CABE Journal - December 2015

Vol. 19, No. 11 DECEMBER 2015

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

www.facebook.com/ConnecticutAssociationBoardsEducation

ExpandingEnrichment

PAGE 13

CommunitySchools

PAGE 10

Tornados Hit. . . .Connecticut?Robert RaderExecutive Director, CABE

See BOARDS page 19

Gruenbergelected CABE

President

NutmegBoard ofEducation

PAGE 5

Spotlighting Best

Practices

Editor’s Note: CABE is very excited tocontinue its series on “Best Practices thatLead and Inspire”. Please send us yourBest Practices and they might be pub-lished in the CABE Journal. This month

we are highlighting –

Granby

that Lead and Inspire:

Record breaking attendanceat CABE/CAPSS Convention!

Program Title(s):Professional Learning Communities,

Big History Class World Language K-12,Integrated Pre-School Program

Categories that best describes yourprogram:

Professional Development for Board/Staff, Curriculum/Student Achievement,Special Education

Grade Levels:All Grade Levels, High School, Pre-K

Description of the program:Professional Learning Community

The work of Granby Public Schools asa Professional Learning Community(PLC) is an ongoing process. We arecontinually questioning our practices,examining our results and implementingnew strategies to meet the needs of all ofour students. Our goal of developing aculture of professional learning throughoutthe district in order to maximize thestudent learning experience from kinder-garten through high school is well on itsway and continues to move forward withthe hard work and effort of the staff.

With the high school leading the way,the PLC model spread to all schools in thedistrict from 2008-2010. In the summer of2009, Richard and Rebecca DuFour(authors and national leaders in the fieldof PLC) provided two days of on-site PLCtraining for the entire district faculty. This

See SPOTLIGHT page 19

At theFridayeveningbanquet,CABEImmediatePast PresidentLydia Tedone,Simsbury,announced the2015-2016CABE Boardof Directorsmembers.

Elected as President Ann Gruenberg,Hampton; First Vice President RobertMitchell, Montville; Vice President forGovernment Relations Donald Harris,Bloomfield; Vice President for Profes-sional Development Elizabeth Brown,Waterbury; Secretary Treasurer ElaineWhitney, Westport; Immediate PastPresident Richard Murray, Killingly;John Prins, Branford, Member at Large;and Lydia Tedone, Simsbury, NSBADirector on the Executive Committee.

Elected as Area Directors to the CABEBoard of Directors were: Area 1 DirectorJonathan Moore, Region 1; Area 2 Co-Directors Donald Harris, Bloomfield;Susan Karp, Glastonbury; Area 3 DirectorMichael Purcaro, Ellington; Area 4Director Douglas Smith; Area 6 DirectorsJennifer Dayton, Greenwich; Area 7Director Roxane McKay; Area 8 LonSeidman, Essex; and Area 9 DirectorAndrea Ackerman, Groton.

Congratulations!

October 21st started out with grayskies, but weather coming in from thewest threatened all of our school districts.Some were hit by tornadoes, but luckilythere were few casualties.

Don’t remember that? Actually,October 21 was a beautiful day, butConnecticut’s Department of EmergencyServices and Public Protection/Divisionof Emergency Management & HomelandSecurity (DESPP/DEMHS) held astatewide drill and all school districts hadthe opportunity to participate. CABESenior Staff Associate for Policy ServicesVincent Mustaro and I have served, sinceright after 9/11, on Connecticut’s ChildEmergency Preparedness Committee. Wewere invited to watch as the State held thedrill.

I had the opportunity to sit in on theMass Care Task Force, meeting in theState Armory in Hartford, right next to

the command center, the Governor’s pressbriefing site and the room where theGovernor would meet with his cabinet tobrief them on the emergency.

The drill is organized according to aplan setting the context. Committees meet

as required in handling the issues facingthe State and local authorities. “Injects”are used throughout the drill to let the“players” know what is occurring.

Inject #1. Wednesday, October 21 –0805 hrs

The N[ational]W[eather]S[ervice] in-

StandardizedTesting

PAGE 4

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 PresidentJohn Prins .............................................................Member at Large

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 CHAIRS

Donald Harris.........................Chair, Federal Relations, BloomfieldBecky Tyrrell ......................................Chair, Resolutions, Plainville

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/December 2015

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

CABE Board of Directors

Looking forward:Teamwork

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.I am honored to have been elected president of the

Connecticut Association of Boards of Education(CABE), and will do my best to work with all of you inthis role. Thanks to the staff of CABE, as well as theHampton Board of Education and all those who sup-ported my candidacy. Without all of your support, Iwould not be in this position. Special thanks to outgoingPresident Richard Murray, who has been a very strongadvocate for children.

During this season of giving and thanks, we are onceagain processing the horror of terrorist attacks on inno-cent citizens. It may be comforting to remember that theword “courage” has French origins, emerging from thewords for “heart” and “spirit”. As we share our supportfor those in France, it is important to take pause andreflect on the world in which we live, in which youngpeople are growing up with the ever-present threat ofterrorism. Part of our charge is to prepare students tolive and thrive in a world that needs citizens of all ageswith strength of spirit and flexible problem-solving.

Global PerspectiveNelson Mandela, the visionary leader who focused on

equity and diversity, said:“There can be no better revelation of a society’s soul

than the way in which it treats its children.”Global perspectives are essential, and our annual

convention helped us continue to develop positive per-spectives regarding our place in the world.

You are all leaders in your various roles. Whetheryou are a new board member or well-seasoned, whetheryou are an administrator, or involved in some other ways,you all have the potential to lead and participate. Ourhope is that each of you will continue your professionaldevelopment in ways that are meaningful and relevant.Teamwork is central to my world view and leadershipstyle. I am responsive, supportive and facilitative. Iwant to hear from you, and want you on our team. Youall have something to contribute, regardless of the size ofyour district.

State PerspectiveWe recognize that one size does not fit all, and part of

CABE’s work is to tailor resources to a range of districts,large, medium and small, urban, suburban and rural, withdiverse communities. Given the structures of our publiceducational systems, it is essential that we have clarityabout our roles and responsibilities. We are prepared tosupport your work, and welcome your participation.Teamwork, collaboration, and non-partisan cooperationare integral to the efficient, effective operation of CABE.

The legislative advocacy, legal and policy guidance,and special initiatives like the Lighthouse Training are allgeared to support the work you do. CABE continues towork with many other groups, including, but not limitedto, CAPSS, CAS, CASBO, the State Department ofEducation and the State Board of Education in ways thathave mutually positive effects on the quality of educationfor the children in Connecticut’s public schools.

Collectively, we have shared commitments. Those ofus who remember the assassination of Reverend Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Kennedy brothers may bepainfully aware of history and the ways in which we arestill working on certain issues. Some of these include

insuringdiverserepresenta-tion onboards ofeducationand in theteachingprofession.One of mycore beliefsis that eachof us isinfluenced by many factors and experiences during ourlifetimes. For me, the contrast between a rural farmingcommunity and New York City, between Finnish cultureand eastern European heritage laid the groundwork for aworld view that includes many diverse perspectives. Myexperiences over five decades as an educator have alsobeen significant.

Personal PerspectiveAs a child, however, my experiences in seven differ-

ent schools by the time I was in the eighth grade also hadmajor effects, with profound life lessons. For instance, Iremember having air raid drills post World War II, dur-ing which each of us huddled under our desks. Growingup with the possibility that someone would push thewrong button and the earth as we knew it would cease toexist was an everyday reality.

I developed perspectives as a child that includednoticing and being aware of excellent practices, such assupport from some teachers, and the facilitation ofmeaningful understanding. Unfortunately, there were alsosituations that exemplified lack of equity. The determina-tion and resolve to work together to address disparitieshave emerged from childhood experiences as well asprofessional development.

Today, I’m increasingly aware of the need to resistmediocrity, especially in the form of maintaining thestatus quo because that’s “how it always has been done.”My vision includes integrated, well-aligned systems, withmeaningful connections. We need, collectively, to becommitted to excellence, guided by a transformativeview of change. Communication, coordination andengagement are key aspects of effectiveness.

ConclusionIn closing, it would be easy to feel “over the hill” after

a range of experiences, but I actually feel more like I’mstanding on a hill. From this vantage point, I can stay intouch with the past, including one room schoolhouses,the turmoil of the 1960s, the industrial model of educa-tion, etc., and look forward to a future with more per-sonalized learning, less disparity, and more technologyas a unifying, not fragmenting force. Global perspectives,school safety and mental health are some of the manyshared priorities and imperatives. Mutual trust and re-spect will help us on our journey, together. With a sharedgoal of and commitment to increasing positive opportu-nities for all children across Connecticut, we can con-tinue to make progress, together.

I look forward to working with all of you, and thankyou for your work with CABE.

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

Robert Rader

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/December 2015 3

Welcome,new board members!

CABE AffiliateMembers

BUSINESS AFFILIA TESDIAMOND MEMBER

Finalsite

GOLD MEMBERSBerchem, Moses & Devlin

Centris GroupGuidance Counselorsfor Senior TeachersPullman & Comley

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Milone & MacBroom, Inc.Perkins & Eastman

Siegel, O’Connor, O’Donnell & BeckThe Segal Company

SprintSvigals & Partners

BRONZE PLUS MEMBERSBL Companies

Coordinated Transportation SolutionsFriar AssociatesJCJ ArchitectureMilliman, 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 GroupMuschell & Simoncelli

Suisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law

EDUCATIONALAFFILIA TES

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

Congratulations to new Board mem-bers!

