CABE Journal - January 2016

Vol. 20, No. 1 JANUARY 2016

w w w . c a b e . o r g

Connecticut Associationof Boards of Education Inc.81 Wolcott Hill RoadWethersfield, CT 06109-1242

PeriodicalPostage

PAIDHartford, CT

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ProfessionalDevelopment

PAGE 8

The PolicyCorner

PAGE 4

State Board of Education Meets

NutmegBoard ofEducation

PAGE 5

CABE :Working forYOU

PAGE 11

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

At its December meeting, the StateBoard of Education, had an opportunity tocelebrate some successes of the AllianceDistricts. Bloomfield and New Londonhigh schools achieved a level of academicachievement on the 2014-15 SmarterBalanced Assessment that allowed themto exit turnaround status. BloomfieldHigh School students placed in the topforty percent of all schools statewide inEnglish Language Arts achievement, andalso showed significant improvement inmath, with twenty-nine percent ofstudents performing at level three orhigher, which is greater than thirty percentof all schools statewide.

At New London High School, the per-centage of students performing at level

three or higher in English Language Artswas 44.3%, greater than thirty percent ofall schools statewide. 19.9% performed atlevel three or higher in math, greater than20% of all schools statewide.

Both school districts attributed thesignificant improvement in studentperformance to a focus on school-wideliteracy and numeracy programs. InBloomfield, reading and writing wasinfused into all content areas. Instruc-tional course level teams met weekly, hadcommon planning time embedded intotheir schedules, and additional time wasprovided for professional learning. Aculture of instructional ownership wascreated as well as a positive schoolclimate.

The New London turnaround processbegan with the communication of aclearly stated vision and development ofhigh expectations to which all studentsand staff would be held accountable. Athree-year professional development planaligned with instructional improvementactivities throughout the year addressedeffective teaching and implementation ofwritten curriculum.

The Connecticut Technical HighSchool System also presented its strategicplan to the State Board. Its goals includeenhanced employer engagement andalignment with industry needs; alignmentbetween K-12, post-secondary and adultprograms; and flexibility, responsivenessand innovation in responding to Connec-ticut’s workforce needs. Students fromthe technical high schools participated inthe presentation, demonstrating theirpublic speaking skills and their passionfor their trade/technology field of study.

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director/General Counsel, CABE

A recent forum hosted by Representa-tive Gail Lavielle and the ConnecticutCommission on Children focused on theuse of technology in the classroom. Thegoal, as described by RepresentativeLavielle, was to identify areas to exploreto inform educators of the best usage oftechnology - not to develop state legisla-tive mandates. Presenters included Dr.Christopher Dede, Professor in LearningTechnologies at the Harvard GraduateSchool of Education, who emphasized thevalue of technology use both in and out ofschool as a vehicle to provide “life-widelearning”.

Dr. Roberta Golinkoff, Professor atthe University Of Delaware School Of

Education, cautioned that a lot of digitalmedia has distracting elements which caninhibit student focus and learning. Shepromoted the use of “cyberbalance” tomanage distractions. Members of theresponse panel, which included studentsfrom Kaynor Technical High School inWaterbury, discussed the value they haveseen with the use of Chromebooks in theclassroom for all students.

Other responders emphasized the needto first choose learning goals and thenturn to the appropriate media to supportreaching those goals. There is a clearneed for teacher professional develop-ment in order to make the best use oftechnology. Responders also emphasizedthe goal of getting children to think andbecoming responsible, engaged citizens.

Focus on Technologyin the Classroom


SchoolChoice –What the

Research Says

See SCHOOL CHOICE page 2

The National School Boards Associa-tion (NSBA) Center for Public Education(CPE) looks at the various forms ofschool choice, and drawing upon relevantresearch and statistics, the effects eachhas on student achievement. CPE findsthat while many schools of choice do anexemplary job, “the results aren’t univer-sally better than those produced bytraditional public schools.”

“America’s public school children aredepending on us, policymakers and thepublic, to make informed decisions thatwill lead to improved outcomes,” saidThomas J. Gentzel, Executive Director,NSBA. “CPE shines a spotlight on educa-tion options in its study, finding that notall choices are equal.”

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEAnn Gruenberg .................................................. President, HamptonRobert Mitchell ................................ First Vice President, MontvilleDonald Harris ................ VP for Government Relations, BloomfieldElizabeth Brown ....... VP for Professional Development, WaterburyElaine Whitney .................................. Secretary/Treasurer, WestportRichard Murray ........................ Immediate Past President, KillinglyJohn Prins ............................................. Member at Large. BranfordLydia Tedone ........................................... NSBA Director, Simsbury

AREA DIRECTORSJonathan Moore ................................ Area 1 Co-Director, Region 1Susan Karp ................................... Area 2 Co-Director, GlastonburyDonald Harris ................................. Area 2 Co-Director, BloomfieldMichael Purcaro ...................................... Area 3 Director, EllingtonDouglas Smith ........................................ Area 4 Director, PlainfieldJennifer Dayton ............................. Area 6 Co-Director, GreenwichRoxane McKay ............................. Area 7 Co-Director, WallingfordLon Seidman .................................................Area 8 Director, EssexAndrea Ackerman ..................................... Area 9 Director, Groton

ASSOCIATESEileen Baker .............................................. Associate, Old SaybrookSharon Beloin-Saavedra .............................. Associate, New BritainRobert Guthrie .............................................. Associate, West HavenRobert Trefry ........... Associate, CT Technical High School System

COMMITTEE CHAIRSDonald Harris ......................... Chair, Federal Relations, BloomfieldBecky Tyrrell ...................................... Chair, Resolutions, PlainvilleChristopher Wilson ........................... Chair, State Relations, Bristol

CITY REPRESENTATIVESMatthew Poland ................................ City Representative, HartfordCarlos Torre .................................. City Representative, New HavenCharles Stango ............................... City Representative, Waterbury

STAFFRobert Rader ....................................................................... Executive DirectorPatrice McCarthy .................................. Deputy Director and General CounselRebecca Adams ............................................................... Senior Staff AttorneyBonnie Carney ............................................ Sr. Staff Associate for PublicationsNicholas Caruso ............................................ Sr. Staff Assoc. for Field Service and Coord. of TechnologySheila McKay ............................. Sr. Staff Associate for Government RelationsVincent Mustaro ..................................... Sr. Staff Associate for Policy ServiceLisa Steimer .............................. Sr. Staff Assoc. for Professional DevelopmentTeresa Costa .................................. Coordinator of Finance and AdministrationPamela Brooks ......................... Sr. Admin. Assoc. for Policy Ser. /Search Ser.Terry DeMars ............................................... Admin. Assoc. for Policy ServiceGail Heath ........................................ Admin. Assoc. for Government RelationsWilmarie Newton ........................................ Admin. Assoc. for Labor RelationsCorliss Ucci .................................. Receptionist/Asst. to the Executive Director

Ann Gruenberg

2 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/January 2016

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

CABE Board of Directors

Changing Demographicsand Economic Challenges

Vision: CABE is passionate about strengtheningpublic education through high-performing,

transformative local school board/superintendentleadership teams that inspire success for each child.

