CABE Journal - December 2017

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Vol. 21, No. 11

December 2017

Mitchell Elected CABE President

CT Does Well Overall, But, Achievement Gap Persists Robert Rader

Executive Director, CABE

Visit to Thailand Patrice McCarthy

Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

I recently had the unique opportunity to journey to the Kingdom of Thailand to conduct an accreditation visit for the Singapore International School of Bangkok (SISB) on behalf of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The school provides an educational program for students in pre-k through grade 12. The accreditation process for international schools and American schools abroad is based on the same framework NEASC uses to accredit schools throughout New England. The framework covers the mission and vision, teaching and learning, governance and leadership, school culture and finances and facilities.

SISB has recently completed new facilities which include a six story

academic wing designed with flexible and collaborative spaces, a creative arts and media center including a 400seat auditorium as well as a black box theater, and a sports complex featuring a swimming pool, two soccer fields and a two story indoor sports facility.

Like other schools I have visited around the world, from Japan to Nigeria, the school has many of the same goals as Connecticut public schools – providing a strong academic foundation as well as an international outlook and building an understanding of different cultures. While the context is different, the priorities are remarkably similar: • Preparing students to function in a global society • Using achievement data to inform instruction • Engaging the parent community • Creating a safe and supportive school climate and culture • Meeting the individual and collective professional development needs of staff.

A report just out from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Connecticut Association for Human Services (CAHS) reports that while Connecticut’s children overall fare better than children in most other states, not all children in Connecticut benefit equally, especially children of color.

Anyone who has followed our achievement gap is probably not surprised by these findings. However, the persistence of the gap is frustrating, since it has been the focus of lawsuits, public policy discussions and studies over many decades.

2017 Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children shows that while Connecticut’s children of color surpass national averages in most measurements of health, economic well-being, education, and family and community, stark disparities remain between Hispanic and African-American children, and their non-Hispanic White counterparts, especially in the areas of education and poverty.

Connecticut is third in the country for non-Hispanic White and Asian children’s overall well-being. This is extremely positive for our State.

However, we are 12th in the country for African-American children and 22nd overall for Hispanic Children on the same measures.

See ACHIEVEMENT GAP page 4

Impediments to Teen Sleep

Convention Award Winners

Impact of the Gifted and Talented Law

What to Wear to Your Interview

PAGE 4

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81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242

Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Inc.

At the Friday evening banquet at the CABE/CAPSS Convention, CABE Immediate Past President Richard Murray, Killingly announced the 2017-2018 members of the CABE Board of Directors.

Elected as President was Robert Mitchell, Montville; First Vice President Donald Harris, Bloomfield; Vice President for Government Relations Elizabeth Brown, Waterbury; Vice President for Professional Development Chris Wilson, Bristol; Secretary/ Treasurer Michael Purcaro, Ellington.

Continuing to serve are Immediate Past President Ann Gruenberg, Hampton; and Lydia Tedone, Simsbury, NSBA Director.

Elected as Area Directors to the CABE Board of Directors were: Area 1 Co-Directors Jonathan Moore, Region 1 and Michelle Lucian, Plymouth; Area 2 Director Bryan Hall, East Hartford; Area 3 Co-Directors Michael Purcaro, Ellington and Michele Arn, Vernon; Area 4 Director Joan Trivella, Brooklyn; Area 5 Co-Directors Michelle Embree Ku, Newtown and Frances Walton, Ridgefield; Area 6 Co-Directors Jennifer Dayton, Greenwich and Karen Kleine, Westport; and Area 9 Director Sean Nugent, Preston. Congratulations!

Good News and Bad:

Periodical Postage PAID Hartford, CT

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017 PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

The Value of CABE Robert Mitchell President, CABE

As I begin my first term as President of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, I wanted to reflect on the current state of the Association and what I hope to accomplish in the next two years.

Serving on a local or regional board is tougher than ever: declining resources, attacks on public schools from the outside, the state and federal governments finding more to mandate more services and higher expectations than ever.

Personally, I think CABE is critical in helping boards negotiate these hard times, and I plan on working with our Board of Directors, the CABE staff and other Board of Education members to make sure school boards recognize the value and importance of being part of such an organization.

CABE is a strong support group for local and regional boards of education.

CABE staff and leadership are recognized for their knowledge and experience; and have worked tirelessly to influence the outcome of recent legislative sessions.

CABE staff work harder than ever to bring services to their members, in policy, legal, professional development, etc.

As board chair of the Montville Board of Education, I have found CABE services to be indispensable to me and my board; an absolute necessity!

While I understand that boards of education, dealing with extreme budget issues sometimes look at their professional development expenses as a way of sending a message to their communities that they are ‘taking one for the team”, it seems to me that at times when things are toughest, that being part for CABE is even more important.

This is one of my goals – to ensure that CABE membership is the first thing they look to for support and last thing they would consider cutting. CABE services that directly affect all boards of education include: n Advocacy – CABE works hard to remind state and federal representatives that their decisions have real direct impact on local schools in their districts and across the state. I can’t imagine how repressive state government would be if CABE wasn’t there pounding on their doors to make sure local school districts are not harmed by decisions in Hartford and Washington. This is a critical part of CABE’s work and one of the most important services provided to the membership n Policy – The CABE Policy Service provides boards guidance and samples of policies you need to best govern your district. n Legal - CABE attorneys are there to answer questions and give advice, as well as to take positions where necessary to support the legal rights of Connecticut’s school boards.

Boards understand the importance of professional development when it comes to their staff. I would argue that it is just as critical for boards to receive as much training as their teachers and administrators do. In most cases, board members are serving in their first elected positions.

There are few opportunities to learn how to do this most important work. CABE provides a variety of learning experiences including the annual CABE/CAPSS Convention, new board member training, a Summer Leadership Institute, statewide workshops on a variety of topics, and

Patrice McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE and Sheila McKay, Sr. Staff Associate for Government Relations, CABE provided an overview of CABE’s Delegate Assembly to prepare our attendees.

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

will provide training to your board right in-district! I, and members of my board have attended numerous opportunities and I have always been able to bring back something to my district that made it well worth attending. A further benefit to these opportunities is the professional relationships I have been able to develop over the years. Board members from all over Connecticut deal with similar issues all the time, but sometimes they feel like they are all alone in their struggles. I’ve learned that this is not that case. I also think a major benefit of all this training is the opportunity to network with other board members from around the state. Getting ideas and perspectives from other board members is extremely beneficial.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to get involved in CABE. Serving in various positions in CABE leadership has broadened my knowledge base and made me a better board member.

I suggest you to get involved in CABE by serving in some capacity. It will help you learn how to better govern your district, and introduce you to a completely different level of education governance. Some of the opportunities include: n The CABE Board of Directors n CABE Committees including: z Government Relations Committee z State Relations Committee z Federal Relations Committee z Program and Convention Committee z Finance Committee There are also numerous opportunities to participate as CABE appointments to statewide committees and commissions.

A call to the CABE staff can help you figure out how you can help most effectively, or contact me and I will gladly talk to you and figure out how you can become part of CABE. Please take advantage of services you are entitled to – if you are not sure what those are, please contact CABE and ask. I believe wholeheartedly in the strength that CABE gives to boards of education and hope you will become more involved.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Robert Mitchell | President, Montville Donald Harris | First Vice President, Bloomfield Elizabeth Brown | Vice President for Government Relations, Waterbury Christopher Wilson | Vice President for Professional Development, Bristol Michael Purcaro | Secretary/Treasurer, Ellington Ann Gruenberg | Immediate Past President, Hampton Lydia Tedone | NSBA Director, Simsbury AREA DIRECTORS Jonathan Moore | Area 1 Co-Director, Region 1 Michelle Lucian | Area 1 Co-Director, Plymouth Byran Hall | Area 2 Co-Director, East Hartford Michael Purcaro | Area 3 Co-Director, Ellington Michele Arn | Area 3 Co-Director, Vernon Joan Trivella | Area 4 Director, Brooklyn Mic helle Embree Ku | Area 5 Co-Director, Newtown Frances Walton | Area 5 Co-Director, Ridgefield Jennifer Dayton | Area 6 Co-Director, Greenwich Karen Kleine | Area 6 Co-Director, Westport Sean Nugent | Area 9 Director, Preston ASSOCIATES Eileen Baker | Associate, Old Saybrook Sharon Beloin-Saavedra | Associate, New Britain Robert Guthrie | Associate, West Haven Robert Trefry | Associate, CT Technical High School System COMMITTEE CHAIRS Becky Tyrrell | Chair, Federal Relations, Plainville Bryan Hall | Chair, Resolutions, East Hartford Christopher Wilson | Chair, State Relations, Bristol CITY REPRESENTATIVES Craig Stallings | City Representative, Hartford Carlos Torre | City Representative, New Haven Jacqueline Heftman | City Representative, Stamford Charles Stango | City Representative, Waterbury STAFF

Robert Rader | Executive Director Patrice McCarthy | Deputy Director and General Counsel Rebecca Adams | Senior Staff Attorney Nicholas Caruso | Senior Staff Associate for Field Service 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 Teresa Costa | Coordinator of Finance and Administration Pamela Brooks | Senior 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

The CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published monthly except a combined issue for July/August as a member service of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109, (860) 571-7446. CABE membership dues include $30 per person for each individual who receives The CABE Journal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75. Association membership 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. “Periodicals Postage Paid at Hartford, CT.” POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CABE Journal, CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. Email: bcarney@cabe.org. Members can find the CABE Journal online at: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1024

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

CABE Affiliate Members

Borrowing from the NFL and Law Firms Robert Rader Executive Director, CABE

BUSINESS AFFILIATES DIAMOND MEMBER Finalsite GOLD MEMBERS

Berchem, Moses & Devlin Pullman & Comley Shipman & Goodwin Support for the Budgetary Process SILVER MEMBERS Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Arthur J. Gallagher & Company Corporate Cost Control Milone & MacBroom, Inc. Zangari Cohn Cuthbertson Duhl & Grello PC BRONZE PLUS MEMBERS Cohen & Wolf, P.C. Coordinated Transportation Solutions Friar Associates Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. Milliman, Inc. O & G Industries OneDigital Health and Benefits The S/L/A/M Collaborative BRONZE MEMBERS Albert Risk Management Consultants Brown & Brown Insurance Chinni & Meuser LLC Dattco Inc. ECG Engineering, PC Fusfoo Media LLC Goldstein & Peck, P.C. JCJ Architecture The Lexington Group Perkins & Eastman Solutions Employee Assistance Program Sources4Teachers Suisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law

Did you ever hear of Arabella Mansfield?