We are pleased that you have enteredthe ranks of volunteers entrusted with theeducation of our children—one of themost important responsibilities of localgovernment. Your job is to connect thewill of your community to the educationof its children. In this, you help ensurethat students in your community, as wellas those throughout Connecticut, will beprepared for the future when they gradu-ate from our schools.

We hope that you will attend CABE’sDecember 9th New Board MemberOrientation and Board LeadershipConference. Hopefully, this orientationand that done in your district, has left youfeeling both prepared and eager to startyour Board service.

Perhaps the best piece of information Ican give you is to remember that it takesapproximately two years for Boardmembers to feel comfortable in their newroles. Going through two school years,including multiple budget cycles, is oftenthe key to truly understanding the art ofbeing a Board member.

Unfortunately, there is no mathemati-cal formula or lesson that can magicallyturn you into the “perfect” Board mem-ber. Frankly, there is no “perfect” Boardmember.

All Districts Are DifferentEvery district has its own demograph-

ics, personalities, resources and traditions.All Boards have unique characteristics.Effective Board members understand thisand help the district make the best use ofthis diversity.

So, don’t expect perfection! Strive foreffectiveness. That is what meaningfulBoard service is all about.

While navigating the tough complexissues before you, remember that you arenot expected to be education experts. Oursystem of grassroots democracy is basedon Board members knowing enough aboutthe issues to ask the important questionsand then asking more if they remainunsatisfied with or did not understand theanswers.

As you begin your service, understandthat pretty much everyone who has beenor is on a Board has been stumped by themany acronyms (e.g., MBR, RTTT,PEAC, CCSS, SBAC, etc.) and“educationese” used in discussingeducational issues. [Editor’s Note: CABEhas a Glossary available for SchoolBoard Members.] Education can be acomplicated area, affected by laws,regulations, charters and other factors. Itis very rare that a Board member under-

stands this interplay as soon as he or shegets on the Board.

Professional Development AMust For All Board Members

Right now, Boards are consideringtheir 2016-17 budgets. Professionaldevelopment for All Board members, notonly those who are new, is just as neces-sary as that for district staff and demon-strates a commitment to lifelong learning.Our education system is challenged bymany demands, requirements and newtrends. Every year, despite our bestefforts, these grow. To stay ahead, Boardmembers must keep up with their knowl-edge of what is expected in order toappropriately guide their districts.

As you begin this new calendar year, Iwould urge you to take advantage of someof the opportunities for learning fromprofessionals in the field, your counter-parts in other districts and CABE staff.Here are some of the ways you can dothat:

• Many Boards take advantage of ourNew Board Member packets, whichare full of books, articles and othermaterial that should help newmembers understand the scope oftheir responsibilities.

• CABE presents workshops onspecific topics, such as collectivebargaining, policy, legal issues andothers throughout the year. Wealways include the “basics” of thesesubjects when we present.

• Over the course of the year, CABEStaff is available to come toindividual member Boards todiscuss roles and responsibilities.And, we always include at least oneworkshop on this during the CABE/CAPSS Convention.

• One of the most important opportu-nities for this year, is to attend theNational School BoardsAssociation’s Annual Conference.I’m excited to report, the 2016NSBA Conference will be inBoston, April 9-11. We hope thatmany board members from Con-necticut take this opportunity toattend. The speakers, networkingopportunities, vendor show and themany interesting workshops shouldbe a can’t – miss for our boardmembers.

While many of the conferences arenot located as conveniently, Bostonis not only easily drivable, it’s agreat city—and this is coming froma Yankees fan! Let’s ensure that by

the end of this Board memberelection year, all new Boardmembers will be able to hit theground running!

• One of the other ways to geteducated about education is tobecome more involved with yourassociation, CABE. We have anumber of committees, designed tobring the voice of our members tothe direction of the Association,such as our Resolutions andGovernment Relations Committees.These groups meet several times ayear, but the time commitment isnot major. The CABE/CAPSSConvention Committee helps planthe Convention and is anotheropportunity to learn about what ishappening in education.

• Our Board of Directors is alwayslooking for people interested inpossibly becoming Directors andhelping provide direction to theAssociation. Many of those whoserve find that their service on thisstatewide Board is one of the mostrewarding aspects of their Board ofEducation service.

Your LegacyI remind Board members that when

they retire from or otherwise vacate theirSchool Boards, they will leave a positivelegacy of service as part of the chain thathas been passed down through genera-tions of Connecticut leaders.

Not many people get that opportunity.I hope you will take advantage of yourposition and become, not the “perfectboard member”, but the most effectiveyou can be on behalf of your students andcommunity.

That is a wonderful legacy for anyBoard member!


Policy basics for new board members

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

The Policy Corner

The addition of new board membersthis month as a result of the Novemberlocal elections makes this an excellenttime to review the board’s policy manual.Policy is the backbone of the district andone of the board’s core responsibilities.

New board members should initiallyreview the bylaw series pertaining toboard governance and operations tofamiliarize themselves with their new andvaried roles. Orientation for these newmembers at the local level and throughCABE’s workshops will address theimportant role of policy in understandingthe complexities of board membership.

Districts need sound policies in placein order to operate effectively andefficiently. Through policies and theirimplementing administrative regulationsboards can address certain reoccurringproblems in a consistent manner.

Well-written policies establish theparameters within which the districtoperates. Policy, the board’s leadershiptool, is an idea designed to bring the kindof action and results the board wants.High functioning school boards arealways working on policy.

Policy is theBoard’s Major Role

New members need to learn andrealize that developing and adoptingpolicy is one of the board’s mostimportant roles. School board policyestablishes broad principles and goals toguide the community’s educationalprogram. Well-written policy helps ensurecompliance with federal and state statutesand regulations and establishes afoundation for fair, effective and efficientschool governance.

It is important that all board members,especially new ones, become quicklyoriented to the local policy manual andknowledgeable about its contents. Newmembers review many documents anddiscuss many issues during the initialorientation period, but none is moreimportant than the board’s policystatements.

Board policy is adopted by the boardand used by the staff to makemanagement decisions. The purpose ofmost policies is to make three simple butpowerful statements: What is to be done;

Why (or how much of it must be done)and; Who is going to do it.

The board’s policy manual is a livingdocument and updating it should be anongoing process. Laws and regulationsare constantly updated, school climateand culture changes and hot topics emergeand evolve; all contributing to the need toadd new policy or revise existing ones.

Delegating Authorityto the Superintendent

After policies are adopted by theboard, the superintendent should be giventhe authority to develop the procedures,known as administrative regulations, forimplementing the board’s policies.Properly written administrativeregulations, of which staff must be madeaware, have the full legal weight of policyand are to be followed as a condition ofemployment for staff and enrollment ofstudents.

A board, through policy, controls thedistrict’s direction and futuredevelopment. Therefore, board membersmust know what it says, agree on itsmeaning and insist that all policies befollowed. New board members can bringa fresh perspective to policy review anddevelopment.

At some point each board membershould read or reread the contents of thepolicy manual. While this may appear tobe a difficult and uninteresting task, it’sworth the effort and can save boardmeeting time and legal confrontations ifpolicies are not understood, followed orfairly and consistently enforced. Thisfamiliarization with the contents of theboard manual will also provide a basis fordetermining where revisions or newpolicies are needed.

New board members are advised tospend the early months of their termslearning, listening and reading; especiallyboard policies and administrativeregulations. The administration should beused as the primary resource in thissuggested learning period.

However, a seasoned board member orthe board chairperson can serve in amentoring capacity to the new boardmember. New members should use theknowledge of administrators andexperienced board members wisely,paying attention to administrativeconcerns.

Ultimately, however, each boardmember must make up his/her own mindabout the efficacy of each policy.

Policy Must be Clearand Understandable

Good policy is easy to follow anddifficult to misinterpret. As policies are

read by new board members for the firsttime, close attention should be given tounderstanding their meaning and thephilosophy it espouses on the topic. If aboard member has difficultyunderstanding a policy, then the publicwill also have experience similardifficulty in understanding. It is essentialto remember that in addition to policyproviding direction to the administrationand staff, it also serves to explain theboard’s concerns, beliefs and priorities tothe public. It’s critical that policy beeasily understood, interpreted andimplemented.

When new and existing boardmembers read and review policies, asrecommended, determine when themanual was last totally revised. Alsoconsider the manner in which the boardkeeps its manual up-to-date and theprocess used to monitor and reviewpolicies. CABE’s many policy servicescan be of assistance. Policy development,like curriculum review and developmentis a continual, never-ending process.

A welcome is extended to the newlyelected to school board service and totheir key role as policy makers! Most ofthe joys and frustrations of local boardservice will eventually come back to theuse made of policy. It should be kept inmind that when done well, policy drivesthe district’s management to ever-improving levels of excellence.

Poorly developed policy or policy thatis inadequately enforced, monitored orwritten without great care anddeliberation can be a source of anguishand act as an impediment to meeting theboard’s goals, especially the primary goalof improving student achievement. Newand existing board members should relyon the administration for experience andprofessional knowledge and should lookto CABE for guidance as necessary.

