cabe journal - december 2013

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

PeriodicalPostage

PAIDHartford, CT

Vol. 17, No. 11 December 2013

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

INSIDE THIS EDITION

See DAVID NEE page 19

Professional Governance Board .......... 4See You in Court .................................. 5Delegate Assembly highlights ............. 6CABE/CAPSS Conference ................... 6Communication Awards winners .........12Book Review: Stop the Bus ................13How to Pitch a News Story .................14Legal Section ......................................15CABE: Working for YOU ....................16Policy Corner ......................................18Business Affiliate Corner ....................19

David Nee, Executive Director,Connecticut Center for School Change

David Neeretrospective

Bryant receivesCABE Friend

of PublicEducation Award

Robert Rader, Executive Director andPatrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Directorand General Counsel, CABE

At the 2013 CABE/CAPSS ConferenceRichard Murray, a member of theKillingly Board of Education, was electedPresident of CABE.

Richard was elected to the KillinglyBoard in 2003. He has served as Chairmanin 2005-2009. He has been active in theAssociation, serving as First VicePresident, Vice President for GovernmentRelations, Secretary/Treasurer and Area 4Director.

Richard has represented CABE at theNational School Boards Association(NSBA) Federal Relations Conference andthe NSBA Annual Conference 2008-2013He is also a graduate of the CABELeadership Institute.

Otherofficerselectedwere: AnnGruenberg,First VicePresident,Hampton;RobertMitchell,VicePresidentforGovern-

Murray elected CABE President

CABE/CAPSS Conference(see pages 6,7,8,9,10,12 for highlights)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I appreciatethis opportunityto offer commen-tary as I close outmy career at theWilliam CasparGrausteinMemorial Fundafter 20 years.When I think

Anne L.Bryant, who ledthe NationalSchool BoardsAssociation for 16years, hasreceived the 2013CABE Friend ofPublic Education

See BRYANT page 15

Weston Middle School Chamber OrchestraAnne L. Bryant

David Nee

Richard Murray

Award. Thisfollowed her keynote address on Fri-daymorning of the CABE/CAPSS AnnualConference.

The Award is given by the Board ofDirectors to “those men and women whohave worked to support public educationin Connecticut and are not eligible forother CABE awards.” Past recipientshave been: Theodore Sergi, Patricia B.Luke, John Allison, Lorraine Aronson,Thomas B. Mooney, James Comer,Robert Frahm, Betty Sternberg, GeorgeCole-man, David Nee and VirginiaSeccombe.

Bryant, who is now NSBA ExecutiveDirector Emerita, was introduced byGinnie Seccombe, the last winner of theaward and Past NSBA and CABE Presi-dent Mary Broderick. They spoke abouthow Anne led the 50-state associationand helped boards lead their communitiesto raise student achievement and prepare

about the changesthat have unfoldedover those years, I am struck by thepresence of the Connecticut Center forSchool Change and the good work it isdoing on instructional improvement. Aswe discover how children’s mindsdevelop and learn, the field is alsolearning more about the art and science ofinstructional improvement.

It has been a delight to watch the Cent-er’s work garner national attention andeven more delightful to see it move intopowerful partnerships with allies like theConnecticut Association of Boards of Ed-ucation (CABE), the Connecticut Asso-ciation of Public School Superintendents(CAPSS), the State Department of Educa-tion, the Neag School and national cent-ers of excellence in educational improve-ment.

Over these years, the biggest changeof all has been the changing face ofConnecticut. As diversity goes in theUnited States, Connecticut is about in themiddle of the pack.

It is strikingly evident when visitingcommunities in Connecticut, how newimmigrant populations, not just in largecities but in small towns too, have becomethe new school population and bring withthem new opportunities and challenges.

mentRelations, Montville; Elaine Whitney,Vice President for Professional Develop-ment, Chair, Westport; John Prins,Secretary/Treasurer, Branford; and LydiaTedone, Chair, Simsbury, will serve asImmediate Past President.

Elected as Area Directors to the CABEBoard of Directors were: Area 1 Co-Directors Susan Hoffnagle, Chair,Winchester, Mari-Ellen Valyo, Win-chester; Area 2 Co-Directors Don Harris,Chair, Bloomfield, and Susan Karp,Chair, Glastonbury; Area 3 Director LauraBush,Vernon; Area 4 Co-DirectorsDouglas Smith, Chair, Plainfield andSteve Rosendahl, Woodstock; Area 6 Co-Directors Andrea Veilleux, Stratford andElaine Whitney, Westport; Area 7Director John Prins, Branford; and Area9 Director Gail MacDonald, Stonington.

Richard Murray

2 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2013

Past, present and future

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

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

Connecticut children through effective leadership.

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

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

CABE Board of DirectorsEXECUTIVE COMMITTEERichard Murray ............................................... President, KillinglyAnn Gruenberg ............................. First Vice President, HamptonRobert Mitchell .......... VP for Government Relations, MontvilleElaine Whitney ... VP for Professional Development, WestportJohn Prins ...................................... Secretary/Treasurer, BranfordLydia Tedone ........................................ Immediate Past PresidentDon Harris .......................................................... Member at Large

AREA DIRECTORSSusan Hoffnagle ....................... Area 1 Co-Director, WinchesterMari-Ellen (Mimi) Valyo ........ Area 1 Co-Director, WinchesterSusan Karp ............................... Area 2 Co-Director, GlastonburyDon Harris ................................. Area 2 Co-Director, BloomfieldLaura Bush ............................................. Area 3 Director, VernonDouglas Smith ..............................Area 4 Co-Director, PlainfieldSteve Rosendahl ....................... Area 4 Co-Director, WoodstockAndrea Veilleux ............................Area 6 Co-Director, StratfordElaine Whitney ............................. Area 6 Co-Director, WestportJohn Prins ............................................ Area 7 Director, BranfordGail MacDonald ............................. Area 9 Director, Stonington

ASSOCIATESEileen Baker ........................................... Associate, Old SaybrookSharon Beloin-Saavedra .......................... Associate, New BritainGary Brochu ........................................................ Associate, BerlinRobert Guthrie .......................................... Associate, West Haven

COMMITTEE CHAIRSElizabeth Brown ...................... Chair, State Relations, MontvilleDon Harris ......................... Chair, Federal Relations, BloomfieldBecky Tyrrell ................................... Chair, Resolutions, Plainville

CITY REPRESENTATIVESJacqueline Kelleher .................. City Representative, BridgeportMatthew Poland ........................... City Representative, HartfordCarlos Torre ............................. City Representative, New HavenPolly Rauh ....................................City Representative, StamfordCharles Stango ........................... City Representative, Waterbury

STAFFRobert Rader ...................................................................... Executive DirectorPatrice McCarthy ................................ Deputy Director and General CounselBonnie Carney ........................................... Sr. Staff Associate for PublicationsNicholas Caruso ............................................ Sr. Staff Assoc. for Field Service and Coord. of TechnologySheila McKay ............................ Sr. Staff Associate for Government RelationsKelly Moyher ......................................................................... Sr. Staff AttorneyVincent 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

The CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published monthly excepta combined issue for July/August as a member service of theConnecticut Association of Boards of Education, 81 Wolcott HillRoad, Wethersfield, CT 06109, (860) 571-7446. CABE member-ship dues include $30 per person for each individual who receivesThe CABE Journal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75.Association membership dues include a subscription for each boardmember, superintendent, assistant superintendent and businessmanager. The companies and advertisements found in The CABEJournal are not necessarily endorsed by CABE. “PeriodicalsPostage Paid at Hartford, CT.” POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to The CABE Journal, CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road,Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. Email: [email protected] can find the CABE Journal online at: www.cabe.org/userlogin.cfm?pp=84&userrequest=true&keyrequest=false&userpage=84

Editorial Note: This was Richard Murray’s acceptancespeech at the 2013 CABE/CAPSS Conference afterbeing elected President of the Association.

I am honored and humbled to be standing heretonight. I would like to begin by thanking our now PastPresident Lydia Tedone. She has been an amazing leader.Her energy on behalf of this Association has beenunparalleled. Lydia and I agreed many years ago to forman informal partnership for the four years of our terms.So, luckily for CABE, Lydia will not be going away.

Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge andthank the Killingly Board of Education, without theirsupport I would not be standing here tonight. Throughthe years, I have worked with many dedicated members,past and present, who are committed to the education ofyoung people in our town.

I look out at the people sitting here tonight and I am inawe of the commitment so many of your have for publiceducation in Connecticut, and the intelligence, experi-ence, and compassion you bring to the table.

It is time we worked together to diversify our localboards so they more accurately reflect our studentbodies and communities as a whole. We should havemore diversified representation on the CABE Board ofDirectors, as well. We need everyone to feel representedby local boards of education, or some will not see localgovernance as the answer. Let’s face it… the morestakeholders we bring to the table… the more voices andthe greater the range of opinions and ideas, and thestronger CABE will be as an Association.

Many boards and their members may be feelingoverwhelmed with Common Core, teacher evaluation,charter schools, education reform, school security,special education issues, the list goes on and on, all thewhile dealing with stagnant budgets. Urban and ruralpoverty is a pressing issue, and may determine therelevance of school boards. Poverty is a major determin-ing factor in the achievement gap.

For example, in my community the latest data showsthat students on free lunch had a graduation rate of 50%,which is totally unacceptable. We know that manychildren growing up in poverty and violence-prone urbanenvironments have great hurdles to overcome andeducation is the hope for their future. One hurdle manychildren face is coming to school hungry. Did you knowthat Connecticut is ranked 50th in the nation in thenumber of schools serving breakfast? We are also last instudent participation. Regardless of where our districtsare located, we do face many of the same issues.

Now, more than ever, we need to look beyond ourdistrict’s borders to find quality professional develop-ment. Besides curriculum, boards should be looking atother issues that impact school climate and the ability ofstudents to learn, such as student health and safety andcreating a positive school culture. CABE, of course,offers a variety of opportunities for board members andsuperintendents to become more knowledgeable aboutthe issues we face in our local districts throughout theyear culminating with this annual conference.

There is an increasing push from state, federal andprivate entities to influence public education, for avariety of reasons. It is really up to us to keep the

“public” in publiceducation. We needto stand and deliverthe story of publicschools and localschool boardgovernance. As weknow, local gover-nance is essential toconnecting thecommunity and theeducation of ourstudents. Schoolboard members inConnecticut areelected volunteers.

RESCHEDULED • Register Now!Hot Topic: Pre-K

January 15, 2014 • 9:00 - 11:00 amNEW LOCATION: Keeney Memorial Cultural Center,

200 Main Street, WethersfieldUnder executive order, the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) will become the lead agency for thecoordination and delivery of early childhood services. Come hear from the OEC’s Executive Direc-tor, Myra Jones-Taylor, about what she sees the role of school boards to be in Pre-K and where theState is going with its Pre-K initiatives. We will also discuss how we can ensure that Pre-K and theschool system provide a smooth transition to Kindergarten for parents and their children.

That is a powerfulcombination and ourvoices need to beheard!

We know this country’s public schools, while notperfect, are a vital cornerstone of our democracy and thefoundation on which the middle class was built. ThePresident of NSBA is asking us to become an army ofadvocates for public schools and local governance. I’MIN!!