Me, neither.

But, she was the first woman admitted to practice law in the United States, in 1869.

Why is she important today?

According to an article in the October issue of the American Bar Association (ABA) Journal, 44 law firms have agreed to follow the so-called “Mansfield rule” when they make decisions on leadership opportunities within their firms.

The Mansfield rule was inspired by the rule named after the late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. During a time in which the NFL was drawing criticism for a lack of diversity in coaching positions, the Rooney rule, in which “at least one person of color be interviewed for head coach jobs” and other high managerial positions was launched. The policy is

School District Tie-In? Only 8.3 percent of Connecticut’s certified staff are individuals of color.

38.5% of our students are of color and the percentage is expected to rise over the next few years. These students need role models and advisors of color who can help them succeed.

It would be difficult to have school districts implement the Mansfield rule as they interview candidates for teacher, principal or superintendent. The reasons include the overall difficulty in finding people of color who qualify for these positions. We are hopeful that our teacher education programs will, in the long run, help alleviate that shortage.

However, just as CABE encourages those who make decisions on who to nominate for members of the school board to consider adding people of color to the

sometimes used as an example of affirmative action, but there is no quota or

diversity for instructional staff will be

preference given to the persons of color

beneficial to students.

who are interviewed.

The Mansfield rule, promoted by the

Besides its voluntary nature, what I

Rise in Number of Female Leaders Provide Hope While progress in hiring and retaining more people of color in education has been slow, things have changed in terms of gender. This is a positive example for envisioning a more diverse educational leadership and staff in the future.

For example, according to our database, there are 553 female board members and 492 male board members. [Interestingly, there are 80 male board chairs and 71 female chairs].

How about in the superintendency?

When I came to Connecticut in 1996, there were just a handful of female superintendents. Today, according to CAPSS, 50 out of 160 superintendents are women.

And, the number continues to grow.

like about the Mansfield rule is that it is

How about among principals?

Diversity Lab project requires (a law firm

a clear indication that firms which adopt

CAS Executive Director Karissa Nie-

being part of this project is voluntary) “at

it have “gone on the record” about their

hoff told me that there are approximately

least 30 percent of a firm’s candidates for

focus on diversity.

129 male high school principals and 68

leadership roles… be woman, attorneys of color or both.” Such roles would include being on the firm’s compensation committee, executive committee or positions like managing partner.

So, much like the NFL, these 44 law for top positions consist of more than

American School for the Deaf Area Cooperative Educational Services Capitol Region Education Council The College Board Connecticut Association for the Gifted Connecticut Association of School Business Officials Connecticut Center for School Change Connecticut School Buildings and Grounds Association Connecticut Technical High Schools Cooperative Educational Services EASTCONN EdAdvance LEARN Unified School District #1

and other avenues to success.

board, a sensitivity to the importance of

firms are ensuring that the candidate pool

EDUCATIONAL AFFILIATES

consider their candidate pools, pipelines

what we might call, “the usual suspects”.

Law firms that “implement the rule over the next year will be “Mansfield certified” and can participate in a 2018 “client forum, which will pair in-house lawyers with attorneys who are women or people of color for business development activities.” This is a nice incentive for those lawyers.

The article states that, according to the National Association for Law Placement, “only 18.1 percent of equity partners

Connecticut has spent many years encouraging school districts to find, hire and retain more people of color. Our State has promised to keep working on this issue. In the last few years, the law on certification has changed and other steps have been taken in the hope of finding candidates who are more diverse.

But, the paucity of candidates of color still exists.

Would adopting some variation of the Mansfield rule, even informally, lead to more people of color being hired as it did in the NFL? We don’t know. However, having a Board set some expectation that people of color will be candidates may encourage a deeper look into the pool of candidates.

As the director of the Center for

female; 105 male principals and 99 females at the middle school level; and 347 female principals and 165 male at the elementary school level.

These numbers indicate that while not an exact equivalency between men and women, certainly female leaders have become part of the new “normal” in leadership educational leadership in Connecticut.

It wasn’t always so.

This should give us some hope that we can make progress in diversifying our boards and our certified staff.

The old tools may not work for increasing diversity. Examining other options may make a difference.

I and the CABE Diversity Committee would like to hear your ideas on what would work today!

were racial or ethnic minorities.” The

WorkLife Law stated about the Mans-

Diversity Lab’s CEO Caren Ulrich stated

field rule, “one thing is for darned sure:

be found on the Diversity Lab’s website,

that the goal of the Mansfield rule project

The standard tools haven’t worked, so we

http://www.diversitylab.com/pilot-projects/

is to encourage firms to more carefully

might as well try [a] new one.”

mansfield-rule/.

More on the Mansfield Rule can

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

Impediments to Teen Sleep Patrice McCarthy

Deputy Director and General Councel, CABE

A recent analysis of two large national surveys found that the number of U.S. teens reporting sleeping less than 7 hours a night increased 22 percent between 2012 and 2015.

While sleep experts indicate that teens need at least 9 hours of sleep a night, 43 percent of teens reported sleeping less than 7 hours

on most nights in 2015.

Dr. Jean Twenge of San Diego State University found that today’s teens are the first generation to spend their entire adolescence with smartphones, and that teens who spend more time online and social media were more likely to sleep less. Unlike other electronic devices such as TVs and desktop computers, smartphones and tablets are often held by hand in bed, or kept under the pillow.

Answering text messages and scrolling through social media before bedtime are emotionally stimulating, which then leads to disturbed sleep. The results of sleep deprivation are well known, including poor performance in school, greater risk of obesity, and links to depression and anxiety.

While some Connecticut school districts are examining the possibility of changing the high school start time

as a way to provide teens with more sleep, families can take action to limit smartphone use at night by placing phones in another room, or putting an app on phones to shut them down during certain hours.

See the complete article at: http://theconversation.com/teens-aresleeping-less-but-theres-a-surprisingly-easyfix-85157

October 23 Workshop for Superintendents’ Secretaries Patrice McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE gave an update on the State budget.

Dr. Bridget Cooper talked about Finding Calm in the Storm.

Rebecca Adams, Sr. Staff Attorney, CABE, fieding questions.

ACHIEVEMENT GAP

(continued from page 1)

Some children of color in Connecticut fall behind their counterparts nationally.

For example, Hispanic students fare slightly worse in Connecticut than nationally in 8th grade math proficiency and high school graduation, and African-American 4th graders have higher rates of reading proficiency nationally than in Connecticut.

On the good news side, children of immigrants appear to benefit greatly from Connecticut’s investment in children and their families, and their outcomes exceed those of their counterparts in other states.

According to the 2017 Race for Results

Lou Tallarita of the Connecticut State Department talked about students displaced by weather events.

report, 71% of children of immigrants are enrolled in preschool or kindergarten in Connecticut, compared to 59% nationally.

These results show the correlation between early childhood development and later success. The outcomes appear to affirm Connecticut’s policies and services for early childhood education and family economic security.

Despite Connecticut’s investments in health and education, racial disparities persist: Fewer African-American children than non-Hispanic White children are born at normal birthweight (87% vs 92%). African-American and Hispanic students trail non-Hispanic White children dramatically

A great group assembled for professional learning and the exchange of best practices

in 4th grade reading proficiency (15% for African-American and 22% for Hispanic, versus 56% for non-Hispanic White students) and 8th grade math proficiency (12% and 14%, respectively, for African-American and Hispanic students, compared to 46% for non-Hispanic White students).

“While we need to do better for children of color, especially in education, the Race for Results report informs policymakers that much of what Connecticut does for children generally, and for children in immigrant families, is working,” said CAHS CEO Jim Horan. “Despite the state’s fiscal problems, we need to keep investing in our children, our future.”

CAHS Policy Analyst Emmanuel

Adero notes that as Connecticut remains the only state without a budget this fiscal year, funding for some of the state’s key investments in young children—including the early childcare subsidy Care4Kids, and Husky—is still uncertain, and the gains achieved through these programs are potentially in jeopardy.

The Casey Foundation and CAHS called on policymakers to “support and maintain legislation that will strengthen families, increase economic opportunity for parents, and help children meet critical development milestones.”

The full report is available at www. aecf.org/raceforresults/. Additional information is available at www.aecf.org/.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board of Education’s “Tidy Teacher Initiative” 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 General Assembly has finally passed a budget, and the Nutmeg Board of Education has been spared the catastrophic cuts in state aid that some had predicted. Veteran Board member Bob Bombast was therefore pleased to turn his attention to weightier matters: the appearance of the teachers in Nutmeg and that of their classrooms. Bob had seen a video on YouTube of an admiral exhorting a graduating class to make their beds every morning as a key to their success, and he decided that greater discipline among teachers would be beneficial to them and to the students they teach. Based on that inspirational video, Bob came up with a new initiative for the Board of Education to consider.

Under Committee Reports, Bob unveiled his vision for a more effective school system, the “Tidy Teacher Initiative.” “A neatly-dressed teacher in a tidy classroom will be the foundation for greater achievement of students in the Nutmeg Public Schools,” Bob announced grandly. “I have been concerned that teacher dress in Nutmeg has devolved from Business Casual to College Grunge, hardly the way to inspire our students. And don’t get me started on the mess and clutter in some classrooms!

Under my plan, we will establish standards for orderly classrooms and well-dressed teachers. Our classrooms will have perfectly aligned chairs, neatly stacked books and supplies, and counters free of clutter.

