE):

n Prioritizing student health and well-being;

n Securing full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);

n Advocating for continued Title Funds like Title I and Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;

n Promoting equitable access to technology and technology

education;

n Advocating for student nutrition and funding needs;

n Promoting protection and accountability for the use of public funds.

After my training about rural districts, I’m looking forward to prioritizing time and resources for the rural districts and working with said boards through our appointed area directors. CABE is focused on supporting the four area pillars- urban, suburban, rural, and alliance districts- through professional development, advocacy, and support. I’m fully committed to the over 1,400 board of education members and all the children in public education.

As board members, you’ve earned the right to advocate for public education. Make it worth it, make a difference, and enjoy the journey, as it will be challenging yet rewarding. The question is how to champion for a higher level of mindset of others while sun setting their sense of privilege; the same applies to ourselves. It is a polarizing topic in public education, and in general, people either support or are against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), but rarely do you find someone ambivalent on the matter. DEI is not about qualifications but about being dynamic, engaging, and impactful. The combined power of fear and disinformation are threats to any progress.

I offer to you for your consideration that our public education problem today is we are contemptuous.

Arthur Brooks, author of Love Your Enemies, wrote, “We have a cultural addiction to contempt—an addiction abetted by the outrage industrial complex… and it’s tearing us apart…. If we want to solve the polarization problem of today, we have to solve the contempt problem.” We are all vested in providing high-quality public education. Budgets and appropriations must match the desired outcomes as expressed in policy and curriculum. Accountability is a mechanism that is required and must not be

weaponized.

Another contentious issue in public education is social and emotional learning (SEL); according to Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.

SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities. SEL makes a difference. We know this from the research, which demonstrates that an education promoting SEL positively impacts a wide range of outcomes, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more.

As CABE Board of Directors, we will work for instruction and student experience at the local level, necessary enabling conditions, and the role of the state and country.

Per our oath and authority vested in the Constitution of the State of Connecticut, the collective WE shall advocate for and educate OUR children. That duty begins with board of education members. CABE staff is at the ready with us to assist. As President, you have my commitment on behalf of the Board of Directors.

CABE Affiliate Members

BUSINESS AFFILIATES

VALEDICTORIAN

Connecticut Business Systems –A Xerox Company

Finalsite

SALUTATORIAN

Berchem Moses PC

Pullman & Comley

Shipman & Goodwin

HONOR ROLL

JCJ Architecture

Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C.

Newman/DLR Group

Solect Energy

SCHOLAR

Brown & Brown

Chinni & Associates, LLC

Coordinated Transportation Solutions

Dattco, Inc.

ESS

Franklin Covey

GWWO Architects

The Lexington Group Perkins Eastman

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)

Booker T. Washington Academy

Cambridge International

Capitol Region Education Council (CREC)

Connecticut Alliance of YMCAs

Connecticut Arts Administrators Association

Connecticut Association for Adult and Continuing Education (CAACE)

Connecticut Association of School Business Officials (CASBO)

Connecticut School Buildings and Grounds Association (CSBGA)

Connecticut Technical High Schools

Cooperative Educational Services (C.E.S.)

EASTCONN

EdAdvance

Explorations Charter School

Great Oaks Charter School

Integrated Day Charter School

ISAAC

LEARN

New England Science & Sailing Foundation

Odyssey Community School, Inc.

The Bridge Academy

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

Promoting Tolerance and Respect

Patrice McCarthy

Executive Director & General Counsel, CABE

The recent National School Boards Association conference provided the opportunity to hear many inspiring speakers and learn about best practices in school districts around the country.

A highlight was hearing Ruby Bridges reflect on her experience as the first African-American student to integrate an all-white public elementary school in the South. Ruby was born in 1954, the year of the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. She discussed how the NAACP approached her parents and asked them to allow her to attend the all-white school five blocks from her home in New Orleans. While her father was reluctant, her mother

was enticed by the educational opportunities the sharecroppers never dreamed possible.