I do not believe that high stakes testing and many ofthe other mandates coming from the federal and stategovernments are the only answer. There are betterinterventions. It is universally acknowledged that qualitypreschool will have a significant impact on the long termbenefits for all children, particularly those living inpoverty.

The latest data shows that low-income children whoare enrolled in high quality early education are 40% lesslikely to need special education services and 30% morelikely to graduate from high school. We also need tomake our public schools safe havens where adults, frombus drivers to administrators, care about kids and theireveryday lives. Russell Quaglia, President of the QuagliaInstitute, said it best in the American School BoardJournal: “schools need to be a welcoming environmentwhere student’s hopes and dreams are known, under-stood and supported”.

He also states that “school boards need to realize thatbefore students can achieve (academically or personally)they need to have self-worth, be meaningfully engagedin their learning and have a sense of purpose.” Beforekids can achieve they need high expectations andencouragement to create realistic goals and see successas achievable. We need these children to grow intocitizens who contribute to society and not be a potentialburden on taxpayers.

So I am hoping we can work together to diversify ourschool boards, become knowledgeable about issues weface in districts, across the state, and around thecountry. We need to become more effective advocatesfor public education and local school board governance.

I will close with the newly crafted CABE VisionStatement: “CABE is passionate about strengtheningpublic education through high-performing transformativelocal school board/superintendent leadership teams thatinspire success for each and every child.”

Robert Rader

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

CABE AffiliateMembers

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education • December 2013 3

BUSINESS AFFILIATESDIAMOND MEMBER

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GOLD MEMBERSAdvanced Corporate Networking

dba. Digital BackOfficeBerchem, Moses & Devlin

Centris GroupGuidance Counselorsfor Senior TeachersPullman & Comley

Shipman & GoodwinSiegel, O'Connor,

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SILVER MEMBERSAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Corporate Cost ControlMilone & MacBroom, Inc.

Quisenberry Arcari ArchitectsThe Segal Company

BRONZE PLUS MEMBERSBrown & Brown Insurance

Friar AssociatesGoldstein & Peck, P.C.

Lindburg & RippleO & G Industries

The S/L/A/M CollaborativeTrane

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BRONZE MEMBERSChinni & Meuser LLC

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Architects and PlannersKainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C.

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EDUCATIONALAFFILIATES

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Connecticut Association of SchoolBusiness Officials

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and Grounds AssociationCooperative Educational Services

EASTCONNEDUCATION CONNECTION

LEARNUnified School District #1

The first half of Diane Ravitch’snewest book seems to read, are you withus or against us? Are you for reform oragainst it? Are you in favor of our tradi-tional relationships with unions, indivi-dual teachers and your community or doyou want to see them totally upended?

Problem is, as those on school boardsknow, the issues facing public educationare rarely black or white. The shades ofgray (I would guess more than 50 of them)color one’s perspective and views onmany of these issues that are faced byboards.

But, the second half of the book pro-vides sometimes workable, sometimes pie-in-the-sky solutions to many of the issuesfacing public education.

This is a very interesting, though long,book. For new board members, it providesa history of the reform movement andwhile you may not agree with everythingRavitch says, it is thoughtful, comprehen-sive and provides evidence for the caseshe is making—something she wouldargue the “reformers” do not. It is writtenmuch like Ravitch speaks: rapid fire, auth-oritative and credible.

Those who read her earlier book, Deathand Life of the Great American SchoolSystem: How Testing and Choice areUndermining Education, will find plentyof new things to think about as theyponder the future of public education.

Ravitch sets the context for reform anddiscussing the arguments of reformers,who include President Obama and Educa-tion Secretary Duncan; ex-WashingtonD.C. Chancellor and current head ofStudents First Michelle Rhee; formerFlorida Governor and creator of of theFoundation for Excellence in EducationJeb Bush; Democrats for Education Re-form (DFER) the American LegislativeExchange Council (ALEC) ; foundationsincluding Gates, Milliken, Walton andBroad; and for-profit providers of educa-tional services.

She characterizes the reform movementas being “determined to cut costs andmaximize competition among schools andamong teachers. It seeks to eliminate thegeographically based system of publiceducation as we have known it for thepast 150 years and replace it with a com-petitive market-based system of schoolchoice—one that includes traditionalpublic schools, privately managed charterschools, religious schools, voucherschools, for-profit schools, virtualschools, and for-profit vendors of in-struction. Lacking any geographic boun-daries, these schools would compete forcustomers.”

Many chapters set out her concernswith two simple statements, the Claim byReformers and the Reality, which is, in heropinion, often quite different. For exam-ple, in a chapter entitled “Why Merit PayFails”, the Claim is that “Merit pay willimprove achievement.” The Reality: Merit pay has never improved achieve-ment.” Her “solutions” chapters also startwith two-sentence summaries of herthinking.

Book Review:Reign of Error: The Hoax of thePrivatization Movement and theDanger to America’s Public Schools

The chapters go into some depth onmany critical education issues, including:test scores; the achievement gap, interna-tional test scores, high school graduationresults; parent trigger legislation; vouch-ers; and teachers’ tenure and seniority. One thing I really appreciate about thebook is the solutions she proposes. It’slong been my feeling that one of the rea-sons the reform movement has grown isthat the traditional educational groupshave really not proposed good solutions(except for more resources) for troubledschool districts, especially those in ourcities. Nature (and politics) abhors avacuum and that’s what we had. Forthose parents whose children went toschools that provided (and may stillprovide) subpar education, is it anywonder that they have, in many casesflocked to charters or pushed for vouch-ers? If you were a parent in such a situa-tion, wouldn’t you do the same for yourchild?

PovertyOne of the most interesting issues that

Ravitch discusses is poverty. She makesthe strong argument that we must dealwith the issues in education and societyat same time. Reformers may be right thatpoverty is not an excuse, but “it is a harshreality.” She calls for deep thinking onthe issues of poverty as they so affectstudent achievement.

Ravitch’s thoughtful and evidence-based solutions go beyond what theschools alone can do, such as:• providing good prenatal care;• making “high-quality early childhood

education available to all children”with well-prepared teachers;

• ensuring every school has “a full,balanced, and rich curriculum”, includ-ing the subjects that were not beentested under NCLB and RTTT (arts,science, history, civics, foreign langu-age and physical education) and theremust be other indicators of what makesa good school, besides high testscores;

• banning for-profit charters and charterchains and ensuring that charterschools collaborate with publicschools for a better education for allstudents;

• providing the wrap-around servicesthat many students so desperatelyneed (including healthcare, summer-and after-school enrichment programs)and parent education to support theother services;

• measuring knowledge with whatstudents know and can do, rather thanwith high-stakes assessments;

• ensuring that teachers, principals, andsuperintendents are professionaleducators;

• governing districts through electedschool boards or by boards in largecities “appointed for a set term by morethan one elected official.” In otherwords, appointed boards should not beappointed solely by the mayor; and,

• defining public education as “a public

responsibility, not a consumer good”.Throughout the book she argues that

reformers’ solutions will not lead to betteroutcomes for our students. She statesthat the purpose of public education isnot necessarily to make students college-ready, it is to prepare them to be goodcitizens. Another purpose is to provideequal educational opportunities for allstudents and she believes that the charterschool movement might, instead, create adual system of education for our young-sters.

She believes that under the “presentsetup, local school boards are nearlyirrelevant” as so many decisions are madein Washington, D.C. She touts thebenefits of local boards of education,including the idea that they “are a checkand balance against concentrated powerin one person or agency.” She states thatsince public schools need public supportand “should be governed by those whoare willing to work diligently to improvethem and by those who have the greateststake in the success of the children andthe community.”

My TakeawayI believe that, as in many real life

situations, every community, the stateand even the nation will have to determinewhat is best among the black and white,as well as gray, solutions to the problemsof public education—to the extent thatthey are permitted to do so. With themomentum of the accountability, schoolchoice and charter schools train roaringdown the federal and state tracks, localboards, as well as state associations andNSBA must think through the conse-quences of their decisions and how theywill respond to Ravitch’s warning. As thebest governance is often done as close aspossible to those affected, school boardsare in a unique place to take the best fromtraditional and/or reform models.

It is good that Diane Ravitch makes herarguments so passionately. I know shecares deeply about the future of publiceducation. She questioned what CABEwas doing when we joined a coalition withreform groups. And, those of us thinkingabout the future of boards of educationmust sit up and pay careful attention.

Her book is a very passionate discus-sion of, as Paul Harvey used to say, “theother side of the story.”

It is one that board members, superin-tendents and even reformers shouldcarefully analyze to determine the futureof public education.


The Professional Goverance Board

Gary BrochuChair, Berlin Board of Education

Ten essential elements for asuccessful board-superintendent relationship

Perhaps the most important character-istic of a professional governance boardis a close and effective working relation-ship between the Superintendent ofSchools and the Board. Yet this type ofrelationship is not inevitable, but is theresult of hard, focused work. Below is alist of ten necessary elements for aneffective Board-Superintendent relation-ship.

1. Remember Why You Are ThereServing as a superintendent or as aBoard of Education member can bestressful. The issues can be polariz-ing, the public scrutiny is oftenintrusive, and the temptation to battleover turf irresistible. But you shouldnever forget the responsibility thatyou have agreed to assume – theeducation of our children. Everythingelse is secondary. Anything thattakes away from your focus onproviding the best possible educationfor all of your students must berejected. There’s too much at staketo waste time and energy on anythingelse.

2. Communicate,Communicate,CommunicateThe importance of frequent, timely,and honest communication betweenboard members and the superinten-dents cannot be overstated. Thetwo-way sharing of informationbetween board members and superin-tendents helps to focus their effortsand prevents the misunderstandingsthat can develop when there is aninformation vacuum.

3. Recognize theOther’s StrengthsOne of the most frequent mistakesmade by board members and superin-tendents alike is to fail to recognize,and take advantage of, the skills andabilities of each other. This appliesnot only to the board member whofails to acknowledge the educationalbackground and experience of hissuperintendent, but also to thesuperintendent who neglects to takeadvantage of the skills and experienceof board members.

4. Support Each OtherOnce the board of education makes adecision, it is essential that thesuperintendent publicly support thatdecision. And, in the same fashion,once the Superintendent makes a

decision or implements the Board’spolicies, it is equally critical that theBoard supports its educational leader.Neither the board nor the superinten-dent can be effective without thesupport and success of the other.

5. No Surprises – EverThe last thing that a board member orsuperintendent wants is to appearuninformed or surprised. Not onlyare you placed in a position where aninformed and thoughtful response isoften impossible, but the public’sperception of your effectiveness isalso diminished.

6. One Message to the PublicIt’s not only important for thesuperintendent and board ofeducation to communicate with eachother, but they also need tocommunicate with the public. Andthe message they communicate needsto be consistent and uniform. It isdifficult enough to effectivelycommunicate your message to adiverse public audience, inconsistentsignals from the district’s leadershipteam makes it impossible.

7. Run Interference for Each OtherThere are times when board membersor the superintendent will come underattack. One aspect of being part of aleadership team is that each partymust be prepared to accept criticismand blame without passing it off tothe other. If recriminations arenecessary, they can be aired inprivate. Undermining each other inpublic only leads to ineffectivenessfor everyone.