The CABE Policy Service encouragesboards to adopt orientation policies toensure the information provided to newboard members is comprehensive andsystematic. The board member’sknowledge of policy provides the basis toask the right questions of the professionalstaff.

Policy is basically a matter of fair playand common sense. If the board’s policysystem doesn’t make sense to new boardmembers and to existing members, itprobably needs close scrutiny, discussionand updating. It is vital to keep in mindthat the board is responsible for policiesthat create goals and a vision for theschool district, setting the parameters thatthe administration will operate within andproviding accountability to the citizens ofthe community, with the focus on studentachievement.

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.

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board has difficulty establishing a quorum–what is the answer?

Thomas 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.

With the holiday season in full swing,the Nutmeg Board of Education has beenhaving difficulty getting a quorum toattend its meetings. The meeting lastweek was delayed by forty-five minutesas the Board members present waited fora fifth member to straggle in to create aquorum. Tonight, four members of theBoard, including Ms. Chairperson, wereagain waiting. And waiting.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at7:00 p.m., but at 7:25 p.m. four membersof the Board were still waiting andwondering if they would ever be able tostart the Board meeting. Finally, Boardmember Mal Content decided that he hadwaited long enough. “Ms. Chairperson,”he began, “it appears that our thoughtlesscolleagues will not honor us with theirappearance this evening. I say let’s getstarted. As long as we don’t take anyaction, we should be fine.”

Board member Penny Pincher’s eyeslit up. “I agree with Mal!” she responded.“Since we have given up our evening, weshould have the meeting no matter what.”

Ms. Chairperson reflected on her ownfrustration with the Board members whocouldn’t be bothered to attend meetings,and she quickly came to a decision. “OK,then,” she announced. “I hereby call themeeting of the Nutmeg Board of Educa-tion to order. The first order of businessis the Pledge of Allegiance.” With that,the Board members present said thePledge to start the meeting. Then, Ms.Chairperson announced that, given theneed for a vote, the Board would skipApproval of the Minutes, and proceeddirectly to Comments from Citizens.“Does anyone want to say anything?”asked Ms. Chairperson.

“I was planning to talk,” came a voicefrom the audience. It was KenTankerous, a regular speaker who neverhas anything nice about to say aboutanyone or anything. “But I don’t thinkthat this is kosher. I have a right to speakto the Nutmeg Board of Education, not arag-tag group who can’t even assemble aquorum.”

“Watch your mouth, Ken,” respondedMs. Chairperson. “If and when we get aquorum, we are not going to repeateverything. This is your chance forpublic comment. Take it or leave it.”

“Then I will leave it,” Ken shot back.“You will be hearing from my lawyer.”

“Suit yourself,” said Ms. Chairperson.

The Eighth Edition is here!!

A Practical Guide toConnecticut School Law

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:

• 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

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

“In fact, I don’t think that you should bepermitted to talk at any future meetingsbecause you are a real whiner. Tell thatto your big shot lawyer.” With that, Ms.Chairperson called upon Ms. Superinten-dent to give her report, which was lengthyas usual.

One-half hour later, just as Ms.Superintendent was winding up herextensive report, veteran Board memberBob Bombast showed up to create thequorum. “Sorry I am late, but the salesright now are amazing. I hope I didn’tmiss anything . . . .”

“No problem, Bob. We just finishedup Comments from Citizens and theSuperintendent’s report. We will nowmove into the business portion of themeeting.” Board went on with itsmeeting, now with a quorum. Did theactions by the Board members presentbefore a quorum was established violateanyone’s legal rights?

Surprisingly, not yet. To be sure, therewas no “meeting” of the Board ofEducation before the quorum wasassembled, and Ms. Chairperson’spurporting to start the meeting without aquorum was ineffective. If the Board’sbylaws prescribe an order of business forits meetings, Ms. Chairperson violatedthose bylaws by not starting over whenthe quorum was created. However,actions inconsistent with the Board’sbylaws raise issues of parliamentaryprocedure, not of legal rights.

The issues here chiefly relate to theprovisions of the Freedom of InformationAct (FOIA) . First, until a quorum isconvened, the Nutmeg Board of Educa-tion is not conducting a meeting under theFOIA. Given that the gathering is not ameeting until a quorum assembles, themembers of the Board who were presentwere free to discuss Board businessamong themselves, and those discussionsdid not violate the FOIA.

The real question here is what theBoard members present should have donewhile waiting for a fifth Board member toshow up. Waiting is the default option, ofcourse, but that gets old, as it did inNutmeg. Another option would havebeen to connect with one or more Boardmembers by telephone to create thequorum.

The FOIC specifically contemplatesthat possibility: the definition of “meet-ing” under the FOIC includes “anyconvening or assembly of a quorum of amultimember public agency, and anycommunication by or to a quorum of amultimember public agency, whether inperson or by means of electronicequipment, to discuss or act upon amatter over which the public agency hassupervision, control, jurisdiction oradvisory power.” If one of the absentBoard members had participated by

telephone, the Board would have estab-lished a quorum, and it could haveproceeded (more or less) normally withits meeting.

In this regard, please note that permit-ting board members to participate inmeetings remotely raises some policy andprocedural issues for consideration (e.g.,how to handle executive session and/ormust a Board member attending “elec-tronically” participate for the entiremeeting?).

Before permitting such remoteparticipation on a regular basis, boards ofeducation may wish to discuss andaddress such issues to establish clearexpectations for “attending” meetingselectronically.

Sometimes, it is simply not possible toobtain a quorum, even by electronicmeans. The FOIA addresses that situationspecifically. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 1-228 provides that a “public agency mayadjourn any regular or special meeting toa time and place specified in the order ofadjournment. Less than a quorum may soadjourn from time to time. . . . A copy ofthe order or notice of adjournment shallbe conspicuously posted on or near the

door of the place where the regular orspecial meeting was held, within twenty-four hours after the time of the adjourn-ment.” Interestingly, this provision doesnot appear to require that the adjournedmeeting be posted, though of course suchposting may be helpful notification to thepublic.

Finally, we noted at the outset that theBoard has not violated anyone’s legalrights – yet. However, Ms. Chairpersontold Ken Tankerous that she didn’t thinkhe should be permitted to speak at futuremeetings because he is a real whiner.When the Board establishes an opportu-nity for the public to speak, however, itcreates a forum for speech that is pro-tected by the First Amendment. If Kenmakes personal attacks, yells or swears,Ms. Chairperson can rule him out of orderand, if he persists, cut him off. However,simply whining about educational issuesis protected speech.

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.


CABE Delegate Assembly -- November 19, 2015

Resolutions Chair Becky Tyrrell called the Assembly to order; Vice President for GovernmentRelations Robert Mitchell; CABE President Richard Murray; Patrice McCarthy, Deputy Directorand General Counsel; Ann Gruenberg, First Vice President, and Robert Rader, ExecutiveDirector.

Delegates listens at the Delegate Assembly onone of the issues before the group.

Delegates at the Assembly.

Delegates voting on the issues before the Delegate Assembly.

Delegates from across the State attended theCABE Delegate Assembly to shape the CABE’spositions for 2016.

Delegates make their voices heard to help theCABE staff prepare for the 2016 LegislativeSession.



Book Review of The PrizeA Jersey story – With Lessons for Connecticut

Imagine you were a mayor of a strug-gling city, with great poverty and schoolsthat could only be thought of as unsuc-cessful – low graduation rates, highdropout rates and awful results on anymeasure of student achievement. Thedistrict has long been run by the State,with the Board of Education and Superin-tendent of Schools having little authority,since the Governor and the Commissionerof Education call all the shots.

Now, what if you were approached bya wealthy philanthropist, say, a Bill Gatesor a Warren Buffet, and offered a hugeamount of money, if you could match it,to use on improving the school district?

What if the Governor, though of adifferent political party, was in favor ofhelping the district and approved of thedonation, would help you match thedonation and you, the donor and theGovernor agreed on how it would beused?

Under these circumstances, it isdoubtful that any mayor would turn down

charter schools were the answer to theeducation woes in Newark. Much of themoney coming in went to the establish-ment and funding of charters. But, this ledto disparities with traditional publicschools.

For example, while the traditionalschools languished, charters had money topay for specialists to help students. Thepublic schools, busy laying off staff,could not supply the safety nets thatcharters could now supply. Charters had“up to $17,000 to spend recruiting andtraining each new teacher and more than$200,000 for each new principal.”

At the same time, the traditionalschools had to choose mainly fromNewark’s existing supply of teachers andprincipals. The new teachers’ contract,did not affect the continued use ofseniority to lay off staff when the districtdownsized, either because studentsschools were closed or students left to goto the new charter schools. The districtwas left with teachers with more experi-ence, but, in some cases, questionableability.

The book goes into some detail on thelives of some students and teachers andhow the decisions made at the top endedup affecting them. As Booker left tobecome a member of the Senate, the nextmayor talked about how the communitybasically had to take back the schools.

Resentment was rife among parents,teachers and other staff according toRussakoff, especially as schools wereclosed, children had to go through dan-gerous neighborhoods to get to differentschools and “$1,000 dollar a day consult-ants” were hired, even as there was littlemoney in the budget of traditional schoolsto pay for extended day learning or otherprograms.