Sixty year later, Ruby reflected on the experience. She remembers her teacher, a white woman, as a supportive, caring person who always made Ruby feel safe. The protesters outside the school had the same skin color as her teacher, but were a hostile, threatening presence, requiring U.S. Marshalls to escort her to school each day.

The lesson the six-year-old learned was that a person’s appearance does not reflect their character and values. This childhood experience led her to become a civil rights activist. She promotes the values of tolerance and respect through the Ruby Bridges Foundation

The lesson learned by a six-yearold is applicable to our interactions

as we work to support a strong public education system. Generalizing about how a group of students will perform, how some of your board colleagues will respond to a specific policy proposal, or how municipal leaders will react to a budget fails to acknowledge the perspectives of individuals. Having high expectations for all students, regardless of their background, listening to the perspectives of colleagues on the board and helping municipal officials understand how the budget addresses student needs recognizes their individuality. By promoting tolerance and respect across differences we can all strive to emulate the open mind and heart demonstrated by Ruby Bridges.

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

“Personnel Matters” and Executive Session

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 good news for the Nutmeg Board of Education is that the budget for 2024-2025 was finally approved. The bad news is that the Town reduced the Board’s proposed budget by $1,000,000, and the Board members are struggling to decide what to do.

Last night, Ms. Chairperson convened a special meeting of the Board devoted to a single agenda item, “Revision and reallocation of Board Budget for 2024-2025.” To start the meeting, Ms. Chairperson described the challenge the Board confronted – to reduce by $1,000,000 a budget that the Board already considered barebones. “This is very difficult,” she acknowledged, “But we have a job to do. I welcome any suggestions on what we can do to cut our budget for 2024-2025 to conform to the Town’s appropriation to us.”

Veteran Board member Bob Bombast, characteristically, was the first to speak. “Respectfully, I reject the premise,” Bob started. “The Board of Education is an agent of the State with the responsibility to implement the educational interests of the State. We made our decision as to what we need. I move that we stick with the budget we adopted and see what happens. If we need a supplemental appropriation later in the year to make ends meet, we can ask for it.”

Board member Penny Pincher disagreed. “Bob,” she said, “We can’t do that! We are legally required to adopt a balanced budget, and we cannot spend more money than we have. It’s bad enough that we do not get paid for our hard work as Board members, but I certainly don’t want to be personally liable for making unauthorized expenditures.”

Board member Mal Content chimed in. “It would be irresponsible for us to adopt a budget that projects a deficit. I don’t think that my homeowner’s insurance policy would cover me if I get sued.”

With that, Ms. Chairperson asked whether there was a second to Bob’s motion to maintain the Board budget as originally proposed, and there were crickets. Ms. Chairperson then announced, “Bob, fortunately your motion fails for want of a second. Now the Board must buckle down and find the $1,000,000 to cut.”

Bob was not finished. “Shame on you all for wimping out here! But if we have to make these cuts, I move that we have that discussion in executive session.”

“I like a confidential conversation as much as the next person,” responded Ms. Chairperson, “but what would be the basis for executive session?”

“Personnel matters,” said Bob. “At this point, the only place we can cut is personnel, and it would be insensitive for us to talk in open session tonight about positions to cut so that the affected staff members would read about losing their jobs tomorrow in the Nutmeg Bugle.”

Mal Content perked up. “Finally, Bob makes some sense. I move that we convene in executive session to discuss ‘Personnel Matters.’” Board member Red Cent promptly seconded Mal’s motion, and the Nutmeg Board of Education convened in executive session. The Board members identified a number of positions that it would be cutting at its next meeting, and they directed Mr. Superintendent to provide courtesy notifications and career counseling to the affected employees.

Was the action of the Nutmeg Board of Education here appropriate?

••••••••••••

The Nutmeg Board of Education violated the Freedom of Information Act, but at least it rejected Bob’s proposal to maintain a budget for 20242025 that would project a deficit.

The need for boards of education in Connecticut to adopt a balanced budget before the beginning of the year is implicit in Connecticut General Statutes, Section 10-222. That statute governs the budget process, and it contemplates the following. Each year, boards of education submit an itemized budget estimate to the board of finance or, in the absence of a board of finance, to the other authority making appropriations for the school district, and the appropriate town body makes the appropriation to the board of education for the coming year.