8. Don’t Sweat the Small StuffOne of the easiest things to do whenworking on a school district’sleadership team is to be consumed bydetails and daily “emergencies.” Thismicro-managing can best be avoidedby the Board and Superintendentunderstanding their unique roles andresponsibilities, with Board memberswilling to allow the Superintendent toact as the school district’s CEO.

9. Think Long TermBoard members and superintendentsare continually confronted withthings that need to be done “rightnow.” But they need to avoid thetrap of only focusing on theimmediate at the expense of thefuture. Failure to plan for the futuredoesn’t mean it doesn’t come, butonly that your school district will be

unprepared once it gets here. As anadditional benefit, if boards ofeducation and superintendents canagree on their district direction andgoals, it tends to minimize theinevitable conflicts on the moreimmediate and mundane matters.

10. Take Time to Get AwayBoard members and superintendentsshould interact in venues other thanboard meetings. Something as simpleas sitting at a sporting event togetherallows for informal communicationthat can lead to a betterunderstanding of, and greater respectfor, one another. Additionally, it is agood idea for boards of education

and superintendents to scheduleworkshops or retreats where they canmeet to discuss issues, ideas andgoals for the school district. Thistime together can help build a solidfoundation for the inevitable stormsto come.

An effective Board-Superintendentrelationship can be an extraordinary assetfor a school district. But like anything ofvalue, its existence isn’t happenstance,but the result of a common purpose andhard work. Take time to assess the statusof this essential relationship, and takesteps to build a solid foundation for yourdistrict’s work.

What will the

ConnecticutOnline Policy

Service(C.O.P.S.)

provide YOURdistrict?

• A policy manual updated within days of a board meet-ing.

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

• Timesaving links to legal and cross references.• A search engine specifically designed for board policy

manuals.• The ability to search other online districts for similar

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

If you would like additional information on CABE’sConnecticut Online Policy Service (C.O.P.S.),

call Vincent Mustaro at860-571-7446 or

email [email protected] full details.

Let the CABE staffmake your

policy life easier.

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board deals with First Amendment rights of teachers and studentsThomas B. Mooney, Esq.Shipman & Goodwin


A Practical Guideto Connecticut

School Lawby Thomas B. Mooney, Esq.

Shipman & Goodwin

The Guide comes with a CD which provideshyperlinks to many cases and statutes

and will permit word searchesas a supplement to the Index.

New to the Seventh Edition:Bullying, Background Checks,

Child Abuse Reporting, Discrimination Issues,Educational Reform, FERPA,

Freedom of Information,State Aid for Educationand much, much more

The 7th edition is now available from CABE.Call and order your copy TODAY at 860.571.7446 or 800.317.0033

Seventh Edition

The Nutmeg Board of Educationmakes many mistakes. The latest imbro-glio created by the board will be report-ed here each issue, followed by an ex-planation of what the board should havedone. Though not intended as legal ad-vice, these situations may help boardmembers avoid common problems.

The new teacher evaluation plan wasdriving Mr. Principal crazy, but it did haveone upside for Mr. Principal. Given theneed to conduct so many formal andinformal observations of teachers, he wasout and about, seeing students andteachers hard at work. However, that washow the trouble started.

Sitting in the back of a senior honorsEnglish class, Mr. Principal watched SamSmart make a presentation to the class onbullying. He was shocked, however,when he noticed that Sam was wearing aT-shirt with “BITCH” written in largeletters on the front, in a circle with a linethrough it. As soon as the class ended,he told the young man to come with himto the office for a little “talk.”

“Why on earth are you wearing thatvulgar T-shirt?” Mr. Principal demandedas soon as he and Sam were in his office.Sam asked pointedly, “Don’t you get it?The slash means ‘No Bitches,’ and my T-

shirt protests girl-on-girl bullying.Bullying is a terrible problem in ourschool, and girl-on-girl bullying is theworst. Girls can be SO mean to eachother. Through my T-shirt, my Facebookaccount and my Instagram account, I amreminding my fellow students, andespecially the girls, always to be nice. Sowhat’s the problem, old man?”

“Watch yourself!” Mr. Principalcautioned. “The problem is that your T-shirt is vulgar and insulting to women,which I will not allow in my school. Yourchoices are to turn the T-shirt inside outor be suspended for a day. What will itbe?”

Sam Smart scoffed at Mr. Principal’sbenighted view that “Bitch” in thiscontext was pejorative, and he chosesuspension. He also warned Mr. Princi-pal that he would be using his free time tomeet with the American Civil LibertiesUnion to discuss how best to deal withMr. Principal’s violation of his FirstAmendment rights. Sure enough, Mr.Principal got a demand letter from theACLU the next day, threatening litigationif Mr. Principal did not relent and permitSam to wear the T-shirt.

Bob Bombast, veteran member of theNutmeg Board of Education, heard Samand his lawyer being interviewed on theradio, and he decided that Mr. Principalneeded the cover of a Board policy to

protect him. That very night, at Bob’sinsistence Mr. Chairperson convened anemergency meeting of the Nutmeg Boardof Education.

At the meeting, Bob reminded Boardmembers that children should be seen butnot heard, and he proposed a new policystating: “School is a place of business.Students may not wear T-shirts that arevulgar or that raise controversial topicsthat could distract students or disrupt the

educational process.” The policy passedunanimously.

Mr. Principal announced the policyover the intercom the next morning. Afterreading them the new policy, he informedstudents that they had a one-day graceperiod, but that the policy will be effectiveand enforced as of tomorrow.Is Nutmeg all set now?

Yes — if being “all set” means being adefendant in constitutional litigation.Otherwise, the Board and the Principalshould reconsider and change the policy.

The United States Supreme Courtchanged the legal landscape in 1969, whenJustice Fortas famously observed inTinker v. Des Moines IndependentCommunity School District that “it canhardly be argued that either students orteachers shed their constitutional rights tofreedom of speech or expression at theschoolhouse gate.” While the premise isinarguable, its application in specificsituations can be a challenge for schooladministrators, who may have to makedecisions about student speech.

In Tinker, the Court ruled that MaryBeth Tinker, her brother and their friendhad the right under the First Amendmentto wear black armbands to school toprotest the war in Vietnam. It held thatschool officials can regulate studentspeech only when they can reasonablyforecast that the speech will violate therights of others or cause substantialdisruption or material interference with theeducational process.

Since Tinker, the Court has establishedthree exceptions, holding (1) that vulgarspeech can be prohibited irrespective ofdisruption (1986), (2) that school-spon-sored speech can be regulated simplyupon a showing of legitimate pedagogicalinterest (1988), and (3) that speech can beprohibited if it can be interpreted asadvocating the illegal use of drugs (2007).

While the Tinker rule and its excep-tions are easily stated, student freespeech cases are a challenge, as schoolofficials struggle in specific cases todetermine whether they can prohibitstudent speech that they consider eithervulgar or disruptive.

For example, is “No Bitches” vulgar?We are not sure. Is it vulgar to refer tofemale breasts as “boobies”? School

officials in Easton, Pennsylvania thoughtso, and they prohibited two middle-schoolstudents from wearing bracelets with theslogan, “I [Heart] Boobies (KEEP ABREAST).” But the students said thatthey were acting to heighten awareness ofbreast cancer, and they sued, claimingthat the prohibition violated their freespeech rights.

The lower court agreed with thestudents, finding that the bracelets were

neither vulgar nor disruptive, and thisyear the Third Circuit Court of Appealsaffirmed. By contrast, this year the federaldistrict court for the Northern District ofIndiana considered a prohibition againstthe very same bracelets, and it ruled infavor of the school district. Clearly,reasonable people can differ on what isvulgar.

By way of further example, last year astudent in Wolcott, Connecticut, pro-tested the Day of Silence by wearing a T-shirt that referred to a Day of ExcessiveTalking and depicted a rainbow with aslash through it. The student claimed thathe was told that he could not wear the T-shirt, but after the ACLU got involved,school officials sent a letter clarifying thatthe student would be permitted to wearthe T-shirt.

School officials have a right tomaintain an orderly school environment,but they must pick their fights carefullywhen it comes to the free speech rights ofstudents. They may prohibit disruptive orvulgar speech, but those terms are notself-defining.

The only way to answer the questiondefinitively in a particular case may belitigation in federal court, an exercise thatcan cost tens or hundreds of thousandsof dollars. As a consequence, in closecases school officials are well-advised toallow student speech.

Notably, Bob’s policy prohibiting T-shirts with controversial topics providesno help here. Student free speech rightsare defined by constitutional rulings, notBoard policies. Moreover, the Nutmegpolicy was too vague to be enforceable inany case.

Finally, in its eagerness to address thissituation, the Nutmeg Board of Educationviolated the Freedom of Information Act.In emergencies, public agencies can meetwithout posting the meeting twenty-fourhours in advance. However, Bob’sdyspepsia over this free speech contro-versy was no emergency, and meetingshould have been properly posted.

Attorney Thomas B. Mooney is apartner in the Hartford law firm ofShipman & Goodwin who works fre-quently with boards of education.Mooney is a regular contributor to theCABE Journal.

“School officials have a right to maintain an orderlyschool environment, but they must pick their fightscarefully when it comes to the free speech rights ofstudents.”


CABE Delegate Assembly • November 14, 2013

2013 CABE/CAPSSConference HighlightsSession Speakers Honorees

CAPSS announces2013 Superintendentof the Year

At the 2013 CABE/CAPSSConference Dr. Janet Robinson,Superintendent, Stratford PublicSchools, was named the CAPSS2014 Superintendent of the Year.Robinson’s prior experience assuperintendent was in Newtown and Derby. She alsoserved as the former Deputy Executive Director of theCooperative Educational Services in Trumbull. CAPSSExecutive Director Joseph Cirasuolo said, “We arepleased to bestow the honor of Superintendent of theYear upon Dr. Robinson and look forward to continuingour work with her as she leads the Stratford PublicSchools.”

Forrester receivesDistinguished Service Award

CABE’s Philip S. Fenster Distinguished Service Awardwas presented to Gavin Forrester, Chair, Stratford Boardof Education. He served on the finance, long-rangefacilities, curriculum, personnel, athletic and schoolplant/planning committees. He also served as a liaisoncommittee member for the town council representativesand the board of education.

At the state level, Gavin was very involved with C.E.S.and CABE. He served as CABE Area 6 Co-Director andparticipated in the CABE/CAPSS Conference and Day onthe Hill. On the national level, he representedConnecticut at the National School Boards Association(NSBA) Conference.

CABE President LydiaTedone (Simsbury), DonBlevins, Immediate PastPresident; BeckyTyrell,(Plainville)Resolutions Chair;Parliamentarian CalHeminway (Granby);Patrice McCarthy,Deputy Director andGeneral Counsel; AnnGruenberg (Hampton),VP for GovernmentRelations; and RobertRader, ExecutiveDirector.

Delegates voting on one of the many resolutions before the Del-egate Assembly.

Stephen Wright(Trumbull) Vice Presidentfor Professional Develop-ment, CABE

Lydia Tedone (Simsbury)President of CABE

Betty Feser (Milford)President of CAPSS

Friday Morning Gen-eral Session speakerAnne L. Bryant

Governor Dannel Malloy

Connecticut Education Com-missioner Stefan Pryor

Friday Banquet speakerAzure Antoinette

SenatorRichard Blumenthal

Saturday MorningGeneral Session speakerGautam Mukunda

Saturday Luncheon Pro-gram was facilitated byDavid Nee, Executive Direc-tor, William CasparGraustein Memorial Fund.

