PRESIDENT COMMENTARY A Lot to Celebrate Post-Pandemic

Elizabeth Brown President, CABE

Headlines across the country scream “National Champions!”

UConn Huskies win their fifth national championship – Huskies Nation endures. Connecticut celebrates the amazing Huskies basketball team today, April 8, as I write my article for the May CABE Journal. The theme of celebration is fitting as school districts edge closer to the final days of the school year. Student talent and hard work shine in school concerts, and drama productions, and seniors work hard to prepare for final exams and look forward to graduation celebrations.

Most districts have passed budgets for next year, although several face public referendums and public scrutiny. Boards of Education, like spring renewal, see the fruits of strategic planning, goal setting, and constant vigilance in the celebrations and accomplishments of students in the final months of school.

The theme of Celebration ribboned throughout the recent NSBA conference attended by CABE leadership. It was an honor and privilege to represent CABE at the conference and be among board members from across the country.

The program offered so many wonderful workshops it was difficult to select which ones to attend with limited time. Workshop topics included: Empowering Students for Life Beyond the Classroom; Understanding the Role and Responsibilities of Being a Board Member; Managing the Media in Turbulent Times: Increasing Student Voice; Are Your School Policies Fair? These demonstrate the broad spectrum of topics critical to good board governance.

I will take a point of personal privilege to congratulate CABE members who presented at two conference workshops. Executive Director and General Counsel Patrice McCarthy and Senior Staff Attorney Conrad Vahlsing led a workshop on Ten Best Practices to Avoid Liability that informed a packed audience on how to avoid potential lawsuits and what board members need to know to prevent legal actions. Also, Patrice McCa- rthy, Past President Don Harris and I led a discussion on Modeling Civility in Your School District – certainly a current topic at many board meetings across the country. Berlin Board Chair Julia Dennis, Superintendent Brian Benigni and Board Member Kari Sassu presented The Relationship Between Decsion-Making and Oppression.

At both workshops, attendees were open about demanding situations and sometimes disruptive behaviors of board members as well as public speakers. It was disheartening to hear stories from boards facing combative, outspoken citizens, and in some instances hate speech against LGBTQI students and individual teachers.

Boards are certainly on the front lines of the culture wars and hopefully, our workshop presented tools to prevent and deal with these situations. Creating a community culture of tolerance and inclusiveness, listening to all stakeholders, and being proactive models of “civility” build the blueprint for a civil, democratic governance structure. We can all be proud of the ongoing, thoughtful work CABE is doing to raise these important topics to boards in Connecticut!

The theme of Celebration continued with the election of the new NSBA President Kristi Swett, from Utah Kristi energized the audience with her acceptance speech and vision for NSBA as the leading voice for public education in the country. She analogized the movie Apollo 13’s desperate attempt to save the ship from disaster with “makeshift materials” found in the spaceship after an oxygen tank explosion destroys critical machinery. Although school districts do not face imminent extinction, the idea of bringing everyone together to solve problems and utilize existing resources, talents, and opportunities resonates with all Boards. Boards of Education may not be landing a spaceship on the moon, but certainly prepare future astronauts, scientists, teachers, elected officials, lawyers, and entrepreneurs that make a strong country. As Mark Twain famously said, “ Out of the public schools grows the greatness of a nation.”

Connecticut school districts indeed have a lot to celebrate in this post-pandemic era. As districts, boards, superintendents, and teachers face ongoing challenges, parents and the broader community have come together to keep the ship orbiting and landing safely. May bursts with color and Mother Nature embraces with warm, sunny days. Enjoy and participate fully in all your district celebrations!

Cabe Engages

(continued from page 1)

Education Act (IDEA), calling on Congress to meet the federal funding commitment.

Connecticut leaders were also involved in delivering several professional development opportunities during the Conference.

• CABE President Liz Brown, Immediate Past President Don Harris, and Patrice McCarthy presented a workshop on “Modeling Civility in Your School District”.

• Patrice McCarthy and Conrad Vahlsing presented a workshop on “Ten Practices to Avoid Legal Liability”.

Leonard Lockhart was elected to serve a three year term on the NSBA Board of Directors representing the Northeast Region.

Lydia Tedone, Past President of CABE and a member of the Simsbury Board of Education, concluded her term on the NSBA Board of Directors representing the Northeast Region, and will now serve on the Board as the Chairman of the National American Indian/Alaska Native Council of School Board Members

Donald Harris served on the National Nominating Committee and Liz Brown served on the Northeast Region Nominating Committee.

Congratulations Leonard and Lydia!

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

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Elizabeth Brown | President, Waterbury

Leonard Lockhart | First Vice President, Windsor

Meg Scata | Vice President for Government Relations, Portland

John Prins | Vice President for Professional Development, Branford

Lon Seidman | Secretary/Treasurer, Essex

Donald Harris | Immediate Past President, Bloomfield

Anthony Perugini | Member at Large, Cheshire

Lydia Tedone | NSBA Director, Simsbury

AREA DIRECTORS

Marion Manzo | Area 1 Director, Region 15

Douglas Foyle | Area 2 Co-Director, Glastonbury

Tyron Harris | Area 2 Co-Director, East Hartford

Jay Livernois | Area 4 Director, Woodstock Academy

Dan Cruson | Area 5 Director, Newtown

Janice Cupee | Area 6 Co-Director, Stratford

Lee Goldstein | Area 6 Co-Director, Westport

George Kurtyka | Area 7 Co-Director, Derby

Robert Guthrie | Area 7 Co-Director, West Haven

Lon Seidman | Area 8 Director, Essex

Carol Burgess | Area 9 Co-Director, Montville

Bryan Doughty | Area 9 Co-Director, New London

ASSOCIATES

Eileen Baker | Associate, Old Saybrook

Ann Gruenberg | Associate, Hampton

Anthony Perugini | Associate, Cheshire

Robert Mitchell | Associate, Montville

Joseph Wilkerson | Associate, Bloomfield

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Becky Tyrrell | Chair, Federal Relations, Plainville

Ethel Grant | Chair, Resolutions, Naugatuck

Jaime Barr Shelburn | Chair, State Relations, East Lyme

CITY REPRESENTATIVES

A. J. Johnson | City Representative, Hartford

Yesenia Rivera | City Representative, New Haven

Versha Munshi-South | City Representative, Stamford

STAFF

Patrice McCarthy | Executive Director and General Counsel

Nicholas Caruso | Senior Staff Associate for Field Services and Coordinator of Technology

Jody Goeler | Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service

Sheila McKay | Senior Staff Associate for Government Relations

Lisa Steimer | Senior Staff Associate for Professional Development and Communications

Conrad Vahlsing | Senior Staff Attorney

Wendy DeBarge | 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 Digital Communications

Nancy Propfe | Administrative Assistant for Membership Services

Corliss Ucci | Receptionist and Assistant to Executive Director CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published bi-monthly by Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, 81Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109. Periodicals postage Paid at Hartford, CT.”

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CABE Journal, CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. CABE membership dues include $30 per person for each individual who receives The CABE Journal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75. Association members 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.