The statute sets forth a process for requesting a supplemental appropriation in any given year, as Bob Bombast noted. However, the statute does not obligate the municipality to provide any additional funds, and it expressly states that “no additional funds shall be expended unless such supplemental appropriation shall be granted and no supplemental expenditures shall be made in excess of those granted through the appropriating authority.”

The obligation for boards of education to adopt a balanced budget each year is evident in the provisions in Section 10-222 regarding transfers. The statute has long provided that the appropriation made to a board of education for the year may be expended “by and in the discretion of the board of education,” and that the board of education may make transfers from one line item to another to do so. However, in 1998, the General Assembly amended the statute to regulate the process of making line-item transfers. In so doing, it added the following helpful definition to the statute:

“‘itemized estimate’ means an estimate in which broad budgetary categories including, but not limited to, salaries, fringe benefits, utilities, supplies and grounds maintenance are divided into one or more line items.” Accordingly, local boards of education may establish broad categories of expenditures as “line items” as they comply with the following the statutory requirements that apply to line-item transfers.

Additional language in the statute regarding line-item transfers makes clear that boards of education must maintain balanced budgets. The statute now also imposes new requirements for making transfers in certain circumstances:

Boards may, by adopting policies and procedures, authorize designated personnel to make limited transfers under emergency circumstances if the urgent need for the transfer prevents the board from meeting in a timely fashion to consider such transfer.”

When a board of education

CABE: Working for YOU

Individualized Workshops | Professional Development Opportunities

Below are the highlights of activities that the CABE staff has undertaken on your behalf over the last month.

We did this:

By providing opportunities for members to learn how to better govern their districts:

z Responded to 25 requests for policy information from 16 districts, providing sample materials on policy 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 increasing educator diversity, AI and Connecticut School Climate policy.

z Provided support to board members and central office administrators regarding policy matters.

z Provided Roles and Responsibilities workshops for the Plainfield and Wethersfield Boards of Education.

z Provided Roles and Responsibilities workshop and Board Self-Evaluation for the Griswold Board of Education.

By helping districts operate efficiently and conserve resources:

z Chaired Education Mandates Working Group meeting.

z Participated in Special Education Task Force meeting.

z Posted policies online, as part of the C.O.P.S. Program for Avon, Bolton, Bristol, Danbury, Griswold, Monroe, Somers, Ridgefield,

Voluntown, Westport, Woodbridge and the CABE CORE Manual.

By helping school boards to increase student achievement:

z Facilitated discussion of Board/ Superintendent relations for the Thomaston Board of Education.

By attending Professional Development to strengthen staff knowledge and skills.

z Participated in NSBA State Association Counsel meeting.

z Participated in NSBA Counsel of School Attorneys Seminar.

z Attended online meeting of the National Federation of School Board Association Trainers (FEDTRAIN).

z Participated in National School Public Relations Association (NESPRA) webinar on podcasting.

By promoting public education:

z Discussed the role of school boards and CABE on FOX61 Morning Show.

z Discussed CABE legislative priorities and Day on the Hill on WTIC-AM.

By providing services to meet member needs:

z Organized 2024 CABE Day on the Hill.

z Met with Darien Board of Education Communications Committee.

z Revised policies, as part of the Custom Update Policy Service, for

East Hampton, Marlborough, New Fairfield, and New Hartford.

z Prepared materials, as part of the Custom Policy Service, for Region 15 and Woodbridge

z Completed an audit of the policy manual for the New Britain Public Schools.

z Completed a targeted series audit for the Newtown Public Schools.

z Currently assisting Montville and Region 1 Boards of Education with their superintendent search.

z Completed superintendent search for the East Hampton Board of Education.

z Facilitated Board Self-Evaluation for the Brookfield Board of Education.

z Responded to a variety of legal inquiries from members.