Mission: To assist local and regional boards of educationin providing high quality education for all

Connecticut children through effective leadership.

The CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published monthly except acombined issue for July/August as a member service of the Connecti-cut Association of Boards of Education, 81 Wolcott Hill Road,Wethersfield, CT 06109, (860) 571-7446. CABE membership duesinclude $30 per person for each individual who receives The CABEJournal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75. Associationmembership dues include a subscription for each board member,superintendent, assistant superintendent and business manager. Thecompanies and advertisements found in The CABE Journal are notnecessarily endorsed by CABE. “Periodicals Postage Paid at Hartford,CT.” POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CABE Journal,CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. Email:[email protected] can find the CABE Journal online at: https://www.cabe.org/userlogin.cfm?pp=1024&userrequest=false&keyrequest=YES

As we begin a new year, it is natural to look back atthe year(s) past, and look forward to fresh starts. Takingsome moments to pause and reflect, we may considerprogress that has been made along with what still needsto be done. This is a time when many make resolutions,whether it be to lose some pounds, exercise more, orshed a bad habit.

How about, however, a resolution to do all we can tocontinue to make the world a better place? How aboutmaking a commitment to address racism? We know thata good resolution, like any goal, must be realistic andattainable.

With the epidemic levels of violence seeming toincrease recently, it is all too easy to recoil in fear or totry to turn away. Studies have indicated that prolongedexposure to violence can contribute to what is called“desensitization”.

People often begin to be numb to violence aroundthem after a certain threshold. As horrifying as thisseems, such trends have been documented. The globaland national patterns are evident every day. What aresome of the implications of these trends? Our focus onschools and children makes safety a paramount priority.

In addition to safety, it is essential that children arenot so fearful and/or anxious that they lose an ability tofocus on the content of the lessons and activities.

Children need to be safe and feel safe. They need tolearn conflict resolution skills so violence is not anautomatic part of their process.

While we are working to reduce violence, it helps ifwe remember perspectives shared by Dr. Yong Zhao atthe CABE/CAPSS Convention. Maintaining a healthyglobal perspective is vital to the work we do. In a worldchanging so rapidly, the potential exists to use technol-ogy constructively.

It is wise to keep in mind that the future for which we

are preparingstudents willbe signifi-cantlydifferentfrom theworld wecurrently livein. Whatsorts of skillsand strate-gies will beneeded as wecontinue intothe future? How may we enhance and make availableopportunities for all students from a wide range ofcommunities?

We must be mindful and careful to avoid perpetuatingcertain stereotypes. A shared focus on what is possibleamong our youth- the support for them to live theirdreams – can be our “north star” as we navigate throughthe sea change. As we begin a new year, it is my hopethat we can continue to make progress with full aware-ness of the complexity and intensity of the issues.

As board of education members, both new andseasoned, we can continue to engage in reflection andaction-planning, with an ongoing commitment to do ourbest work on behalf of the students in Connecticut.Aligning our work with the focus of other groups,including the State Department of Education, we canenhance our collective impact.

The issues of changing demographics and economicchallenges can be integrated into a cohesive vision ofincreased equity and excellence. Our willingness tospeak up as well as listen and not give up in the face ofchallenge can enhance work, together.

School Choice - What the Research Says

(continued from page 1)School Choice: What the Research Says succinctly

describes the many alternatives to public schools: thosewithin the public schools system (magnet schools, charterschools, and within or between district transfers) andwithout (private schools, vouchers and homeschooling),and also looks at virtually schools which can be eitherpublic or private.

CPE finds that:• Nearly nine in ten school-

age children in the U.S.attend public schools, aproportion that has beenfairly consistent for fourdecades; 16 percent areenrolled in a public schoolof choice. On the non-public side, 10 percent ofschool-age children are inprivate schools, and three percent arehomeschooled.

• Research on the impact of school choice on studentlearning generally shows mixed results with studiestypically showing little or no difference in overallperformance compared to traditional publicschools. For example, about one in four charterschools outperforms its traditional public counter-part in reading, and one in five does worse. How-ever, benefits seem to be greater for some groupsof students, including English language learners,children from low-income families, and students of

color.• Private schools tend to outperform public schools

on national assessments. But when researcherscontrolled for students family background andlocation, they found the reverse – public schoolfourth- and eighth-graders scored higher than theirprivate school peers in math. In addition, math

scores for public school stu-dents have increased steadilyover the last 25 years, and highschool graduation rates are atan all-time high.

“If the research shows usanything, it’s that school choicedoes not come with a guar-antee,” said Patte Barth, direc-tor of the Center for PublicEducation. “Rather, publicschool leaders should look attheir successful programs –

charters, magnet, and neighborhood schools alike – andapply the lessons learned to other schools so that thechoices parents and students have will all be good ones.”

The Center for Public Education (www.centerforpubliceducation.org) is a national resource for credibleand practical information about public education and itsimportance to the well-being of our nation. CPEprovides up-to-date research, data, and analysis oncurrent educa-tion issues and explores ways to improvestudent achievement and engage public support forpublic schools.

“If the research shows usanything, it’s that school

choice does not comewith a guarantee.”

– Patte Barth,Director of the Center for Public Education

Robert Rader

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/January 2016 3

Steady in the Face of ChangeCABE AffiliateMembers

BUSINESS AFFILIATESDIAMOND MEMBER

Finalsite

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SILVER MEMBERSAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

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Milone & MacBroom, Inc.Perkins & Eastman

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BRONZE PLUS MEMBERSBL Companies

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Milliman, Inc.Morganti GroupO & G Industries

The S/L/A/M CollaborativeTrane

BRONZE MEMBERS

Brown & Brown InsuranceChinni & Meuser LLC

Dattco Inc.ECG Engineering, PC

Fuller & D’AngeloArchitects and PlannersGoldstein & Peck, P.C.

Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C.The Lexington Group

Muschell & SimoncelliSuisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law

EDUCATIONALAFFILIATES

American School for the DeafArea Cooperative Educational Services

Capitol Region Education CouncilThe College Board

Connecticut Association for the GiftedConnecticut Association of School

Business OfficialsConnecticut Center for School Change

Connecticut School Buildingsand Grounds Association

Cooperative Educational ServicesEASTCONN

EDUCATION CONNECTIONLEARN

Unified School District #1

In my January editorial, I often suggestresolutions for board members andsuperintendents to consider. However,this year, I feel that maybe the best waymy 900-word editorial can help ourmembers is by reminding them that in aworld of change, there are importantthings to hang on to.

The world is in tremendous flux. TheMideast seems to be spinning out ofcontrol. We have had ISIS or ISIS-inspired attacks in Paris and San Bernar-dino. Discussion during the presidentialcontests seems to challenge many of ourlong-held, cherished beliefs about ourcountry.

Reading a newspaper (you rememberthose, don’t you?) or scrutinizing anInternet story seems to show a worldwhere there is less to depend on. We seemergers and bankruptcies where mighty,long-established companies are sweptaway. Cultural differences have led touncertainty about the language to usewhen addressing some people and collegecampuses are dividing over when lan-guage goes over some undetermined line.Staying ahead, whether in technology oralmost any field of human endeavor oftenfeels close to impossible.

In education, things are moving at arapid speed, too. For the first time since2001, we are no longer be subject to theNo Child Left Behind Act. Now, we moveto the Every Child Succeeds Act, with itsmany changes, both good and bad,including new flexibility for districts.Reforms that were only established a fewyears ago may be pushed aside withoutour even being able to tell if they did orcould, if continued, make a difference instudent achievement.

The constant flux, 24-7 news cycle andthe heightened sense of alertness that hasaccompanied much of the change, has ledto a feeling among many of anxiety. Whatwill be on the television news tonight?

In education, we question how can webuild durable institutions, long-lastingpositive cultures and legacies that will notbe swept away with the next election or asubsequent change of direction at theState or local level? What will the Statemandate next? Will there be sufficientfunding to enable our districts to supportall of our students? Do we have thehuman resources and skills to properlyeducate a changing student population?

The Board andSuperintendent’s Role

In all of this tumult, I think it’simportant to remember that the work ofboards of education and superintendent iscritical in serving as a bulwark for thepeople of our State. Our students, eventhose not old enough to understand, counton boards and superintendents to providean education that will help them makesense of the world they will be entering –even if the adults are a somewhat con-fused by the turmoil in that world.

Effective boards crowd out thedistractions and management issues that

People in the NewsPatrice McCarthy and Lisa Steimer

recently completed the requirements forthe renewal of their Certified Associa-tion Executive credential. The pro-gram, offered by the American Societyfor Association Executives, is based ondemonstration of the knowledgeessential to the practice of associationmanagement, reflecting what it takes tomanage an association in today’schallenging climate.

are best left to the superintendent and theother members of staff and instead ensurethat the board focuses laser-like on theneeds of the children,

Board members and superintendentsneed to focus on the issues before them inan organized, thoughtful way. Of course,outside influences can often provideteachable moments in classrooms, whenthe issues are age-appropriate and there istime for a teacher to get into them. But,boards need to concentrate on what isbefore them even while taking theseoutside influences into account.

Eight Rulesfor Effective Boards

NSBA’s Center for Public Educationhas developed eight rules for effectiveboards that should be remembered, evenas commotion swirls around the outside ofthe board room. They are:

• Effective school boards commit to avision of high expectations forstudent achievement and qualityinstruction and define clear goalstoward that vision. Effective boardsmake sure these goals remain theirdistrict’s top priorities and thatnothing detracts from them.

• Effective school boards have strongshared beliefs and values aboutwhat is possible for students andtheir ability to learn, and of thesystem and its ability to teach allchildren at high levels. In high-achieving districts, poverty, lack ofparental involvement, and otherfactors are seen not as excuses butas challenges to overcome.

• Effective school boards are ac-countability driven, spending lesstime on operational issues and moretime focused on policies to improvestudent achievement. High-perform-ing boards establish a visionsupported by policies that targetstudent achievement.

• Effective school boards have acollaborative relationship with staffand the community and establish a

strong communications structure toinform and engage both internal andexternal stakeholders in setting andachieving district goals.

• Effective school boards are datasavvy: They embrace and monitordata, even when the information isnegative, and use it to drivecontinuous improvement.

• Effective school boards align andsustain resources, such as profes-sional development, to meet districtgoals.

• Effective school boards and theirsuperintendents lead as a unitedteam, each from their respectiveroles, with strong collaboration andmutual trust.

• Effective school boards take part inteam development and training withthe superintendent to build sharedknowledge, values, and commit-ments for improvement efforts.

So, if I were to develop a resolution forall boards, I would propose taking acareful look at these eight principles. Iwould then turn some of them into goalsand have the Board concentrate on themfor the rest of the year.

Continue to do the best you can foryour students and, in the long-run, youwill develop a wonderful, long-lastinglegacy which will endure even throughthese difficult times.

Palmer, Superin-tendent, WestonPublic Schools, asConnecticut’s 2016Superintendent ofthe Year. UnderPalmer’s guidance,Weston HighSchool was named the top Connecticuthigh scholl in 2015, and ranked 47thnationally by Newsweek. CAPSSExecutive Director Joseph Cirasuolosaid, “her continued success in educa-tion is a testament to her dedication tothe improvement of public education forall students.” Congratulations!

The Connecticut Association ofPublic School Superintendents(CAPSS) recently announced Colleen


Policy Direction Needed to Guide Use of Restraint and Seclusion

Vincent A. Mustaro, Senior Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABE

The Policy Corner

Recent Connecticut legislation, P.A.15-141: AAC Seclusion and Restraint inSchools, made significant changes per-taining to the use of seclusion and re-straint with students in schools.

This Act extended laws on restraintand seclusion to most public school stu-dents in grades K through 12. Previouslythe law applied predominantly to specialeducation students.

The new legislation prohibits teachers,administrators, and other public schoolemployees from using life-threateningphysical restraints on any student, limitshow long students can be kept in allow-able physical restraints or seclusion, andspecifies the types of locations in which astudent may be secluded. Policy directionis needed to properly guide staff actions.