CABE President Lydia Tedone (Simsbury) presents the PhilipS. Fenster Distinguished Service Award To Gavin Forrester(Stratford).

CAPSS Executive DirectorJoseph Cirasuolo

CABE Executive DirectorRobert Rader

More photos from the 2013 CABE/CAPSS Conferenceare available on the CABE website under

Professional Development/Gallerywww.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=108.


2013 CABE/CAPSS Conference

Congratulations to theCABE Board of Distinctionwinners - Level II

What makes you board’s leadership especially effective inimproving student achievement?BethelBoard ofEduca-tion re-centlyadopted aset ofgoals thatenables the district to focus on what’smost important – improving studentachievement. The board’s goals keepstudent growth as the foremost priorityand connects the work of the schoolswith the vision we hold for our students.The goals that were adopted are ambi-tious and highlight the most importantwork that needs to be done this year toimprove student achievement. Shifts intechnology, economics, and demographyall highlight the dramatic changes takingplace in our society.

BloomfieldBoard ofEducation’sdecision-makingprocess isrooted in

data-driven decision making. The board isroutinely viewing data on studentperformance and other aspects of districtfunctions. This is evident at regular andcommittee meeting where data is routinelyanalyzed to determine course correctionsand/or next steps. The analysis of datahelps board members understand howbest to support continued academicgrowth by ensuring that all support andresources are aligned with our four districtpriorities: holistic accountability;strengthen curriculum, instruction andassessment; positive school climate; andparent and community engagement.

GranbyBoard ofEducationhas beenextremelysupportiveof publiceducationboth within the state and the localcommunity. Granby schools havebenefited from strong and consistentboard leadership and decision-makingover a period of many years. The boardworks collaboratively and supportivelywith the community and town officials in anonpartisan fashion as strong advocatesfor students and education. Granbystudents continue to excel academically.Granby has received many honors overthe years. The successful completion ofdistrict building projects, support forbudgets, the proactive provision ofeducational opportunities for students,early childhood and elementary lan-guages.

OldSaybrookBoard ofEducationbelievesthat it is

“especially effective in improving studentachievement” due to our broad-based,teamwork approach to leadership. Giventhe importance of the school-homeconnection, we are particularly focusedon securing and incorporating input fromparents and the community as we planeducational initiatives. Our strategicplanning process began several years agowith the organization of a 34-membersteering committee. As the strategicinitiatives that were developed for thisplan were developing, seven strategicinitiative subcommittees were formed and

additional members of the community,parents and staff joined in this collabora-tive work.

PlainvilleBoard ofEducationmaintainsa commit-ment tooptimizingachievement district wide. This commit-ment is evidenced in many actions of theboard over the years. One example is theunwavering dedication to maintainingsmall class sizes. Another example is theboard’s support for the district’s technol-ogy, understanding the integral role tech-nology plays in educating our students inthe 21st Century. This year, every studentin grades 8-12 received a Chrome bookcomputer. Last year, the district expandedto full day kindergarten and we are seeingthe results in our first graders. The boardhas clearly demonstrated its effectivenessin improving student achievement,through the lens of continuous improve-ment.

PlymouthBoard ofEducation isvery hands-on in theirapproach todistrict

leadership. They attend PTA meetingsdistrict-wide and constantly communicatewith town governance on behalf of thestudents and staff and are present atschool activities and fun-raising events,even though most board members do nothave children attending the schools, onthe weekends and evenings. They careimmensely about the well-being of staffand students, they often make extended

efforts to commend student achievementsor staff accomplishments. Most notable istheir accessibility, availability andreceptiveness. They recently developed anew mission statement to challengeinspire and prepare each student forsuccess in an ever-changing and complexworld.

Simsbury Board ofEducation ensuresstudents are providedwith a rich andrigorous academicfoundation thatenables students to thrive in a globalsociety. Board members work togetherand support the district’s continuousimprovement cycle.

StratfordBoard ofEducationdevelopeddistrict goalswith the

primary focus being student academicachievement. They revisit them annually.To that end, the board became invested inthe state’s CALI initiatives, data analysis,and revision of existing and implementa-tion of new curricula throughout thedistrict. Data-driven decisionmaking isnow ingrained throughout the districtincluding at the board level. The boardreviews all school improvement plans andrequires presentation from all principalson the status of strategies to improvestudent achievement. Analysis of data isalso used for budgetary considerationslike staffing levels and in salary negotia-tion decisions, course offering decisions,class size goals, and facilities usage. Theboard recognizes that parent involvement

See CONGRATULATIONS page 8

During her recent remarks as one of thegeneral speakers at the 2013 CABE/CAPSS Conference, at the MysticMarriott in Groton, Connecticut, AnneBryant filled the entire room with schoolboard members, school superintendentsand others like me, all of whom werehanging on to every word as she spokeabout her vision of what an Americanschool and district of the future will looklike.

According to Anne, there are physicalbuildings, but the learning is almost 24/7.The school is open and airy, and thefurniture is flexible and comfortable. Thereare very few desks and chairs. Thestudents’ personal devices are with themconstantly- not always in use, but prettyclose to it. Very few textbooks are in thisschool, because the resources are mostlyonline. There are plenty of books, butthey are for reading, not for laying outrules of reading! The library is a resourcecenter, where the students often meet tocollaborate. It is often VERY noisy,because students are working together.

All of the students’ courses areintegrated and all of the teachers worktogether. Faculty takes the time to worktogether across all subjects for each

group of students. Their small offices arein a pod off of the classrooms. Thefaculty at this school incorporates bothseasoned, long-term teachers, along withbusiness volunteers who coach and workwith teams of students and newerteachers.

There are high expectations of every-one, including students, teachers andstaff. There is a strong sense of serious-ness about learning and a joy of the place.There is absolutely zero bullying in theseschools- scores are higher, suspensionsare very rare, and drop outs are unheardof because kids are simply not allowed todo so. The entire community is behindthese students and their schools. Thereare periods in the day reserved formovement, ensuring that all of thechildren are getting a good dose ofexercise.

Several of the schools got the L.E.A.D.certification when they were built in 2010,and proudly maintained solar panelswhich, in collaboration with the watersystem, have saved the district thousandsof dollars over the past three years. Thesolar panels and water system is actuallya part of the curriculum.

“Classes” are not like they were in thepast. Different aged students can befound in an English class, because

What an American school anddistrict of the future look like

Ann BaldwinPresident, Baldwin Media

see American page 9

CABE/CAPSS ConferenceAnne L. Bryant: General Session Speaker

Cal Heminway announced the three Teacher of the Year finalists Chris Todd (Windsor), DebFlaherty (Region #16) and Eric August (Trumbull) and the 2014 Connecticut Teacher of theYear John Mastroianni (West Hartford). Pictured l. to r. are Blair Messinger, 2013 ConnecticutTeacher of the Year; Chris Todd (Windsor High School), Cal Heminway (Granby); and CABEPresident Lydia Tedone.


Congratulations to the CABE Board Recognition Award winners - Level IWhat makes you Board’s leadership especially effective?

Thank YouConferenceSponsors

DerbyBoard ofEduca-tionmemberscontinu-ouslyseek tolearn more about state and district initia-tives and ensure there is alignment be-tween the district and state. This involvesscheduling many additional meetings toinclude retreats with the specific focus todevelop more as a board and stay inform-ed with the latest initiatives in education.Board members make sure they are repre-sented at all school functions both duringthe day and in the evening. The boardmembers have taken ownership of theirrole on committees and work hard to en-sure completion of the action steps, im-proving our schools and following theplan.

GlastonburyBoard ofEducationhas a proudtradition ofworkingcollabora-

tively with our administration and staff,communicating effectively with our com-munity and providing thorough explana-tions for critical decisions and changes.Perhaps our greatest strength is the uni-que and informed perspective that isbrought forward by each board member.We recognize that our community expectsexcellent results and we are very careful tobalance the needs of our students withthe impact on our taxpayers. Throughcareful planning, excellent analysis andexhaustive discussion we strive to con-tinue to provide the best for our studentsand educators while embracing the manysignificant changes in education.

KillinglyBoard ofEduca-tionworksverycloselywith thesuperintendent, daily if necessary. Wesupport his work in the district and feelhis support of our role as board members.As the board chair, I meet often with thesuperintendent to ensure we are on thesame page and work hand-in-hand. Ourboard has a strong desire to improvestudent achievement and champion thedistrict to the community.

SheltonBoard ofEduca-tionmembersroutinelywork

across party lines to ensure our policiesand programs are best for the students.

While we promote aggressive goals, wedon’t micromanage staff. A recent ex-ample of our ability to work together toquickly reach decisions is our Full DayKindergarten (FDK) Committee. By thestart of their second meeting they con-ducted a site visit to a nearby district toobserve how their program was working,and the information obtained was strongenough to decide it was a worthwhileprogram so we could move on by deter-mining the best strategy to accomplishthe goal of starting FDK by the start ofthe next school year.

VernonBoard ofEducationutilizes asystem ofcommit-

tees to move the work of the Boardforward. Committee meetings are held onnights separate from the regular boardmeetings. Minutes of the discussions ofeach committee meeting are disseminatedto the rest of the board and all committeesmake recommendations to the full boardfor discussions on policy, personnel,budget, technology, curriculum andfacilities.

WestHartfordBoard ofEducation isa collabora-tive groupthat strivesto act in the

best interest of our students. Meetingsare fun effectively and professionally withattention paid to proper protocol andcommunity and student input. The boardworks in partnership with the superinten-dent, administrators, teachers, familiesand the community to craft a MissionFramework. This is a living document thatdrives our continuous improvementefforts and is monitored by the board andsuperintendent. The board is a model ofgood government diligently attending toits responsibility to hire and evaluate thesuperintendent, review, develop andmonitor policy, and develop the district’sannual budget.

WolcottBoard ofEducationis a policy-drivenboard thatfocuses onstudent learning in the classroom. Theleadership style is innovative and allmembers are concerned about the factsthat affect students’ academic, social,emotional growth.

PLATINUMRenaissance Learning

GOLDBerchem, Moses & DevlinConnecticut Coalition for

Achievement Now(ConnCAN)

Shipman & GoodwinSILVER

EASTCONNFuller and D’Angelo Architects and

PlannersGeneration Ready

Kainen, Escalera & McHaleLEARN

LLB ArchitectsPullman & Comley

The Breakthrough CoachTourbillon Alliance Partners

Vantis Life Insurance Company

Congratulations to theCABE Board of Distinction winners - Level II

Berlin Board of Education

Madison Board of Education

Montville Board of Education

Newington Board of Education

Putnam Board of Education

Salem Board of Education

Stonington Board of Education

Waterford Board of Education

Wethersfield Board of Education

Winchester Board of Education


(continued from page 7)classes are based on their reading/composition/comprehension levels. The“school” is the center of the community.A health clinic is used by many in thecommunity. The Boys and Girls Clubs usethe school space for their activities.

Online learning is ubiquitous. Studentscan take many language courses onlineand the school’s servers and Wi-Fi arelinked to a plethora of resources for thestudent.