By ensuring members receive the most up-to-date communications:

z Provided wrap up webinar of Education Committee actions.

z Emailed one issue of “Policy Highlights” which provided information to Support Increasing Educator Diversity Plans, Guidance on Civil Rights Protections and Supports for Transgender or GenderDiverse Students, Tabletop Exercises to Support Safety Plans and PolicyRelated CSDE Updates.

SEE YOU IN COURT

(continued from page 4)

delegates the authority to make budget transfers, the transfer must be announced at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the board of education, and the transfer must also be explained in writing to municipal officials. Clearly, if boards could maintain a deficit budget, there would be no “emergency circumstances” involving an “urgent need” to make a line-item transfer. The Nutmeg Board of Education was therefore correct in rejecting Bob’s proposal.

The Board should have also rejected Bob’s suggestion to discuss budget cuts in executive session, for three reasons. First, executive session is permitted only for reasons specified in the statute, and there is no executive

By representing Connecticut school boards on the state or national level:

z Met with legislative leaders to discuss CABE priorities.

z Participated in Juvenile Justice Diversion Work Group meeting.

z Attended 119k Commission on Disconnected Youth

z Met with Dalio Education Foundation Co-CEO.

z Elected to Executive Committee of NSBA Organization of State Association Executive Directors

z Participated in School Discipline Collaborative meeting.

z Attended Discovering Amistad Board of Directors, Education Committee and Ship Committee meetings.

z Met with Connecticut Charter School Association.

z Presented for a superintendent certification class (093) at Sacred Heart University

z Participated in meeting of Connecticut members of the New England School Public Relations Association (NESPRA).

z Participated in meeting of Northeast State School Board Association communications staff.

session privilege for budget discussions. Second, the employment of individual employees may be discussed only after giving the affected employees an opportunity to require that the discussion be held in open, and that did not happen here. Third, the Freedom of Information Commission has repeatedly held that “Personnel Matters” as an agenda item does not fairly apprise the public of the business to be conducted, as required by law, and greater specificity is required when “personnel matters” are cited as the reason for executive session.

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.

The Bell Curve — Bad for Kids?

Nicholas D. Caruso, Jr. Sr. Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of technology, CABE

In my career supporting local boards of education, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to lead a school district in a way that promotes student learning. My experiences with the Iowa Lighthouse Project, particularly, taught me a lot about teaching and learning (although I would never profess to be an “expert” in classroom instruction) and the relationship between good governance and student success.

For a very long time, education was wrapped in the expectation that a teacher could teach their subject/class/special; some kids would “get it,” and others would not. Teachers never failed as instructors; it was the

students who failed to learn.

In the book, “Disrupting Class”, by Clayton M. Christiansen, Michael B. Horn, and Curtis W. Johnson, the authors speak to the need to transform education to reach more learners. One example they used to support their conclusions was to discuss the traditional concept of learning mathematics. In the “old days,” it was a common belief that some kids “got” math and some didn’t. We had an excuse not to learn math. Teachers taught math a certain way, and some students were permitted to fail. The authors observed that if you were REALLY good at math, you went on to teach math, thus perpetuating the paradigm. There are many ways to teach math, and a student can learn high-level functions of math if presented in a way that fits that

student’s learning style. The concept of “I’m teaching it, they’re just not good at it” has been allowed to stand for too long.

Likewise, we have learned so much more about brain research and the science of learning. Noted brain researcher Pat Wolfe said that we have learned more about how the brain creates and retains memories in the last few years than in the rest of our human history. We know how to

transform this knowledge into more effective teaching.

This brings us to the Bell Curve. Mathematicians have applied the bell curve concept to all manner of topics, but education, in particular, has been influenced by this mathematical construct. Simply put, the ability of children to learn follows a standard pathway in the shape of a curve in that a few will be very successful, a few will fail, and the majority of learners will

Jody

POLICY IN PRACTICE Student Social Media Use

Jonathan Haidt’s compelling new work, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (Penguin Press, NY, 2024), continues to illustrate the complexities of drafting school board policies — policies that are sensible, enforceable, and astutely balance competing demands.