School staff is barred from usingphysical restraints on students or placingstudents in seclusion, unless the employ-ees have been properly trained. Therequired training is to be phased in overthree years, beginning with the currentschool year.

In addition school boards are requiredto develop policies and procedures toprovide this training and establishmonitoring and internal reporting of theuse of physical restraints and seclusion.These policies and procedures are to beon district websites and in proceduralmanuals. District policies on restraint andseclusion must be updated not later thansixty days after the State Board of Educa-tion (SBE) adopts or revises regulations,as required by this legislation, pertainingto this topic.

Parents and guardians must be notifiedno later than 24 hours after a child hasbeen placed in physical restraint or inseclusion, but a reasonable effort must bemade to notify them immediately afterbeginning the physical restraint orseclusion.

The legislation requires school boardsto take certain steps for students placed inphysical restraint or seclusion four ormore times in 20 school days. In addition,each school must identify a crisis inter-vention team of school professionals,paraprofessionals, and administratorstrained in the use of physical restraint andseclusion. These teams must respond toany incident requiring physical restraintor seclusion. Each team member must beannually recertified in the proper use ofphysical restraint and seclusion.

New Reporting RequirementsNew reporting requirements are now

also in place. If restraint or seclusioncauses the student physical injury, theschool board, institution, or facilityproviding special education servicesunder contract with a school board, orapproved private special education

What will the ConnecticutOnline Policy Service

(C.O.P.S.)provide YOUR district?

• A policy manual updated within days of aboard meeting.

• Access to your policy manual 24/7 any-where with Internet capability.

• Timesaving links to legal and cross refer-ences.

• A search engine specifically designed forboard policy manuals.

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

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

If you would like additional information on CABE’s Connecticut OnlinePolicy Service (C.O.P.S.), call Vincent Mustaro at 860-571-7446 or [email protected] for full details.

Let the CABE staffmake your policy life easier.

program, must report the incident to SBE.Each instance of the use of physical

restraint or seclusion on a student must berecorded in the student’s educationalrecord. The documentation must include,in the case of emergency use, the nature ofthe emergency and what other steps,including attempts at verbal de-escalation,were taken to prevent the emergency fromarising if there were signs that such anemergency might occur.

It also must include a detailed descrip-tion of the nature of the restraint orseclusion, how long it lasted, and its effecton the student’s established educationalplan.

Physical Restraint/SeclusionSchool employees, identified in the

legislation and in the policy, may not usea life threatening physical restraint on astudent. This is a restraint or hold thateither restricts air flow to a student’slungs, whether by compressing thestudent’s chest or otherwise, or immobi-lizes or reduces a prone student’s abilityto freely move his or her arms, legs, orhead.

Physical restraint or seclusion may beused only in emergencies to preventimmediate or imminent injury to a studentor others. Physical restraint or seclusionmay not be used to discipline a student,because it is convenient or instead of aless restrictive alternative.

A student placed in physical restraintmust be continually monitored by a schoolemployee to regularly evaluate the studentfor signs of physical distress and theevaluation must be entered in the student’seducational record. Monitoring can bedone either through direct observation orby video, provided the video monitoringoccurs close enough for the monitor toprovide aid if needed.

Physical restraint is defined as anymechanical or personal restriction thatimmobilizes or reduces the free movementof a person’s arms, legs, or head. Exclu-sions to this definition exist and are a partof CABE’s sample policy. Seclusion is astudent’s involuntary confinement in aroom, whether alone or supervised, in away that prevents the student fromleaving.

A student in seclusion must be fre-quently monitored by a school employee.The area in which the student is secludedmust have a window or other fixtureallowing the student to clearly see beyondthe seclusion area. Students in seclusioncan be monitored either through directobservation (presumably from anotherroom) or by video, provided the videomonitoring occurs close enough for themonitor to provide aid if needed. Thesecluded student must be regularlyevaluated for signs of physical distress,

and the employee conducting the evalua-tion must enter the evaluation in thestudent’s educational record.

Time limits now exist on use ofphysical restraints and seclusion. Astudent may not be placed in physicalrestraint or in seclusion for longer than 15minutes, except this may be extended foradditional periods of up to 30 minuteseach, if a (1) school administrator or hisor her designee, (2) school health ormental health professional, or (3) boardcertified behavioral analyst trained in theuse of physical restraint and seclusion,determines that continued restraint orseclusion is necessary to prevent immedi-ate or imminent injury to the student orothers. The administrator, health ormental health professional or behavioralanalyst must make a new determinationfor every 30 minutes a child is physicallyrestrained or secluded.

A school employee may not place astudent in physical restraint or seclusionunless he/she has received training in theirproper use. Such training must include theprevention of incidents requiring physicalrestraint or seclusion and the proper wayto physically restrain or seclude someone.

Boards of education must create a planto provide school professionals, parapro-fessionals, and administrators withtraining and professional development onpreventing incidents requiring physicalrestraint or seclusion. This plan must beimplemented by July 1, 2017 and providefor the training of these individuals byJuly 1, 2019.

Policy ImplicationsPolicy #5144.1, “Physical Restraints/

Seclusion,” and its accompanyingadministrative regulation pertain to thistopic. Previous samples have beenreplaced to reflect the detailed newlegislation. Boards are required todevelop policies and procedures (admin-istrative regulations) that establishmonitoring and internal reporting of theuse of physical restraint and seclusion.The requirement of this legislation thatthe SBE shall adopt or revise regulationspertaining to the use of physical restraintand seclusion could impact these samples.

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board deals with cancelling a trip due to the international climateThomas B. Mooney, Esq.Shipman & Goodwin


The Nutmeg Board of Educationmakes many mistakes. The latest imbro-glio created by the board will be reportedhere each issue, followed by an explana-tion of what the board should have done.Though not intended as legal advice,these situations may help board membersavoid common problems.

At the time, it seemed like a good idea.The Nutmeg Public Schools have longcherished its friendship with its sister cityof Nutmeg, Belgium, and after years ofdiscussion and months of planning, lastsummer the Nutmeg Board of Educationapproved a trip for interested middleschool students to visit Nutmeg, Belgiumthis spring.

Individual “pen pals” in Nutmeg,Belgium were assigned to each of theNutmeg, Connecticut students. In antici-pation of the trip, the students were askedto write back and forth with their assignedpen pal by email and instant messaging.

However, as the date for the trip ap-proaches, concern has grown that worldevents and related uncertainties make thetrip potentially unsafe and inadvisable.