Our teachers will be neatly-dressed in well-shined shoes. A retired Navy Seal will train each of our building administrators on how to inspect their classrooms and their teachers to assure that they comply with these new standards.”

Mr. Superintendent had seen worse ideas in his career, and he went ahead faithfully to execute Bob’s plan. In consultation with the retired Navy Seal Bob had recommended, Mr. Superintendent drafted regulations for how teachers would now be expected to dress and to maintain their classrooms, down to detailed instructions on how to stack books and straighten chairs at the end of each day. After their training, the building administrators went ahead with the prescribed classroom in-

spections that Bob envisioned, and almost every teacher in the district flunked the initial inspection. However, Mr. Superintendent directed the principals to give the teachers another chance to pass before writing them up.

Tom Teacher, President of the Nutmeg Union of Teachers, spoke to this issue during Public Comment at the Board meeting last evening. “Once again, Bob Bombast and the Board are micro-managing and violating the rights of teachers.

We must insist that the Nutmeg Public Schools immediately stop implementing this ill-advised and illegal plan. If you don’t, we will be filing a charge with the State Labor Board.”

“Go ahead and file,” Bob responded.

“The Board has every right to go ahead with the Tidy Teacher Initiative. Maintaining standards for teacher dress and neat classrooms is a basic management right.”

Tom Teacher started to respond, but Mr. Chairman ruled that he was out of order. However, Tom Teacher did get the other Board members wondering whether NUTS really did have a valid claim.

Should the Nutmeg Board of Education rescind the Tidy Teacher Initiative? If so, why and for how long?

While the Nutmeg Board of Education has the management right to establish standards, it must establish those standards without violating the rights of its unionized employees. Here, by implementing the Tidy Teacher Initiative, the Board unilaterally changed working conditions in Nutmeg, thereby violating the Teacher Negotiation Act. In a union setting, the employer must negotiate with the union over “wages, hours and conditions of employment.”

Before an employer unilaterally changes working conditions in a union workplace, it must negotiate with the union over such proposed changes. To be sure, starting with the seminal Connecticut Supreme Court case West Hartford Education Association v. DeCourcy (1972), management decisions that lie “at the core of entrepreneurial control” are management rights not subject to negotiations, such as adding or eliminating programs and positions. Put another way, it is management’s right to decide what will be done, but it is the union’s right to negotiate on behalf of employees over how it will be done.

Thus, if an employer wants to change working conditions, it must negotiate over the proposed change or, if the change is a management right, over the impact of the

change.

Not every change in the workplace will be considered a change in working conditions, and the question is whether this new directive significantly changes how employees are expected to do their jobs. Mr. Superintendent’s regulations about how to stack books, and perfectly arrange classroom chairs at the end of the day does appear materially to change expectations for teachers. Moreover, the district’s then “flunking” teachers for not meeting these expectations further demonstrates that the Board has established new conditions of employment without the required prior negotiations.

It is important to note that principals need not tolerate sloppy teachers or sloppy classrooms, and they have every right to deal with individual teachers whose dress is unacceptable or whose classrooms are messy or disorganized. If the principal’s holding such teacher accountable were challenged (which is unlikely), the district would stand on sold ground by explaining that the principal has not changed anything, but rather is simply enforcing an established expectation that teachers dress appropriately and maintain an orderly

classroom.

Given that the Tidy Teacher Initiative is, by contrast, a broad directive that affects working conditions, the Nutmeg Board of Education should restore the status quo ante by rescinding the directives implementing the Tidy Teacher Initiative and negotiating with NUTS over the provisions that would change working conditions. Otherwise, in due course the State Board of Labor Relations will consider this matter, and it would certainly order that the Nutmeg Board rescind the Initiative pending negotiations, and it may order other remedial action as well.

Finally, we note that Bob sprung his plan on the Board during Committee Reports without having the matter on the agenda. Under the FOIA, the Board members should not act upon or even discuss a matter that is not on the agenda for that meeting. Bob should have been more patient and presented his plan when it was properly on the agenda.

The Eighth Edition is here!!

A Practical Guide to Connecticut School Law

by Thomas B. Mooney, Esq. Shipman & Goodwin The Guide comes with a CD which provides hyperlinks to many cases and statutes and will permit word searches as a supplement to the Index.

The Eighth Edition was substantially rewritten to reflect statutory changes, significant case law developments in state and federal courts. Some of the numerous legal developments and update are as follows: School Safety and Security | Bullying Law Teacher Evaluation and Support | Teacher Tenure Act New Requirements for Professional Development Budget Issues | Prohibitions on Electronic Notifications of Referenda Minimum Budget Requirements |FMLA for Paraprofessionals Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements Uniform Regional School Calendars | Excusal | Student Assessments Pool Safety | Concussion Prevention and Education Sudden Cardiac Arrest Prevention and Education Administration and Storage of Epinephrine | Excused Absences Student Free Speech | Employee Free Speech

Order your copy TODAY by going to the CABE website: http://www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1239

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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The Twelve Tips of E-mail: Avoiding Electronic Communication Pitfalls Rebecca Adams

Sr. Staff Attorney, CABE

Baby it’s cold out there. Election season is over and the holiday season is here.

Calendars are filled with school district and personal commitments and time is at an even greater premium than usual. This time of year, particularly, districts and board members rely heavily on email to communicate with constituents, administration, one another, and the public in general.

Recently, colleagues from the Council of School Attorneys discussed the apparent uptick in board of education email-related legal issues, beginning in the month of November. A quick inquiry to school law attorneys in Connecticut confirmed a similar pattern here.

Most of us have done it: hit the send button and then immediately realized we shouldn’t have.. Maybe it was because something should have been deleted or worded differently or perhaps it was just a bad idea to send it at all.

To help you avoid that feeling in the pit of your stomach and a call from your district’s attorney, CABE brings to you “live” The Twelve Tips of Email.

1. U nlike a paper record, an e-mail you send can be re-distributed to the entire world by any recipient, and once created, it never goes away. Don’t put anything in an email you are not willing to see on the 6:00 news, or, for those of us who still read print, the front page of the major newspaper in your area.

2. Write e-mail as you would draft a letter or memorandum in a professional capacity. Your business e-mails are School District records: they can be obtained by parents if the e-mails are “education records” pertaining to a student, and in litigation by someone who is suing you or the District.

3. Don’t use e-mail to discuss confidential information unless it is communication with your district’s legal counsel. If you have to send it despite its confidential information, be sure that all recipients understand that it is confidential and commit to confidentiality themselves.

4. Proofread email for typographical errors, content and tone before you send it. If it is an e-mail on an emotional or hot-button topic, consider composing it before you add recipient email addresses, so that you can’t send it accidentally mid-draft. Alternatively, draft and edit text as a Word document and then paste it into an e-mail.

5. Here’s CABE attorneys mantra on this subject: the “Reply All” button is not your friend (even though it invites you over all the time). It is dangerous.

Please, please do not use it at all to discuss board business because you are having a meeting! Even when a reply to all complies with the FOIA, avoid it unless you are sure that you want “all” to get your message.

6. Don’t hit the “Send” key when you

are angry, hurt, offended, etc. Take a short recess before responding to angry e-mails and then draft a measured response. You may need to edit it several times. (See #4) 7. E-mails about student issues should be addressed to people who have a legitimate “need to know” about the issue you are discussing. There are student privacy laws that can cause you to be sued. (See #2) 8. If you absolutely must email about student issues (if you simply refrain from sending email about them, the problem goes away), limit your email to one student and one topic. If the discussion involves more than one email exchange, compose a new email for each to avoid “chain” e-mails. (See #6).

9. Be as professional in an e-mail to constituents, the media or anyone else on board business, as you would in any other formal, written correspondence; a District e-mail is not a “chat.” Parents should be referred to as “Mr.,” “Mrs.” or “Ms.,” or as “[Name of student]’s father”; not as “Mom” or “Dad.” Save casual terms like “egad,” “yikes,” “wacky,” etc.., for personal email. The same goes for “emoticons” or e-mail abbreviations such as “LOL, “IMHO,” “OMG,” etc.

10. Assess your audience. Just like a letter, the substance and even tone of an email may differ depending on whether you are writing to a colleague,

a parent, or a third party outside the District.

11. Be mindful when communicating with constituents (via e-mail and otherwise) and be clear with them that that you are acting as one member of the board and cannot and do not speak for the entire board.

12. Avoid using “bcc”. The person to whom you sent a “blind copy” may reply to all, thus revealing the recipient’s identity and the fact that you sent a blind copy (i.e,. you didn’t want anyone to know about it). When sending an email to someone not on the recipient list, e-mail to the intended “public” recipients and then forward a copy to the other person.

I encourage you to share these recommendations, especially with your newly elected board members. CABE will be offering training and further information about this topic at the New Board Member and Leadership Workshop at the Sheraton Hartford South in Rocky Hill on December 7th.

Thank you to all of the attorneys across the country who shared their memos and insights on which this column is based, especially Jeffrey A. Kehl at Bond, Schoeneck & King, PLLC in New York, whose “Do’s and Don’ts of Email Communication” provided the inspiration for Twelve Tips.

Is Your District Monitoring Implementation, or Only Outcomes?

Jeffrey Villar

Executive Director, Connecticut Council on Education Reform (CCER)

Karissa Niehoff

Executive Director, Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS)

We’ve all seen this phenomenon in action. Sometimes, we chase the flashy, new initiative before we’ve properly diagnosed whether the old one was working. It can be the result of funding, fads, or politics—but in education, it often results when we measure outcomes without also measuring outputs.

“Outcomes” tell us about the long-term impact of our efforts, while “outputs” help us to identify whether an intervention has been delivered in the first place. For example, suppose a district purchases the new math book that is all the rage. But, each teacher in the district puts that new book on the shelf and never opens it. When district assessment results show plummeting math scores—some

might rush to conclude that the new math book was useless. However, if the district also measures outputs, it will realize that the math book was never used and is therefore not the problem.

In order for us to draw reasonable conclusions about whether an initiative in our district is working for our students, we need to see correlations between outcomes and outputs.

In other words, we need to monitor implementation.