The book offers two stories. The first is about the decline of play-based childhood, which began in the 1980s and accelerated in the ‘90s. A prominent social psychologist, he illustrates children’s need for free play to wire up their brains in preparation for adulthood.

The author traces recent trends that have reduced children’s access to unsupervised play and argues that the loss of free play and the rise of continual adult supervision have deprived children of what they need most to overcome the normal fears and anxieties of childhood: the chance to explore, test, and expand their limits, build close friendships through shared adventure, and learn how to judge risks for themselves.

The second story traces the rise of the phone-based childhood, which began in the late 2000s and accelerated in the early 2010s. This, he acknowledges, was precisely the period during which adolescents traded in their flip phones for smartphones, which were loaded with social media platforms supported by the new high-speed internet and unlimited data plans.

People in the News

At

Thomas Mooney, Esq. of Shipman & Goodwin was recently named Connecticut’s “Lawyer of the Year” in the field of Education Law.

The confluence of these two stories between 2010 and 2015 is what Haidt refers to as the “Great Rewiring of Childhood” and suggests, “Few of us understand what was happening in children’s virtual worlds, and we lacked the knowledge to protect them from tech companies that had designed their products to be addictive.” To best exploit the addictiveness of these social media apps, several media companies studied adolescent mental health and brain development to determine effective ways to keep children on their phones.

In addition to its inability to regulate, Congress granted legal exemption forbidding anyone from suing these companies for any harm they may have caused. Up to this point, Congress has created this exemption by broadly interpreting what is commonly referred to as Section 230.

Section 230 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects providers of interactive computer services from liability from suits that may arise when other internet users post material to a provider’s platform, except for infringement of intellectual property rights (which in some circuits has been held to include publicity rights), or violation of federal criminal law or certain other narrow carve-outs. 47 U.S.C. § 230 (c) (1)

In effect, we have a product highly correlated with depression and anxiety and associated with suicide, unregulated and without oversight. In the final section of his book, Haidt explains how parents, schools, governments, tech companies, and young people are trapped in “collective action problems” and “how these can be resolved when individuals organize and act together.”

Can collective action help us out of this mess and give young people a chance to reverse course? Currently, there appears to be bipartisan support for reigning in the tech companies. However, outside of holding hearings to shame tech executives, there doesn’t appear to be any concrete regulations on the horizon, nor does Congress appear ready to reconsider its stance on Section 230. Tech companies don’t appear ready to make any major changes to protect children as well. More than adequately resourced, they will continue to exert influence on legislators.

States attempting to ban social media use among young children continue to face opposition from tech company lobbyists. Carl Czabo, the Vice President and General Council for NetChoice, a trade association of online businesses advocating free

expression and free enterprise on the internet, refers to Florida’s attempt to require age verification as bad policy.

Florida’s Law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2025, prohibits social media platforms from allowing children younger than 14 years of age to have an account. The law, favored by Haidt, applies to any platform where at least ten percent of daily active users are children younger than 16 who use it more than two or more hours a day; “addictive” features, such as infinite scrolling; and that uses algorithms that analyze user data to handpick content for users.

Already filing lawsuits in Arkansas, California, and Utah, Czabo raised concerns regarding the constitutionality of the Florida law, as “It infringes on Floridians’ First Amendment Rights.” He also raised policy concerns related to placing “private data at risk of breach.” (“New Florida Law Aims to Get Kids Off Social Media. Will it Work?” EdWeek, Lauraine Langreo, March 27, 2024)

In the meantime, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner claims that last year’s statewide ban on students using cell phones during instructional time has had a positive impact on student behavior and learning in some schools. He remarks, “We are hopeful that steering kids towards the real world and away from a warped digital world will result in even more positive outcomes for student learning.”

Presumably, the “real world” to which he’s referring is the play-based environment advocated by Jonathan Haidt – greater in-person interaction and more time to wonder without the distraction of screens. The Connecticut General Assembly had this in

mind as it adopted Public Act 23101, requiring boards of education to provide play-based learning for young children during the instructional time of each regular school day. (CABE Model Policy 6142.104)

On the other hand, an argument can be made that such bans may conflict with the aspirational tenets of those prominently affixed to Board mission statements, district goals, and Portraits of a Graduate, which speak to preparing students to become critical consumers and users of digital technology.