Lessons for Connecticut…and Other States

The biggest lesson drawn by the authorwas that “improving education for thenation’s poorest children is as much apolitical as a pedagogical challenge.Redirecting large district bureaucracies—for decades the employers of last resort indistressed cities – in the service ofchildren in classrooms is a treacherousprocess, activating well-organized publicworkers, political organizations, andunions invested in the status quo.

Voter backlashes against educationreformers in mayoral elections in NewYork City in 2013, in Newark in 2014 andChicago in 2015 revealed the tenuousnature of disruptive changes made withoutbuy-in from those who have to live them.”

This is important to remember asConnecticut grapples with issues such aswhether there should be more charterschools and where they should be, what“choice” really means and how we willgovern our schools in the future. There is

no singlepanaceato solvethe issuesin districtsthat areunder-perform-ing.Povertyand all oftheproblemsassociatedwith it,cansometimes be overcome in the schools,but every circumstance presents its ownchallenges.

Yet, we must continue to look at newways to educate students and preparethem for successful lives. The Newarkstory indicates that even huge donationsmay end up exacerbating tensions andlead to little gain in achievement for allstudents, if the vision for the district is notthought through or if the community doesnot approve of the changes and how theyare implemented.

Few districts will ever receive the un-expected largess that Newark did. Whileundoubtedly receipt of new resources willhelp some of our students, it is critical tohave a strategy that will help all students.

There is a good reason school boardsexist: to bring the will of the communityto the education of its children. When weget too far away from this principle, ourschools will suffer.

Robert Rader

Executive Director, CABE

Available from the CABE Bookstore!

“Poverty and all of the

problems associated with

it, can sometimes be

overcome in the schools,

but every circumstance

presents its own chal-

lenges. Yet, we must con-

tinue to look at new ways

to educate students and

prepare them for success-

ful lives.”

the money. With the acute need forresources in Newark, New Jersey, thefailures of the school district, the continu-ing takeover by the State and the supportof Governor Chris Christie, Mayor CoryBooker accepted the money, $100 millionover five years from the new philanthro-pist, Facebook founder MarkZuckerberg. Booker and GovernorChristie ended up matching the donation,mostly with money from reformers.

The Prize: Who’s In Charge ofAmerica’s Schools? by Dale Russakoff,tells the story. Unfortunately, rather thanhuge new achievements for the schooldistrict, the situation became, accordingto the author, mired in politics, angerfrom the community and a perception ofsuccess depending completely on whereone stood on the issues.

Christie and Booker were both veryprocharter schools and they believed that

New science standards have been ap-proved by the State Board of Education.Termed the Next Generation ScienceStandards. They will replace the last setof standards which were published in2004.

Liz Buttner, State Department of Edu-cation’s (SDE) Science Consultantdescribed to the Legislature’s EducationCommittee in a briefing, that advance-ments in science were one considerationin moving to new standards as well as theCollege Board examinations now movingtoward reasoning with evidence, criticalthinking and placing less emphasis onutilizing rote memorization.

It’s more a change in how studentslearn not what they learn, said Buttner.“In the real world there are not thesesilos” Buttner went on to say in makingthe argument for cross-cutting of physics,chemistry and biology to understand aconcept.

Students will be asked to do less des-cribing of a cause and effect and moredemonstrating the cause and effect.CABE held a webinar in May and it isavailable on our website on the standards.http://www.cabe.org/cf_media/index.cfm?g=93. A four year curriculum and assess-ment transition plan has been developed.

The Board also approved agency bud-get reductions to eliminate the funding forCT Pre-Engineering Program, CT WritingProject, CommPACT Schools, Bridges toSuccess. There were reductions to thePersonal Services, CT Technical HighSchools and Regional Education Servicesline items. The Office of Policy and Man-agement Secretary Ben Barnes asked for a5% reduction from each state agency.

All told, these cuts represent over 1%of the SDE budget. SDE funding islargely pass-through funding to districtsand therefore it becomes difficult toreduce its funding.

Sheila McKaySr. Staff Associate for Government Relations

Highlights fromState Board of

Education meeting

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 the

CABE Online Bookstore at: www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=1256


Representative Joe

Courtney

Robert RaderExecutive Director, CABE

2015 CABE/CAPSS ConventionGeneral Session Speakers | Honorees

General Session Speakers Honorees

CAPSSannounces2016Superintendentof the Year

2016 ConnecticutTeacher of the Year

CABE DistinguishedService Award Recipients

Elaine Whitney (Westport),Vice President for Profes-sional Development, CABE

Richard Murray (Killingly),President, CABE

Sal Pascarella, Superinten-dent, Danbury; President,CAPSS

Lisa Steimer, Senior StaffAssociate for ProfessionalDevelopment, CABE

Colleen Palmer,Superintendent, Weston

Joseph Cirasuolo, ExecutiveDirector, CAPSS

Betty Feser, Superintendent,Milford

Robert Rader, ExecutiveDirector, CABE

General Session featuredspeaker Yong Zhao

State Education Commis-sioner Dianna Wentzell

Cal Heminway, PastPresident, CABE

Lydia Tedone (Simsbury);NSBA Regional Director

Ann Gruenberg (Hampton)and Richard Murray(Killingly) passing the gavel.

Friday Banquet speaker,sponsored by Berchem,Moses & Devlin, CarollSpinney and “Oscar theGrouch”.

Saturday morning featuredspeaker Elsa Nunez.

George Coleman facilitateda discussion at the Saturdayluncheon. Student particicpation in the Saturday luncheon discussions.

2016 Teacher of the Year finalists Dylan Connor and DanClement; and Connecticut 2016 Teacher of the Year JahanaHayes.

CABE Philip S. Fenser Distinguished Service Award recipientsLydia Tedone (Simsbury) and Richard Murray (Killingly).


Mark D. Benigni, Superintendent

Louis Bronk, Director of Talent

Development, Meriden Public Schools

Community Schools: Partnering for Student Success

What do you want your schools to be?We asked this question to our community– students, parents/guardians, adminis-trators, community partners, and teachers.Their answers were consistent. Theywant schools that inspire, are safe andorderly, challenge and support, and pro-vide additional services. The goal of ourBoard of Education in Meriden is to as-sure that our schools operate as commun-ity hubs; where students and familiesreceive support during the school day aswell as after school.

School districts and their parents andcommunity members are rightfully con-cerned with their students’ ability todevelop into productive members of theglobal society. To accomplish this,schools must open their doors to com-munity partners and engage parents andcommunity members.

If we want to reform our schools, wewill need help from our parents and out-side agencies. If public schools are to besuccessful, then dedicated teachers (withthe support of church, community andcivic organizations, and parents/guardians) must collaboratively engage inthis work and guide our students downtheir path to success. We can make thishappen by operating full-service commun-ity schools that have progressive partner-ship strategies.

What is aCommunity School?

A full-service community schoolbecomes the hub of activity for school

initiatives and community service pro-viders. Community schools offer expand-ed learning time and customize theirprograms to meet the goals of their targetcommunity.

Community schooling is not just an-other program being imposed on a schoolbuilding. It is a way of thinking, acting,and doing business that recognizes thecentral role that communities and familiesplay in children’s education and thepower of working together.

According to CommPact CommunitySchools Collaborative, the features of aCommunity School include:

• community partners,• faculty buy-in,• parent involvement,• school as community hub,• extended learning time, and• wraparound servicesOur Board of Education has supported

universal free breakfast, summer lunchprograms, pilot dinner programs, as wellas partnerships with the CommunityHealth Center, Child Guidance Clinic, theMeriden YMCA, Meriden Police Depart-ment, and many other local agencies. Allin an effort to establish the essential fea-tures of community schools in our district.

Open Access PolicyThis policy supports placing school

resource officers in our schools, operatingcommunity health centers in our build-ings, holding office hours at our schoolsfor a child guidance clinic; and partneringwith the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, theWomen and Families Center, Girls, Inc.,Beat the Street Community Center, andothers. We know these partners providethe supports that our parents and studentsrequire. In essence, the old African pro-

verb, “It takes a village to raise a child,”is evident in Meriden.

We have implemented academic pro-grams and social gatherings for parents/guardians as ways to build connectionswith families and community providers.

Beyond VolunteerismFor too long, parental involvement has

meant attendance at school events andvolunteerism; in essence, parent seat time.The new concept of community andfamily involvement must go beyondattendance and volunteerism. The focusmust be on improved student achieve-ment, budget support, respect for publiceducation, and community engagement.

In order to increase studentachievement, families and communityproviders need to be active partners ineducation, advocates, and school suppor-ters. They must provide outside schoolconditions that support student learning.High-quality and high-performing schoolshave strong partnerships with their stu-dents’ families and the larger community.

National research consistently showsthat family and community involvementin education is a key element in studentachievement. Supporting education out-side the school walls is the best predictorof student academic success and highschool completion. Technology is help-ing expand learning time for students andcreating a stronger academic connectionbetween school and home.

Family-School LiaisonsThe Meriden Public Schools recently

launched the Family-School Liaison(FSL) Program. The program engages thecommunity in the educational success of

intergenerational spelling bees, andactivities are a few of the creative waysthe FSL team engages our students andcommunity.