At the last Board meeting, some par-ents spoke during Public Comment abouttheir concern over international travel,and they urged the Board to make a de-cision on the Belgium trip sooner thanlater. Pamela Parent’s comments echoedthe concerns of most parents.

“We thought that this trip would be funfor our children, but with all the badnews, we think it will just be frightening.We know that we will lose a deposit ifyou cancel,” Pamela said, “but if you aregoing to cancel, do it now to cut ourlosses.”

Board member Penny Pincher spokeup when Pamela was finished. “I sympa-thize with Pamela and all these parents.When they signed up for these trips,neither they nor we anticipated that theworld would become such a dangerousplace. I think that we should bite thebullet and vote to cancel the trip now.”

Board member Mal Content chimed in,“I too think that we should just cancel thetrip. We don’t want to wait much longerand cost the parents even more money.Moreover, we have to think aboutourselves. If God forbid something badhappens, won’t we be liable?”

Veteran Board member Bob Bombastscoffed. “Who says anything is going tohappen? This isn’t our first internationaltrip. Besides, we can just make parentssign a permission slip that waives all li-ability. If parents want to send theirchildren on trips, it should be on them,not on us.”

Mr. Superintendent spoke up. “It istrue that we ask parents to waive all

The Eighth Edition is here!!

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by Thomas B. Mooney, Esq.Shipman & Goodwin

The Eighth Edition was substantially rewritten to reflect statutorychanges, significant case law developments in state and federalcourts. Some of the numerous legal developments and update are asfollows:

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• Administration and Storage of Epinephrine • Excused Absences• Student Free Speech • Employee Free Speech

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The Guide comes with a CD which provides hyperlinksto many cases and statutes and will permitord searches as a supplement to the Index.

claims as part of giving us permission forthe trip. However, I think this should be aquestion of what is best for our students,not what does or does not expose us toliability.”

“But Mr. Superintendent,” Bob wenton, “Won’t parents be out their deposit ifwe cancel now? Costing the parents theirdeposits is more likely to get us sued thantaking our chances and going ahead withthe trip.”

The debate went on for another halfhour. At the end, Penny convinced every-one but Bob, and the Board voted 4-1 tocancel the trip. Did the Board do theright thing?

There is no right answer here, andsuperintendents and board members mustmake decisions concerning internationaltravel as you see fit. However, this situa-tion raises a number of legal issues forconsideration.

First, boards of education are not in-surance companies, and thus school dis-tricts are not automatically liable for anybad thing that happens. Rather, whenparents bring claims for negligenceagainst school districts, they must estab-lish certain facts before liability can beimposed.

First, a school district must have a dutyof care. If a teacher acts on his or herown and organizes a trip, for example, theschool district should not have any re-sponsibility (“duty of care”) for that trip.

However, school officials must be veryclear on this point. Teachers should notbe permitted to use their position andaccess to students to convince studentsand their parents to participate in theirprivate ventures.

Rather, while teachers can engage inprivate activities, they should be requiredclearly to communicate to students andparents that any trips that they mayorganize are not sponsored by or affili-ated with their employing school district.

Second, even when there is a duty ofcare, school officials will not be liable fornegligence unless their actions were un-reasonable. Sometimes bad things happenthrough no fault of teachers or administra-tors. Unless school officials acted un-reasonably, however, they will not beliable.

Third, even when school officials actunreasonably they will not be liable forinjuries to students unless their unreason-able actions were the direct cause of theinjury. To be sure, when a sympatheticplaintiff makes a claim, the judge or jurywill be inclined to attribute the injury tothe unreasonable action. However, beforeliability will be imposed, the plaintiffmust make that causal link.

One thing is certain – Bob is wrong inclaiming that school officials can avoid

liability by asking for parents and studentsto waive liability claims. In serving thepublic, school officials would not typi-cally wish to put parents and students tothe choice of waiving legal rights as acondition for participating in a school-sponsored activity.

But even if one agreed with Bob andthought it appropriate to do so, suchwaivers are ineffective. The courts haveheld that it is against public policy to asksomeone to waive future claims ofnegligence.

Such waivers would typically be theresult of uneven bargaining power, andabsolving people of the consequences oftheir actions could cause people to be lesscareful than they should be.

This is not to say consent forms areunnecessary. Such forms serve an import-ant purpose by notifying parents of thetrip and the related conditions. Indeed, itwould arguably be unreasonable forschool officials to sponsor a trip withoutproviding such information. Providingsuch information permits parties to makean informed choice.

Moreover, such information gives pa-

rents the opportunity to raise any specialconcerns that they may have, such as al-lergies or a need for special supervision.

Finally, in discussing and taking actionhere, the Nutmeg Board of Educationviolated the Freedom of Information Act.Boards of education must include on theirmeeting agendas any items on which theywill conduct discussion or take action.

A brief comment in response to a pointraised during Public Comment should notbe considered a “discussion” and thusshould not be a problem. However, here,Pamela Parent’s request during PublicComment became a springboard forlengthy Board discussion and action.

Discussing whether to cancel aninternational trip was certainly animportant topic, but if the Board wants todiscuss that topic, it should have addedthe item to the agenda (permissible onlyat a regular meeting), or put that topic ona future agenda for discussion and action.

Attorney Thomas B. Mooney is a part-ner in the Hartford law firm of Shipman &Goodwin who works frequently withboards of education. Mooney is a regularcontributor to the CABE Journal.


Book ReviewImproving School Board Effectiveness:

A Balanced Governance Approach, edited by Alsbury and Gore

Over the last few years, many bookshave been written about approaches to thework of boards of education and theirsuperintendents of schools.

Some have argued that the approachpublicized by John Carver, where thesuperintendent is given very broad goalsby the board and then evaluated on thosegoals, with the understanding that theboard will, basically, “get out of the way”is one approach. This “business model”,where the CEO is tasked with getting thework done and downplays the board ofdirectors has met with only limitedsuccess when tried in Connecticut.

We’ve seen boards (or individualboard members) step over the “line”between policy and administration, as wehave seen superintendents doing the same,often by failing to communicate with eachother. One of our most important servicesat CABE is to try to facilitate theseconversations – including helping theteam develop reasonable and appropriateexpectations on all sides.

Often when board leadership appearsto have failed, approaches have includedstate takeovers with boards dismantled,mayoral takeovers and decentralization.These are often last-ditch attempts to helpthe districts.