Ultimately, Anne Bryant’s future schooldistrict has a focus on 21st century skills,learning environments that have rigor,high expectations for students andteachers, and are caring and nurturingplaces to learn and work. She ended herpresentation with this message for thosein the room:

Gifted Education Pedagogy and Practice:Effective Levers for CCSS/NGSS Implementation

Codie LandsmanBaldwin Media

Training in and understanding of theCommon Core State Standards andpractice exemplars is critical for allteachers for students’ optimal learninggains. Gifted education research andpractice inherently supports Standards’implementation and 21st Century skills.This session allowed participants toinvestigate how key components andstrategies of teaching high-abilitystudents will directly support CommonCore implementation for all teachers andtheir students of all ability levels, and howsupporting teachers’ effective practice inthese areas will yield student growth andan advanced skill set from their onset.

Shari Valencic, Gifted Education

Consultant of the Florida Association forthe Gifted (FLAG), discussed integrationstrategies and resources regarding crucialinformation on the Common Core Stan-dards in the classroom. Shari holds herdoctorate degree in educational leader-ship and has taught elementary andmiddle school children and their teachersfor the past twenty years. Since 1979, themission of FLAG has been to supporteducationally appropriate programs forgifted students through exchanginginformation, promoting research, support-ing constructive changes in all areas ofgifted education, and cooperating withlocal and state organizations in reachingmutual goals and objectives in support ofstudents who are gifted.

Throughout her presentation, Shari

encouraged decision makers and moneyspenders to look toward practitioners toget a better feel for how the system isworking. These decision makers also needto look to the parents and ask, “How didyour child respond to the teacher?”instead of focusing just on a number fromteacher evaluations. We need to look toeffective teachers for modeling and sharethis set of skills with new teachers. Wealso don’t have time to “reinvent thewheel” – it’s important to realize thateveryone has a lot on their plate, espe-cially when quick responses are neces-sary to move forward. Shari also encour-aged the use of “joyful sharing.” Sheurged, “Don’t be afraid to collaborate withone another! It’s not just about payingeach other for information- we need to

open up dialogues, like this one heretoday.”

Miriam Morales Taylor, Director ofStudent Support of New London PublicSchools and Board Member of theConnecticut Association for the Gifted(CAG) provided further insight on giftedchildren and the Common Core.

CAG is a volunteer advocacy groupdedicated to helping gifted and talentedchildren reach their full potential byproviding information, support, resources,and events to meet a child’s academic,social and emotional development needs,to make friends, share ideas, and ofcourse, to have fun. CAG provides avariety of educational program optionssuch as curriculum compacting, clustergrouping, and tiered assignments.

When Do LeadersMake a Difference? “You are my heroes and heroines. You

have more collective common sense andbrains than all the other leaders in thenation. I am counting on YOU to be thechange for our students.”

About: Anne L. Bryant is the Execu-tive Director Emerita of the NationalSchool Boards Association (NSBA),having retired in September, 2012.Currently, she serves on four not-for-profit boards (Education DevelopmentCenter, The American ArchitecturalFoundation, The Malcolm BaldrigeFoundation, and the Character Educa-tion Partnership). She holds an Ed.Dfrom the University of Massachusetts, aB.A. from Simmons College, two honorarydegrees, and has received numerousawards for leadership in education.

Guatam Mukunda, Keynote Speakerfor the Saturday morning General Session,is an Assistant Professor in the Organiza-tional Behavior Unit of Harvard BusinessSchool and the author of Indispensable:When Leaders Really Matter. Prior tojoining the business school, Mukundawas the National Science FoundationSynthetic Biology ERC PostdoctoralFellow resident at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology’s (MIT) Centerfor International Studies. He received hisPhD. from MIT in Political Science and anA.B. in Government from HarvardUniversity, magna cum laude.

His research focuses on leadership,international relations, and the social andpolitical implications of technologicalchange. He is a member of the Council onForeign Relations and MIT’s SecurityStudies Program in addition to theProgram on Emerging Technologies.

Mukunda’s speech strived to answertwo critical questions: What makes asociety properly function, and whatconstitutes a successful leader: one whopossesses the skill set necessary to makea lasting impact on society? He exploredthe idea of a leader selection process,called the “leader filtration theory,” inwhich candidates who possess thecharacteristics needed to lead a societyare filtered through a leader filtrationprocess (LFP). Some factors are random,and unrelated to the ability to governproperly, such as height or weight.

Other factors have a more directcorrelation to proper governance, such aspersuasion and power. Candidates havedifferent probabilities of succeeding in

LFP and are dispersed into two pools: themodals, and the extremes. Modals arehigh probability winners: all of thesecandidates have similar characteristics toone another, and will ultimately have alow impact on society as a leader.

On the other hand, extremes are lowprobability winners, vary greatly from oneanother, and have the potential for highimpact on their society. A likely modal is aleader who has frequently been evaluatedprior to their seat as a leader, such asThomas Jefferson, who possessed vastexperience in the U.S. government prior tohis election as President. In contrast, alikely extreme is an exceptionally unfil-tered candidate, or one who the publicdoes not know much about prior to theirseat as a leader, such as AbrahamLincoln.

Lastly, Mukunda discussed the impactof power and the effects it can have onindividuals. Filtration processes arecrucial, especially in modern-day inter-viewing and evaluative settings, becauseonce you give someone a position ofpower, it can be very difficult to take thataway.


What an American school anddistrict of the future look like

Student PerformersThe Ashford Jazz Band performed at the Friday morning General Session.

Editor’s Note: CABE Executive DirectorRobert Rader wrote a review ofIndespensible, Mukunda’s book. It can befound on the CABE website atwww.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=892.


The Power of Poetry and Spoken Wordon the Millennial Generation

Azure Antoinette, called “the MayaAngelou of the Millennial generation,” isa poet, spoken word artist, freelancephotographer, and youth and arts advo-cate whose poetry focuses on socialmedia and its impact on humanity. Shefounded an arts-in-education program inNew York City that provides workshopsaimed to teach young women how socialmedia, spoken word, and performancepoetry can positively affect the world.

She was featured in Forbes’s 100 MostPowerful Women in the World in 2012 andwas named global ambassador for 10x10, asocial action campaign based around thefeature film Girl Rising that uses the

power of storytelling to deliver a singlemessage: educating girls in developingnations will change the world. Antoinetteand ABC Family recently launched the“You Should Know This About Me”campaign, which seeks to capture theauthentic voices and stories of theMillennial generation through mediasubmissions.

Antoinette has been commissioned towrite poetry for first lady of CaliforniaMaria Shriver, the American CancerSociety, and was hand-selected by Oprahto be featured in the first-ever poetryissue of O Magazine.

Antoinette’s gift as a storyteller be-

came apparent from the moment shestepped on stage. Her effortless humorand undeniable charm was clear as shecaptivated the crowd, and left the audi-ence laughing and cheering throughouther entire presentation.

Antoinette recalled being raised by hermother, a lawyer who made sure that hertwo daughters knew what a “tort” was bythe age of four. Following the path laidout by her mother, Antoinette workedbriefly in a corporate position beforeleaving in order to pursue her love ofpoetry and spoken word. She laughed,recalling the days she spent unemployedin a Starbucks in Los Angeles, with

nothing more than four dollars in herpocket.

Now, Azure Antoinette is in highdemand as a poet, arts-in-educationconsultant, speaker, and workshopfacilitator on expression and creativewriting. She concluded her speech with apowerful poem regarding the impact ofchildren on our society, which earned hera standing ovation.

Antoinette believes that we should allstrive to do what we love for a living, andlives by a quote which she penned in2010: “Take it moment by moment,sometimes a day is too much.”


Student at Saturday Session CommunicationsAwardsSamples of the winning dis-tricts were available on theAwards of Excellence in Educa-tional Communications.

“It’s a pleasure for CABE to join with CAPSS and share this information with Boards of Educationso they may assist them as they are looking at plans that would be available to their staff that would

help individuals make the difficult decision as to whether or not to retire. This is one resourcewe think is valuable for districts to look at and we bring you this information as a service to our members.”

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director and General Counsel, CABE


Congratulations to the school districts which wonCABE’s 2013 Award of Excellence forEducational Communications contest

CABE recognized school districts forexcellence in educational communicationsat the CABE/CAPSS Convention. Mem-bers of the CABE Board of Directors andStaff will present the Awards to thewinning boards at a meeting in theirdistrict after the first of the year. Entrieswere judged by Susan Saks of Susan SaksVoiceovers.

Award WinnersNewsletter

Redding Public SchoolsThe Tiger TelegraphMadison Public SchoolsThe Board BridgeGlastonbury Public Schools“Staff News and Notes”

Annual ReportRegion 6 Public SchoolsAnnual Report & Performance ProfileA.C.E.S.A.C.E.S. Innovators in EducationAnnual Report 2011-2012Stamford Public SchoolsReport to the Community 2011-2012

New PublicationAvailable from CABE

District BudgetMansfield Public SchoolsMansfield Board of EducationProposed Budget 2013-14East Lyme Public SchoolsEast Lyme Board of EducationApproved 2013-2014 Budget –Departmental BudgetRidgefield Public SchoolsBudget Book

Parent/Student HandbookRedding Public SchoolsRedding ElementarySchool HandbookWolcott Public SchoolsWolcott High SchoolStudent HandbookWest Hartford Public SchoolsREACH Student Handbook

Course Selection GuideEASTCONNPrograms & Services Catalog2013-2014Newington Public SchoolsProgram of Studies 2013-2014

West Hartford Public SchoolsLife Learn Adult/Summer Optionsfor Kids 2013

CalendarC.E.S.C.E.S. 2013-2014 Member DistrictCalendarRegion 5 Public Schools2013-2014 Amity District CalendarHamden Public SchoolsDistrict Calendar

Special ProjectEASTCONNEASTCONN Annual BoardUpdate 2012-2013Cheshire Public Schools6th Grade Orientation to DoddWest Hartford Public SchoolsSmith Elementary School Mural

Special Project (AV)Redding Public SchoolsEveryday HeroesBethel Public SchoolsBHS Freshman OrientationWallingford Public SchoolsOpen House Video

Computer Generated ProjectsEASTCONN2012-2013 Review and2013-2014 PreviewNew Fairfield Public SchoolsSuperintendents’s RecommendedBudget 2013-2014West Hartford Public SchoolsCharter Oak’s DailyVideo Announcements

Web SitesCanton Public SchoolsCanton Public Schools WebsitePlainville Public SchoolsPlainville CommunitySchools WebsiteWest Hartford Public SchoolsWHPS – website

Going GreenWolcott Public SchoolsWolcott Goes GreenWest Hartford Public SchoolsThe Paper Savers

Honorable MentionsArea Cooperative Educational Service(A.C.E.S.)Bethany Public SchoolsCanton Public SchoolsCooperative Educational Services (C.E.S.)EASTCONNEast Lyme Public SchoolsFairfield Public SchoolsGlastonbury Public SchoolsGranby Public SchoolsMansfield Public SchoolsNew Fairfield Public SchoolsNewington Public SchoolsNew Milford Public SchoolsNorwich Free AcademyPlainville Public SchoolsPutnam Public SchoolsRedding Public SchoolsRegion 6 Public SchoolsSalem Public SchoolsSimsbury Public SchoolsStafford Public SchoolsWest Hartford Public SchoolsWestport Public SchoolsWolcott Public Schools

Topics covered in the book are:Section One• The FOIA’s Public Meetings Provisions; When is a Meeting Not a “Meeting”?;

Notice of Regular Meetings; Agenda; Minutes and Votes; Access of Public andMedia; Adjournment; Special and “Emergency” Meetings; Executive Session:The Exception(s) to the Rule; and When is an Executive Session Permissible?

