CABE Journal - February 2017

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Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Vol. 21, No. 2

The Leading Voice for Connecticut Public Education

February 2017

“Out of the public schools grows the greatness of a nation.” - Mark Twain, Nov. 23,1900

Equity and Fairness to Enhance Success for Each Child Mary Broderick

CONSULTANT, CABE

Close readers of the CABE Journal have undoubtedly noticed a number of recent articles exploring issues of diversity with which Connecticut’s school boards are grappling. CABE is committed to ensuring our public schools offer each child, no matter their background, the best odds of success. So what is the role of CABE in improving those odds as our students increasingly represent the rich mosaic of the world?

CABE’s Board of Directors is exploring this question. Its Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity, including Donald Harris, Chair (Bloomfield), Sharon Beloin-Saavedra (New Britain), Liz Brown (Waterbury), Michael Gonzales (South Windsor), Ann Gruenberg (Hampton, CABE President), Ed Joyner (New Haven), Richard Murray (Killingly), Craig Stallings (Hartford), Carlos Torre (New Haven), Bob Rader and Patrice McCarthy (CABE), and Mary Broderick (facilitator) began its work last February. The vision of the group is that every Connecticut school board will embrace diversity and commit to equity and fairness to enhance success for each child.

Committee members believe that • School board and district staff should reflect the community’s diversity • CABE shall serve as a catalyst in promoting policies and practices that support diversity and equity

Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Inc.

CHAIR, BLOOMFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION

• School districts need to understand students’ socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds • State educational organizations should understand students’ socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds • Connecticut must overcome barriers to attract a diverse teaching force CABE’s Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity exists to: • Analyze and make recommendations to overcome barriers to a diverse workforce • Analyze and make recommendations to overcome barriers to attracting board members of color • Inspire other board members to commit to the vision Using a structural racism lens, the Ad Hoc Committee has begun to analyze key areas of concern: • There are too few board of education members of color. (Research has shown that when board members look like their students, the policies they adopt and the direction of the district are more sensitive to all students’ needs.)

• School board members are not always sensitive to or aware of what is happening in students’ lives.

• School district certified staff members do not always reflect their students’ backgrounds.

The committee has begun to generate potential actions to address these barriers to equity. First and foremost, the committee is engaging others in imagining/ See EQUITY AND FAIRNESS page 15

81 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242

Donald Harris

Playing in the Snow

View from the Capitol Patrice A. McCarthy

DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND GENERAL COUNSEL, CABE

The view from Connecticut’s Capitol is a bit clearer now that appointments to committees have been completed. The three chairs of the Education Committee are Senator Gayle Slossberg, Representative Andy Fleischmann and Senator Toni Boucher, all experienced leaders. At its organizational meeting, the Committee raised twenty concepts, covering a broad range of topics.

There has been significant discussion about the development of a new education funding formula. That discussion will intensify when the Governor releases his budget, which is anticipated to include a new funding proposal, in early February. Also under discussion are possible changes to school construction grants.

In light of the significant fiscal constraints, there is renewed interest among legislators in examining existing mandates which impose burdens on school districts. In discussions with legislative leaders and Education Committee members, CABE is emphasizing the importance of streamlining the numerous specific professional development mandates for educators, as outlined in the report of the Professional Development Mandates task force. Modifications to the student data privacy requirements and the 900 hours of alternative education for expelled students are also gaining attention.

With the March 27 Education Committee deadline to report on bills, CABE’s March 8 Day on the Hill offers an important advocacy opportunity.

2017 Convention Theme Announced

See You in Court

Trauma in Children

School Boards as Stewards

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Periodical Postage PAID Hartford, CT

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

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

Mid-Winter Musings

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

social justice issues, having corresponded with Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Brown vs. the Board of Education was a current event. Clearly, as a child I would have no way of understanding the significance of these events and contexts, yet reflecting on this helps me understand my own world view and motivation.

What I did learn was related to perspective taking and mutual respect. With the passage of time, my deep appreciation for such experiences has continued to grow. As Michelle Obama so eloquently said, “Our glorious diversity…is not a threat to who we are, it makes us who we are.”

This is a powerful reminder to stay focused on that which is most important.

Ultimately, this is not “about me.” It is about how experience affects world views.

In the wintertime, between the solstice and spring buds, there is an opportunity to reflect on the past, center in the present, and plan for the future. The sunsets shed brilliant light on the snow with colors stretching across the sky.

The impulse to hibernate is a strong force, but the collective focus reveals ongoing activity, sometimes obvious and sometimes just beneath the surface, like the roots of bushes, trees and perennials.

Advocacy and the ongoing life is drawn to gatherings at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, and chilly trips to districts across the state to share ideas with legislators and board members over breakfast.

With this seasonal change of pace, I find myself wondering what motivates us all to stay committed to the work we do with boards of education and districts.

This is worth exploring, especially during difficult times.

Whether the challenges are budgetary or related to social justice, it is safe to say we may have different perspectives and different frames of reference. We may have varying beliefs and priorities, yet we find, or sometimes create, common ground. This is central to our non-par-

Mission: To assist local and regional boards of education in providing high quality education for all Connecticut children through effective leadership.

PRESIDENT, CABE

tisan collaboration, and ability to work “across the aisle.”

Our world-views are shaped by our experiences and values. Sometimes we may have to grapple with our own assumptions when exposed to the perspectives of others.

Integral to my own world-view are my urban early childhood experiences in highly diverse communities. My experiences in New Haven and New York City counter-balanced the experiences in rural northeastern Connecticut. The public school I attended in New York was remarkable in many ways. More than sixty years later I still remember the name of the principal of P.S. 165.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet and archives, information on that school has been readily available. Sixty-plus years ago, that school had an enrollment of 1600-1700.

Demographically, less than 25% of the students were Caucasian, less than 25% were African or Caribbean American, about one hundred were Asian, and about 50% were from Puerto Rico. In the households from Puerto Rico, most spoke Spanish as a primary language. Do you remember “West Side Story”? The curriculum was innovative.

There are documents that indicate that the principal was actively involved with

Ann Gruenberg

Upcoming Professional Development

January State Board of Education Meeting The January State Board of Education meeting, held on the opening day of the 2017 General Assembly and the Governor’s State of the State Address, contained a relatively light agenda. The Board approved the renewal of the Side By Side Charter School in Norwalk, based on evidence of the following performance standards: 1. School Performance: Is the school a successful model resulting in strong student outcomes and a positive school climate?

2. Stewardship, Governance and Management: Is the school financially and organizationally healthy and viable?

3. Student Population: Is the school promoting equity by effectively attracting, enrolling and retaining students, particularly among targeted populations?

4. Legal Compliance: Is the school acting in compliance with applicable laws and regulations?

The Side By Side Charter School originally opened in the fall of 1997.

The Board also conditionally approved the Fairfield Board of Education’s plan to correct racial imbalance at McKinley School, requiring the Board to develop and adopt an action plan and measurable benchmarks within 120 days.