Last month, the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) and the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) unveiled a free, online tool that will help districts and schools to monitor literacy outputs, answering the question: how well is our literacy programming being implemented? The Literacy Scan was developed in partnership with Literacy How and HILL for

Literacy, with funding from the Grossman Family Foundation. It is organized into a survey of educators’ literacy practices, and it also includes many useful resources and examples that will help them to ramp up their literacy programming.

There are two ways to use the scan. For more strategic, long-term utility, a district or school can create an account, administer the scan to its personnel once or twice a year, and collect survey results over time.

Alternatively, the quick and easy way to use the scan is for an individual to go straight to the survey, tinker with it, think about implementation, and look at the resources.

(Just choose “NA” under the “Select School” drop-down menu, and you will be taken to the full scan.) Via the former approach, anonymous and confidential results will roll up to a school-level and/or district-level report that will help education leaders to

monitor implementation and make strategic decisions. All data is protected. Via the latter approach, an individual’s responses won’t be tallied or reported.

This tool provides a great opportunity for educators to think about what’s working in literacy, explore useful resources and ideas, and ramp up their literacy efforts.

The broader hope is that the scan will also provide a window into a new way of thinking among Connecticut educators: If we’re going to engage in data-based decision-making, we need to measure both adult actions and student outcomes. Whether we’re working on literacy or any other aspect of our students’ educations, let’s not give up on worthwhile efforts before we actually know they’ve been properly implemented.

Editor’s Note: for more information go to www.literacyww.literacyscan.org.

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

2017 CABE/CAPSS Convention Congratulations to CABE Board of Distinction Award Winners - Level II

Photos courtesy of Lifetouch National School Studios

Congratulations to CABE Board of Distinction Award Winners - LEVEL II Editor’s note: Summaries have been edited for space.

Bethel Board of Education The Board leadership consistently stands on principle, unites for the good of children, speaks forthrightly, and leads the community. This group is responsible for spear-heading a study of school facilities and is championing the renovation of two of our elementary schools. They have supported, both fiscally and on principal, the district 1:1 initiative which we have implemented grades 3-12. The Board of Education supported the implementation of a standards based grading system, Pre K-8. They work to ensure our positive school climate policies are current and include provisions to support our most marginalized students.

Bloomfield Board of Education Bloomfield Board of Education’s policymaking and oversight is rooted in data-driven decision-making. The Board routinely views data on student performance and other aspects of district functions. This is evident at regular, committee and special meetings where data is routinely analyzed to determine course corrections and/or next steps. The analysis of data helps Board members understand how best to support continued academic growth by ensuring that all policies and resources are aligned with our four district priorities outlined in the District Accountability Plan.

Ensuring that priorities are supported while monitoring their progress has provided a comprehensive mechanism for continued student achievement

Coventry Board of Education During my career, I have been fortunate to work with many quality Boards of Education. Coventry’s current group of Board

members have never wavered in their commitment to doing what is best for students. This commitment, and their strong leadership, have resulted in the acquisition of resources, which has allowed the district to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century.

Although each board member has their own political affiliation, their bipartisanship should serve as a model to other Boards of Education. Even through difficult budgetary discussions, they continue to work together as one team with student achievement at the very forefront.

Derby Board of Education Our board leadership consumes all their available time with learning more about the state’s new initiatives and participates actively to ensure all board members are provided with professional development on these initiatives. Most recently we dedicated the entire Board meeting to review assessment scores at all schools. At the end of the meeting, one of our veteran Board members, Mr. Gildea, responded, “This was the best meeting I have ever attended.”

governance practices through the structure of productive subcommittees, school visits and attendance at school events, community forums and retreats. The Board’s ability to function at an extremely high level in the support of ALL students, its successful completion of district building projects, high return on educational investment, annually adopted budgets, policy advocacy, active participation in CABE, and collaboration with the community are only some of the attributes that make the Board worthy of such recognition.

Madison Board of Education (not pictured) The Board focuses on improving student learning during the budget development process. The Board provides the necessary support to continually review and improve curriculum and professional development to implement the curriculum in the classroom.

Budget assumptions include: Implement curricular and instructional initiatives through Professional Development and Curriculum Renewal Maintain quality of technology in support of student learning and continue to follow the District’s Instructional Technology Plan Review, refine, and/or improve current educational programs

Montville Board of Education Goal: To engage in a cycle of continuous improvement to ensure that all students are educated with high standards and achieve at the highest levels of learning in the Montville Public Schools.

Glastonbury Board of Education Our Board appreciates all of the elements that must be in place to support outstanding student achievement. We recruit and retain the best educators. We support professional development and curriculum review that leads to the most productive learning environment. We carefully prioritize our spending and resources to most positively impact the classroom. We continue to integrate technology throughout our school system so that our students are best prepared for their future.

We advocate for our students and effectively communicate with our residents. We celebrate our successes but always look to improve.

Granby Board of Education The Board of Education exhibits excellent

Old Saybrook Board of Education The Board of Education takes this mission to heart, believing that it is part of our responsibility as leaders within our community to promote achievement for all students within our district. The Board, in partnership with our district leadership and staff, focuses extensively on building a foundation for achievement through our curricular, instructional and philosophical concepts of education. As outlined in our first goal of our new 2016-2021 Strategic Plan, the Board seeks to have consistent implementation of a well-developed, state-of-the art and fully articulated series of standards and outcomes for learning. By outlining our strategy for creating, utilizing and evaluating our curriculum against the educational roadmap of the

core standards, the district has set the road map for the basics of student achievement – what we plan to teach our students.

Plainfield Board of Education The Plainfield Board of Education uses audits and data for decisions. Audits of curriculum, facilities, transportation, finance and testing have resulted in significant achievements. Examples include: scheduling changes to increase Grade 9 math and Grade 10 English resulting in 18% and 23% growth in student achievement on state testing; adoption of the Discovery Bus Library which engages 1,000-1,500 student reading visits during summers; partnership with the town on facilities gaining voter support for new roofs and parking; BOE strategic Goals and a special education audit which is transforming instruction to responsive practices including universal PreK and AllDay Kindergarten.

Plainville Board of Education

The Plainville Board of Education maintains an unwavering commitment to maximizing achievement district-wide. Our Board continually provides the resources, support and leadership that serve as the foundation for our success, with an emphasis on continuous improvement of student achievement and a focus on students, teaching and learning.

This past year, the Board, together with a committee of local stakeholders, updated the district’s Strategic Plan, Vision, Belief Statements and Goals. Through this process the roadmap for continued improvement of student achievement emerged and now guides our district work as we move forward.

The newly updated Strategic Plan enables administration, faculty and staff to clearly articulate and successfully execute strategies to consistently improve student achievement as we prepare all students for continued success after high school graduation.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017 Plymouth Board of Education (not pictured) The Plymouth Board of Education strictly adheres to the role and responsibility outlined in law. The Board develops policy and allows the administrators to administer the policy. The leadership of the Board makes certain that the lines between administration of the school district and development of policy for the school district are not crossed.

The Board is trusting in the administrators hired by the Board to carry out the day to day functions of the district. As a result of this working philosophy, the Board’s image in the school district with staff is extremely positive. The Board is viewed as a tremendous support to the staff and students.

Putnam Board of Education In addition to providing adequate resources for instruction, the Board has taken a number of steps to provide for the basic needs of students. The Board believes that students will be able to learn if their basic needs are satisfied. The Board continues to partner with Generations Healthcare to provide a School Based Health Clinic for the district.

The health clinic provides medical, dental and behavioral interventions for students.

The district also continues to collaborate with the Department of children and Families to embed a DCF social worker in the school system. This social worker works with district staff to help provide a better

standard of care for students. In addition, each school provides universal free breakfast to all students throughout the year. The district also runs a free dinner program for elementary students.

Simsbury Board of Education The Board of Education develops five-year goals that represent the next level of work that the staff and administration will engage in as we strive to improve PreK – Grade 12 education in Simsbury. The first goal of the Board of Education is student achievement.

Thomaston Board of Education The leadership of Thomaston’s Board is especially effective in improving student achievement mostly due to the focus that is kept on the Board’s basic duties, specifically two basic duties, “Communicate the educational program to the people of the community” and “Keep abreast of future educational needs of the town as well as

present” (Bylaw 9000).

The Board, through its commitment to its bylaws and policies, has demonstrated effective leadership in improving student performance; its requests for information and its use of it allows the Board to make informed and student-focused decisions that support the mission of educating, challenging and inspiring our students.

Vernon Board of Education Vernon is a policy-driven board that focuses on student growth to define achievement.

The Board, along with the Superintendent, have created a District Leadership Theory of Action that drives strategies toward improved student learning. In addition, every Board Meeting has a teaching and learning presentation to highlight the growth of student achievement in the district.

9 has produced a strong, clear and cohesive strategic action plan that emphasizes high leverage strategies like improving school climate and student connectedness, and pursuing instructional frameworks that emphasize personalized learning. They are committed to monitoring success and have also adopted a balanced scorecard that is utilized to assess progress toward goals. Annual improvement planning targets particular metrics on the scorecard and the Board actively endorses the financial infrastructure to ensure that the professional learning requirements to meet targets are met.

Wolcott Board of Education (not pictured) The Wolcott Board of Education is committed to continual improvement of student achievement.

The district continues to rank first in its DRG for combined student achievement on SBAC ELA and mathematics.

During the budgeting process, the Board looks very closely at all requests and continually asks budget “owners” “do you need anything else?”.

As mentioned above, the Board has committed precious funds to new and updated materials for mathematics and student assessment. Additionally, the Board has committed significant funds to curriculum development over the past five years.

The Board is an active participant in its RESC and benefits from expert instructional consulting from ACES.