Section Two• The FOIA’s Access to Public Records; Some Notable Exemptions to Disclosure

(Educational Records and Tests, Personnel Records, Preliminary Drafts andNotes, Attorney-Client Privileged Documents, and Other Important Exceptionsto Disclosure); Responding to a Request for Documents; E-Mail – The FOIAHits the 21ST Century; Destruction of Records and the Records Retention Act;Other Important Exceptions to the Usual Disposal Requirements.

Section Three• FOIA Penalties: So What is the Price of Failure? (Proceedings before the FOIC,

Civil Remedies, Penalties, Other Orders by FOIC, ) and Criminal Penalties.ConclusionIndex

to order the FOIA book go to the CABE OnlineBookstore at www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=749

Understanding theConnecticut Freedom of Information

Act andAccess to Public Meetings and Records

- Fourth Edition

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

At its November meeting, the State Board approved four items to submit to theLegislature. They are:

• An Act Making Local and State Charter Schools More Accountable andTransparentThis proposal seeks to equalize state and local charters in the way they must postpublic information; have a chance for a random annual financial audit; have theopportunity for a cooperative agreement; and, are eligible for state assistance forcapital expenses. Additionally, it defines and lowers the town contribution forlocal charter funding and assigns an amount to be allocated for pre-K students.

• An Act Concerning the Connecticut Technical High School SystemThe Connecticut Technical High School System’s Board is requesting that thestate’s technical high schools be eligible for the State’s security grant program. Italso changes the approval of reports by its Board rather than the State Board ofEducation.

• An Act Concerning the Sale of BeveragesTo be in compliance with national standards, the Board seeks technical changeson milk, sweeteners, saturated fats, sodium, caffeine and the size limits of abeverage.

• An Act Concerning Magnet SchoolsAllows a school that is not in compliance with minority enrollment requirementsto maintain its status if it submits a compliance plan to the Commissioner. It alsorequires the Department to report, by January 1, 2015, its recommendations toamend the statutory diversity requirements for interdistrict magnet schools toconform to changes in federal and state laws.

State Board of Education’sLegislative Proposals

Sheila McKaySr. Staff Associate for Government Relations, CABE


Book Review:Stop the School Bus:Getting Education Reform Back on Track

Former Connecticut EducationCommissioner Gerald Tirozzi makes astrong case for continued local control ofpublic education, pointing out that it is“part of a longstanding Americantradition, one that is embedded in thenation’s psyche and carries out the visionof our founding fathers” in his book “Stopthe School Bus: Getting Education ReformBack on Track.”

He notes that the federal governmentprovides only nine to ten percent of thenation’s total funding for K-12 publiceducation. The remaining ninety percentis funded by state and local taxes. Giventhe overwhelming local and state share offunding, he questions why the federal rolein driving a national education reformagenda has become so strong.

Tirozzi believes that the “one size fitsall” testing systems fail to take intoaccount brain research and HowardGardner’s work on multiple intelligences.He quotes Gardner to emphasize that“people do learn, represent and utilizeknowledge in many different ways…thesedifferences challenge an educationalsystem that assumes that everyone can

learn the same material, in the same way,and that a universal measure is sufficientto test student learning.”

Among the recommendations hemakes with respect to teacher evaluationis one that may complement and supportConnecticut’s new educator evaluationand support system – a specialcertification for the position of teacherevaluator, granted to individuals withexperience as successful classroomteachers who currently serve asprincipals, superintendents and othereducational staff, as well as recentlyretired administrators and othereducators. The certificate would be validfor three to five years, with recertificationrequired to ensure that the evaluators arecompetent in current trends and teachingpedagogy.

Tirozzi cites research indicating thatgenerally it takes three-to-five years toturn around a low performing school. Hecontrasts that with several of the federalmodels, which require the replacement ofa principal as the first course of action,prior to identifying the cause of theachievement gap.

Tirozzi concludeswith a number ofrecommendations forthe role of the federalgovernment,including thefollowing:• Provide research

based federalrecommendationsto inform statebased schoolreform

• Promote civicengagement in

• Promote expanded summer schoolprogramsGerald Tirozzi served as Connecticut

Commissioner of Education (1983-1991),Assistant Secretary of Elementary andSecondary Education (1996-1999), andExecutive Director of the National Associ-ation of Secondary School Principals(1999-2011).


Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel andformer Commissioner Gerald Tirozzi.

school reformimprovementinitiatives

• Hold states and school districtsaccountable for student achievement

• Provide leadership in educationresearch

• Identification of best practices inteaching, with a focus on teachereffectiveness

• Promote preschool and earlychildhood education

• Promote community education


CABE and Baldwin Media: Partners in Managing Communications

The Media Messagefrom Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

Public Relations is a great way to buildawareness for many of the great thingsgoing on in your district and an opportu-nity for you and your schools to connectwith your constituents, but too oftenpeople blow their chance for positivemedia coverage by making a few avoid-able mistakes.

1. Not researching the outletIt’s important that you pitch the right

news story to the right outlet. Mediacompanies have to meet their readers/viewers needs just like anybody else, sothey run only those stories that relate totheir audience and to the heart of theirpublication or broadcast. Also, knowwhich reporters work where! Let us notforget that often times this is a businessof many egos and to confuse one reporter

with another can eliminate any chancethat you have had to get coverage of yournews story. You also don’t want to pitcha finance or education angle to a healthreporter.

2. Not reaching out to theappropriate contact

Within a media outlet, there are avariety of reporters, hosts, producers,editors, writers, and managers. Each onemanages and is often times more passion-ate about a different topic or “beat.” Youshould also ask yourself before reachingout to these folks, “Why does (or should)the public care?”

3. Not pitching an angleJournalists are busy people, and when

they’re sifting through dozens (andsometimes) hundreds of pitches theyneed to quickly sort through the piles ofemails, faxes, and voicemails to find thegems that are going to make it onto theassignment board and ultimately in thehands of a reporter.

Make it easy for them (and improve yourchances) by providing them with asuggested angle for the piece. Don’t makethem search for it in an email that doesnothing more than sing the praises ofyour school community. Explain how whatyou’re doing is of value to your commu-nity.

4. Long-winded pitchesPeople in the media are driven by

deadlines. They don’t have time to readtwo-page emails. Boil down your pitch tothe key angle and core facts, and don’tforget to include contact information sothey can follow up with you if they needto.

How to Pitch a News Story…WHO…WHAT…WHEN…WHERE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Ann Baldwin (860) 985-5621

MEDIA ADVISORY

Governor Malloy to Join Education Leaders atDay on the Hill

WHAT: The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE)Day on the Hill: A state legislative network program forschool board members, superintendents, educationprofessionals, students and guests. Governor Malloy toaddress participants regarding education issues in the state:including the “Education Funding Gap” brought on by the 270million dollar a year federal stimulus package.

WHEN: Wednesday March 9, 2013 8:30am – 5:00pm

WHERE: 8:30 am – 12:00 pm The Bushnell , Autorino Great Hall

Remarks by legislative leadership and issues briefing.

10:00 am Gov. Malloy to address education leadership andattendees

12:00pm – 3:00 pm Room 310, State Capitol

“March to the Hill” Supporters participate in the traditional“March” from the Bushnell to the Capitol. Upon arrival:students, legislators, board members engage in educationalissues discussion and individual lobbying.

3:00pm – 5:00pm Room 310, State Capitol

Legislative Reception. End of day desert reception withlegislators and participants.

ABOUT: Participants to include members of the What Will Our ChildrenLose coalition. Comprised of representatives from the ConnecticutAssociation of Boards of Education, Connecticut Association of SchoolBusiness Officials and the Connecticut Association of Public SchoolSuperintendents. These advocates for public education pledge to provideinformation to the community and statewide education leaders in order tofind attainable results for their school districts. For more information visitwww.WhatWillOurChildrenLose.com

Attention Journal ReadersWe Want to Meet Your Needs!

Starting with the January 2014 issue of theCABE Journal we will be sending the Journal

out both electronically and on paper copy.Please contact Cory Ucci at 860-571-7446/

[email protected] to let her knowif you wish to receive one method or the other.

If we do not hear from you, you will receive boththe electronic copy and the paper copy.

Thank you for your cooperation.

5. Too Much InformationThe days of the long winded press

release are pretty much over. It willusually end up as the victim of the deletekey, or in the trash can. Today’s reporterspretty much just want the basics” Who,What , When & Where. Once you peaktheir interest with that information theywill take it from there. Below is an exampleof a media advisory that we sent out tothe press as an example.

I hope that you all enjoy a wonderfulholiday season.

SAMPLE


Legal SectionKelly B. Moyher, Senior Staff Attorney, CABE

FOIC rules in favor of theGroton Board of Education

In Harp v. King, the 2002 ConnecticutSupreme Court adopted a moderateapproach to strike the fairest balancebetween the competing policy interests ofpreserving confidential attorney-clientcommunications and encouraging theparty seeking the benefit of the attorney-client privilege to take care in handlingotherwise privileged material.

Paul Kadri, former superintendent ofGroton Public Schools, appealed to theFreedom of Information Commission,alleging that Groton’s Board of Educationand its chairman violated the Freedom ofInformation Act by failing to comply withhis records request. The record in issueat the hearing was an email published, inpart, by the New London Day.

It was undisputed that the email oncecomprised a confidential attorney-clientcommunication. The complainant con-tended that the disclosure was intentionaland the privilege waived. The FOICfound that the respondent board placedthe complainant on administrative leave,pending an investigation.

The email concerned a response to thechairperson’s request for legal adviceconcerning the risks in revealing to thecomplainant’s counsel the investigationreport before it was finalized. The chair-person shared the email with board mem-

bers. Days later, an article appearedquoting the confidential communication.

The FOIC found that the disclosurewas unexplainable. Applying Harp’s five-step analysis, the FOIC concluded thatthe unexplained disclosure did notconstitute a waiver of the attorney-clientprivilege. Factors considered includedthe reasonable precautions taken toprevent inadvertent disclosure.

The email was prominently marked,“Confidential: Subject to the AttorneyClient Privilege” and the chairpersonreiterated to board members that thedocument attached to her containedprivileged legal advice and should not beshared outside of the board. Followingpublication, the chairperson contacted thenewspaper and was informed thedocument was anonymously dropped off.

The board convened in public todiscuss the disclosure and membersexpressed outrage. The board attended aFOIA training session where privilege wasdiscussed. The overriding interest offairness factor weighed against findingwaiver.

The FOIC could not say the board wasthe source of the disclosure, only that theboard did not authorize the disclosure.The respondents did not violate the FOIAin refusing to disclose the email. Thecomplaint was dismissed.

Connecticut Law Tribune, Nov. 4, 2013

Labor Relations News

Connecticut teacher paywell above U.S. average

Connecticut teachers made asmuch as 21 percent more money onaverage than their national counter-parts in 2012, according to new datafrom the U.S. Bureau of LaborStatistics.

Salaries in four of the state’s sixmetro areas were significantly higherthan the national average. Middleschool teachers in the state had thehighest salary spread compared tonational salaries at $68,190, a differ-ence of $11,910.