Patrice A. McCarthy

DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND GENERAL COUNSEL, CABE

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CABE Leadership Institute Class Schedule | Four Sessions Session 1 - March 1, 2017 Session 2 - March 8, 2017 Session 3 - Via Webinar Session 4 - March 15, 2017 To register contact Gail Heath 860-571-7446

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March 8, 2017 CABE Day on the Hill 8:30 am Leadership and Issues Briefing 12:00 Noon Education Funding March | Individual Lobbying The Bushnell, Hartford

Register online at www.cabe.org/ page.cfm?p=1141

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March 25-27 NSBA Annual Conference Denver, CO To register contact NSBA - 703838-6722

Ann Gruenberg | President, Hampton Robert Mitchell | First Vice President, Montville Donald Harris | Vice President for Government Relations, Bloomfield Elizabeth Brown | Vice President for Professional Development, Waterbury Bob Trefry | Secretary/Treasurer, CT Technical High School System Richard Murray | Immediate Past President, Killingly John Prins | Member at Large, Branford 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 Director, East Hartford Michael Purcaro | Area 3 Co-Director, Ellington Michele Arn | Area 3 Co-Director, Vernon Joan Trivella | Area 4 Director, Brooklyn Michelle Embree Ku | Area 5 Director, Newtown Jennifer Dayton | Area 6 Co-Director, Greenwich Karen Kleine | Area 6 Co-Director, Westport Roxane McKay | Area 7 Director, Wallingford Lon Seidman | Area 8 Director, Essex Andrea Ackerman | Area 9 Co-Director, Groton Sean Nugent | Area 9 Co-Director, Preston

ASSOCIATES

Eileen Baker | Associate, Old Saybrook Sharon Beloin-Saavedra | Associate, New Britain Robert Guthrie | Associate, West Haven Douglas Smith | Associate, Plainfield 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

Richard Wareing | 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 Bonnie Carney | Senior Staff Associate for Publications 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 Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | February 2017

CABE Affiliate Members 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. Perkins & Eastman Zangari Cohn Cuthbertson PC BRONZE PLUS MEMBERS BL Companies Coordinated Transportation Solutions Friar Associates Milliman, Inc. O & G Industries The S/L/A/M Collaborative BRONZE MEMBERS Brown & Brown Insurance Chinni & Meuser LLC Coordinated Transportation Solutions, Inc. Dattco Inc. ECG Engineering, PC Fusfoo Media LLC Goldstein & Peck, P.C. JCJ Architecture Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C. The Lexington Group Solutions Employee Assistance Program Sources4Teachers Suisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law

EDUCATIONAL AFFILIATES

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 EDUCATION CONNECTION LEARN Unified School District #1

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

Working in Coalition Robert Rader

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CABE

Did the budget cuts that were announced at the end of December for this year get your attention? Do you realize that those cuts, painful as they were in the middle of the school year, are probably just a warning shot for what schools may face as the two-year budget is developed and adopted?

This year’s Legislative Session, more than probably any other in recent memory, will challenge the educational community. As the State struggles with a $1.5 billion (with a “b”) deficit, all spending will be under scrutiny.

And, this undoubtedly will include spending on public education.

We have not forgotten that the Governor and the Legislature came to the aid of the schools back in 2011 as it appeared as if educational funding was going “over the cliff ” as federal stimulus funding ran out. However, the State has, overall, pretty much flat-funded education, even as costs have gone up. We appreciate the money provided to Alliance Districts, though much of it has come with strings attached.

Now, we are concerned that Alliance District funding, as well as ECS funding for all of our districts is in peril, as illustrated by the recent cuts.

In addition, the Governor has indicated that the State will be attempting to develop a new funding formula to replace ECS, a next-to-impossible task with less money available.

Every Board Member in Every District

As members of our Association, every school board member and superintendent has been invited to a legislative breakfast in their area. They are also encouraged to attend this year’s Day on the Hill, March 8.

And, every district should be in close contact with your legislators as the Legislative Session continues, to explain what cuts will mean to their district. Personal stories of what will happen in your schools resonate with legislators.

How will CABE, as an association, work to help ameliorate what we expect will be a difficult funding situation?

CABE has great credibility as the representative of boards of education on the Hill, thanks to the thoughtful, credible and passionate work of members of our Board of Directors, Patrice McCarthy and Sheila McKay in advocating for boards and we believe that we expand that influence when working in coalition with others.

We set some mutually-agreed-ground

rules as we build coalitions. Perhaps most important is that we will never violate the positions agreed upon by our Delegate Assembly. As your voice, we always ensure that we stay within the boundaries of those positions.

We understand that our coalition partners work under the same rule we do.

We do not expect them to change their fundamental positions, either.

This may appear to make for “strange bedfellows” at times, but under those rules, we look for common ground and agree to disagree on positions in which we are fundamentally opposed. We understand, as do they, that on positions that differ, we will push for our positions before the Legislature – and so will they.

Let me tell you about three coalitions in which we are a part. In all three coalitions, CABE, CAPSS and CAS (representing principals) are members. We are usually closest in positions with these other organizations as a natural result of the roles of all of our members.

1.

Whatwillourchildrenlose Coalition - The ‘funny’ name of this Coalition, so-titled because it is dedicated to ensuring that our children do not lose out due to the fiscal situation, also includes CASBO, representing school business officials across the State. The Coalition mostly focuses on funding for our schools, as well as some other issues that affect school resources, such as mandates.

2.

The Big Six Partnership - made up of CABE, CAPSS, CAS, CBIA (the Connecticut Business and Industry Association), the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER) and the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now (Conn CAN), this group formed as the Governor and Legislature began to adopt education reforms, somewhat in reaction to the Federal Government’s competitive Race to the Top program. The group has stayed together, working on issues like educator evaluation and support, and recently, developing Design Principles for A New Funding Formula.

3.

The Connecticut Coalition for Public Education - consists of CABE, CAPSS, CAS, both teachers’ unions, the principals’ union, PTA and SDE (ex officio). We work with this Coalition on strengthening public education and have taken stances on funding, the achievement gap and other issues.

Gains for Our Members

With these coalitions, as well as “rolling coalitions” on various issues, we believe

“You can help influence what happens at the State level and affect the education of your students. Please do what you can to ensure that schools have the resources and the flexibility they need. . .” that we have increased our influence and strengthened our capacities for dealing with certain issues, like school funding.

Various members of all of these coalitions bring different strengths, contacts and perspectives on issues that help us be more effective. We have also found that greater dialogue with these “partners” help us better understand their views and objectives in regard to the issues facing us. In some cases, we have gained greater access to legislators and others.

And, we have helped others better understand our positions and have helped their groups move closer to CABE’s.

No, the meetings we hold aren’t always easy. We have had difficult meetings because of our different views and positions.

But, overall, they have been very helpful in strengthening the advocacy work we do.

Board Members

As I wrote above, these Coalitions are very valuable in helping the Governor’s Office, legislators, the State Board of Education and others understand what the effects of various actions they might take will be on school boards, staff and students.

But, the most powerful influencers are often board members and superintendents telling their stories. This year, we need everyone pulling in the same direction.

You can help influence what happens at the State level and affect the education of your students. Please do what you can to ensure that schools have the resources and the flexibility they need to help students achieve as much as they can.

See you on March 8, if not before!

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

YOUR CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee, Hard at Work!

Lisa Steimer

senior staff associate for professional development, CABE

On January 19, the CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee began the process of planning YOUR November 17-18, 2017 CABE/CAPSS Convention! An event such as the Convention requires a year of work by both the Committee, and the CABE and CAPSS staffs. We often are asked, “How do CABE and CAPSS Put together the Convention? What goes into deciding up speakers and workshops?”