Wilton Board of Education Under this Board’s leadership, the district

Congratulations to the CABE 2017 Bonnie B. Carney Award of Excellence for Educational Communications Award Winners

Social Media

Derby Public Schools Social Media Wilton Public Schools Social Media Norwalk Public Schools Norwalk Public Schools Facebook Page

Going Green

Woodbridge Public Schools Principal’s Message Brookfield Public Schools 10th Annual Budget Recycling Poster Contest

Newsletter

Region 6 Public Schools The Harvester Brookfield Public Schools Brookfield Broadcast Newsletter Bloomfield Public Schools Leadership for Learning EdAdvance Making Connections

Annual Report

EASTCONN Annual Board Update LEARN 2015-2016 Annual Report East Hartford Public Schools 2017 State of the Schools Report Stamford Public Schools Shaping the Future Annual Report 20152016

District Budget

Salem Public Schools Budget Book SY2017-2018 New Fairfield Public Schools 2017-2018 Board of Education’s Recommended Budget Glastonbury Public Schools Board of Education Approved Budget 2017-2018

Parent/Student Handbook

Derby Public Schools Derby Middle School Parent-Student Handbook Wolcott Public Schools Wolcott High School Student Handbook Wolcott Public Schools Tyrell Middle School Student Handbook CREC Hartford Region Open Choice Yearbook

Course Selection Guide

EASTCONN EASTCONN Mobile STEM Laboratory Brochure Norwich Free Academy 2017-2018 NFA Course Catalog Stratford Public Schools Career Pathways Student Brochure

Calendar

C.E.S. 2017-2018 Member District Calendar Amity Region 5 School District Region 5 District Calendar Glastonbury Public Schools 2017-2018 Calendar

Special Project

EASTCONN Arts at the Capital Theater Windsor Public Schools Windsor High School Brochure ACES Behavior Services Catalog Milford Public Schools Realtors Breakfast

Special Project (AV)

East Haddam Public Schools East Haddam Promotional Video LEARN “We Rise by Lifting Others” Glastonbury Public Schools Veterans Day Slideshow 2016

Computer Generated Projects

EASTCONN 2016-2017 PowerPoint to EASTCONN Executive Board Brookfield Public Schools The 4 Types of Assessment Fairfield Public Schools Family/Consumer Science Curriculum Revision Presentation

Websites

Lyme/Old Lyme Public Schools http://www.region18.org New Fairfield Public Schools http://www.newfairfieldschools.org Fairfield Public Schools http://fairfieldschools.org

Honorable Mention Winners ACES Bethany Public Schools Brookfield Public Schools C.E.S. Cheshire Public Schools Colchester Public Schools CREC Derby Public Schools EASTCONN EdAdvance Fairfield Public Schools New Fairfield Public Schools Newington Public Schools Norwalk Public Schools Norwich Free Academy Plainville Public Schools Redding Public Schools Region 6 Public Schools Region 12 Public Schools Simsbury Public Schools Thomaston Public Schools Vernon Public Schools Waterbury Public Schools Wilton Public Schools Windsor Public Schools Wolcott Public Schools

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

Congratulations to the CABE Board of Distinction Award Winners - LEVEL I

Photos courtesy of Lifetouch National School Studios

Editor’s note: Summaries have been edited for space.

Bethany Board of Education The Bethany BOE commits to high expectations for student achievement outcomes (academic, social and emotional) and quality instruction as evidenced by their Strategic Plan, Mission, Values and Beliefs, and Goals.

Four times a year, the instructional leaders at the school level present student achievement data to keep the Board informed of the progress towards their primary goal.

Our BOE effectively uses multiple sources of data throughout the year, to make informed decisions. They focus their attention on developing policy and allocating resources to support high levels of achievement for ALL students in Bethany. The Bethany Board conducts ongoing evaluations, formally with a self-evaluation instrument, and informally at monthly scheduled BOE Committee meetings to assess the effectiveness of their work, which focuses on high-quality teaching and learning.

Branford Board of Education The Branford Board is an exceptional group of individuals who have varied professional and personal experiences with which they approach their work on behalf of all children in Branford. Their ability to be apolitical is both remarkable and refreshing. During the past few years, the Board embarked on an expansive construction project that has united the school community. While there are many community points of view regarding the middle school project, the Board’s shared vision has resulted in the project moving forward despite economic and political challenges.

East Haddam Board of Education The mission of the East Haddam School District is to develop a community of lifelong learners who are prepared to become independent, creative, and productive citizens for our diverse and ever-changing global society.

students to achieve excellence in all aspects of their educational experience and to become productive, responsible members of our community, our country and our world.

East Lyme Board of Education The Board has a very effective subcommittee structure and process for progressing Board goals and actions. We continue to build a stronger relationship with our Board of Finance.

Naugatuck Board of Education Cohesive Collaboration Unity and Respect Putting Kids First Providing a Safe Environment Committed to educating all students today for tomorrow’s future while focusing on the vision of a graduate.

Regional District 1 Board of Education The Board has participated in training over the last 12 months through CABE’s Lighthouse Project. This training has significantly improved our leadership abilities. We are also working better at our communication by introducing CABE E-meeting, using Baldwin media, a Communication Committee, and a Parent/Teacher Leadership Committee. We feel that our 12 months of cohesive leadership training through Lighthouse qualifies us for this award.

Salem Board of Education Salem School District is dedicated to providing learning environments that challenge each student to reach his or her full potential through an excellent academic program in a nurturing, student-centered atmosphere.

The family-school partnership, with the support of the community, will inspire our

Stamford Board of Education The Stamford Board of Education members personally ascribed to a “mantra” several years ago. Coming off a few challenging years, we centered around “#bestboardever”.

We felt that ideal embodied quite a number of aspirations. We continually hold ourselves to great conduct and continue to “raise the bar” for ourselves and our District. This includes being able to have difficult conversations where we disagree but are not disagreeable with each other. We are able to move forward together on a positive basis for the sake of our school children.

This mantra is engraved on the back side of our nameplates at our public meetings (facing ourselves) to continually remind us of our aspirations as individual board members.

Trumbull Board of Education The Trumbull Board of Education always acts in the best interest of the students. We are focused on working together, treating each other with respect, and listening to ideas and input from all board members and staff. While we don’t always agree on issues, we always agree to work together to find solutions.

Waterbury Board of Education The Waterbury Board of Education supports the Superintendent’s goals and vision for the District and strives to work in collaboration to achieve those goals. With significant education policy changes on the state level, e.g. adoption of common core, teacher evaluation, SBAC, the Board has worked diligently to establish policies to ensure implementation. In the face of the state budget crisis the Board successfully worked together to cut $6 million dollars from the budget with an almost unanimous vote.

Waterbury celebrates a very diverse student population. The Board has established an Ad

Hoc Committee on Parent Engagement to deepen the conversation around substantive parent involvement and cultural competency. The Board is committed to creating a Welcoming Climate for all parents and invested new dollars in SERC trainings for district schools. The Board showed commitment to hiring a diverse staff by hiring a Talent Officer to recruit and retain minority teachers and instituted a “grow your own” policy and system.

Woodbridge Board of Education GOALS 2017-18 The Board supports the Superintendent in all aspects of executing the Strategic Plan, including: Implementing effective curriculum standing sub-committee of WBOE that meets monthly to review and discuss curriculum issues. Notes from the meeting will be part of WBOE monthly consent agenda.

Supporting the administration in informing and providing progress on program initiatives, such as new project based learning initiative for 5th grade, school-wide enrichment clusters initially involving 3rd grade, as well as updates on current programs and changes.

Reviewing Professional Development plans for 2017-18 and 2018-19 as developed by the PDEC.

People in the News Carmen T. Pitney, Sr., vice chair of the Ansonia Board of Education, passed away on October 27. Mr. Pitney had been a board member in the 1960s and had served a year as president. He then worked for the Board as Supervisor of Grounds & Maintenance and trainer for the Ansonia High Football and Basketball Teams. He returned to the Board in 1999 and served since, including as vice chair.

Our sympathy goes out to Ansonia and his family.

CABE Senior Staff Associate Sheila McKay was recently elected as Chairman of NSBA’s Council of State Association Legislative Staff (CSALS). This organization of school board association staff involved in government relations around the country provides an important network to share information and strategies. The group acts as mentors to new state legislative staff and meets at NSBA events to stay informed on federal issues. Periodic conference calls throughout the year also serve to keep CSALS well-informed on numerous issues.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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2017 CABE/CAPSS Convention | General Session Speakers | Honorees General Session Speakers

Friday General Session photos courtesy of Lifetouch National School Studios.

A lot of activity at the Convention Registration Area.

James Thompson, Superintendent, Bloomfield, was named the 2018 CAPSS Superintendent of the Year.

Elizabeth Brown (Waterbury) Vice President for Professional Development, CABE.

Friday Keynote Speaker Dan-el Padilla Peralta.

Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE

Friday Morning Student Performers Killingly High School Chamber Choir, directed by Michael Carnaroli. Student performers: Emily Robinson, Katherine Archambault, Nazmia Dionis, Allysha Zicolella, Sarah Roberts , Hailey Jimenez, Brianna Fontaine, Terren Allen, Sophia Provencher, Haley Farnsworth, Ariana Moulton, Tasha Salisbury , Autumn Jefferson, Sedona Pratt, Devin Nichols, Nick Laconto, Ezra George, Zach Calhoun, Jacob Brower, Kory Seiden, Sam Antonelli, Ben Wyen, Brandon Steen, and Michael O’Connor.

Greg Florio (CREC) President, CAPSS

Honorees

Richard Murray, Immediate Past President, CABE, announces CABE election results.

The crowd reacts to Bonnie B. Carney, former member of the Suffield Board of Education and longtime member of the CABE staff, posthumously receiving the CABE Philip S. Fenster Distinguished Service Award.

Banquet Speaker David Pogue

Ann Gruenberg (Hampton) President, CABE

Cal Heminway, Past President, CABE

Lydia Tedone, NSBA Northeast Kevin Ciak, President, NSBA Frank Rabinowitz, Executive Director and Simsbury Board Director, CAPSS Member, introduces NSBA President, Kevin Ciak.

Roxane Bednaz, daughter of Bonnie Carney, thanking CABE on behalf of her family.