An FSL Coordinator is supported byfive family-school liaisons that supportstudents and community partners in theirdesignated schools. Twenty-first centurylearning requires students to attain lifeand career skills; learning and innovativeskills; and information, media, and tech-nology skills. It is up to the educationcommunity to make sure our parents/guardians and community members areinformed, ready, and able to support ourstudents.

Our program is designed to help pro-vide and encourage that support. With anincrease in community and family sup-port, a positive impact on student perfor-mance is sure to follow.

These community and family partner-ships have helped our students producehigher grades and test scores, improveattendance, improve behavior at homeand school, and achieve at higher levels.

Student SuccessAll communities have hopes and

dreams for their children, all communitiescan contribute to their children’s educa-tion, and all communities can help “be thedifference.” Community agencies,families, and school staff are partners ineducation. This triad approach is a legiti-mate element of effective school systems.Do community and parent partnershipsmatter in your school district? Will fundsbe invested during these difficult eco-nomic times in community-partnershipprograms? Are you ready to partner forstudent success?

2015 CABE/CAPSS ConventionYoug Zhao Friday Keynote Speaker

Keynote speaker Dr. Yong Zhao, aninternationally known scholar, author, andspeaker, kicked off the Friday morningsession of the CABE/CAPSS conventionwith a fast-paced tour of the opportunitiesand challenges of global education. Heencouraged the packed room to focus onthe strengths of American education,creativity and innovation, and offered avision of public education that highlightsthe kinds of people the system creates andfocuses less on reliance on standardizedtesting.

The U.S. is concerned that its educa-tion system is failing because of ourrelatively poor performance on interna-tional tests, including the PISA (Programfor International Student Assessment). “Ifthe PISA is the measure of student suc-cess, then the US isn’t very good. But isthat what really matters?” Zhao pointedout that despite a 40 plus year history ofbeing one of the bottom ranked countriesin standardized test scores, American

sustained world dominance in the 20th

Century.Zhao who was born and raised in a

rural village in China, describes himselfas a failed peasant. “If the measure ofsuccess is how well one farms, then I amterrible failure. I am a bad farmer but agood professor. In the words of AlbertEinstein, ‘if you judge a fish by its abilityto climb a tree, it will live its whole lifebelieving that it is stupid.’”

Countries around the world, andespecially China, where Zhao grew up,produce world class test scores but theirstudents have low confidence in theirabilities and lack interest in pursuingcareers despite their academic success.

“Their ability to test well does notmean they will be able to ‘develop theskills, confidence, and creativity tosurvive in the 21st century’,” Zhao said.On the other hand, students in the U.S.have low test scores but a high level ofinterest in learning and innovating and agreat deal of confidence in their skills andability to succeed.

“What makes someone successful inthe 21st Century is definitely not theability to memorize facts. What will makesomeone successful is capacity toinnovate, to create. It’s your ability tonetwork, to make friends from your owncircle and from other countries. It’s yourability to see through challenges, to lookfor opportunities in problems, and to takeaction to change things instead of waitingfor someone else to do something.”

Americans prize these attributes andthat is why the U.S. continues to lead theworld in producing entrepreneurs.

Drawing on his sense of humor in add-ition to persuasive data, he talked aboutAmerica’s emphasis on what we call“readiness.” “One of the hot terms ineducation is ‘readiness.’ College readi-ness, school readiness, kindergarten read-iness…. Kindergarten readiness? I amthinking it is more likely that the kinder-garten needs to get ready for the kids”, hejoked.

He said that , “last year when my songraduated from college, I asked the

question ‘can you stay out of my base-ment?’ as I believe an important outcomeof education is the ability to live out ofone’s parent’s basement, that is, theability to be an independent and contrib-uting member of a society. Students needto enter the post-graduate world with ‘outof the basement readiness’.”

Dr. Zhao advised state regulators,board members, and superintendents to:

• support students to enhance theirstrengths, not fix their deficits;

• look at education as much morethan the sum of course content andinstruction in a limited number ofsubjects;

• reverse the trend measuring successby national test scores and promot-ing standardization as it stiflescreativity and love of learning; andmost importantly,

• focus on the strengths of Americaneducation by encouraging creativity,innovation, and individuality.

Rebecca AdamsSenior Staff Attorney, CABE


The Berlin Board of Education – TheBerlin Board of Education is focused onstudent achievement. From the start of itsmeeting when the board chair states itsmission statement, to the board agenda whichpractically eliminates non-student achieve-ment items, to the use of student presenta-tions to illustrate key student achievementinitiatives, to the board’s work with admin-istrators and teachers on presentation con-cerning student achievement.

The Bethel Board of Education hasdemonstrated significant growth. Bethel haspublicly committed to being “apolitical” inits collective work and has pledged its com-mitment to the families of Bethel by signingand posting a Code of Ethics. The Boardleadership stands on principle, unites for thegood of children, speaks forthrightly, andleads the community.

The Bloomfield Board of Education’spolicy-making and over-sight is rooted indata-driven decision-making. The Boardviews data on student performance and otheraspect of district functions. The analysis ofdata helps Board Members understand howbest to support continued academic growthby ensuring that all policies and resourcesare aligned with the district priorities: holis-tic accountability; strengthen curriculum,instruction and assessment; positive schoolclimate; and parent and community engage-ment.

2015 CABE/CAPSS ConventionCongratulations to the

CABE Board of Distinction Award Winners - Level II

The Derby Board of Education’s lead-ership sets itself apart through its dedica-

The Montville Board of Educationworks to improve student achievement byengaging in a cycle of continuous im-provement to ensure all students are edu-cated with high standards and achieve at thehighest levels of learning. The board usesdata to make informed decision regardingstudent achievement. The Board worksclosely with the Mayor and Town Councilin developing the budget.

The Old Saybrook Board of Educa-tion believes that it is especially effective inimproving student achievement due to ourbroad-based, teamwork approach to leader-ship. Given the importance of the school-home Connecticut, we are particularly fo-cused on securing and incorporating inputfrom parents and the community as we planeducational initiatives. The initiatives focuson educating the whole child to reach his orher greatest potential.

The Plainville Board of Educationmaintains a commitment to optimizingachievement districtwide. With a focus onstudents, teaching and learning, the Boardprovides the resources, support and leader-ship that serve as the foundation for oursuccess, with an emphasis on continuousimprovement of student achievement. Thedistrict’s Strategic Plan developed by theBoard and respective stakeholders, has en-abled the administration and staff to clearlyarticulate and execute strategies to consis-tently improve student achievement.

The Plymouth Board of Education iseffective in improving student achievementin a variety of ways. First, the Board wentthrough an extensive process to developBoard Goals that are meant to guide thework of the district. The Board continues tosupport to use of data analysis tools likePearson Inform, allowing district teachersand administrators to make progress withstudents. The Board is also very interested

in ensuring that all students receive an ap-propriate education.

The Putnam Board of Education con-tinues to take an active role in improvingstudent achievement. They are given regu-lar updates on district assessments and stu-dent achievement. The Board has ensuredthat proper learning materials and inter-vention programs that support student learn-ing are accessible to all students. The entireBoard has successfully lobbied town andstate leaders for the adequate educationalfunding.

The Simsbury Board of Educationdevelops five year goals that represent thenext level of work that the staff and admin-istration will engage in as we strive to im-prove PreK-12 education in Simsbury. Thefirst goals of the Board of Education isstudent achievement.

The Stratford Board of Education ismade up of seven members that serve withfour year term limits. The Board revisedtheir goals in 2015 and the superintendenthas established her goals in alignment withthe Boards goals for the District. Analysisof data is reviewed and used for budgetaryconsiderations like staffing levels, and insalary negotiations decision, course offer-ing decisions, class size goals, and facilitiesusage.

The Wolcott Board of Education atti-tude is driven by data to inform both studentlearning and school finances. The boardcreates a culture of friendly competition andhigh standards of achievement for everyschool — thus all students.

The Newington Board of Education

tion, commitment and relentless pursuit tolearn, develop and support new strategies tocreate a more student centered learningenvironment in every classroom. The Boarduses data which ensures we are makingdecisions and developing action steps thatproperly support and drive our strategicplan. The Board maintains a visible andsupportive presence, showing support forall staff, and building positive relationswith the community.

The Glastonbury Board of Educationis fully committed to improving studentachievement at every level for every stu-dent. We respects the expertise of our ad-ministrators, values the input of our teach-ers and carefully consider the implicationsfor our students. Our focus is always onensuring that our students are college andcareer ready.

The Granby Board of Education isextremely supportive of public educationboth within the state and the local commu-nity. The board works collaboratively andsupportively with the community and townofficials in a non-partisan fashion as strongadvocates for students and education. A 21st

Century district vision, mission, core val-ues, and achievement goal have providedthe superintendent and schools with a clearexpectation for student achievement andexpectations.

The Madison Board of Education fo-cuses on improving student learning as isevidenced during the budget developmentprocess. The Board provides the necessarysupport to continually review and improvecurriculum and the associated professionaldevelopment to implement the curriculumin the classroom. Budget assumptions in-clude: implementing curricular and instruc-tional initiatives through professional de-velopment and curriculum renewal; main-tain technology in support of student learn-ing; review, refine, and/or improve currenteducational programs.