Whether proposing Board policies, State laws, or regulations, bans on social media and its primary mode of conveyance - cell phones, will ultimately impact children. It’s not surprising to learn there are differing views here as well. On one hand, there appears to be anecdotal evidence that once in place, students respond favorably to bans since they impact everyone. If addressed as a collective action problem, after initial pushback, students rise to the occasion and even appreciate what they’ve missed when their heads were buried in their screens. On the other hand, as a student advisor for the Broward County School Board, Ava Havidic advised, “Kids will become adults, and they’re going to be using these platforms, and if we limit their use and don’t teach them the right way to use it, “they’re not going to be prepared.” (Langreo, March 27, 2024)

(June’s Journal article will provide recommendations made in the book and their implications for policy development.)

WHOLE CHILD

(continued from page 1)

critical role of these functions. Think of the school district like the human brain, with school leaders situated as neurotransmitters. Yes, leaders are neurotransmitters; they have the knowledge and skill to grow the district through coordination and integration roles. Every day, schools are buzzing with activity and achievements, much like neurons in the brain that are constantly firing to help the body carry out basic functions, solve problems, and learn new things.

Districts are similar as they grow and adapt in response to the needs of students, staff, and families, and changing environments and demands. In this way, strong schools demonstrate neuroplasticity.

The process of adaptation and growth in the brain is nuanced, as the brain seeks to maintain an optimal level of functioning. Creating new connections and strengthening existing connections are important. However, pruning connections is also necessary. Districts too must sustain a balance between introducing new policies, processes, and practices and pruning or de-implementing ineffective or outdated initiatives.

De-implementation is the process of removing, replacing, or rethinking initiatives that are not achieving

desired outcomes and re-allocating resources to more promising initiatives (Chafouleas et al., 2022). Resources are always limited; thus, districts must look for opportunities to free up resources by engaging in strategic de-implementation. Consider this example: If the current social emotional learning curriculum implemented across grades K-8 has been associated with positive student outcomes in grades K-5 but not grades 6-8, it may be useful to de-implement in those grades and use those resources on an alternative pathway toward intended goals.

This coordination and integration happens through school leaders, our neurotransmitters. They direct certain neurons to fire, decide priorities for pruning, and maintain the overall balance of adaptation for growth in the district. Of course, this is complicated work, and just like our neurotransmitters, sometimes school leaders can use support to advance optimal functioning.

To start, the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model provides a framework to facilitate coordination and integration in whole child work.

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model

The Whole School, Whole Com-

munity, Whole Child (WSCC) model is an integrated framework for promoting positive health and learning outcomes. It is student-centered, ecologically-oriented, and contextually flexible, and the key to successful implementation lies in the coordination and integration of policies, processes, and practices across 10 domains of school life: health education; physical education and physical activity; nutrition environment and services; health services; social and emotional climate; counseling, psychological, and social services; physical environment; employee wellness; family engagement; and community involvement (Chafouleas et al., 2022).

et al., 2015). Therefore, even though it is now a decade old, the WSCC model has arguably never been more relevant as districts continue to navigate the post-pandemic landscape. Fortunately, a strong foundation for this work already exists in Connecticut.

Connecticut WSCC Partnership

Released in 2014, the WSCC model built upon the CDC’s Coordinated School Health (CSH) components and the ASCD’s Whole Child approach to provide a comprehensive model that unifies efforts from across the fields of education and public health (Lewallen

For nearly ten years, the University of Connecticut’s Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH) and Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health (Rudd Center) have worked together

See WHOLE CHILD page 13

A New Option in Connecticut

Cambridge International Education courses and exams are now:

• An indicator in the Next Generation Accountability System

• Aligned with Common Core State Standards

• Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

• Approved for the Seal of Biliteracy

We have a 160-year history as part of the University of Cambridge working with diverse schools and districts in the U.S. and over 160 countries.