Well, here’s the scoop: At the first meeting of the year, the Convention Committee reviewed the evaluation data you submitted on Convention workshops and the overall Convention.

The Committee takes this feedback seriously, and when possible and reasonable, acts on the feedback. We heard you and will be: • adding more time to move from one activity to another, • re-examining all the good activities

we try to fit into a too small time period, such as the Friday dinner activities.

The Committee always has a lively conversation at the January meeting regarding the Convention theme and workshop strands. This year was no different. After a rich conversation, the Committee voted that the theme of the 2017 CABE/CAPSS Convention will be a quote from to Hartford’s own Mark Twain, Out of the Public Schools Grows the Greatness of a Nation.

At this time, when public schools remain under attack, we want to remind our members, the media, and the public of the importance of public schools. Workshop strands, which provide additional framework for the workshops to be presented at the Convention are: Why Public Schools?, Celebrating Innovation, Diversity + Equity = Excellence, and Nuts and Bolts.

Convention Workshop Call for Proposal information will be mailed and emailed to board chairs, superintendents, and others in early February. The deadline to submit proposals will be on or about March 6. Specific deadlines and

l. to r., Nicholas Caruso, CABE; Sean Nugent, Preston; Guy Stella, Retired Superintendent; Patrice McCarthy, CABE; John Prins, Branford; and Ann Gruenberg, President CABE, Hampton. Not pictured Bonnie Carney, CABE and Nancy Propfe, CABE.

criteria will be included in the Call for Proposal information. On behalf of the CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee, I

encourage you school district to consider submitting a proposal.

See CONVENTION page 12

Support for the Budgetary Process Providing support for districts, who must strategize for your BUDGETS challenges and changing demographics

Your Budgetary Process Team John Kowalsky

Independent Broker, Husband of Retired Teacher

Bill Sudol

Retired Executive Director, Teachers Retirement Board

Michael Linehan Certified Retirement Plan Specialist

Administrative Support from

Stirling Benefits

Call us at 1-860-828-8360

It’s a pleasure for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) to join with the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) in sponsoring this process that is designed to give information to Boards of Education that may assist them as they are looking at plans that would be available to their staff that would help individuals make the difficult decision as to whether or not to retire. This is one resource we think is valuable for districts to look at and we bring you this information as a service to our members.

Patrice A. McCarthy Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

Tw o o f t h e ongoing challenges that school system administrators face are how to make it possible to assist long time loyal and effective teachers and administrators retire into a financially secure situation and how to secure significant budget savings without sacrificing quality in educational programming. To assist you with these challenges, CAPSS and CABE have established business partnerships with John Kowalsky and Bill Sudol around an effective method for prospective retirees to obtain health insurance coverage that is both affordable and comprehensive.

Joseph J. Cirasuolo, Ed.D Executive Director, CAPSS

1. Create an innovative retirement incentive strategy designed and developed specifically for your district to meet your goals and requirements.

2. Support for the Budgetary Process will provide group and individual Retirement Workshops to communicate with education staff as to the eligibility requirements for participation.

3. The workshop will include an explanation of benefits from the Teachers Retirement System.

4. Communicate to teachers the benefits and opportunities provided by the program and how to maximize tax advantages.

Complete support provided to the district and teachers for the duration of the program.

We are offering a dedicated explanation of the partnership process and we will work with you to achieve YOUR GOALS in a comprehensive manner.

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The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | February 2017 See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

Nutmeg is facing budget challenges - were their decisions correct?

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.

This budget season has been the worst in memory for the Nutmeg Board of Education. Next year will be the second year of a three-year contract with the Nutmeg Union of Teachers (NUTS), and that contract includes a salary increase of over three percent.

Moreover, health insurance costs are projected to increase by more than twice that amount. At the same time, the State has reduced school aid, and Seymour Dollars, the irascible Chair of the Nutmeg Board of Finance, has already stated publicly that the Board of Education will have to tighten its belt because funding for the Board of Education will be flat next year.

As Finance Committee Chair, veteran Board member Bob Bombast has been cajoling his colleagues on the committee over email to make a demand on NUTS to open up the contract for concessions.

Penny Pincher responded that Bob should knock himself out, but that there is no way that NUTS will agree to givebacks. Bob shot back in a terse email that, of course, he knows NUTS won’t play ball with give-backs, but when the Board takes NUTS to arbitration, it may get some relief.

Bob made the demand for concessions from NUTS, but the response from NUTS was swift and unequivocal – no concessions now or ever. To make matters worse, Bob could not get the Board to push the concession discussions to arbitration, and thus Bob and the Board were forced to look elsewhere for reductions.

Again over email, Bob told his colleagues that the only way to come in with a reasonable budget increase will be to lay off a number of teachers and other employees. The other members agreed, and the Committee proposed a 20172018 budget at the next Board meeting that provides for 20 teacher layoffs and a two-percent increase.

Mal Content, a new Board member, took issue with the proposed budget.

“How can I agree to cut teacher positions if I do not know what they are?”

For once, Bob responded with equanimity. “That is more than fair,” he responded. “However, it is early, and we are not exactly sure what positions will have to be cut. But we can start by notifying all the non-tenured teachers that

their contracts will not be renewed. That will give us some breathing room for now, and we can sort out later which of them will actually get laid off.” With that, Bob moved, Penny Pincher seconded, and the Board voted to direct Mr. Superintendent to notify all non-tenured teachers that their contracts of employment will not be renewed for next year.

The Board then approved the proposed budget with a two-percent increase over last year, and sent it on to the Board of Finance for action. As expected, Seymour Dollars was “outraged” that the Board of Education would “dare” to submit a budget with a two-percent increase in these “dark days.” Seymour and the Board of Finance rejected the increase proposed by the Board of Education, and it adopted a flat budget.

Adding insult to injury, the Board of Finance also conveyed to the Board of Education a number of suggestions for so-called “efficiencies,” including consolidating all purchasing through the Town and having the Town do all building maintenance.

Bob and the rest of the Board members were incensed by Seymour’s actions. Bob promptly tweeted that Seymour has no business interfering with the Board of Education and that it would be a cold day in hell before the Nutmeg Board of Education would dignify Seymour’s meddling with a response.

Do you see any problems here?

These are indeed “dark days,” and boards of education throughout Connecticut face terrible challenges in the budget process this year. However, that process may go a little easier if boards of education do not make the mistakes that Nutmeg made.

Taking the last issue first, Bob was wrong to tweet that the Board would not respond to Seymour’s suggestions. In 2013, the General Assembly amended Section 10-222, the statute governing the school budget process, adding “The board or authority that receives such estimate shall, not later than ten days after the date the board of education submits such estimate, make spending recommendations and suggestions to such board of education as to how such board of education may consolidate noneducational services and realize financial efficiencies.”

Seymour’s suggestions may have been unwelcome, but they were consistent with statute. Accordingly, Bob’s decision to ignore Seymour’s suggestions violated the statute, which goes on to say that “Such board of education may accept or reject the suggestions of the board of finance, board of selectmen or appropriating

authority and shall provide the board of finance, board of selectmen or appropriating authority with a written explanation of the reason for any rejection.” (Emphasis added).