Saturday Keynote Speaker Bridget Cooper

Commissioner Dianna Wentzell

Saturday Morning Student Performers Trumbull High School Chamber Singers, directed by Anne Tornillo. Singers: Ben Bell, Becky Brideau, Shane Carley, Mike Catuccio, Brooklyn Cenatiempo, Chris Conaway, Dylan Cranston, Matt Ferri, DJ Flam, Kavya Ganugapati, Sarah Giaquinto, Harrison Gilberti, Robert Goldstein, Grace Hall, Firo Huang, Will Ieronimo, Laura LaMastra, Jen Levine, Allie Lewis, Jackie Mate, Mia McKinney, Tammy Michel, Jessica Parillo, Carlos Perez, Chris Prizio, Rachel Salem, Helen Samoskevich, Sophia Santos, Claudia Soberal, Andy Spillane, Matt Twarog, Anna Vitols, David Westphal, and Webster Williams.

Student Panelists at Saturday Luncheon: Nina Griffin, Manchester High School; Rashmi Rajesh, Farmington High School; Britney Felix, Maloney High School, Meriden; Deandre Riddle, Maloney High School, Meriden; Rudraksh Nathan, Ellington High School and Jonelle Dacres, Ellington Middle School.

Joseph Erardi, 2017 CAPSS Superintendent of the Year, announces the 2018 Superintendent of the Year.

CT Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year finalists.

CABE’s 2017-2019 President Bob Mitchell

Student Panel Moderator Cynthia Dias, UConn, Wolcott High School, Class of 2017

A Special Thank You to EASTCONN and LEARN for their Technology Support!

12

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

Delegates voting on the resolutions before the Delegate Assembly.

Participants from around the State attended the CABE Delegate Assembly and took part in voting on the proposed resolutions which the State Relations Committee will use to identify the 2018 CABE Legislative Priorities.

CABE Delegate Assembly

Parliamentarian Bryan Hall, Board Chair, East Hartford Board of Education.

Patrice McCarthy answering questions is pictured with Donald Harris, Board Chair, Bloomfield and CABE Vice President for Government Relations.

Patrice McCarthy, General Counsel and Deputy Director, CABE and Sheila McKay, Sr. Staff Associate for Government Relations, CABE, give a preview of the 2018 Legislative Session.

CABE/CAPSS Convention Workshop: Civility, Citizenship and Education in a Democratic Society Chris Seymour Reporter, CABE

An increased toxicity in public discourse around the country puts an onus on public schools to produce students who are academically prepared for life but also socially and emotionally ready.

Those were key takeaways from the 2017 CABE/CAPSS Convention workshop “Civility, Citizenship and Education in a Democratic Society: Implications for Boards of Education and District Leaders.”

The workshop featured CABE Executive Director Robert Rader, CAPSS Executive Director Fran Rabinowitz and Connecticut Center for School Change Executive Director Richard Lemons.

Despite the nasty tone of the 2016 US presidential election, Lemons said the “increased toxicity in public discourse” didn’t just happen in the last few years.

“Political scientists have been marking it for the last decade but we have always had some nasty American politicians going back hundreds of years,” he said.

“This kind of nastiness in public discourse doesn’t leave itself outside of the schoolhouse doors; we have documented evidence that it is actually penetrating

Political discourse over the last year in the United States spilled over into school discourse within my district.

Board

54%

Superintendent

84%

Responded agreed somewhat, agreed or agreed strongly.

You have experienced an increase in conflict among adults (among school personnel, between school personnel and the community, among adults in the community) in the last twelve months (October 2016-October 2017) Board

35%

Superintendent

53%

Top 3 barriers to your district further developing the citizenship skills of your graduates.

Board

Superintendent

1. Lack of resources 2. Lack of state leadership for making citizenship a top educational priority

1. State accountability system 2. Lack of resources 3. Lack of state leadership for making citizenship a top educational priority

Responded agreed somewhat, agreed or agreed strongly.

The information provided above is from a survey of board chairs and superintendents sponsored by CABE, CAPSS and the Center for School Change and presented at the workshop (see story) by Richard Lemons, the Center’s executive director. schools, and in the run up to the last election, we saw lots of tension [including educators reporting] heightened anxiety of students and even bullying and racist behavior,” according to Lemons.

Trends like that “put more pressure on us to do our job better; but more important than just doing it better, to rethink, why we are doing what we are doing?” asked Lemons. “What’s our role in creating the America we want out of the America we have?”

In addition to schools preparing kids academically, just as “equally important” is the ability to “understand where another person is coming from, the respect, the collaboration, the empathy,” said Rabinowitz. “And we as the public schools have a

responsibility to teach that; I absolutely believe that.”

Rabinowitz said she is going to push for every school system to have “a social and emotional development curriculum” that can be “integrated into the way we teach our children and that means that you need every stakeholder trained in it.”

She added, “It really is about relationships and about teaching our children from the early grades … it’s about establishing a culture of civility where respect is the major piece of how we interact.”

For their part, board members need to “always be civil” and to “live by your code of ethics; don’t just mouth it,” stressed Rader, adding, “You’re role models in your district … you’re role models

for your staff, the community, the students and you should find ways to work together.”

Rader said it’s important to “keep politics out of the board room” because “everybody’s thoughts should be what’s best for the kids.”

He also emphasized the importance of choosing your board chairperson wisely.

“They are not just somebody who sets the agenda with the superintendent—it’s the person whose real role it is to be a leader, to be non-political,” said Rader, adding the chairperson should also have “emotional intelligence, can listen to both sides” and is someone “who can come up with ideas that bring the board together.”

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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The Impact of Connecticut’s New Gifted and Talented Law, PA 17-82 Stephanie Heisler and Bianka Kortlan-Cox

Connecticut Association for the Gifted (CAG)

Connecticut’s first law focusing on gifted and talented students, An Act Concerning Services for Gifted and Talented Students, was enacted by the Connecticut Assembly in May and took effect on July 1. The law imposes two requirements on the Connecticut’s State Department of Education (SDE): 1. to retain a specialist on gifted and talented services “to be responsible for providing information and assistance to local and regional boards of education”, as well as educators and parents about “identification of and the provision of services to gifted and talented students.”

That requirement has already been met by appointment of Dr. Gil Andrada to the position of the State Consultant for Gifted and Talented Education.

2. to develop and make available to local boards of education, not later than January 1, 2018, “… guidelines regarding the provision of services to gifted and talented students in schools. Such guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, best practices for 1) addressing the intellectual, social and emotional needs of gifted and talented students in schools, and 2) providing educator training and professional development relating to gifted and talented students.”

Dr. Gil Andrada and the SDE is currently preparing the guidelines. Gifted education experts, including the National Center for Research on Gifted Education at UConn are lending their expertise.

CAG is also assisting in the guidelines’ preparation process.

Although the new law does not provide money for gifted education and imposes no new mandates on the state’s school districts, it is expected to have a wide-ranging impact, especially on students who may have never been identified as gifted/talented and/or appropriately served by their local schools. In addition, this new law will strengthen the requirements of an existing Federal legislation, ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) which, since 2015, requires the states to create a system of accountability for the educational progress of gifted and talented students, AND allows Title I funds to be directed towards gifted and talented programming.

It also should be remembered that although the guidelines required by the new law will be focused on the special needs of high-ability, gifted and talented students, ALL students can benefit from these guidelines. It may be said that all children have their own gifts and talents often manifested through natural strengths and interests. We should make sure every child develops these.

What does this new law mean for Connecticut students? We asked CAG’s VP Bonnie O’Regan, Advanced Learning Program Facilitator, Greenwich Public Schools, and board member Penny Conti, G/T Teacher, New Haven Public Schools.

What does this new law mean for you as an administrator and teacher of the gifted?

Bonnie: Educators now have a resource to go to when they have questions about how to identify gifted, how to serve gifted, and to ask ‘What are the best practices’? It’s important to have somebody who’s outside your district to objectively look at what you’re doing. Penny: More information coming from SDE will be greatly welcomed. It could be especially beneficial to

districts who have lost their gifted/talented program to drastic budgetary cuts. Here is a link to the SDE page for gifted and talented programs, goo.gl/UoJooN.

What does the new law mean for your students?

Bonnie: It’s a step in the right direction: the better informed that any educator is the better we are able to meet the needs of the students that we have. Penny: I think it puts us more front and center; people are realizing gifted children need attention.

And that’s certainly a good thing. If you’re in a district that for whatever reason doesn’t program for gifted and talented kids, the SDE is now obliged to share best practices for such programming with you.

The more we know, the better we are prepared to help a child. Generally, students get only one chance to experience a grade during their schooling. It’s important they are served well in each of those grades.

Will parents notice any change in how their child is educated or evaluated?

Bonnie: In districts that already have robust programs students and parents may not see large differences. In districts where they don’t have programs it will have direct impact on the students because the district can be better informed about best practices, and will be able to take action. Penny: The more I know the more I can do with my students. We expect the new “best practices” guidelines to help teachers and administrators establish and maintain gifted programming that best fits their student population and their districts’ profile.

Will the state provide professional development for educators?

State must provide professional development for teachers, but it requires SDE to have guidelines for best practices in professional development for educators.

It also requires that appropriate educator training be provided for teachers of gifted and talented students. Once the guidelines are issued at the beginning of 2018, we will have a better idea of what may be possible.

At the moment, CAG’s Teacher Resource Group (TRG), and CAG’s Professional Development program provide outreach.

Thus far, the State has been willing to collaborate with CAG if a teacher or administrator contacts the State and asks ‘how can I learn more about this, and how can I provide professional learning in the area of gifted ed for myself, or my teaching staff?”

Are there any national implications for Connecticut?

Bonnie: I see national implications may be as subtle, but impactful. The biggest impact may be for those states that don’t YET have anything for gifted/talented students.

What we did in Connecticut can give them hope, and somewhat of a road map as to ‘this is how we got this done.’ Penny: CAG would be happy to share our experience with others.

How meaningful is this new law, given that currently there is no funding?

Bonnie: The law is giving us the ‘why’ so that we can move into the ‘how’ and the ‘what’. We have a law for the first time in CT. It gives us a place to start, which to me is huge. It’s going to be the impetus for next steps. It starts with the information. Penny: It’s a step and we should be pleased. It’s a start, good for parents, administrators and boards of education.