Designed for flexible implementation

Cambridge offers a flexible instructional system — the Cambridge Pathway — that aligns curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment for K-12. Cambridge programs and resources are developed to both challenge and support all students, no matter their level of achievement, with

specialized resources for EL learners. The Cambridge Pathway is highly flexible and customizable – courses and levels can be implemented alongside other academic programs.

Local credit, global recognition

High school students can earn college credit with Cambridge International AS & A Levels and, with sufficient credits, achieve the globally recognized Cambridge AICE Diploma. Over 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities and many more internationally have Cambridge credit, placement, or admissions policies, including Connecticut institutions: Connecticut College, Trinity College (Hartford), University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut (UConn), University

of Hartford, Wesleyan University, Yale University — and the list is growing.

Portrait of a graduate

Aligned beautifully with Portraits of a Graduate, the Cambridge Pathway supports the five learner attributes—confident, responsible, reflective, innovative, and engaged. In addition to higher order, transferable thinking skills, Cambridge incorporates non-cognitive approaches to teaching and learning in all our courses.

Capstone

College-level Cambridge International AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research aligns to many districts’ Capstone graduation requirements. Global Perspectives is

a unique, skills-based program that places academic study in a practical, real-world context. AS & A Level Global Perspectives & Research encourages high school students to think critically and analytically, using different research approaches to evaluate arguments and issues from multiple perspectives.

Learn more

Learn more about us at www.cambridgeinternational.org/usa.

If you’d like a consultation about Cambridge options for Connecticut, email Alan Bernstein at alan.bernstein@cambridge.org with subject line ‘CABE Journal’.

Cambridge International is a CABE Educational Affiliate.

State Board of Education Happenings

Sheila McKay Sr. Staff Associate for Government Relations, CABE

Last month the State Board of Education approved Dr. Melissa Jenkins of Bridgeport to the position of Chief Turnaround Officer for the State Department of Education. Dr. Jenkins has worked in the field of education for 32 years and has held positions as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, literacy specialist and chief academic officer in Bridgeport. The Turnaround

THE BELL CURVE

(continued from page 8)

follow the curve at some point in their academic success.

I argue that this philosophy harms a vast number of students, who, with the proper instruction, can learn far more than is expected of them. The concept has allowed both students and teachers to fail. If students in a teacher’s classroom fail their subject, the onus is on the student—not the teacher.

There is much research on how children learn in different styles, and

WHOLE CHILD

(continued from page 13)

and with district partners to advocate for WSCC use as a guiding framework. A key part of this collaboration has been the development of a suite of freely accessible WSCC tools. The newest of these tools include useful guides for planning efforts, the WSCC Practice Blueprint and the WSCC Policy Blueprint.

This past year, CSCH and the Rudd Center took this collaboration to new heights with the formation of the Connecticut WSCC Partnership (CT WSCC), facilitated through funding by the CDC (Hardee, 2023). In addition to targeted work with partner district East Hartford Public Schools, opportunities are available for statewide professional development and technical assistance. The defining feature of the CT WSCC partnership is the focus on whole child success through strengthening coordination and integration across policy, process, and practice. Every brain is a bit different and needs flexibility to adapt for growth, yet tools to advance the work of those neurotransmitters (ahem, school leaders) can prove useful to achieve success in whole child work.

For more information about CT WSCC, the WSCC tools, and upcoming statewide training opportunities, visit ctwscc.org.

Office provides technical assistance to underperforming districts and schools to help them achieve equity and excellence for all students. The Office utilizes a framework based on talent, operations, culture and climate and academics.

Ajit Gopalakrishnan, Chief Performance Officer presented the new dashboard for attendance and chronic absence found on SDE’s Edsight. Commissioner Russell Tucker remarked that Connecticut may be one of the only states that collects monthly

finding the right match allows for much greater student success. Sometimes, a different approach can yield dramatic results. In my case, I had a hard time grasping algebra. I took Algebra 1 twice, Algebra 2 twice, and Geometry twice (and ended up not being a Marine Biologist since my math scores were so terrible). Years later, while learning how databases work, I much more readily grasped the concepts of algebra, of which a lot of coding is similar.