Connecticut elementary schoolteachers earned an average of $67,070,19.5 percent above the national median,while secondar school teachers made$67,370, 16.6 percent above average.

In the Greater Hartford area,elementary school teachers had thehighest average salary of $67,350, 20percent above the national median.

Reprinted from the HartfordBusiness.com a publication of theHartford Business Journal.

Kelly B. Moyher, Senior Staff Attorney, CABE

all students to succeed in a rapidly (continued from page 1)changing global society.

Currently, Bryant serves on four not-for-profit boards and the People-to-PeopleAdvisory Committee. While at NSBA, she served as vice chair of the Schools andLibraries Committee of the Universal Service Administrative Company, which includesoversight of the billion dollar discount fund for schools and libraries known as E-Rateand was past chair of the Learning First Alliance bringing together a large coalition ofeducation associations.

On a personal level, since we both served on the NSBA Board during her executivedirectorship, we appreciate her many years of inspiration, thoughtfulness and friend-ship. She has been a good friend of Connecticut and is always ready to give of herselfwhenever we called upon her.

She is truly a stateswoman for public education!

Bryant receivesCABE Friend of Public Education Award


CABE-MeetingCABE-Meeting is auser-friendly, web-

based servicespecifically designed to

assist the board,superintendent andcentral office staff

in preparing for andrunning board of

education meetings.

An exciting featuredesigned for use by

committees, in addtionto boards of education,was recently added to

CABE-Meeting. Now allyour board work and

committee informationis conveniently located

in one place!

“CABE-Meeting

enables Board Members to

access their meeting

documents at least three

days earlier than packets

mailed to their homes.

Members are literally ‘on

the same page’ during

meetings and attachments

are easily accessed.

It’s a dream for

administration and real

leap in productivity

for the board.”Jim Witkins, Chair,

Region 18 Board of Education

For more information, or toschedule a demonstration foryour board, call Lisa Steimer

at800-317-0033 or

860-571-7446or email [email protected]

Thirty years after A Nation At Risk2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the

release of “A Nation at Risk” by theNational Commission on EducationalExcellence. The report was released as Ibegan my career at CABE, and I havebeen reflecting on the journey we havetaken in public education during those 30years. The report concluded that “theeducational foundations of our societyare presently being derided by a risingtide of mediocrity that threatens our veryfuture as a Nation and a people.” Con-cerns were expressed over test scores,curriculum and the quality of teacherpreparation programs, as well as aneducation system which encouragedpassive learning over creativity.

Throughout these 30 years, there havebeen numerous efforts at the federal, stateand local levels to address these issuesand others, particularly the achievementgap. Some of these changes have shownresults, some have been sustained – butthe quest is ongoing.

In 2001, the Federal No Child LeftBehind legislation attempted to forceimprovement through stringent account-ability measures, with a mandate thatevery child be proficient in language artsand math by 2014. In recent years, states

such as Connecticut have receivedwaivers in exchange for statutory changesto educator evaluation and interventionsin low performing schools.

In 2009, Race to the Top offeredcompetitive grants to states to fundstudent achievement efforts – creatingwinners and losers in the “race” forresources.

In Connecticut, there have beenongoing initiatives at the state and locallevel to address the issues identified in“A Nation at Risk”.

Expanded access to preschool, as wellas enhanced requirements for earlychildhood staff, was undertaken toincrease the number of students enteringschool ready to learn. The 1986 Educa-tion Enhancement Act increased salariesto attract more qualified teacher candi-dates, while also raising certificationrequirements. The secondary schoolreform legislation, while not yet fullyimplemented, attempted to focus on morepersonalized learning plans for students,but still utilized “seat time” requirements.

Most recently, adoption of theCommon Core Standards andConnecticut’s new educator evaluationand support system raises the bar for

Individualized Workshops • ProfessionalDevelopment 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 and a half. Wedid this:

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

• Planned and implemented successfulLegal Issues workshop.

• Met with Bloomfield Central Officestaff about CABE-Meeting.

• Planned and implemented successfulCABE/CAPSS Conference.

• Met with East Hampton Superinten-dent Diane Dugas on CABE pro-grams, services and activities.

• Met with Region 15 Board ChairJanet Butkus and SuperintendentRegina Botsford on CABE programs,services and activities.

• Staffed CABE Annual DelegateAssembly.

• Facilitated Board Self-Evaluationworkshop with the Danbury Board ofEducation.

• Participated in Board Training withthe New London Board of Education.

• Planned and implemented successfulCABE/CAPSS Conference.

• Provided policy information to 27districts, one out-of-state schoolboards association, and one charterschool and one newspaper through34 answered requests for informationor sample policies, on 29 topics. The

topics of greatest interest includedphysical activity for students,education, safety and security,attendance, excused and truancy, andfood allergies. Districts continue toaccess CABE’s online Core PolicyReference Manual.

➤ By providing servicesto meet members needs:

• Met with members of SDE’s Turn-around Staff on the roles and respon-sibilities of boards of education andon CABE’s role in helping districtsundergoing turnarounds.

• Met with the Naugatuck andWindham Boards of Education on theSuperintendent Search process.

• Held individual teleconferences withall of the CABE/CAPSS Conference’smain session speakers on how tomake their sessions as helpful aspossible to attendees.

• Entered into an agreement to developa new policy manual for Wethersfield.

• As part of the Custom UpdateService, revising policies for thedistricts of Ansonia, Columbia, EastHampton, East Windsor, Franklin,Gilbert School, Marlborough, NewFairfield, New Hartford, Newington,North Stonington, Old Saybrook,Oxford, Putnam, Region #6, Stafford,Sterling, West Haven, Westbrook,and Windham.

• Completed audit of the Madisonpolicy manual and currently working

on an audit of the Cromwell policymanual.

• Provided workshop on FOI and Rolesand Responsibilities for Region 14.

• Filmed cable TV program discussingstate education funding and the MBRin Winchester.

➤ By helping school boardsto increase studentachievement:

• Met with Diana Roberge-Wentzel onthe Lighthouse Project, which is ajoint initiative of CABE and the StateDepartment of Education (SDE) tohelp boards to better focus onstudent achievement.

• Sent two issues of Policy Highlightsvia email listserv covering topics thataffect student achievement. Thisincluded guidance/counselingprograms, libraries, use of tablets inthe classroom setting, observance ofreligious holidays in schools, andfood allergies.

• Facilitated Board Retreat with theStratford Board of Education.

• Facilitated Strategic Planning sessionfor the Stafford Public Schoolsadministrative team.

➤ By representing Connecti-cut school boards on thenational level:

• Attended Connecticut Society of

CABE: Working for YOU

students and teachers – with a promise ofthe resources needed to meet the newstandards.

Some progress has been made on the1983 recommendation for more timedevoted to learning. According to theNational Center for Education Statistics(NCES), high school graduates in 1990earned an average of 23.6 credits; by 2009,the number of credits earned climbed to27.2, and graduating students completed400 more hours of instructional time thantheir 1990 counterparts.

Some issues have taken a moreprominent role since 1983 such as schoolsecurity and rapid advances in technol-ogy. School boards, administrators andteachers are learning to make better use ofavailable data to focus resources onindividual student needs.

Given the importance of education notonly important to the individual, but tothe strength of our democratic society,our quest to insure a high quality educa-tional opportunity for all our studentsmust continue.


See CABE page 17


(continued from page 16)Association Executives (CSAE)program on strategic programanalysis.

• Attended CSAE annual conference.• Participated in State Board of

Education’s Comprehensive five-yearPlan Advisory Committee meeting.

• Took part in several conference calls,speaking with state executivedirectors of school boards across thenation on the future of boards ofeducation.

• Attended Granby Chair and CABEPast President Cal Heminway’sretirement gathering.

• Attended Connecticut Voices forChildren reception, honoringGraustein Executive Director DavidNee, Representative Jason Rojas,DCF Commissioner Joette Katz andUnited Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1project

• Attended the Connecticut Society ofAssociation Executives’ AnnualConference.

• Attended the Governor’s P20 TaskForce meeting.

• Attended the Parent, Teacher,Community Forum on improvingcommunications.

• Attended Freedom of Information andSocial Media workshop.

• Attended annual CABE/CAPSS

Conference and presented a work-shop on policy implications of recentlegislation.

• Attended CREC Council meeting toprovide Legislative Update.

• Attended Connecticut coalition forJustice in Education Funding SteeringCommittee meeting.

• Attended State Department ofEducation (SDE) Alliance DistrictMeeting.

• Met with CAPSS and CASBO todiscuss the Uniform Chart of Ac-counts; met with Speaker Sharkeyon this issue.

• Attended CREC Mental HealthSymposium

• Participated in NSBA Council ofSchool Attorneys NominatingCommittee Conference call.

• Attended CAPSS PersonalizedLearning Committee meeting andsymposium.

• Represented CABE at the UniformSchool Calendar Committee meeting.

• Attended State Board of educationmeeting.

• Attended Commission on ChildrenChronic Absenteeism workshop.

• Attended meeting of CAPSS Technol-ogy Subcommittee.

• Presented for a graduate program inEducational Leadership at TeachersCollege - New York City.

CABE: Working for YOU

• Presented for a graduate program inEducational Leadership at SouthernConnecticut State University.

➤ By promotingpublic education:

• Answered questions about thecurrent legal issues facing boards ofeducation. “HOT” topics this monthwere: Organizational meeting forelection of officers, board vacancy,residency determination, access topublic records, and personnel files.

• Met with representatives of theConnecticut Education Associationon the future of public education.

• Attended “Stone Soup” conferenceprovided by the Graustein MemorialFoundation, focusing on racial issuesand poverty.

• Met with Jeff Villar, new ExecutiveDirector of the Connecticut Coalitionfor Education Reform.

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

• Prepared Custom Policy Servicematerial for Columbia, Derby, NorthHaven, Region #17, Stratford andWethersfield Boards of Education.

Cal Heminway, Past President ofCABE, was honored recently in Granbyfor his years of service to the community,including serving 32 years on the board ofeducation. In addition to serving asCABE President and holding numerousother leadership positions on the Board ofDirectors, he served as a member andchair of the Capitol Region EducationCouncil. Each speaker, including BobRader and Patrice McCarthy, emphasizedCal’s tireless advocacy on behalf ofchildren.

The Granby Education Foundation,which Cal helped found, announced thecreation of the Cal Heminway TributeFund, with initial donations of $10,000.The fund will support programs to engagestudents in the community and in publicservice. The board of education meetingroom in the Granby central office buildingwas also named in honor of Cal. Calreceived CABE’s Philip S. FensterDistinguished Service Award in 2006.

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director and

General Counsel, CABE

Cal Heminway Honored


December 10New Board Member

andLeadership Conference

9:30 am - 7:15 pmSheraton Hartford South Hotel(formerly Rocky Hill Marriott)

Rocky Hill

January 15, 2014Hot Topic: Pre-K

9:00 - 11:00 amKeeney Memorial Cultural Center

Wethersfield

March 5, 2014CABE Day on the Hill

8:30 amThe Bushnell, Hartford

Workshop information as well as reg-istration information is also pub-lished on the CABE website at:www.cabe.org. If you have any ques-tions, please contact Lisa Steimer atthe CABE Office 800-317-0033 or860-571-7446 or email Lisa [email protected].