Bob was also incorrect in his understanding of concession bargaining. This year boards of education may have to make requests of their unions for wage and other concessions to reduce costs.

However, when a collective bargaining agreement is in place, the board of education may only ask, and cannot demand, that the union engage in such negotiations. If the union refuses, as NUTS did here, there will be no negotiations, and thus the board will not be able to seek relief through arbitration.

Bob’s brainstorm about non-renewing non-tenure teachers was another bad idea, as it could expose the Board to increased costs. Teachers and other employees who work for academic institutions, including boards of education, are not entitled to unemployment compensation when they are not working between academic terms, here during the summer, provided that they have a reasonable assurance of reemployment in the following term.

Any non-tenure teacher who has received notice of non-renewal, however,

does not have that reasonable assurance, and will thus be eligible for unemployment compensation over the summer. Boards of education should thus avoid notifying more non-tenured teachers of non-renewal than is necessary, and in any event they should notify teachers who will be recalled before the summer break if possible.

Finally, we note that Bob did some Board business with the Finance Committee over email. Interestingly, the first series of emails was fine, because they dealt with collective bargaining strategy (concession bargaining with NUTS), which topic is excluded from the definition of “meeting” under the FOIA. By contrast, the second email exchange dealt with layoffs, a budget issue unrelated to collective bargaining. By exchanging emails on that subject, Bob and the other members of the Finance Committee risked a finding that the Committee “discussed” the public’s business over email, thereby holding a “meeting” without posting or providing access to the public as required by the FOIA. Attorney Thomas B. Mooney is a partner in the Hartford law firm of Shipman & Goodwin who works frequently with boards of education. Mooney is a regular contributor to the CABE Journal.

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: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1241

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

The Policy Corner Vincent A. Mustaro

SENIOR STAFF ASSOCIATE FOR POLICY SERVICE, CABE

Wellness Policy Update Required School districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Program or other federal Child Nutrition programs have been required to have wellness policies for several years.

A local school wellness policy (“wellness policy”) is a written document that guides a school district’s efforts to establish a school environment that promotes students’ health, well-being, and ability to learn.

Such policies, a tool for parents and school districts, help promote student wellness, assist in the prevention and reduction of childhood obesity and provide assurance that school meal nutrition guidelines meet the minimum federal school meal standards.

The wellness policy requirement was established by the Child Nutrition and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Reauthorization Act of 2004 and further strengthened by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), which is also known as Public Law 111-296.

This federal legislation reflects the recognition of Congress that schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity.

On July 29, 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued finalized regulations (final rule) to create

a framework and guidelines for written wellness policies established by local school districts.

The final rule requires school districts to begin developing a revised local school wellness policy during the current 2016-2017 school year. School districts must fully comply with the requirements of the final rule by June 30, 2017.

The final rule, published in the Federal Register on July 29, 2016, expands and strengthens the requirements on public involvement, transparency, implementation, and evaluation among other topics. The responsibility for developing, implementing, and evaluating a wellness policy is placed at the local level by the federal legislation, so the unique needs of each school under the local district’s jurisdiction can be addressed.

Final Rule Policy Requirements for School Districts

Districts, in order to be compliant by the July 1, 2017 deadline for an updated school wellness policy, must meet a number of requirements contained in the final rule.

First, the wellness policy must contain specific measurable goals for nutrition promotion and education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness.

School districts are required to review and consider evidence-based strategies in determining these goals.

Policy Implications Policy #6142.101, “School Nutrition and Physical Activity (School Wellness),” is impacted by the issuance of the final rule. This is a mandated policy for inclusion in a district’s policy manual. CABE’s material was previously revised in October 2014 to be compliant with USDA’s interim final rule and Connecticut’s Connecticut Nutrition Standards.

Due to the issuance of the final rule, CABE has revised its model policy and accompanying administrative regulation pertaining to this topic. Districts are required by the new final rule to complete the revision of their existing wellness policy by June 30, 2017.

The CABE Policy Department revised its model policy and administrative regulation with the assistance of members of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, the American Heart Association and the State Department of Education.

It is important to keep in mind that the updating of the districts wellness policy and administrative regulation must involve the stakeholder participation, as previously described. Please consider getting your stakeholders as soon as possible to begin this process.

Also, the policy must contain standards for all foods and beverages provided to students during the school day at each school, whether sold to students or brought in by students or other people or provided by other means. The standards must be consistent with the competitive food service standards of the National School Lunch Program. The federal Smart Snacks standards for foods and beverages sold in school were previously required to be in the wellness policy.

In addition, the policy must state that marketing of foods and beverages at school during the school day may only be permitted for foods and beverages that meet the federal nutrition guidelines/standards, promote student health and reduce childhood obesity.

The final rule requires in-school marketing of foods and beverage items to be consistent with the Smart Snacks standards. Marketing includes for products on the exterior of vending machines as well as through posters, menu boards, coolers, trash cans, and other food service equipment, including cups used for beverage dispensing.

The final rule does not require schools to immediately replace or remove menu boards, coolers, tray liners, beverage cups, other food service equipment and existing scoreboards with depictions of non-compliant food or beverage products to comply with the new local school wellness policy standards.

However, as the administration reviews and/or considers new contracts and as scoreboards or other such durable equipment are replaced or updated over time, replacement and purchasing decisions should reflect the applicable marketing guidelines established by the board’s wellness policy. The marketing requirements do not apply to marketing that occurs at events outside of school hours.

Other requirements of the final rule to be addressed in the updated policy include the title or name of the school official responsible for the implementation and overseeing the wellness policy and ensuring compliance with the policy.

Language must also be included that indicates the wellness policy will be assessed at least every three years and the results of the assessment must be made available to the public at least once every three years.

The assessment must include the extent to which schools in the local district are

in compliance with the goals of the wellness policy and include how well the policy compares with model local school wellness policies. The assessment must contain a description of the progress made in attaining the goals listed in the district’s school wellness policy and indicate how the district will use the triennial assessment results to make appropriate updates to the district school wellness policy.

The revised policy must contain a description of the method by which the school district will inform the public about the policy’s content, implementation, progress toward meeting the goals contained in the policy and the results of the triennial assessment.

The final rule includes new bookkeeping requirements. The local district must retain records pertaining to the written wellness policy. Documentation must be maintained which demonstrates compliance with community involvement requirements, especially regarding the notification of the wellness policy and the triennial assessment. Documentation must also be maintained related to the triennial assessment for each school at the local district level.

Stakeholder Participation

The development of a revised wellness policy to fulfill the requirements of the final rule must involve stakeholder participation. At a minimum, districts must permit participation by the general public and the school community (including parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority, teachers of physical education, school health professionals, the school board, and school administrators) in the wellness policy process.

“The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality.

The last is to say thank you.

In between the two, the leader must become a servant.”

– Max De Pree Successful Businessman and Leader

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

7

What Do You Know About Trauma in Our Children?

Many of our children, especially in high-poverty districts, come to school having experienced trauma, that is, experiencing a distressing event or series of events. Trauma affects the ability of students to focus, make good decisions and be successful in our schools.