CABE and CAPSS have worked hard,with the assistance of LEAD Connecticutto develop a Governance Statement thatenvisions the board and superintendent asa team, working together to raise studentachievement and ensuring that the district

operates as efficiently and effectively aspossible. We are aware, of course, thatthe exact division of responsibility is bestleft to the local board and superintendent,with each contributing to accomplishingthe mission of the district.

The “best practices” approach ourorganizations havedeveloped over manyyears fit right into thecentral idea of thisbook.

The editors ofImproving SchoolBoard Effectivenessare Thomas Alsburyand Phil Gore, bothof whom have spentmany years servingin various roles inschool districts andother capacitiesproviding boardswith “leadershipsolutions”. Theirbook contains chapters written by severalpeople who have many years of workingwith boards and advising them on how tohandle the many issues that face boards.Most of one chapter was written byCABE Senior Staff Associate for FieldServices Nick Caruso and CABEConsultant Warren Logee on our Light-house Project, which has been successfulin focusing boards on student achieve-ment.

Alsbury and Gore advocate for

a“balanced governance” model. Alsburyprovides a strong basis for schoolboards and local decision making andthe model he suggests, is not a singleprescribed program, instead, it “supportsand promotes ‘balance’ – discouragingmicromanaging on one end of the

governance con-tinuum and adisengaged, rubber-stamping board onthe other.”

Board membersare encouraged to“play a constructivepart in monitoringand supportingstudent progressthrough informedoversight.” It “equipsboards to usedetailed knowledgeof learning andteaching to betterinteract with commu-

nity stakeholders, and craft targetedpolicy language that intelligentlyoversees formative progress on adoptedprocesses and programs.” He thendescribes how he sees this playing out inreality.

While this approach is not really new,the authors of the chapters spell outsome ways in which boards can ap-proach their roles and responsibilities.Here are some of the ideas expressed:

• “if a board does not create the

appropriate environment for thesuperintendent – either by setting andsupporting expectations of studentachievement or by not interfering in asuperintendent’s actions focused onthis outcome – then student achieve-ment will not improve at a high rate.”

• Cultural responsiveness “is simplymissing from most school boardstandards of excellence. The elementprovides context by focusing ondiversity within each community.Indeed, within some school districtsgenerational, political or economicdiversity may influence boardeffectiveness and their [sic] ability tohear the voices of all stakeholders inaddition to the more prominent focuson racial, ethnic, and gender diver-sity. The point here is that all formsof diverse thought and ideology arecritical to the board’s success…”

• “Effective boards must monitormeasures of organizational culture,like a belief that “all students canlearn,” or that “all opinions (positiveand negative) are valued andheard’…”

Monitoring progress towards districtgoals has these benefits:

- “Increasing the board’s ability tocontrol its agenda…

- Focusing the information that comesto the board on board-level interests,not staff-level interests…

- Saving board time for areas needingspecial attention…

- Saving staff and board members timein preparing for meetings…

- Eliminating window-dressing staffreports that focus only what is goingwell while glossing over poorresults.”

Gore summed up the book’s premise:“we highlight the importance of therelationship between an elected schoolboard and a hired superintendent as acritical factor in student success. Thisintersection of democratically elected laycitizens and hired professional administra-tors represents a pivotal opportunity fordistrict outcomes. It behooves eachconscientious board member and superin-tendent to strive to make the relationshipand the critical work of the governanceteam a success.”

While there may not be any “aha”moments in this book, it is well worth aread by board members and superinten-dents struggling to build a team anddevelop a progressive culture in the districtthat will filter down to teachers andstudents, as well as parents and othermembers of the community. Only by doingthis, will a board and district be as success-ful as it can be.

Robert RaderExecutive Director, CABE

The Connecticut School Attorneys Council held their Annual Meeting in conjunction with the CABE/CAPSS Convention.Peter Maher (Shipman & Goodwin) was elected President, Melika Forbes (Shipman & Goodwin) was elected Secretary andPatrice McCarthy was re-elected Treasurer.

The attorneys discussed the status of the recent teacher and administrator contract negotiations. The looming imposition of thefederal Cadillac Tax on health insurance plans has necessitated language providing for contract reopeners. CABE and CAPSS arecontinuing their work with their national associations to repeal the tax.

Patrice and Rebecca Adams provided an update on the status of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Fundinglawsuit, challenging the adequacy ofConnecticut’s funding system. Thiscase will go to trial in Superior Court inJanuary 2016, but final resolution,which will likely include an appeal tothe Connecticut Superior Court, is yearsaway.

Patrice also provided information onresources available through NSBA’sCouncil of School Attorneys and theupcoming law seminar in Boston (April2016).


Connecticut School Attorneys Council



Were you one of the many left out inthe rain on in February 2008 without yourquad, two-pumps vanilla, one and one-quarter pumps sugar-free hazelnut,ristretto latte with one-quarter soy, one-half nonfat, one -quarter organic milk,extra hot, with three ice cubes and whip;espresso?

For three hours on that day, Starbucksclosed its 7,100 company-operated storesat 5:30 p.m. to retrain approximately135,000 employees or in Starbucks-speak,“partners.” Starbucks in 43 countriesoutside the U.S and licensed locationswill complete this training in the nextmonth or so.

While certainly a risk that at least onecompetitor jumped to take advantage of(Dunkin’ Donuts offered 99 cent hot orcold espresso-based drinks that night),Starbucks took a stand. Starbucks told us,the consumer, how important training thatwill enable them to better serve itscustomers is to the company. This was soimportant that Starbucks was willing tolose revenue. They viewed it as aninvestment in the company.

In Joseph Michelli’s book TheStarbucks Experience, he states that“Starbucks management takes pride in thecompany being ‘the leading retailer,roaster and brand of specialty coffee in

What the Starbucks ExperienceTeaches Us About YOUR Professional Development

Lisa SteimerSr. Staff Associatefor Professional Development, CABE

the world,’ but also recognizes thatpeople flock to the company’s stores forthe total Starbucks Experience.”

This move by Starbucks and itsChairman and CEO, Howard Schulz, is aclear sign the company is serious aboutthe training of its employees and, in turn,the experience and product provided tocustomers.

Much like the Starbucks shutdown,schools close for the professional devel-opment of teachers. This practice isaccepted as being necessary in order forour teachers to focus solely on practicesthat will enable them to provide the bestpossible education to our children.

Shouldn’t your district also invest inboard members’ skills and knowledge? Asthe governing body for your district, yourcontinuing education is just as importantas that received by those in the classroom,building administrators and your superin-tendent. Shouldn’t school districts makethe investment in board member profes-sional development?