2015 CABE/CAPSS ConventionCongratulations to the CABE Board of

Distinction Award Winners - Level I

The Canterbury Board of Education, thesuperintendent and the board chair workclosely together. We meet to review boardagendas. In addition, we hold communica-tion meetings quarterly with the superin-tendent the board chair, the board of financechair, and the first selectman. These meetingsare particularly helpful during the budgetseason.

The Coventry Board of Education neverwaivers in its commitment to doing what isbest for students. This commitment, andstrong leadership, have resulted in theacquisition of resources which has allowedthe district to prepare students for thechallenges of the 21st Century. Althougheach member has his own own politicalaffiliation, their bipartisanship should serveas a model to other boards of education.

The East Lyme Board of Education workscollaboratively through the screening,interviewing and selection process of a newsuperintendent of schools for the East LymeDistrict.

The New Britain Board of Educationprovides new board members with an in-house orientation. The district encouragesand pays for new board member to attendworkshops through CABE. The boardannually evaluates the superintendent anddiscusses mutual goals. They holdcommunity forums across the district, PTOmeetings, school governance meetings, andemail messages from the board president,using Multilanguage correspondence.

The Plainfield Board of Educationleadership practices have continued to growparticularly over the past three year. Withthe hiring of a new superintendent in 2010,Plainfield undertook a district-widestrategic planning activity with fourstakeholder groups: the board of education,administrators, teachers and staff and thecommunity through the PTO and businessleader forums. Plainfield extends itscommitment to professional growth byincluding in each union contract the rightsand privileges for professional learning aspart of the expected working conditions.

The Vernon Board of Education utilizesa system of committees to forward the workof the board. Committee meetings are heldon nights separate from the regular boardmeeting. Minutes of all the committeemeetings are disseminated to the rest of theboard and all committees makerecommendations to the full board fordecision on policy, personnel, budget,technology, curriculum and facilities.

The Wilton Board of Education is a high-functioning, highly effective governing bodythat ensures the district remains focused oncontinuous improvement. In the last year,the Board adopted a committee structure tomore sharply focus its work on improvingstudent achievement and district operations.The board chair publishes a regular columnin the local newspaper to keep the communityabreast of all the fine work taking place inthe district and ensures that all meetings andrelevant information are published to ourwebsite and easily accessible to thecommunity.

The Windsor Locks Board of Educationhas a very collaborative relationship withthe superintendent, administrators, staff,community leader, commissions andresidents. Respect, trust, opencommunications, continuous qualityimprovement provides the basis for ourphilosophy of “student first”. Advocatingfor resources to provide our students with21st Century skills in meeting the newstandards makes us a leader in implementingcompetency based objectives and graduatingstudents.

The Salem Board of Education

The Thomaston Board of Education

The Waterford Board of Education

CABE-Meeting is a user-friendly online service offered byCABE specifically for schoolboards. Users can eliminate un-necessary paperwork, increaseefficiency and reduce costs whileenabling board members to uti-lize the latest in cutting edgetechnology. Using CABE-Meet-ing, the Meeting Manager cancreate an electronic meetingfrom developing the agenda tocreating the minutes and every-thing in between.

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Student performers: Ji Ji (Betty Jane) Barrett, East Haven;Zane Bendici, Shelton; Zoe Eklund, Hamden; Ci Ci (Chienye)Emenyono, New Haven; Juliet Friedman, Madison; DeigoGarcia Miranda, Guilford; Willow Giannotti-Garlinghouse,New Haven; Lia Koski, New Haven; Lily McIntyre, Madison;Quincy Ponvert, New Haven; Ella Rodems-Boyd, New Haven;Clementine Wurzbach, Killingworth

Student performers: Mia Atterberry, Nathan Barnes, Arriya Benitez, BryanBrazel, Daniel Coleman; Jake DeFrancesco; Angel DeJesus; Alexia Ducas;Ashley Flores; Christian Garcia-Sagrero; Cristian Garcia; Tatyana Inman;Kendal Mason; Nyjah McFadden; Agatha Panek; Qusanna Perez; WestonPytel; Juliana Servetnick, Alexia Shedrick, Jeremy Szawerda, Jasmine Taylor,Natalie Turgeon, and Meghann Villeneuve.

Saturday MorningStudent Performance byMaloney High School Allegrettosdirected by David Pelletier

Friday morning studentperformance ACESEducation Center for theArts “The EducationProject: How We Learn”directed by Ingrid Schaeffer, Chair,Theatre Department; Seth Harris,Technical Director; Pamela Newall,Choreographer; and Carolyn Ladd,Sound Design

“The words ‘gifted and talented’ areprobably among the most controversial inthe field of education,” says University ofConnecticut Professor Joseph Renzulli.In a recent discussion about enrichmentinstruction, Renzulli, the founder anddirector of UConn’s National ResearchCenter on the Gifted and Talented, sayshe regularly receives calls from parentsand teachers asking for guidance withregard to deciding which students shouldbe identified as “gifted”.

In fact, Renzulli notes a fundamentalchange in thinking has taken place inrecent years. “Gifted” students used to beidentified based on test scores - a childwho scored 130 on an IQ test was consi-dered gifted, but a child who scored 129was not – we now know that giftedstudents reveal themselves in ways thatdon’t always show up on an intelligencetest. As Dr. Renzulli notes, ThomasEdison, Louisa May Alcott and WaltDisney each received scathing gradesduring school, with Alcott’s teacher not-ing that she would never write anythingwith popular appeal.

Wilton is Expanding EnrichmentBruce LiklyBoard Chair, Wilton Board of Education

Instead, today’s “gifted and talented”initiatives are much broader and moreinclusive. It used to be that students tag-ged as gifted would be pulled out of classand offered instruction by an “enrichmentaide.” Today, a “more is better” mentalityhas taken hold, in which large numbers ofstudents are exposed to enrichment op-portunities, and encouraged to pursueideas or activities about which they arepassionate.

Dr. Renzulli has developed a widelyaccepted “3-Ring Conception of Gifted-ness” model that involves interactionsbetween three traits:· Above Average Intelligence: Mostgifted students are found in the “aboveaverage” range of students, but not fromthe “superior” ranking, as measured byintelligence tests.· Creativity: Gifted students generatedifferent approaches to problem solvingand challenge traditional approaches.· Task Commitment: Gifted studentsgenerally demonstrate a laser-like focuson a particular task about which they arepassionate.

An ideal environment for giftedstudents would offer four characteristics:· Personalization of interest so that a

student can pursue topics of interest, topicsthat are not part of a regular curriculum;· Authentic methodology in which ateacher provides the instruction to help astudent pursue that outside passion.· No predetermined correct answers.· Audience beyond the teacher. A stu-dent must have an audience in mind be-yond just satisfying a teacher. This caninvolve having a written work published,or entering a science fair or roboticscompetition.

So, what does “gifted and talented”instruction look like in Wilton?

Much of what is taking place in ourschools is based on a belief in broad ac-cess to enrichment opportunities. Longgone are the days of advanced instructionoffered only to high scoring test takers.Today, we offer opportunities for ALLstudents to tap into their passions, and thetools to develop those interests. Weunderstand that just as one student mayexcel in an AP Calculus class, another mayshow tremendous fortitude in a creativewriting class, or performing in a schoolorchestra or jazz ensemble.

For example, students in Cider Mill(grades 3-5) and Middlebrook (grades 6-8)are involved in newspaper clubs, and

perform all tasks required to create,publish and distribute their finishedproduct.

Middlebrook students are involved ina new book-publishing project, and a newTV studio. Cider Mill students areengaging in enrichment activities offeredduring the new “What I Need—(WIN)”instruction period.

Our high school is a virtual laboratoryof enrichment, with students engaged inseemingly limitless opportunitiesincluding debate, coding, robotics,theater, art, international relations,journalism, world language, culinary artsand our new student driven televisionstudio.

These initiatives are in addition to thehighly differentiated curriculum learningthat takes place in the classroom.

Through differentiated instruction,each student is assigned subject matteraligned with his or her capability. In atypical Language Arts class, one studentmight be assigned to read a book consid-ered at grade level, while another couldbe reading a book two or threegrade levels ahead.

The goal is to offer rigorous instruc-(please see WILTON page 15)


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 Tasks Force meetings.

• Attended NSBA State AssociationCounsels meeting and Council ofSchool Attorneys Law Seminar.

• Participated in Professional LearningAdvisory Committee meeting.

• Participated in Mastery ExaminationCommittee meeting.

• Participated in Connecticut Councilfor Justice in Education FundingSteering Committee meeting.

• Participated in CAPSS TechnologySubcommittee.

• Attended Connecticut Commissionfor Educational Technology andTechnology Subcommittee of theMORE Commission meetings.

• Attended the CAPSS Board ofDirectors meeting.

• Met with State Department ofEducation representative on the StateBoard’s long-range plan.

• Attended Connecticut Consortium ofEducation Foundations discussion onthe future of the organization.

• Participated in NSBA LiaisonCommittee (representing all stateschool boards associations’ executivedirectors) teleconference.

• Addressed the New England meetingof the Association for the Gifted.