An article in the December 14 edition of Education Week, written by Superintendent Tiffany Anderson of the Topeka, Kansas Public Schools, explained that trauma-inducing circumstances include homelessness, lack of access to basic resources such as food and health care, living in unsafe neighborhoods with high crime rates and other adversity. These situations have a negative impact on a child’s still-developing brain.

She wrote, “If children do not receive support to deal with this stress, they are more likely to experience long-term academic and social-development delays.”

While this probably doesn’t come as a surprise, Superintendent Anderson noted that “students from low-income backgrounds have represented the majority population of public schools (51 percent) since 2013, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.” [In 2013-14,

over 37% of Connecticut students were eligible for free or reduced price meals, according to the State Department of Education.]

That means that district staff must be able to help students living with trauma.

School boards also have to understand the type of mental baggage that students, whether in poverty or not, have to overcome to be successful.

Superintendent Anderson suggested that school leaders should use the following steps to help these children in their schools. I have tweaked these somewhat to ensure that they are relevant to board members as well: • Know the community and the schools. Understand the systems that help your students deal with these issues. Ensure that staff is aware of what is happening in the community that affect students. Make sure there is a good support system for these students. Let’s not forget that some members of staff also may be handling difficult emotional problems, also due to stress.

• “Build teacher and parent capacity for understanding the effects of

trauma.”

In order to effectively deal with students with trauma, it is critical that “teachers and principals make positive dent Anderson started, “the district parent contact.” In order to develop partnered with the local community to solutions and ease the trauma, underoffer support services. Business leaders standing it, as with other issues, is the mentored individual students yearfirst step in developing solutions. long, mental health agencies had offic• Use data to drive interventions. Dises in our schools; and local universities cussion among members of the central helped implement pediatric services in staff, principals and others examining schools. To provide full-time support”, the possibility of screening for high the district opened a “food pantry levels of trauma within the school, and and homeless shelter for youths and to look at “student trends in academic opened schools on Saturdays or during performance, behavior, and absences” the winter when services were normalare used as data points to identify and, if ly closed.” necessary intervene “to treat trauma and • Make space and time for well-being. academic health.”

This is not just advice to help students, • Engage in community partnerships. In Jennings, Missouri, where SuperintenSee TRAUMA page 13

8

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | February 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: •

* By ensuring members

•

•

•

•

•

•

receive the most up-to-date communications:

Presented Communications Award to Glastonbury Board of Education for their budget publication.

Prepared material for East Hampton, East Windsor, Marlborough, New Hartford, North Stonington and Union Boards of Education as part of the Custom Update Service.

Participated in Shipman & Goodwin program for newly elected board members.

Provide legislative and legal updates at legislative breakfast for the Bristol Board of Education.

Participated in the Connecticut Society of Association Executives (CSAE) webinar on video storytelling as a strategy.

Participated in the National School Public Relations Associations (NSPRA) webinar on creating a positive school board culture of leaders and ambassadors.

• • • • • •

* By providing services

• •

•

* By helping school boards to •

increase student achievement Sent two issues of Policy Highlights via email listserv covering topics that affect student achievement. This included hiring practices, the role of school resource officers, and the educational value of field trips.

* By representing Connecticut •

•

•

•

• •

•

school boards on the state or national level:

Attended visioning session for Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology.

Participated in meeting of the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council (PEAC).

Participated in meeting of Northeast states school boards associations’ executive directors to discuss common issues.

Took part in meeting of the Big 6 (CABE, CAPSS, CAS, CBIA, CCER, and ConnCAN).

Participated in the State Department of Education’s Equity Lab workshop.

Hosted and participated in meeting of the CABE/CAPSS Diversity and Demography Task Force.

Participated in meeting of the CABE

Board of Directors’ Diversity Committee.

Participated in meeting of CABE/ CAPSS Superintendent Pipeline Task Force.

Participated in meeting of the WhatWillOurChildrenLose Coalition.

Attended State Board of Education meeting.

Met with numerous Legislators to discuss education issues.

Attended Legislative Breakfasts in CABE Areas.

Attended Education Committee organizational meeting.

Participated in Connecticut School Attorney’s Council response to request to the State Department of Education to amend regulations regarding individual education plans.

•

•

•

•

•

to meet members needs:

Met with the Barkhamsted Board of Education to discuss legislative issues.

Responded to 125 requests from 19 member districts for legal and governance guidance.

Responded to inquiries from Board of Education members and superintendents. The “Hot” Legal topics this month were: FBI and State of Connecticut regulations of fingerprinting and background check information used and kept by school districts; FOIA issues regarding notes and draft prepared for use in executive session; board self-evaluations; developments in collective bargaining settlements; complying with the student data privacy act; and department of developmental services residential placement.

Materials were prepared for Branford, Derby, Greenwich, Milford, New Canaan, Newtown and Plymouth Boards of Education as part of the Customized Policy Update Service.

Conducted audits of the policy manuals of North Stonington and Sherman Boards of Education.

Conducted a workshop for the Marlborough Board of Education on conflicts of interest, board roles and responsibilities and current developing legal and compliance issues.

Completed an audit of the policy manual of the Winchester Board of Education.

Started the development of a new policy manual for the Enfield Board of Education.

spective employees, reporting of child abuse, wellness, social networking and good services.

* By providing opportunities • •

•

•

•

for members to learn how to better govern their districts:

Planned, implemented and attended Board Chair Roundtable meeting.

Facilitated a goal setting workshop with the Columbia Board of Education.

Facilitated superintendent search process workshop for the Seymour Board of Education.

Provided Lighthouse training for the Region #1, Stamford, Suffield, and Winchester Boards of Education.

Responded to fifty-nine requests for policy information was provided to 32 districts, on 50 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 continued to include background checks of pro-

* By promoting public educa• •

•

•

tion:

Appeared on Fox 61 “The Real Story” to discuss legislative issues.

Contributed to drafting CABE/ CAPSS press release in response to cuts to ECS announced by the Commissioner of Education and the Office of Policy and Management and participated in dissemination to the media for successful publication.

Participated in meeting of the Connecticut Coalition for Public Education.

Met with the Hartford Courant Editorial Board.

Available in the CABE Online Bookstore!

An excellent book for Board Members, Superintendents and Administrators!

Understanding the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act and Access to Public Meetings and Records Fourth Edition

Written by: Mark J. Sommaruga, Esq. Pullman & Comley, LLC to order the FOIA book go to the CABE Online Bookstore at: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1256

9

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

The Media Message

What will

C.O.P.S.

from Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

$50 Million in School, Municipal Funding puts WhatWillOurChildrenLose in Media Spotlight The WhatWillOurChildrenLose Coalition (WWOCLC) has been focusing on the growing concern over the recent $20 million cut in education aid to municipalities announced by the Office of Policy and Management in late December. WWOCLC is taking on this issue in the press by discussing the potential impact of these budget reductions on students attending public schools in Connecticut.

The WhatWillOurChildrenLose Coalition was created by the collaborative efforts of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), and the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS). Shortly after the news of the mid-year budget cuts hit the press, WWOCL members Dr. Joseph Cirasuolo, Executive Director, CAPSS and Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE distributed a joint statement calling on Governor Malloy (l. to r.) Joe Cirasuolo, Executive Director CAPSS; Al Terzi, FOX CT; Jen Bernstein, FOX CT; and and all members of the Connecticut GenerPatrice McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel CABE. al Assembly to take all necessary action to protect education funding for all districts.