Why is whole board and boardmember professional development socritical?

• Board members play a critical rolein setting the vision, goals anddirection of the school district.Board members need to keep up-to-date on issues and trends affectingpublic education.

• Many board members join theirboards with little understanding of

their roles and responsibilities andneed to better sharpen their knowl-edge in this area.

• It’s critical to bring all boardmembers to the same level ofknowledge about the district,educational trends, legal concernsand other issues, which are becom-ing more complex.

• It takes hard, collaborative work tobuild the most effective boardpossible.

• It’s critical to learn the skillsinvolved I working with others to bethe most effective board memberpossible.

As a board member, it is your ownprofessional development that willprovide you with what you need to doyour part to provide high quality educa-tion for all children in your district. Youare encouraged to take advantage of theBoard Member Academy Programs thatCABE will offer during the remainder ofthe 2015-2016 year and beyond.

CABE staff also provides workshopsfor individual boards to meet theirspecific needs. Workshop topics include,but are not limited to, roles and responsi-bilities, goal setting, self evaluation, andFreedom of Information Act.

We recognize the personal sacrificethat attending professional developmentprograms can mean to your professionaland family life. We make every attempt tooffer workshops at different times of the

day, as well on different days of the week.Some workshops do not lend themselvesto being held later in the day, because ofthe length of the workshop. Our lateafternoon workshops and our “HotTopics” workshops, which are held earlyin the morning, are aimed at helpingpeople who work, since they can attendand then head back to work or right homeafterwards, without tying up a lot of theday.

Additionally, participating in CABE’sprofessional development programsallows you the opportunity to:

• Be a part of a large statewideorganization with strong nationalties.

• Network with over 600 educationleaders from Connecticut andaround the country at the annualCABE/CAPSS Convention.

• Form valuable relationships withother knowledgeable CABEmembers and staff.

In a press release, Starbucks’ Schultzsaid of the company’s partners, “Theequity of the brand is based on theexperience they create, and we want tounleash that creativity and that passion.They have it. We just have to give themthe tools and the resources for it to comeout.”

Make the investment and let CABEgive you and the other members of yourboard the tools and resources you need tobe the most successful you can be!


CABE NewBoard Member

Orientationand Leadership

Conference

Pre-ConferenceSessions

New Board MemberOrientation and

Leadership Sessions

Lisa Steimer, Sr. StaffAssociate for Professional

Development, CABE,welcomed everyone to the

pre-conference session.

Sherri DiNello, Director of Business and Finance,Southington and Joe Martino, Director of Finance,Danbury, discussed school finance.

Rebecca Adams, Senior StaffAttorney, CABE, discussed theFreedom of Information Actand Robert’s Rules.

Participants learned from Jennifer Webb, Consultant, State De-partment of Education who led a discussion on ConnecticutCore Standards.

Sharon Fuller, Consultant,State Department of Educa-tion discussed Teacher andPrincipal Evaluation and Sup-port.

Connecticut Education Com-missioner Dianna Wentzeltalked about the future ofpublic education in Connecti-cut.

Marji Lipshez-Shapiro, Direc-tor of Education, ConnecticutAnti-Defamation Leaguetalked about what schoolboards need to know aboutcultural competency.

New board members and experienced board member from across the state attended this conference.

Moderator Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE with panel-ists Sal Pascarella, President, CAPSS and Ann Gruenberg, Presi-dent, CABE, discussed roles and responsibilities and leader-ship.

2016 ConnecticutTeacher of the YearJahana Hays, Water-bury, addressed the con-ference participants.

CABE staff members Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director/Gen-eral Counsel; Rebecca Adams, Sr. Staff Attorney; and SheilaMcKay, Sr. Staff Associate for Government Relations discussedthe statutory requirements, legal issues and advocacy.

CABE Consultants Mary Broderick and RobertKing talked about community engagement.

Vincent Mustaro, Sr. StaffAssociate for Policy Ser-vice, CABE, talked aboutthe school board’s policyrole.

Nicholas Caruso, Sr. Staff As-sociate for Field Services,CABE, talked about the com-mon mistakes board membermake and how to avoid them.

Robert Rader, Executive Direc-tor, CABE, facilitated a lead-ership roundtable discussinga wide array of topics of in-terest to board members.


A Conversation with Caroll Spinney (Big Bird)on the Importance of Public Education

The Media Messagefrom Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

“Get a good education and do whatyou love,” just some of the words ofwisdom from Carroll Spinney, whom Ihad the pleasure of interviewing priorto his Keynote presentation at the 2015CABE/CAPSS Convention in Novem-ber at the Mystic Marriott.

While you might not recognize theface, the voice has been that of SesameStreet’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouchsince 1969 and at 80-years old,Spinney says he has no intention ofslowing down.

In our interview, Spinney spoke ofhow he got his start as a puppeteer atthe age of eight, when his motherbought him a five-cent puppet and hewould hold puppet shows at his home,charging 2-cents a person for admis-sion, which he boasts was a lot ofmoney for a kid his age back then. Hewas also very proud of that fact thatrecently, his wife Debra found thepuppet in an old box.

He spoke of always being the shortestkid in his class at school and back then hewas teased quite abit. Today, heboasts that as BigBird, he proudlystands, 8-foot 2-inches tall and that,he says gives him alot of satisfaction.

“I really regretthe fact that Ididn’t pursue aformal educationas a teacher, butlooking back that isreally what I havebecome.” He saysin the beginning,Sesame Street washighly criticized, but today he is veryproud of the fact that 4,000 shows later,this program that is shown in 148 coun-tries has prepared millions of children for

early education. “Children who havewatched Sesame Street on a regular basis

are better preparedfor kindergarten anddo much better inschool,” saidSpinney.

In my quest tofind somethingabout the voicebehind Big Bird andOscar the Grouchthat most peopledon’t know, Mr.Spinney revealed tome that his cousinrecently traced theirfamily tree and indoing so revealedthat he is a distant

cousin of President Barack Obama (fifthcousin, twice removed on his mother’sside). He said that he (Big Bird) oftenworked with First Lady Michelle Obama

on her “Let’s Move” campaign andthat apparently when she broke thenews to her daughters recently thatthey were distantly related to Big Bird,they were thrilled!

This is a man who has earned fourEmmy Awards, two Gold Records andtwo Grammys. Additionally, he is theauthor of The Wisdom of Big Bird (andthe Dark Genius of Oscar theGrouch): Lessons from a Life ofFeathers.