• Met with Senator and Co-Chair of theEducation Committee GayleSlossberg on student mental healthconcerns.

• Taught Central Connecticut StateUniversity graduate class for formersuperintendent Cam Vatour.

• Participated in Connecticut Coalitionfor Public Education meeting.

• Attended Teacher of the Year celebra-tion.

• Attended CCM conference, ProjectB.E.S.T. Summit (Bringing EveryStakeholder Together).

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

• Planned and implemented successfulLegal Issues workshop.

• Met with former CommissionerGeorge Coleman on the GeneralSession discussion he will facilitate atour Convention.

• Spoke with Eastern Connecticut StateUniversity President Elsa Nunez onher Saturday morning General Sessionpresentation.

• Spoke with Caroll Spinney, Fridaynight Convention speaker, about hissession.

• Facilitated a Roles and Responsibili-ties workshop with the Bolton, NewCanaan, Region 4 and Region 11Boards of Education.

• Met with the Windsor Board ofEducation to plan a Board retreat.

• Provided policy information to 31districts, one attorney, and one RESCthrough 51 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 statewide assess-ments, wellness, administration ofmedications and health assessments,bullying, use of restraint and seclu-sion and issues related to technology.

• Participate in CABE, CAPSS, LEADCT meeting on the GovernanceStatement and the Team Assessmentdocument.

➤ By providing servicesto meet members needs:

• Provided a workshop on Legal Issuesfor Superintendent’s AdministrativeAssistants.

• Completed an audit of the policymanual of the Fairfield PublicSchools.

• Met independently with WoodstockSuperintendent Victor Toth;Mansfield Chair Randy Walikonosand Superintendent Kelly Lyman;Ellington Superintendent Scott Nicol;Orange Superintendent VinceScarpetti; and SuperintendentThomas McMorran of Region 9 onCABE services, programs andactivities.

• Provided school governance commit-

tee training in Windham.• Trending legal topics were: applica-

tion of Freedom of Information toteacher evaluation data, proper use ofmotions to postpone and table underRobert’s Rules, Seating of new boardmembers, organizational meetings andelection officers, holiday decorationsand events, and curriculum accommo-dations for religious reasons.

• Currently in process of completingthe audit of the Southington andEast Hampton district policymanual.

• As part of the Customized PolicyUpdate Service materials were sent toEast Windsor, Marlbor ough, NewFairfield, New Hartford, Putnamand West Haven Boards of Educa-tion.

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

• As part of the development of newpolicy manuals utilizing the CustomPolicy Service, materials wereprepared for Cromwell, Ellington,Griswold, New London, NewCanaan, Newtown, Plymouth,Portland, Region 14, andWallingford Boards of Education.

• Observed and wrote up (see page 1)Connecticut emergency managementdrill.

• Mailed the first issue of this schoolyear of the Policy Update Servicepublication to over 100 subscribingdistricts.

➤ By helping school boardsto increase studentachievement

• Sent out two issues of Policy High-lights via email listserv coveringtopics that affect student achieve-ment. This included chronic absen-teeism, dress codes, vaccination, andteaching about elections.

➤ By promotingpublic education:

• Discussed future education needswith Capitol Region EducationCouncil (CREC) staff leaders.

• Participated in Big 6 meeting(CABE, CAPSS, CAS, CCER, CBIAand ConnCAN)

• Attended Clifford Beers Institutemovie on student mental health.

For an update or more information on vacanciesgo to our website: www.cabe.org

Call CABE for your searches!

For more information contact, CABE Search Services,860-539-7594

Mary Broderick, Senior Search ConsultantPaul Gagliarducci, Associate Consultant

Jacqueline V. Jacoby, Senior Search ConsultantBob King, Associate Consultant

P.O. Box 290252, Wethersfield, CT 06129-0252www.cabe.org/support Equal Opportunity Employers

CABESearch Services


Save the Date

March 2, 2016CABE’s Day on the HillThe Bushnell, Autorino Great Hall,

Capitol Avenue, Hartford

Come and learn and hear about pending Legislation beforethe 2016 General Asembly, hear from Legislative Leaders,

and learn how potential legislation will impact your district.

A State Legislative Networking Program for CABEMember School Boards, Superintendents and staff,

PTA/PTO members, students and guests.

Testing, one, two . . . . the United States Department ofEducation’s new plan for standardized testing

tion that challenges each student to thebest of his or her ability.

Earlier this year, the Board of Educa-tion hosted a “community conversation”in which parents and community mem-bers were encouraged to share theirthoughts and concerns. The number oneissue on parents’ minds that evening wasa desire for more and better enrichmentopportunities. Clearly, in a communitylike Wilton, we need to continuallychallenge our students and offer extra-curricular venues wherever possible.

We have made progress in the pastyear, and will build on that going for-ward. Many of our teachers have pro-posed wonderful ideas for challengingand innovative enrichment opportunities.And, of course, students have an insa-tiable appetite for exactly this level ofinstruction.

We’re all familiar with GarrisonKeillor’s fabled Lake Wobegon, where‘all the women are strong, all the men aregood looking and all the children areabove average.’ I don’t know about thefirst two claims, but with the rightenrichment opportunities in place, we canbe assured of the third.

Wilton is ExpandingEnrichment

(continued from page 13)

Dramatically reversing its priorposition on standardized testing, thefederal government has concluded thatperhaps it has been subjecting publicschool students to too much of it. OnOctober 24, 2015, the United StatesDepartment of Education, or “DOE,”issued a ten-page “Testing ActionPlan,” or “TAP,” summarizing its newperspective on assessments as follows:

“In too many schools, there isunnecessary testing and not enoughclarity of purpose applied to the task ofassessing students, consuming toomuch instructional time and creatingundue stress for educators and stu-dents.”

In government-speak, the TAPwould undoubtedly be characterized aslittle more than a “mid-course correc-tion.” For school boards that havebeen enduring both the imposition ofCommon Core testing and sometimesfeverish opposition, however, theDepartment’s abrupt change in direc-tion could cause a kind of pedagogicalwhiplash.

Perhaps inspired by WilliamFaulkner’s “The Bear,” my father used

to note that it was not the size of the dog,but rather the size of the fight in the dogthat mattered, and the DOE appears to becontemplating an analogous approach tostandardized testing.

For example, while the federal govern-ment is not seeking to eliminate testingaltogether, it is seeking to ensure that “nochild spends more than 2 percent of herclassroom time taking these tests.”

Within those narrower temporalconfines, the DOE contemplates a betterand more meaningful assessment tool thatflows naturally from the relevant grade-level curriculum rather than forcingdistricts to divert from courses of study inorder to teach to the test.

The TAP stresses the importance ofdistricts keeping parents apprised of thepurpose of the standardized testing as wellas when the results will be available andhow they will be used both to assist theindividual student and to guide thedistrict’s educational programming.

Of particular note, the TAP emphasizesthe concept of “flexibility” in the contextof standardized testing, stating that theDOE would “invite” states to requestwaivers of federal rules that “stand in theway of innovative approaches to testing.”In conjunction with those waivers, the

DOE would work with states “to promotehigh-quality . . . statewide measures.”

As an example, the TAP references a“competency-based assessment” that NewHampshire is currently piloting in fourdistricts and for which it received a DOEwaiver.

In addition to this technical assistance,the TAP references President Obama’sproposed budget for the 2016 Fiscal Year,specifically $403 million that is designed“to support the effective implementation ofassessments that are aligned to college andcareer-ready standards.”

Of this amount, $25 million would beset aside to support competitive projectsdesigned to encourage states to develop“innovative, new assessment models” andto assist with their implementation. Assuch, this suggests the application of a“Race for the Top” approach to moreeffective forms of standardized testing.

Perhaps the most intriguing element ofthe DOE’s new approach is reflected in thediscussion of New Hampshire’s pilotprogram, which, the TAP notes “allowedthe state to give students locally developedtests – in lieu of the statewide standardizedtest – that will assess students’ progressbased on their ability to apply what theyknow through a series of complex, multi-part tasks.”

A possible recalibration of Connec-ticut’s traditional state-driven and, morerecently, nationally sourced standard-ized testing, thereby allowing local andregional boards of education to havemore direct say in the elements of itsstudents’ standardized testing could beseismic.

Although such testing at the strictlylocal level might ultimately prove tohave limited efficacy, the DOE’scontemplation of new testing paradigmsthat depart from rigid national normsmay usher in an era in which standard-ized testing can be tailored to moremeaningfully reflect and relate to localcurricula.

It is important to remember that theTAP is but an outline of the DOE’s newperspective on standardized testing. ByJanuary 2016, however, the DOEpromises that it “will provide clearguidance to all states and districtsregarding what existing federal fundsmay be used for assessment audits andto support high-quality teaching andlearning, and best practices for usingtesting as a learning tool.”