As a result of this unfortunate announcement, local news media is now looking for local districts in Connecticut to serve as the back-drop, for “real time” examples of how these cuts can and will impact their schools and programs. They want to hear directly from administrators, teachers and students regarding this issue. This could be a real opportunity to let your constituent’s know what you are up against and what tough decisions may have to be considered moving forward. If you have a story you want to tell, please contact Ann Baldwin from Baldwin Media at ann@baldwinmedia.net to coordinate potential media coverage. This resource is available to you as a benefit of being a CABE member district.

The impact of mid-year budget reductions was also the catalysis for FOX CT’s decision to feature this topic on their Sunday morning political talk show, “The Real Story” with Jenn Bernstein and Al Terzi. The YouTube link to watch this 15-minute segment that aired on Fox 61 is goo.gl/llCp0E.

provide your district?

• A policy manual updated within days of a board meeting.

• Access to your policy manual 24/7 anywhere with Internet capability.

• Timesaving links to legal and cross references.

• A search engine specifically designed for board policy manuals.

• The ability to search other online districts for similar policies or language.

• A happier staff that will have less paper to deal with.

If you would li ke addit i ona l i n for m at i on on CABE’s Connecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.), call Vincent Mustaro at 860-571-7446 or email vmustaro@cabe.org for full details.

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

Book Review: Excellence Through Equity

Doesn’t equity in our schools mean that standards must be lowered so that students who are economically deprived or have disabilities can achieve at a higher level? Are we leaving our brightest students behind when we attempt to challenge our “slower” students with more difficult courses and higher expectations?

The answer to both these questions is clearly “no” if we carefully explore Excellence Through Equity, edited by two well-known education experts, Alan Blankstein and Pedro Noguera (and including a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu discussing equity and South Africa).

According to Blankstein and Noguera, the pursuit of equity has been “subverted by the assumption that there must be winners and losers” in our educational system. With our nation (and State) having such large achievement gaps, often quantified by results on exams such as the ACT, “policy makers have largely ignored the issues of growing poverty and inequality”. However, there is an alternative: “to recognize that equity and excellence are not at odds and that the highest level of excellence will actually be obtained through the pursuit of equity.”

The authors write that “societal progress is contingent upon expanding opportunities for all… in certain crucial aspects of life, the advancement of a small group cannot be achieved or sustained unless the larger population, including the most vulnerable, is allowed to share in the benefits.” The “have nots” need not slow down the those who come to school having had better experiences and more opportunities. Parts of the book deal specifically with this issue and how administrators and board members had to deal with parents and others who believed that the turn towards equity would hurt their children.

In many cases, the excellent students did even better in more diverse classrooms.

Except for some other editorial dis-

cussion of the issues facing our schools and society, the book is a series of chapters written by others, for example, superintendents and principals, describing successes they have had in their schools.

The varied “authors” provide evidence that excellence through equity can work.

They give lots of examples of what they did. Results are pretty uniform in being excellent, but they provide different ways of getting, or attempting to get, to both equity and excellence.

The authors describe their “Five Principles of Courageous Leadership to Guide Achievement for Every Student”: • Getting to your core – “people need to know why what they’re doing is worth the effort and how it connects to their personal and collective mission and values” in order to succeed and sustain change.

• Making organizational meaning – to bring all stakeholders toward common visions and goals, you need cohesion in schools that are otherwise fragmented.

• Ensuring constancy and consistency of purpose – changing the status quo needs both constancy and consistency.

• Facing the facts and your fears – in some of the schools described in the book, there were great disparities in achievement that had to be faced.

• Building sustainable relationships – “fostering trust and buy-in is critical to creating common ground with all stakeholders.

Among the issues discussed in the different chapters are: • personalized learning; • equitable ways to teach science to “emergent” bilinguals and immigrant youth and “how meaning for students who are often marginalized brought about unprecedented results”; • Massachusetts’ journey to equity and excellence, written by its former Secretary of Education Paul Reville; • detracking (there is much discussion on this subject that showed that successful detracking ‘raises all boats’); and, • empowering students and teachers.

As noted above, the individual authors described what they faced and how they succeeded in some detail. Board members will find many chapters very interesting and they will be exposed to new thinking on some of these current, relevant issues.

This is very worthwhile book for those looking to ensure equity and excellence in their districts, and who isn’t?

There are many good lessons here and I encourage Board Members and Superintendents to read it.

Robert Rader EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CABE

Eight Characteristics of Effect School Boards: At a Glance What makes an effective school board – one that positively impacts student achievement? From a research perspective, it’s a complex question. It involves evaluating virtually all functions of a board, from internal governance and policy formulation to communication with teachers, building administrators, and the public.

But the research that exists is clear: boards in high-achieving districts exhibit habits and characteristics that are markedly different from boards in low-achieving districts. So what do these boards do?

Here are eight characteristics: 1. Effective school boards commit to a vision of high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction and define clear goals toward that vision.

2. Effective school boards have strong shared beliefs and values about what is possible for students and their ability to learn, and of the system and its ability to teach all children at high levels 3. Effective school boards are accountability driven, spending less time on operational issues and more time focused on policies to improve student achievement.

4. Effective school boards have a collaborative relationship with staff and the community and establish a strong communications structure to inform and engage both internal and external stakeholders in setting and achieving district goals.

5. Effective school boards are data savvy: they embrace and monitor data, even

when the information is negative, and use it to drive continuous improvement.

6. Effective school boards align and sustain resources, such as professional development, to meet district goals.

According to researchers LaRocque and Coleman, effective boards saw a responsibility to maintain high standards even in the midst of budget challenges.

7. Effective school boards lead as a united team with the superintendent, each from their respective roles, with strong collaboration and mutual trust.

8. Effective school boards take part in team development and training, sometimes with their superintendents, to build shared knowledge, values and commitments for their improvement efforts.

Though the research on school board effectiveness is in the beginning stages, the studies included in this report make it clear that school boards in high-achieving districts have attitudes, knowledge and approaches that separate them from their counterparts in lower-achieving districts. In this era of fiscal constraints and a national environment focused on accountability, boards in high-performing districts can provide an important blueprint for success. In the process, they can offer a road map for school districts nationwide.

These eight charasteristics were taken from a report written for the Center for Public Education. The complete article can be found at goo.gl/VFwte.

is recruiting for

Somers (CT) Public Schools Superintendent of Schools

Consultant: Mary Broderick, Ed.D.

Fisher Island (NY) Fisher Island School Principal

For an update or more information on vacancies go to our webiste: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1176 For more information contact, CABE Search Services, 860-539-7594 P.O. Box 290252, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0252 Equal Opportunity Employer

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

11

Statewide Legislative Breakfasts Board Members and superintendents attended CABE Legislative Breakfasts around the State. Breakfasts as of this printing have been held in: CABE Area 1 at EdAdvance in Litchfield; CABE Area 3 in Vernon; CABE Area 6 in Westport; and CABE Area 7 in Derby.

EdAdvance hosted the CABE Area 1 Legislative Breakfast. Attendees included CABE Area 1 Co-Director Jonathan Moore (Region 1) and Federal Relations Chairman Becky Tyrrell (Plainville).

Education Commissioner Dianna Wentzell speaking at the Area 3 Legislative Breakfast hosted by Vernon.