Bonnie: The law doesn’t indicate that the

Budgeting in Difficult Times Preparing a responsible, strategic educational financial plan is always challenging for Superintendents, Business Managers and Board of Education Members. For the year 2018/2019, the uncertainty created by the fiscal situation of stagnant or declining revenues, combined with growing public service needs, require those involved to explore new alternatives and to become innovative in design. During these difficult times, communicating clearly and effectively with boards, citizens, and staff can not only pose challenges, but also provide necessary support.

Simply stated, a financial plan (or budget) should be a school district’s educational plan for the coming year expressed in dollars. Those expenses included should represent current student needs and must be tied directly to priorities of the district strategic plan. These are some of the issues that a school business official will examine as the budget is prepared.

The following steps are vital for the creation of a successful budget. These are some of the issues that a school business official will examine as the budget is prepared.

• Review, in detail, each school’s student population. Consider enrollment numbers, special education students, free and reduced percentages and English language learners. The goal is to satisfy all student’s needs during that particular year.

• Review organizational goals.

Concentrate on the “A” priorities and try to hold off on “B” and “C” unless economically feasible.

• Instead of outright “no” answers, consider reducing quantities and the use of a “phase in” time of implementation. Evaluate the risk

of doing nothing for all purchasing decisions.

• When planning items such as professional development or curriculum purchases, take a long term approach. Try not to think in one year compartments, but rather in terms of what effect your purchases will have on satisfaction of future requirements.

• W henever possible, look to collaborate with your city or town counterparts and educational consortiums to take advantage of bulk purchases or combined contracts for larger economic advantages.

• Communication is vital throughout the entire process. Seeking input from key individuals will provide specialized insight and perspective.

Presentation of the completed

plan will allow you to explain the strategies and priorities. When stakeholders understand how the plan was constructed, it is easier for them to stand behind it and help to implement.

Above all, keep in mind that it is the student that counts. It is the student who will benefit and the student who will lose from any financial decisions that are made.

Keeping that focus will aid in the creation of a successful, strategic financial plan.

This article was collaboratively written

by Bernice Rizk, Business Manager, Naugatuck Public Schools; Micke Belden, Chief Operating Officer, Hamden Public Schools; Rich Carmelich, Chief Operating Officer, EdAdvance; Bill Hoff, Business Manager, Suffield Public Schools; and Hugh Murphy, Director of Finance, Stamford Public Schools.

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

Looking to Share Resources?

Want Help?

Nick Caruso

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

Even before the state budget crisis, communities were encouraged to look for creative ways to save money, particularly in small districts where it makes sense that boards of education are examining to share services with other small districts.

Boards are looking to be creative and are considering anything from sharing an IT department with a neighboring school district, to offering to house other towns’ students on a tuition basis and, in appropriate circumstances, consolidation with neighboring districts.

As your Association, CABE has looked for ways to support these efforts.

Our Legal department has supported districts in understanding the laws, and our Government Relations efforts include

participation in the MORE Commission (a statewide effort to identify ways communities can share resources), supporting legislation helping boards find ways to support each other, while resisting a “onesize fits-all” or mandatory approach in the Connecticut General Assembly.

The CABE Field Service department has also supported efforts by our membership to work with each other to share resources.

There have been several Boards exploring consolidation into regional districts or modifying existing regions who have looked to CABE for assistance.

One regional district comprised of three elementary districts and a regional middle/high school (all sharing one Central Office) has been looking for ways to ensure the children that reach their regional school all have a similar educational experience. They had already adopted

CABE’s Unemployment Cost Management Service CABE has partnered with

Corporate Cost Control to offer support through a number of services to reduce costs and save staff time.

Services include training and education, claims processing, charge auditing, hearings representation and budgeting/reporting.

For more information you may visit our website at http://www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1198.

If you have questions or would like to receive a quote, contact Teresa Costa at CABE at 860-571-7446 or email tcosta@cabe.org.

one policy manual for all four Boards (as well as a supervisory board that oversees the central office). Over several meetings, CABE helped facilitate a discussion that helped the boards work out a process that consolidated educational decisions in a way that laid the groundwork for the delivery of a high-quality Pre-K – 12 curriculum to all students.

A second regional district, putting forth a recommendation to merge three elementary districts with the shared regional district, asked CABE to moderate the two town hearings on the topic, to ensure all board members could focus on the comments and questions put forth by community members.

In an effort to eliminate duplicate efforts in a variety of areas, CABE also has supported efforts by local boards of education to share resources with each other.

Led by one of our Association’s Area

Directors, CABE facilitated several meetings with board members to discuss how boards could share resources.

In one suburban district, board leadership met with a CABE facilitator to discuss a possible process and timeline to reach out to other departments within the community, as well as reach out to neighboring districts to discuss sharing resources – up to and including the potential for sharing schools across town borders.

CABE is looking for ways to help our members better serve their communities.

We offer our assistance to those boards as they look for ways to maintain the quality of services in times of diminished resources. If you wish to explore how CABE can assist you and your board in these efforts, contact Nick Caruso, Senior Staff Associate for Field Service and Coordinator of Technology at CABE (ncaruso@cabe.org).

CABE-Meeting CABE-Meeting is a user-friendly online service offered by CABE specifically for school boards. Users can eliminate unnecessary paperwork, increase efficiency and reduce costs while enabling board members to utilize the latest in cutting edge technology. Using CABE-Meeting, the Meeting Manager can create an electronic meeting from developing the agenda to creating the minutes and everything in between.

CABE-MEETING OFFERS:

• Secure login access for board and district staff • Access from any location with Internet access • Search archived agenda and meeting related items in a flash • Ability to download and print attachments • Option to provide a public link to board meeting information

YOUR SUBSCRIPTION PROVIDES: • Access to CABE-Meeting • Initial and ongoing training • Support and maintenance • Upgrades to the service

CABE MEMBER SUBSCRIPTION FEES: Initial Subscription – $3,000 Annual Maintenance – $1,500

If you have an interest in this service, contact Lisa Steimer at 860-571-7446 or lsteimer@cabe.org

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

The Policy Corner Vincent A. Mustaro

Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABE

Policy Basics for New Board Members The addition of new board members this month as a result of the November local elections makes this an excellent time to review the board’s policy manual. This review is appropriate for veteran board members as well as those recently elected. Policy is the backbone of the district and one of the board’s core responsibilities.

New board members should initially review the bylaw series (Series 9000) pertaining to board governance and operations to familiarize themselves with their new and varied roles. Orientation for these new members at the local level and through CABE’s workshops will address the important role of policy in understanding the many complexities of board membership.

Districts need sound policies in place in order to operate effectively and efficiently.

Through policies and their implementing administrative regulations, boards can address certain reoccurring problems in a consistent manner. Well-written policies establish the parameters within which the district operates. Policy, the board’s leadership tool, is an idea designed to bring the kind of action and results the board wants. High-functioning school boards are always working on policy.

Policy is the Board’s Major Role

New members need to learn and realize that developing and adopting policy is one of the board’s most important roles. School board policy establishes broad principles and goals to guide the community’s educational program. Well written policy helps ensure compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations and establishes a foundation for fair, effective and efficient school governance.

It is important that all board members, especially new ones, become quickly oriented to the local policy manual and knowledgeable about its varied contents. New members review many documents and discuss many issues during the initial orientation period, but none is more important than becoming familiar with and knowledgeable of the board’s policy statements.

Board policy is adopted by the board and used by the staff to make management decisions. The purpose of most policies is to make three simple but powerful statements: What is to be done; Why (or how much of it must be done) and; Who is going to do it.

The board’s policy manual must be viewed as a living document and updating it should be an ongoing process. Laws and regulations are constantly updated, school climate and culture changes and hot topics emerge and evolve; all contributing to the need to add new policy or revise existing ones.

Delegating Authority to the Superintendent

After policies are adopted by the board, the superintendent should be given the authority to develop the procedures, known as administrative regulations, for implementing the board’s policies. Properly written administrative regulations, of which staff must be made aware, have the full legal weight of policy and are to be followed as a condition of employment for staff and enrollment of students.

A board, through policy, controls the district’s direction and future development.

Therefore, board members must know what it says, agree on its meaning and insist that all policies be followed.

New board members can bring a fresh perspective to policy review and development. At some point each board member should read or reread the contents of the policy manual. While this may appear to be a difficult and uninteresting task, it’s worth the effort and can save board meeting time and legal confrontations if policies are not understood, followed or fairly and consistently enforced. This familiarization with the contents of the board manual will also provide a basis for determining where revisions or new policies are needed.

New board members are advised to spend the early months of their terms learning, listening and reading; especially board policies and administrative regulations. The administration should serve as the primary resource in this suggested learning period.

However, a seasoned board member or the board chairperson can serve in a mentoring capacity to the new board member.

New members should use the knowledge of administrators and experienced board members wisely, paying attention to administrative concerns. Ultimately, however, each board member must make up his/her own mind about the efficacy of each policy.

Policy Must be Clear

and Understandable

Good policy is easy to follow and difficult to misinterpret. As policies are read by new board members for the first time, close attention should be given to understanding their meaning and the philosophy it espouses on the topic. If a board member has difficulty understanding a policy, then the public will also experience similar difficulty in understanding. It is essential to remember that in addition to policy providing direction to the administration and staff, it also serves to explain the board’s concerns, beliefs and priorities to the public. It’s critical that policy be easily understood, interpreted and implemented.

When new and existing board members read and review policies, as recommended, determine when the manual was last totally revised. Also consider the manner in which the board keeps its manual up-to-date and the process used to monitor and review policies. CABE’s many policy services can be of assistance. Policy development, like curriculum review and development is a continual, never-ending process.