✔

Mark yourCALENDAR

Don’t miss theseprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities!

The addition of new board membersthis month as a result of local electionsmakes this an excellent time to review theboard’s policy manual. New boardmembers should initially review the bylawseries pertaining to board governance andoperations to familiarize themselves withtheir new and varied roles. Orientation forthese new members at the local level andthrough CABE’s workshops will addressthe important role of policy in understand-ing the 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 the parameterswithin which the district operates. Policy,the board’s leadership tool, is an ideadesigned to bring the kind of action andresults the board wants.

Policy is theBoard’s Major Role

New members need to learn and realizethat developing and adopting policy isone of the board’s most important roles.School board policy establishes broadprinciples and goals to guide thecommunity’s educational program. Wellwritten policy helps ensure compliancewith federal and state statutes andregulations and establishes a foundationfor fair, effective and efficient schoolgovernance.

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

Board policy is adopted by the boardand used by the staff to make manage-ment decisions. The purpose of mostpolicies 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.

Delegating Authorityto the Superintendent

After policies are adopted by theboard, the superintendent should be

given the authority to develop theprocedures, known as administrativeregulations, for implementing the board’spolicies. 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 the

district’s direction and future develop-ment. Therefore, board members mustknow what it says, agree on its meaningand insist that all policies be followed.

New board members bring a freshperspective to policy review and develop-ment. 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.

Policy Basics forNew Board Members

New board members are advised tospend the early months of their termslearning, listening and reading; especiallyboard policies and administrative regula-tions. The administration should be usedas the primary resource in this suggestedlearning period. However, a seasonedboard member or the board chairpersoncan serve in a mentoring capacity to thenew board member.

New members should use the knowl-edge of administrators and experiencedboard members wisely, paying attention toadministrative concerns. Ultimately,however, each board member must makeup his/her own mind about the efficacy ofeach policy.

Policy Must Be Clearand Understandable

Good policy is easy to follow anddifficult to misinterpret. As policies areread 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 difficulty understand-

ing a policy, then the public will also haveexperience similar difficulty in understand-ing. It is essential to remember that inaddition to policy providing direction tothe administration and staff, it also servesto explain the board’s concerns, beliefsand priorities to the public. It’s critical thatpolicy be easily understood, interpretedand implemented.

When new and existing board membersread and review policies, as recom-mended, determine when the manual waslast totally revised. Also consider themanner in which the board keeps itsmanual up-to-date and the process usedto monitor and review policies. CABE’smany policy services can be of assis-tance. Policy development, like curriculumreview and development is 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 in mind that whendone well, policy drives the district’smanagement to ever-improving levels ofexcellence. Poorly developed policy orpolicy that is inadequately enforced,monitored or written without great careand deliberation can be a source ofanguish and act as an impediment tomeeting the board’s goals, especially theprimary goal of improving studentachievement. New and existing boardmembers should rely on the administra-tion for experience and professionalknowledge and should look to CABE forguidance as necessary.

The CABE Policy Service encouragesboards to adopt orientation policies toensure the information provided to newboard members is comprehensive andsystematic. The board member’s knowl-edge of policy provides the basis to askthe right questions of the professional

The Policy CornerVincent A. Mustaro, Senior Staf Associate for Policy Services, CABE

Policy basics for new board members

“It should be kept in mind that when done well,policy drives the district’s managementto ever-improving levels of excellence.”

staff.Policy is basically a matter of fair play

and 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 mind that the boardis responsible for policies that creategoals and a vision for the school district,setting the parameters that the administra-tion will operate within and providingaccountability to the citizens of thecommunity, with the focus on studentachievement.

People in the NewsCABE President Richard Murray (Killingly Board of Education) has

recently been appointed as a second alternate to the NSBA Policy andResolutions Committee by the Northeast Region.


Christopher Grniet, CPP, AIARegional Vice President, Guidepost Solutions

Students are encouraged to havestrategic plans to secure their educationalfutures. They receive advice from parents,teachers and other educational profes-sionals who utilize their knowledge andexperience to help students examine allpossibilities, set attainable goals andachieve those goals effectively andefficiently.

Once equipped with this advice, thestudent can then set an appropriatecourse for their future. Unfortunately,school systems often fail to plan a similarcourse for success as they hastily procurea security solution without the support oftrusted and qualified advisors.

This is understandable, as Districtsfeel external pressure to act quickly and todo so with limited finances. Given thedaunting challenges of selecting from anendless variety of systems and contrac-tors, while incorporating the advice of amyriad of opinionated parties andconflicting interests, where does a Districtstart?

Where to StartDistrict officials are often approached

by systems manufacturers or securitycontractors whose main goal is to sellthem products. While their intentions aregood, purchasing product without

developing an informed security plan canlead to a plethora of complications downthe road, including being encumberedwith expensive and unnecessary securityequipment and add-on components whichare never fully utilized to their potential, ifutilized at all.

In other situations, District officialsmay be guided by the sage advice of locallaw enforcement officials who haveextensive experience in crime deterrenceand response through manpower, but whooften have limited experience and/orknowledge in the architectural andtechnology arenas of security. In manycases these disparate solutions becomeoverly costly and/or serve limited value.

So where do you start? Often, the bestplace to start is engaging an unbiasedthird-party security consultant. With noother interest than to provide the Districtwith the most effective, efficient, economi-cal solutions, an independent securityconsultant will provide you with anhonest opinion of your District’s securityneeds and costs, which are often pre-sented in a strategic plan.

The Strategic PlanDeveloping a strategic plan using an

independent expert allows a District toexamine all aspects of their program anddevelop solutions within the framework oftheir operations. Every facility’s needs aredifferent and can be affected by many

The value of strategic planning for school security

Business Affiliate Corner

factors including, but not limited to,geographic location and adjacencies (Arethere risks associated with neighboringfacilities?), the architectural characteris-tics of each facility (How many doors arethere?), the academic and non-academicactivity (When and where do athletic,community and other types of eventsoccur?), and the supporting operationalprograms for security and safety (Arethere emergency plans, alert systems,training and drills, police support, etc.?).

Strategic planning ensures that allimplemented security solutions arecustomized to meet the needs of eachfacility within the District and can beprioritized based on budgeting andacademic schedules. There is no suchthing as a one-size-fits-all solution, andjust because it works for one District orbuilding, does not mean it will work foryou.

The Real CostIn developing strategic plans, you

must consider that almost all securitysystems bear long-term costs which aren’talways apparent at the time of purchase.Service, maintenance, operations,equipment upgrades and software licenserenewals are all factors that can drive upthe cost of security solutions, whichmany users are ill-prepared to fundwithout understanding the costs duringeach budget cycle.

Many of these pitfalls can be avoidedby engaging a third party to provide animpartial, unbiased examination of theoperations and to develop a strategic planwhich is in the best interest of the Districtand identifies the overall scope ofconsiderations through strategic plan-ning. Critical questions regarding theimplementation and continued effectiveoperation need to be asked during thisprocess.

For example: Will the school sharevideo images and alarms with local lawenforcement? Will additional staff need tobe hired to operate or maintain thesystems? These are the types of ques-tions that provide direction for creatingunique security and safety solutions,while meeting the needs of each facility.

ValueOf course, many people shy away from

engaging a consultant because theybelieve the cost to be high, but it hasbeen my experience that the ROI for suchservices are most commonly realizedthrough the right sizing of the program,identification of actual costs, and thecompetitive bid and acquisition processwhich occurs as the strategic plan isimplemented.

For more information, contact Christo-pher Grniet at [email protected].

Guidepost Solutions is a CABEBusiness Affiliate member.

(continued from page 1)I once asked a superintendent in

eastern Connecticut what he consideredto be the leading challenge to engagingparents from his town. The response waslearning how to reach out to SoutheastAsian com-munities that have come totheir town from abroad.

One of our board members, who hastaught in both regular schools and charterschools, told me that she saw no largedifferences between the two: both areplaces where a predominately white facul-ty must learn to teach a student popula-tion that is predominately young peopleof color. What goes along with that is theneed for teachers to become culturallycompetent, in order to understand how tomake education meaningful for peoplefrom different backgrounds.

These large-scale demographicchanges create excitement at the possibil-ity of a new Connecticut, one that drawsrichly from many cultures around theworld, as our ancestors did so often inresponse to past waves of immigration.

We are all acutely aware of theachievement gap in Connecticut.

In addition to the technical changesthat teachers must make, there is also alarger adaptive challenge to which we allmust contribute solutions. Not just ourschools, but our communities have to be

places that welcome newcomers, that sup-port them better and that help them partic-ipate fully as residents of our towns, whilepreserving their cultures as well.

The third big change in Connecticutrelates to early care and education andwill come as no surprise to anyone whohas touched the work of the MemorialFund in the last two decades. TheMemorial Fund is, after all, a long-terminvestor in birth to eight, working withConnecticut communities, advocates andothers.

Brain research and other science havelong taught us that “early is good.”However, as new data and researchdevelops, at the Memorial Fund we nowsay, “early is good but earlier is evenbetter.” Researchers can track significantdifferences in language development inchildren at age 24 months, and while thereis a significant gap between poor childrenand working class children, an evenbigger gap exists between working classchildren and more affluent children. Callit a preparation gap; call it an opportunitygap; however we label it, we cannottolerate this disparity among children.

A robust Connecticut economydemands a highly educated workforce.We need to ensure that all children in thisstate have what they need early on, sothey can succeed later. Our destinies are

linked across generations, and it mattersfor all of us if children do not succeed.

As one former superintendent put it,every superintendent in this state, ifgiven the resources, should be preparedto accept responsibility for the educationof children from age three up, within amixed system of school and communityproviders; and superintendents andboard members must be outspokenadvocates for birth to three programs.

I cannot improve on those sentiments.Trying to cure the achievement gap bylooking at dropout rates and the transi-tion to college, is a little like trying tobuild a house by starting with the thirdfloor instead of the foundation.

We have got to get busier earlier. Wecan no longer afford to say we will dobetter for young children when theeconomy turns. Early child developmentmust be seen as economic development initself.

My final observation concernscommunity engagement. I mentioned thegrowing diversity of the state’s popula-tion and the richness it brings for all ofus. We need to get out more. We allneed to be more like that superintendentin the eastern part of the state, and fullycommit to learning how to relate to newpopulations in our communities.

We in Connecticut are not who we

used to be, and we are not yet who we aregoing to be. Those of us who have beenaround awhile can be about the businessof helping communities create a vision fortheir children and then work to implementit.

That is really at the heart of the Dis-covery initiative through which we havepartnered with 52 Connecticut communi-ties. Some 40 of these communities havecreated plans for their children from birthto age 8, and are engaged in constructingstrategies to realize the vision they wantto see for all their children.

One of the things I have learned at theMemorial Fund over the years, when itcomes to building a system that works forall children, there are no outsiders. Everyone of us is part of the system, whetheradministrator, board member, governmentofficial, service provider, teacher, student,parent, advocate or foundation executive.

We all need to get off the sidelines andengage with each other and with ournewest citizens. Together, we can work alittle smarter and more cooperatively, tomake Connecticut a better place forchildren now and tomorrow.

David Nee is retiring after serving 20years at the Graustein Memorial Fund.He and the Fund were the 2011 CABEFriend of Public Education Awardwinners.

David Nee retrospective