Vernon hosted the Area 3 Legislative Breakfast. Attendees included: Michael Purcaro (Ellington) CoDirector Area 3 and Michele Arn (Vernon) Co-Director Area 3.

Westport hosed the Area 6 Legislative Breakfast. Attendees included Karen Klein (Westport) Area 6 Director, Senator Toni Boucher, Representative Gail Lavielle, Senator Tony Hwang and Representative Jonathan Steinberg.

Also attending the Area 7 Legislative Breakfast was Education Committee Co-Chairman Senator Gayle Slossberg. Thanks to our Area 7 Director Roxane McKay (Wallingford) for organizing the breakfast.

Derby Superintendent Matt Conway hosted the Area 7 Legislative Breakfast. Attendees included Republican Caucus Leader Representative Themis Klarides, (standing) Superintendent Jody Goeler (Hamden), John Prins (Branford), Senator George Logan, and Representative Nicole Klarides-Ditira.

12

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

Save the Date – Be A Part of This Year’s March

March 8, 2017 CABE’s Day on the Hill

The Bushnell, Autorino Great Hall, Capitol Avenue, Hartford The Legislative briefing will give you information on key education issues before the 2017 General Assembly. You will receive information you need to lobby your legislators on how the pending Legislation will affect your District. You will also hear from Legislative leaders about what they foresee in the 2017 Legislative Session.

CABE’s first March to the Capitol in 1988.

Directions and Registration information are on the CABE website: http://www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1141

YOUR CABE/CAPPSS

(continued from page 4)

What’s Next?

The CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee will meet in February and March, as will several subcommittees. By the end of March, the workshop subcommittee will make recommendations to the Committee with regard to workshop proposals received. The Committee will make their final determinations on proposals to be accepted. Notification to all who submitted proposals will be sent in early April.

Watch your mail in February. You will receive information on entering YOUR district’s talented students to perform or exhibit their talents! Entries are typically due in late spring. A subcommittee meets to review each entry and make a determination on which performing groups will kick off our Friday and Saturday morning activities, as well as which talented students will be selected to exhibit.

This is the most difficult meeting of the planning process. Connecticut has such a wealth of incredible students! Show off you talented students at the 2017 CABE/ CAPSS Convention!

After the Committee’s March meeting, a great deal of work goes on behind the scenes with communications between staff and Committee members regarding General Session speakers, sponsor and exhibitor recommendations, workshop moderators, and logistics.

All the while, staff is working on generating information for you that will be mailed or accessed online, securing sponsors and exhibitors, looking for ways to improve content delivered and working with the Convention site staff to ensure a positive experience for all!

Due to the many moving parts, the planning process can be likened to putting a puzzle together. There is a very specific way the pieces fit together.

CABE’s 2016 March to the Capitol. Register and be a part of this year’s march.

We are fortunate to have a Committee that has the tenacity to stick with the puzzle for 12 months and are able to enjoy the outcome of their puzzle building.

Over the coming months, the CABE/ CAPSS Convention Committee will be releasing details as they come together.

You will find these announcements in the CABE Journal, in the Wednesday What’s Going on at CABE email blast, online and in our mailbox.

If you have an interest in serving on the CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee, please contact Lisa Steimer at CABE at either 860-571-7446 or lsteimer@cabe. org.

All of us who work very hard to create the CABE/CAPSS Convention year in and year out look forward to seeing you at the 2017 CABE/CAPSS Convention, Out of the Public Schools Grows the Greatness of a Nation on November 1718, 2017 at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Groton.

Top to botton: Elizabeth Brown, Chair, Waterbury; Lisa Steimer, CABE; Frank Olah, Superintendent, Hampton; Douglas Smith, Plainfield; Robert Rader, CABE.

13

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education | February 2017 TRAUMA

(continued from page 7) but also for staff so that they are supported as they help students.

New Haven: A Connecticut Model

The Clifford Beers Clinic’s mission is “to provide accessible, community-based mental health services and advocacy that promote healthy and resilient lives for children and families.” For the last three years, it has been working with the New Haven Public Schools, the City of New Haven and the United Way in a partnership known as The New Haven Trauma Coalition (NHTC) to help students and their families in six schools to help students with trauma and train staff to ensure care coordination.

NHTC has found that a third of the families that need help have food needs and require assistance with utilities and domestic violence situations. In 2016, the NHTC screened 949 students for trauma and found that the “most frequently reported traumas by NHTC students included witnessing school violence or community violence, witnessing a serious

accident or incarceration of a caregiver/ loved one. Ninety-one percent of NHTC students “report a total of 7 traumas on average.”

What is done for the students and their families with trauma?

The NHTC screens students for trauma and provides direct clinical intervention, care coordination “that provides the link to families and valuable resources that go beyond their reach”, and other wraparound services. Last year, NHTS provided school social workers with Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) training and other partners with professional education on trauma and resiliency. They have seen improved attendance among youth with chronic absenteeism, decrease of post traumatic stress symptoms and improvements, in grades.

The goal is for New Haven to become a “trauma-informed city.”

By concentrating on trauma, including PTSD, Beers and the other NHTS partners are slowly expanding their work to more schools, students and families. Increased collaboration for students has enabled the district to help more students. The next step for the NHTS is “leveraging the

their needs can only help our schools be even more effective in helping all children reach success.

Robert Rader

strong relationships to deepen our impact in the city and schools.”

In our high-stress society, we will probably see even more children and adults who suffer from trauma. Being sensitive to

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CABE

CABE’s Board Chair Roundtable Workshop Board chairs and superintendents gathered at the CABE Office for a discussion of the biggest issues they face in the coming year. As part of the discussion CABE asked participants how can we best help you?

Stamford Public Students by Grade Residing in Recently Built Large-Scale Developments 250

12th

11th

200

10th

9th

150

8th

7th

6th

5th

4th

3rd

2nd

1st

330 Total

362 Total

389 Total

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50

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

School Boards as Stewards

School board members are stewards of the principles of public education Gorge A. Goens

Former Superintendent

Public schools are the bedrock of our nation: places to realize the American dream, where the playing field could be leveled and children could pursue their aspirations and have a life of meaning and purpose.

The idea, which is uniquely American, was that it didn’t matter where you came from or who your parents were or what your race, ethnicity or socio-economic status is. What mattered was hard work and perseverance to learn and hone abilities and contribute to the future. Only in America is there a Fanfare for the Common Man, instead of fanfares for some inherited royalty or elitist privilege. Public education celebrated the possibilities in the “common” citizenry.

Stewardship

Local school board members are stewards of public education. Stewardship rests on responsibility, a sense of the future, and a commitment to the common good.

As elected officials, board members have a responsibility to take long term care of the public schools and protect the interests of

children. They should leave the schools in better condition than they were prior to their holding office. Making difficult decisions today so the schools are better tomorrow is the role of a steward.

Inquiry is the foundation for stewardship. The board must ask questions and inquire into the principles behind proposals, the research base to support them, the reasons for and the costs of initiatives, and the expected results and accountability procedures to ensure proper implementation and outcomes. Sometimes local boards must be able to rise above local, state, or national politics to do what is best for children in their local community.