A welcome is extended to the newly elected to school board service and to their key role as policy makers! Most of the joys and frustrations of local board service will eventually come back to the use made of policy. It should be kept in mind that

when done well, policy drives the district’s management to ever-improving levels of excellence. Poorly developed policy or policy that is inadequately enforced, monitored or written without great care and deliberation can be a source of anguish and act as an impediment to meeting the board’s goals, especially the primary goal of improving student achievement. New and existing board members should rely on the administration for experience and professional knowledge and should look to CABE for guidance as necessary.

The CABE Policy Service encourages boards to adopt orientation policies to ensure the information provided to new board members is comprehensive and systematic.

The board member’s knowledge of policy provides the basis to ask the right questions of the professional staff.

Policy is basically a matter of fair play and common sense. If the board’s policy system doesn’t make sense to new board members and to existing members, it probably needs close scrutiny, discussion and updating. It is vital to keep in mind that the board is responsible for policies that create goals and a vision for the school district, setting the parameters that the administration will operate within and providing accountability to the citizens of the community, with the focus on student achievement.

Ann Gruenberg served as a panelist for The Gov. M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service program Better Government Begins at Home: How to Make a Difference in Your Community.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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The Media Message

by Gabbie Charier, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

You’ve Got the Interview! Now… What to Wear?

Success! You’ve nailed the pitch for your district’s story and a reporter wants to interview you on camera. Or, perhaps the media wants you to go to their studios to give an expert opinion on an education related topic. This is exciting, and now it’s time to focus on creating key messages and talking points, right?

Right! But so many times the next question we get is, “What do I wear?!”

Everyone wants to look good on camera and there are dos and don’ts regarding what to wear for your on-camera interview. Below you will find some tips to guide you next time you’re on camera.

Instead of focusing on what to wear, you can focus your energy on coming up with those key messages and preparing for the meat of the interview.

• Dress conservatively. For men, a dark suit with a light shirt is best.

If you are wearing a tie, make sure it is muted and simple, as crazy

colors and designs are distracting.

For women, a solid colored dress, blazer or blouse are best like red, blue, or purple.

• Wear appropriate dress shoes.

Most of the time, interviews are done from the waist up, but sometimes the reporter will have you sitting down with your whole body on camera. Make sure your shoes match your outfit and look sharp for those types of interviews.

• Avoid wearing all white or black.

White will wash you out and cast an unflattering light on the face.

Black blends together and in low light situations, your whole body can end up looking like one big blob.

• Do not wear large, shiny, or noisy jewelry. This can be distracting and take away from your

interview.

• If you normally wear glasses, don’t for the interview. Opt to wear your contact lenses instead. Glasses reflect light and make it tricky for camera people to add light to your face without it reflecting off your glasses. Also, sometimes for quick interviews, the camera people won’t have time to adjust lighting and the light will unfortunately reflect in your glasses, making viewers unable to see your eyes.

Or, just take your glasses off for the interview if you can see relatively fine without them.

• If you are doing an interview in the studio, the bright lights make it VERY hot. Even if it’s cold outside or if it feels cold initially, make sure you are not dressed in heavy clothing, or you will be sweating

through the whole interview.

• If offered makeup, accept it! This goes for women AND men. The host or reporter will have it on, so if given the opportunity, you should too. Women should apply matte makeup to avoid a shiny face with some blush and eye makeup.

Men should shave close to interview time if possible, as facial hair shows up prominently on television.

• Dress comfortably! If you are having to constantly tug on your clothing or are uncomfortable, it will translate during your interview. Make sure you are comfortable so you can devote all your attention to what you are saying.

Follow these tips to nail your next on-camera interview!

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

CABE: Working for YOU

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:

B y providing opportunities for members to learn how to better govern their districts: • Facilitated Columbia Board of Education self-evaluation.

• Hosted a CABE Diversity Committee meeting, discussing the toolkit we are building for school boards.

• Facilitated a UConn NEAG Executive Leadership class on board member and superintendent roles and responsibilities.

• Provided roles and responsibilities workshop for Montville Board of Education.

• Presented at CABE Legal Issues workshop.

• Presented workshop for Superintendents’ Executive Assistants, Administrative Assistants and Secretaries.

• Spoke with Convention General Session speakers to discuss their presentations.

• Seventy–eight requests for policy information were provided to 37 districts, 1 RESC and 1 attorney on 73 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 included the use of Narcan in the school setting, online learning, sexual harassment, wellness, homeschooling, and crowdfunding.

• Met with the Ansonia Board of Education Policy committee.

• Identified legal requirements for district websites to be accessible to persons with disabilities.

• Discussed student special education information and confidentiality requirements of state and federal law • Discussed enrollment and school start dates for children displaced by weather events under federal law • Reviewed State retention schedule for board of education meeting materials/ packets and litigation which has ended.

• Reviewed State law providing protections for public schools from liability for field trip injuries, in some circumstances that don’t apply to private schools.

• Provided information to members based on the results analyses of the most recent certified staff contract settlements, including: • Proposals for language restricting the reasons and request dates for use of personal days have been successful • Several administrators’ bargaining units requested reopeners and 1-year contract extensions this year • Teachers’ unions are pushing strongly against language changes prohibiting the use of sick time for medical appointments during the school day until after personal time has been used.

• Supported SDE staff ’s presentation of enrollment and educations services for “homeless” students at the Secretaries and Administrative Assistants’ workshop • Worked with Region 1 regarding proposed changes to language in teachers’ collective bargaining agreement under negotiation.

B y helping school boards to increase student achievement: • Two issues of “Policy Highlights” were sent via e-mail listserve covering topics that affect student achievement. This included the impact of truancy on student achievement, English learners, nondiscrimination in schools, and American Education Week.

B y promoting public education: • Met with representatives from SDE and CAPSS on student discipline and expulsions.

• Appeared twice on Fox61 to discuss the impact of the state fiscal crisis on school districts.

• Met with the Hartford Courant editorial board to discuss the impact of the state fiscal crisis on school districts.

• Met with representatives of the Army National Guard to discuss CABE

Business Affiliate program.

• Met with representatives of CAPSS and SDE regarding federal law protecting students displaced by weather events.

B y ensuring members receive the most up-to-date communications: • Provided webinar on the State budget.

• Provided webinar on the CABE Delegate Assembly.

• As part of the Custom Policy Service, materials were prepared for Ansonia, Amity Region No. 5, and Newtown.

• The first issue of the Policy Update Service publication was completed and sent to subscribing districts.

• Reviewed State of Connecticut legislative budget language and funding provisions drafted spreadsheet with town-by-town budget numbers for distribution of the Chair listserv and in an advocacy alert.

B y providing services to meet member needs: • Moderated two public hearings on proposed changes to the region for the Region #11 Board of Education (including Scotland, Chaplin and Hampton).

• Attended LEARN Board of Directors meeting to discuss legislative issues.

• As part of the Custom Update Service, materials were prepared for East Hampton, New Hartford, North Stonington, Newington and West Haven.

• Completed the placement of the policy manual of Brooklyn online using CABE’s Connecticut Online Policy Service (COPS).

• Currently in the process of auditing the policy manual of New Haven.

• Responded to 56 requests from 40 districts for recommendations and research regarding legal, labor, budget, and operational issues.

B y helping districts operate efficiently and conserve resources: • Provided Vernon Superintendent with administrators’ contract settlement data

for comparable districts and statewide.

• Provided Waterbury with health insurance benefit information from contracts settled and awarded in the 1617 and 17-18 negotiation cycles.

• Worked with the Norwalk School District to assess language change in light of labor board decisions regarding past practices.

By representing Connecticut

school boards on the state or national level:

• Attended NSBA State Association Counsel meeting.

• Attended NSBA Council of School Attorneys fall seminar.

• Attended SDE CT Principal Preparation Program convening.

• Participated in SDE Special Education Independent Educational Evaluation work group meetings.

• Attended RESC Alliance Personalized Learning workshop.

• Attended CREC Council meeting.

• Participated in Hartford Area Superintendents meeting.

• Attended meeting of CAPSS Technology Committee.

• Participated in Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology.

• Participated in WhatWillOurChildrenLose Coalition meetings and teleconferences.

• Served on a panel with state school boards association executive directors on research needs of our associations at the October meeting of the Northeast and Islands Regional Education Laboratory.

• Attended ADL event in Hartford.

• Helped judge essays for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities’ #LoCoolGov student contest on why local government is “cool”.

• Attended meeting of PreK-Grade 3 Leaders.

• Participated in meeting of the Connecticut Coalition for Public Education.

Education in Thailand

Chemistry Class

NEASC and CIS Visitors, including Ken Imperato and Patrice McCarthy.

NEASC and CIS Visitors with school leaders.

Singapore International School of Bangkok students.

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

October 17 CABE Legal Issues 2017 Workshop

19

Pictured left to right: Kyle McClain, Zangari Cohn Cuthbertson Duhl & Grello; Vin Mustaro, Sr. Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABE; and Mark Sommaruga, Pullman & Comley discuss Field Trips.

Pictured left to right: Mark Sommaruga, Pullman & Comley; Peter Maher, Shipman & Goodwin; Matthew Conway, Superintendent, Derby; and Fran Rabinowitz, Executive Director, CAPSS talk about Guidelines for Expelled Students at the October 17 CABE Legal Issues 2017 Workshop.

Rebecca Adams, Sr. Staff Attorney, CABE (not pictured) and Lisa Banatoski Mehta, Shipman & Goodwin talked about Hot Legal, Labor and Legislative Topics.

Patrice McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE provides an update on the Connecticut General Assembly.

Rebecca Adams, Sr. Staff Attorney, CABE introducing the CABE Legal Issues 2017 Program.

A packed house of learners for the CABE Legal Issues 2017 workshop.

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunity December 7, 2017 2017 New Board Member Orientation/Leadership Conference Sheraton Hartford South Hotel, Rocky Hill

is recruiting for Newtown Superintendent of Schools Colchester Superintendent of Schools

Consultant: MARY BRODERICK, ED.D SENIOR CONSULTANT For an update or more information on vacancies go to our website: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1176

For more information contact, CABE Search Services, P.O. Box 290252, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0252 860-539-7594 Equal Opportunity Employer

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | December 2017

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