Attorney McKeon is a Member of thelaw firm of Pullman & Comley LLC,which represents a number ofConnecticut’s school districts

Michael P. McKeonAttorney, Pullman & Comley


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Award WinnersSocial Media

Woodstock AcademyWoodstock Social MediaCheshire Public SchoolsParent Guardian CommunicationsStratford Public SchoolsStratford Board of EducationFacebook Page

Going GreenRedding Public SchoolsRain BarrelsNewington Public SchoolsPartnering Green Initiatives andCustomer ServiceManchester Public Schools“Saving Trees” Thru DigitalStrategies

NewsletterBethany Public SchoolsBethany Community School MonthlyHappeningsNorwich Free AcademyNFA MagazineWest Hartford Public SchoolsBugbee Buzz

Annual ReportEASTCONNAnnual Board Update 2014-2015LEARNLEARN Annual Report2013 - 2014CREC2013-2014 CREC Annual Report

Special ProjectBethany Public SchoolsVeteran’s Day School-wideCelebrationPlainville Public Schools2014-15 Quick Facts InformationalBookmarkWest Hartford Public SchoolsCreativity

Special Project (AV)Woodstock AcademyWoodstock Academy Alumnus Speaksand PerformsCheshire Public SchoolsSpeak LifeMilford Public SchoolsNew Standards, New StandardizedAssessment

Computer Generated ProjectsWoodbridge Public Schools2015-156 BOE Budget: Presentationto the Board of Selectmen and FinanceNew Fairfield Public SchoolsConvocation: New FairfieldPublic SchoolsWest Hartford Public SchoolsConvocation Video

WebsiteBethany Public SchoolsBethany School District WebsiteNewington Public SchoolsDistrict WebsiteCRECCrec.org

District BudgetSalem Public SchoolsSalem School Districts Superinten-dent’s FY 2015-16 Budget BookNewtown Public SchoolsDistrict BudgetGlastonbury Public SchoolsBoard of Education Approved Budget2015-16

Parent/Student HandbookWoodbridge Public SchoolsBeecher Road School Parent &Student Handbook 2015-2016Wolcott Public SchoolsWolcott High School StudentHandbookWest Hartford Public SchoolsElementary Handbook

Course Selection GuideEASTCONN2015-16 Programs and ServicesBrochureNewington Public SchoolsProgram of StudiesWest Hartford Public SchoolsConard Program of Studies

CalendarBethany Public SchoolsBethany Community School and PTOCalendarNew Fairfield Public Schools2015-16 Calendar and GuideGlastonbury Public Schools2015-2016 Calendar

Honorable Mention WinnersACESBethany Public SchoolsBethel Public SchoolsBloomfield Public SchoolsBridgeport Public SchoolsCanton Public SchoolsCRECC.E.S.Cheshire Public SchoolsDerby Public SchoolsEASTCONNEast Haven Public SchoolsFairfield Public SchoolsGranby Public SchoolsManchester Public SchoolsMeriden Public SchoolsNaugatuck Public SchoolsNew Canaan Public SchoolsNewington Public SchoolsNorwich Free AcademyOld Saybrook Public SchoolsPlainville Public SchoolsRedding Public SchoolsRegion 5 Public SchoolsRegion 18 Public SchoolsSalem Public SchoolsSeymour Public SchoolsSimsbury Public SchoolsStamford Public SchoolsVernon Public SchoolsWallingford Public SchoolsWest Hartford Public SchoolsWindsor Public SchoolsWolcott Public SchoolsWoodbridge Public SchoolsWoodstock Academy



“I don’t know how youcan top this one.”

“ The Conven-tion was verywell-organizedwith a variety ofengaging topicsand speakers.The keynotespeaker wasthought-provok-ing and veryinteresting.”

2015 CABE/CAPSS Convention

Save the Date!November 18-19, 2016

CABE/CAPSSConvention

We’re looking forwardto see you there!

Talented Student Display

“I was able tonetwork withother boardof educationmembers. Weare going to

look at sharingservices.”Shipman & Goodwin sponsored the Friday evening reception..

Door prize winner!Congratulations!

“One of the bestConventionsI’ve attended

in my decade ofBoard service.”

Friday Receptions

Pullman & Comley reception before dinner on Friday.

cludes members from the Red Cross, FEMA, DEMHS,211 from United Way, the Governor’s office, the De-partment of Social Services, the Department of Healthand others.

In our meeting, we discussed what schools will do inthe unlikely, but possible, event that tornadoes touchdown in their communities.

Inject #2Television and Radio Stations with reporters de-ployed to affected communities are reporting wide-spread damage to both commercial and residentialstructures, many downed power lines and trees block-ing many secondary roads.

During the exercise, districts report what is “occur-ring” in their communities. Every town reacts as if theywere hit in this exercise, for example, East Lymereported, that it had “significant” damage.

At the task force, the Red Cross states that its job andthat of the task force will get bigger as the situationevolves. While with a hurricane, the State and localagencies can pre-stage water and food, tornadoes areharder to predict.

Woodstock Public Schools agreed to be part of thedrill. Superintendent Viktor Toth was called in themorning of the exercise and told that a tornado was in thearea while school buses were carrying students to school.The district quickly evacuated the buses once they got tothe schools and students sheltered in the buildings. Whilethe district would have alerted parents had the scenario

been real, the district’semergency plan did notinclude tornadoes as a poten-tial threat.The task force also realizedthat it needs additionalagencies to help out in thisemergency, including the StateDepartment of Education andthe Office of Early Childhood.At a prearranged time, onerepresentative (Ken Dumais)from each of the task forceswill brief the Governor. Anemphasis is put on concisereports, since there are over 20reports.The drill reminded me of how


(continued from page 1)was followed in 2010 by a PLC consultant coming toGranby to coach district administrators on PLC teamimplementation. Granby's leadership, expertise andsuccess in implementing PLC teams has been recognizedlocally and nationally in a book (Revisiting ProfessionalLearning Communities at Work, (DuFour, DuFour,2008)), on the All Things PLC website (http://www.allthingsplc.info/), in the high school's NEASCdecennial report, and by numerous school districtsmaking site visits to Granby in order to learn about PLCs.

Big History ClassThe Big History Class has been an elective course in

the Social Studies Department at Granby Memorial HighSchool for the past two years. In that time, the depart-ment has considered the relative merits of the course andits place in the 9-12 scope and sequence.

Big History is fundamentally about creating globalcitizens with 21st Century skills who are able to solveproblems via an interdisciplinary approach to the study ofWorld History. It integrates technology throughout thecourse and is the model course for our 1-to-1 computinginitiative.

World Languages K-12Granby Public Schools has a long-standing belief that

world languages are an important part of a comprehensiveeducational experience and are an important part ofpreparing students for citizenship in the 21st Century. Thesupport from the community for world language programshas provided our students with earlier exposure tolearning about other cultures, customs and languagespreparing them for success in today's diverse world.Granby continues to implement its elementary worldlanguage plan by providing Spanish to Grades K-6.Spanish, French and Chinese are offered at the middleschool/high school levels.

Integrated Pre-School ProgramGranby Public Schools has an inclusive policy guided

by a district Theory of Action and supported by aResponse to Intervention Model and Integrated Pre-School Program. The district is beginning its third yearof our Integrated Pre-School Program housed at the F.M.Kearns Primary School. The program brings pre-schoolstudents with special needs and peer students together inan afternoon session that can service a total of 30students. The program has been highly successful andour youngest students are making tremendous progress intheir developmental learning.

For more information on these programs please visit:• http://www.allthingsplc.info/• http://www.granby.k12.ct.us/page.cfm?p=5070• http://www.granby.k12.ct.us/uploaded/

Special_Services/Documents/Community_communication_5-2012.pdf

Contact Information:• Professional Learning Communities

Alan Addley, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools,[email protected], 860-844-5259

• Big History Class, Mary Gadd, Ed.D., Principal,Granby Memorial High School, [email protected], 860-844-3014

• World Language K-12, Patricia Law, Ed.D., Directorof Curriculum & Professional Development,[email protected], 860-844-5266

• Integrated Pre-School ProgramAimee Martin, Director, Pupil Personnel Services,[email protected], 860-844-5257

Spotlighting Best Practices

Tornados Hit. . . . Connecticut?(continued from page 1)

The Command Center focusing on the tornados.

In the first hours of such a situation, the State wouldrely in part on local officials and the media to learn whatis occurring. Will there be a need for sheltering individu-als? Where would that occur (usually schools)? Whileschools have food for their students, how will we ensurethere is enough food for people who are being sheltered?In some cases, schools now serve food that can just bewarmed up and served. But, what if the schools don’thave power?

Those were just some of the many questions asked.Obviously in an emergency, parents will want to reunitewith their children as soon as possible. But, if roads areblocked, how will the district and the State ensure thatparents are reassured thattheir children are safe?How many languagesmust the reassurance besent in—and how?

All school districts arerequired to have emer-gency management plans,but they cannot developprocedures for everysingle emergency. Inaddition, have theydrilled on the plan? Whatwill they do in thissituation? Who will sendout messages to commu-nity leaders? There is aState committee focusedon communications, but itmust get very clear

MassCare Task Force meetsinformation to send outin its messages.

many logistical issues come

up in any of our hurricane,blizzard or other emergencyscenarios. It is good to knowthat the State is taking these

issues seriously and that we have trained experts pre-pared to help out.

It is good to know that so many of our districts havebeen part of an exercise of this type. If your districthasn’t been, I would suggest they do so.

Being prepared for emergencies is a critical part ofkeeping our children, staff and our communities safe andsecure.

I want to thank the Division of Emergency Manage-ment and Homeland Security, specifically Mary RoseDuberek for the opportunity to observe the drill.


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