So, does your board perpetuate this model, or do you have high expectations for all your students?

Acknowledgements

The Connecticut WSCC Partnership is made possible by Grant Award NU58DP007315 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

References

State Board of Education, & State Department of Education (2023). Every student prepared for learning, life, and work beyond school: The comprehensive plan for education 2023–2028. https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Board/ State-Board-of-Education

Chafouleas, S. M., Iovino, E. A., & Koslouski, J. B. (2022, September). The WSCC Practice Blueprint: A guide to planning efforts around the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) Model. Storrs, CT: UConn Collaboratory on School and Child Health. Available from: https://csch.uconn.edu/ Hardee, C. (2023, June). UConn faculty awarded $2M in federal funding to support school wellness in CT. https://today.uconn. edu/2023/06/uconn-faculty-awarded-2m-in-federal-funding-to-support-school-wellness-in-ct/

Lewallen, T. C., Hunt, H., Potts-Datema, W., Zaza, S., & Giles, W. (2015). The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model: A new approach for improving educational attainment and healthy development for students. The Journal of School Health, 85(11), 729–739.

https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12310

absence data, and its great value as she works across agencies to combat homelessness. An Early Indication tool specific to each student will help when a student moves to another district.

The potential changes to the certification process were presented by Deputy Commissioner Sinthia Sone-Moyano and her team; they include a CT education preparation and certification board, three pathways to certification, repeal of the provisional certificate and having certification terms extended to 10 years. A council

I’m convinced that we need to restructure how we develop curriculum and instruction to better capitalize on the different ways children learn and what motivates them to want to learn. With so many distractions competing for their attention, we need to be more thoughtful about what and how we teach them. Ultimately, boards can encourage the administration to embrace teaching children the way they learn. Individualized instruction is not new. It has been a goal for a long time. Too often, however, the concept of the bell curve allows us to step away from innovation and accept mediocrity. When

has been meeting since middle of 2023 to produce the changes that are before the legislature in HB 5436.

Finally, the board recognized paraeducators on National Paraeducators Day. Dawn Dickau, working in Southington, has been named the 2024 Ann Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year. She spoke of her honor representing her many hard working colleagues and the pleasure of helping students get the best education they can.

given an opportunity, work with your administration to look beyond the bell curve and work towards providing a quality education for every child.

Encourage your board to hold a retreat with your administrators to discuss instructional innovation and what you and your board can do to encourage a new paradigm where every child is expected to achieve and given instruction that allows them to do so.

As usual, please reach out to see how CABE can help you in this exercise.

CONNECTICUT REPRESENTED AT NSBA CONFERENCE

CABE Immediate Past President Liz Brown (Waterbury), Past President and NSBA Chair, National American Indian and Alaska Native Council of School Board Members Lydia Tedone (Simsbury), President Leonard Lockhart (Windsor), Executive Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy, and First Vice President Meg Scata (Portland) represented CT at the NSBA Annual Conference.

CABE President Leonard Lockhart (Windsor) participated in the NSBA Eastern Region meeting.

CABE President Leonard Lockhart (Windsor) led the Pledge of Allegiance at the Delegate Assembly.

CABE Past President and NSBA Chair, National American Indian and Alaska Native Council of School Board Members Lydia Tedone (Simsbury) is introduced to conference participants.

CABE President Leonard Lockhart is on stage to the left.

Former NSBA Presidents caught up with one another at the NSBA Conference. L. to R. Sonny Savoie (Louisiana), Anne Byrne (NY), and CABE Past President and Search Consultant Mary Broderick

CABE President Leonard Lockhart (Windsor) and other State Association Presidents were introduced to Conference participants.

Our colleagues from CREC presented a workshop, “How Antiracist Is Your District?”

CABE Executive Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy and Sr. Staff Attorney Conrad Vahlsing presented a session, 10 Practices to Avoid Liability

CABE Executive Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy, Past President Liz Brown (Waterbury), and President Leonard Lockhart (Windsor) presented a session, Modeling Civility in Your School District