I have to say, that I have inter-viewed many famous people over theyears, but never have I met a man sosweet, smart and humble, which is whyit is no surprise that his characters havehad such a positive influence on theearly education of generations ofchildren all over the country.

Thank you Mr. Caroll Spinney, thepleasure was all mine!

Available from the CABE Bookstore!

Excellent bookfor New

Board Members

Understanding the ConnecticutFreedom of Information Act

and Access to Public Meetingsand Records | Fourth Edition

Written by:Mark J. Sommaruga, Esq.Pullman & Comley, LLC

to order the FOIA book go to theCABE Online Bookstore at: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1256

AttentionALL Board Members

CABE hasdeveloped a126-pagebooklet onissues ofimportance toboard mem-bers. It wasoriginallydevelopedand distrib-uted at theCABE NewBoard Mem-ber Orienta-tion andLeadershipConference. Itprovides muchadvice andhelpful hintson schoolboard service,applicable to new and experienced board members. To ordergo to www.cabe.org and click on the Online PublicationsStore. The price of the book is $35 (members) $50 (non-members) plus shipping and handling.


CABE: working for YOUIndividualized Workshops • Professional Development Opportunities

Legal Services • Policy Services • Representing You Statewide and Nationally

Below are the highlights of activities thatthe CABE staff has undertaken on yourbehalf over the last month. We did this:

➤ By representing Connecti-cut school boards on thestate or national level:

• Participated in High School Gradua-tion Task Force meetings.

• Participated in Mastery Exam TaskForce meeting.

• Attended New England Association ofSchool and Colleges Annual Confer-ence.

• Attended CREC Council meeting.• Chaired NSBA Council of School

Attorneys Awards Committeeconference call.

• Attended State Board of Educationmeeting.

• Took part in teleconference with Big6 (CABE, CAPSS, CAS, CBIA,CCER, ConnCAN) on school fundingissues.

• Met with Northeast School BoardsAssociation Executive Directors onissues of mutual concern.

• Participated in discussion of Con-necticut districts becoming involvedin a Michael Fullan project.

• Particpated in Achieve meeting,discussing education issues across theUnited States.

• Participated in WhatWillOurChildrenLose Coalition (CABE, CAPSS,CAS, CASBO) meeting.

• Took part in NSBA committee ofexecutive directors teleconference ona new professional developmentprogram.

• Participated in Connecticut Anti-Defamation League Board of Direc-tors’ meeting.

• Attended Birth to Three Leadersmeeting.

• Attended legislative breakfastsponsored by the Bloomfield Boardof Education.

• Attended meeting of the ConnecticutCommission for Educational Technol-ogy.

• Met with consultants of the StateDepartment of Education to discussstudent health issues and policyinitiatives.

• Attended a meeting of the ChronicAbsenteeism Strategic Action Groupmeeting.

➤ By providing opportunitiesfor members to learn howto better govern theirdistricts:

• Planned and implemented successfulCABE/CAPSS Convention.

• Planned, implemented and partici-pated in a successful New Board

Member Orientation and LeadershipConference. Had phone planningmeeting with Marji Lipshez-Shapiro,who presented a joint session at theCABE New Board Member/Leader-ship Conference.

• Facilitated Roles and Responsibilitiesworkshop with the Columbia,Bristol, Brookfield, New Haven,Oxford, Plymouth, Redding andTrumbull Boards of Education.

• Provided policy information to 28districts, one RESC, one newspaperand one non-profit organizationthrough 53 answered requests forinformation or sample policies, on 44topics. Further, districts continue toaccess CABE’s online Core PolicyReference Manual and/or onlinemanuals posted by CABE for policysamples. The topics of greatestinterest included transportation, useof restraint and seclusion, bullying,tutoring, staff development, childabuse reporting and naming offacilities.

➤ By providing servicesto meet members needs:

• Participated in legislative discussionwith the Bristol, New Canaan andThomaston Boards of Education.

• Participated in LEAD ConnecticutPartners Meeting, discussing growingfuture school and district leaders.

• Completed an audit of the policymanual of the East Hampton PublicSchools.

• Trending legal topics were:Loudermill (employee due process)

hearings; Freedom of InformationAct: disclosure of teacher evaluations,meetings by email on social mediaand party caucuses; challengingstudent residency; ruling motions outof order under Robert’s Rules; andcourt rules in favor of District 14,validating bond referendum results.

• Currently in process of completingthe audit of the Southington policymanual.

• Entered into an agreement to placethe policy manual of the CanterburyPublic Schools online utilizing theConnecticut Online Policy Service.

• As part of the Customized PolicyUpdate Service materials were sent toNew Fairfield, North Stonington,and Windham Boards of Education.

➤ By ensuring membersreceive the most up-to-date communications:

• As part of the development of newpolicy manuals utilizing the CustomPolicy Service, materials wereprepared for Branford, NewLondon, North Haven, Portland,Ridgefield and Wallingford Boardsof Education.

➤ By helping school boardsto increase studentachievement

• Met with Joe Renzulli, UCONNprofessor, and expert on giftededucation.

• Participated in meeting of theProfessional Educators AdvisoryCommittee (PEAC).

• Sent out two issues of Policy High-lights via email listserv coveringtopics that affect student achieve-ment. This included the “EveryStudent Succeeds Act,” changes tothe SAT, ELL and bilingual educa-tion.

• Held a planning retreat with theWinchester Board of Education.

• Facilitated a board goal planningsession with the Columbia Board ofEducation.

• Attended a meeting of the Lighthousetraining team.

• Participated in a Pullman & Comleyseminar on collective bargainingcontract negotiations and grievancearbitrations, FOIC complaintsregarding confidentiality of teacherevaluation.

Save the DateMarch 2, 2016

CABE’sDay on the Hill

The Bushnell,Autorino Great Hall,

Capitol Avenue,Hartford

Plainfield Board of Education with Commissioner Wentzell and CABE Vice President forProfessional Development, Elaine Whitney (Westport).

OOPS!The wrong picture for the Plainfield Board of Education wasprinted in the December CABE Journal. Congratulations to thePlainfield Board of Education.

Come, learn and hearabout pending

Legislation before the2016 General Assembly.

Hear from LegislativeLeaders, and learn how

potential legislationwill impact your district.

An opportunityfor CABE Member

School Boards,Superintendents and

staff, PTA/PTO members,students and guests to make

their voices heard!


Documents

CABE Journal - January 2016