Stewardship requires courage to face special interests, the economically connected, the politically powerful, and the criticism of pundits and the press. School board members and superintendents cannot be cowardly lions in the face of economic and political pressures. Decisions should look forward and support core values and the common good.

Running schools is not easy or always efficient. Democratic governance never is. But it is better than elites or corporations deciding the future of our children and the education they receive. Marketing is not synonymous with results and

Demography and Diversity Task Force

Byron Hall (East Hartford Board of Education), Superintendent Jan Perruccio (Old Saybrook Public Schools), Michael Houser (CT State Data Center), Robert Rader (CABE), Ann Gruenberg (East Hampton Board of Education), Superintendent Pat Cosentino (Region 12 Public Schools).

Patrice McCarthy (CABE), Donald Harris (Bloomfield Board of Education), Superintendent Kelly Lyman (Mansfield Public Schools), Christopher Wilson (Bristol Board of Education, and Joseph Cirasuolo (CAPSS).

reformers are not always interested in the common good. Locally elected school boards epitomize what the founders believed.. Public schools are an indispensable foundation of our democratic society.

Keeping them democratic, rather than agents of corporations or partisan politics, is essential.

Important debates

Dialogue is an essential component of stewardship. What boards debate about and how they do it is an indicator of whether they are in touch with the essence of the school's purpose and soul. The focus of the debate defines their efficacy as a group.

Dialogue allows people to see divergent points of view and respectfully consider options. Dialogue is more than a discussion. It generates understanding and better comprehension of the basic assumptions behind different options and the thinking and values behind them.

It involves reflecting together, understanding the content and intent of messages and ideas, inquiring into the assumptions behind concepts and proposals, suspending judgment and ultimately creating shared meaning.

Determining a collective vision for the public schools requires open and respectful dialogue. Obviously one standard is that “the best interests of the children” be the determining factor.

Board members must ask thoughtful questions and do due diligence as part of their responsibilities to the citizenry. They must find common ground and positive connections in the school community by establishing clear values and principles under which the school district operates.

Whether a school community is true to itself is a matter of integrity. To be a good steward, board members have to ensure that its actions, words, and programs are congruent with its core values and principles. All this presupposes the board and the community have a dialogue about the schools and the ideas under which they function. Dialogue on principles is positive and can instigate insight and growth.

The common good through strong schools should be the board of education’s primary focus. Service, responsibility, duty, and honor almost sound like anachronistic ideas from the past. But they are the mainstays of the common good and the sense of community that are necessary for society to work.

The values, ideals, and principles under which schools operate give people a sense of identity and purpose. Communities are

“The old adage -- wisdom is knowing what you don’t know -- applies to board members.

Wise ones know what they need to learn. Good public servants understand what is controllable and what is not.

Otherwise, policies and planning can be compromised.” value-based; politics are power-based; and the private sector is profit-based.

The old adage -- wisdom is knowing what you don't know -- applies to board members. Wise ones know what they need to learn. Good public servants understand what is controllable and what is not.

Otherwise, policies and planning can be compromised.

School districts are fiscally, educationally, organizationally and culturally complex. Board members need to understand the large and subtle issues of school districts before taking action. Grasping technical and policy questions takes time and work. There is a significant difference between opinion and knowledge, and information and understanding. Knowledge and understanding are prerequisites for responsible decision-making.

The heart of stewardship is valuing what a school is and its importance to children. Board members must protect the soul of the school from the dark entrapments that can destroy schools and turn them into mere institutions, complete with standard operating procedures and no heart.

Communities must elect people with deep passion for children and the courage to stand on point and advocate for them.

There is no greater public service than to improve the condition of children. To do so, school board members must be committed to the ideals and values of public education.

This is an excerpt of the complete article which can be viewed at goo.gl/um1Cnk. George A. Goens (gagoens@gmail.com) is a former school superintendent and has written six books on leadership and education. His new book is “The Fog of Reform: Getting Back to a Place Called School.”

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

CABE’s Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity met recently to discuss critical issues for school boards now and in the future. Attending this meeting were: Mary Broderick, Chairman Donald Harris, Elizabeth Brown and Bob Rader.

EQUITY AND FAIRNESS

(continued from page 1) sharing a vision for a desired future and helping us move toward greater equity.

Therefore, efforts will involve expanding ripples. We are beginning by gathering great ideas from thought leaders.

We expect to host convenings, drawing perspectives from urban, suburban, and rural policymakers.

For instance, we have learned that

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.

some practices of town committees may limit or deter potential board members of color from pursuing a seat on the local school board.

We would like to work with the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), the Council of Small Towns (COST) and/or the state level political committees to convene local political committee leaders to discuss future representation as well as potential barriers.

We would like to keep the conversation going through regular, popular “hot topic” events, where board members and superintendents gather somewhat informally to learn more about the topic and consider and analyze together. This may model how local boards could explore issues of equity on their local agendas.

We also plan to build on successful workshops co-hosted with the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) and the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) on supporting Muslim and LGBTQ students.

A tangible product may be the cre-

ation of a “toolkit” on equity to help board members broaden perspectives and understanding. We would also like to amplify student voices, encouraging their leadership and informing our own visions.

These are some ideas that our group has generated already. Primarily, we would like to set many tables and encourage reflection, analysis, and dialogue on an ongoing basis among educational policymakers. We are working now on • Partnership with UCONN: Professor Morgaen Donaldson at the NEAG School at the University of Connecticut will support us with a survey to assess the current composition of Connecticut’s school boards. UCONN may also be partners in providing training for those considering board service.

• Summer Leadership Institute: Patrice McCarthy and Lisa Steimer led board members attending CABE’s Leadership Institute in a conversation about what they had done to make boards more diverse and any obstacles they had encountered.

• Partnership with Political Leaders: CABE is reaching out to political organizations to share concerns about the absence of people of color on many of our boards and ask them to consider any obstacles and consider together possible actions.

• Thought Leaders: The group is gathering perspectives of Connecticut’s “thought leaders” on the topic of Diversity.

If you and your board would like to be involved in exploring these ideas with us or hosting a community discussion, please contact Donald Harris, dharris@blmfld.org or Mary Broderick, mary-broderick@att. net.

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.

For more information you may visit our website at 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.

CABE-MEETING CABE-MEETING CABE-MEETING

CABE’s Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity meeting. Pictured are: Richard Murray, Patrice McCarthy, Ann Gruenberg and Morgaen Donaldson, Neag School of Education, UCONN.

CABE-MEETING CABE-MEETING CABE-MEETING CABE-MEETING

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

Serving the Legal Needs of Connecticut’s Boards of Education Pullman & Comley’s School Law practice works with school districts, their boards of education and administrators to find practical, innovative and cost effective solutions to the legal issues they face. We provide legal counsel to school districts in connection with reviewing and revising policies and procedures, Freedom of Information Act issues, student discipline matters, and addressing other challenges school districts face on a daily basis. Additionally, our attorneys have significant experience in successfully representing school districts with respect to: O

Special education issues

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All aspects of employment and labor relations matters, including collective bargaining and counseling concerning employee discipline issues

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Cases in the federal and state courts and before administrative agencies

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Please visit Education Law Notes, our school law blog that covers issues of great interest to school districts, including labor and employment, special education, gender and disability rights, FOIA, social media, bullying and policies and procedures at http://schoollaw.pullcomblog.com/.

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