cabe journal - november 2014

Vol. 18, No.10 November 2014

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

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

PeriodicalPostage

PAIDHartford, CT

www.facebook.com/ConnecticutAssociationBoardsEducation

Whatemployerswant innew hires:Empathy

Is remoteaccesslegal?

Enrichmentfor allstudents

Disciplinefor non-school-relatedbehavior

TheMediaMessage

ConnecticutAstronaut to speak

at CABE/CAPSSConvention

Lisa SteimerSenior Staff Associatefor Professional Development, CABE

The CABE/CAPSS Convention Committee is excitedto announce that Astronaut Rick Mastracchio is ourFriday evening Convention speaker! AstronautMastracchio graduated from Crosby High School,Waterbury, Connecticut, in 1978; received a Bachelor ofScience Degree in Electrical Engineering/ComputerScience from the University of Connecticut in 1982, aMaster of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering fromRensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1987, and a Master ofScience Degree in Physical Science from the Universityof Houston-Clear Lake in 1991.

Rick Mastracchio worked for Hamilton Standard inConnecticut as an engineer in the system design groupfrom 1982 until 1987. During that time, he participatedin the development of high performance, strapped-downinertial measurement units and flight control computers.

In 1987, Mastracchio moved to Houston, Texas, towork for the Rockwell Shuttle Operations Company atthe Johnson Space Center. In 1990, he joined NASA asan engineer in the Flight Crew Operations Directorate.

From 1993 until 1996, he worked as an ascent/entryGuidance and Procedures Officer (GPO) in MissionControl. An ascent/entry GPO has both premission andreal-time space shuttle support responsibilities in theareas of onboard guidance, navigation and targeting. During that time, he supported seventeen missions as aFlight Controller.

In April 1996, Mastracchio was selected as anAstronaut Candidate and started training in August1996. Mastracchio has worked technical issues for the

Astronaut Office Computer Support Branch, SpaceStation Operations, the EVA Branch and as a CapsuleCommunicator (CAPCOM).

He served as the display design lead for the spaceshuttle cockpit avionics upgrades in 2003. From 2004until 2009, he has worked various Constellation andOrion tasks including Cockpit Design Lead, and Constel-lation Deputy Branch Chief.

A veteran of three spaceflights, Mastracchio flew as aMission Specialist on STS-106, STS-118, and STS-131and has logged nearly 40 days in space, including sixEVAs totaling 38 hours and 30 minutes.

As of 2014, Mastracchio now has logged 228 days inspace spanning four missions.

We look forward to having Astronaut Mastracchioreturn to Connecticut and join us at the CABE/CAPSSConvention.

To read more about RickMastracchio go to theCABE website http://www.cabe.org/uploaded/Speakers_bios.pdf

Astronaut Rick Mastracchio

Connecticut attorneys were well represented at the recentNSBA Council of School Attorneys School Law PracticeSeminar. Patrice McCarthy, the past Chair of the Council,and Anne Littlefield (Shipman & Goodwin) participated inthe day long Board of Directors meeting.

During the meeting of State Association Counsel, Patriceled a discussion on state legislative issues, and Kelly Moyherled a discussion on advice for state association council inproviding legal information. Anne Littlefield hosted sessionsdealing with legal and policy issues related to bullying andharassment, and discipline for off campus conduct duringthe Law Seminar.

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director/General Counsel, CABE

Connecticut schoolattorneys participate at

national meeting

Briefing from NSBA

Beyond Fiction:At a Glance

One of the distinguishing characteristics of theCommon Core State Standard’s approach to EnglishLanguage Arts is the explicit call for more reading,interpreting, and analysis of nonfiction texts alongsidenovels, drama, and poetry.

Common Core authors defend the move as crucial toensuring students leave school “able to read andcomprehend independently and proficiently the kinds ofcomplex texts commonly found in college and careers.”

Common Core critics claim that the emphasis willdrive literature out of classrooms, with some questioningwhether so-called informational reading even contributesto students’ college and career readiness.

In it’s research brief, the Center for Public Educationexamined the role of informational reading inpostsecondary education, workplace and day-to-day lifeand how well American students and adults perform inthis domain. After sifting through the available data on

See BEYOND page 10

PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 7 PAGE 10 PAGE 12

Christine DuchouquetteKristen LoschertPatte Barth

EXECUTIVE 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 PresidentDonald Harris ........................................................ Member at Large

AREA DIRECTORSSusan Hoffnagle ............................. Area 1 Co-Director, WinchesterMari-Ellen (Mimi) Valyo ............... Area 1 Co-Director, WinchesterDaniel Gentile ................................... Area 1 Co-Director, PlymouthJeffrey Currey ............................. Area 2 Co-Director, East HartfordSusan Karp ................................... Area 2 Co-Director, GlastonburyDonald Harris ................................. Area 2 Co-Director, BloomfieldLaura Bush ................................................. Area 3 Director, VernonDouglas Smith .................................. Area 4 Co-Director, PlainfieldAndrea Veilleux ................................ Area 6 Co-Director, StratfordElaine Whitney .................................. Area 6 Co-Director, WestportRoxane McKay ............................. Area 7 Co-Director, WallingfordJohn Prins ......................................... Area 7 Co-Director, BranfordLon Seidman .................................................Area 8 Director, EssexAaron Daniels ........................................... Area 9 Director, Norwich

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

COMMITTEE CHAIRSElizabeth Brown ......................... Chair, State Relations, WaterburyDonald 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 RelationsDenise Roberts .................................... Admin. Asst. for Membership ServicesCorliss Ucci .................................. Receptionist/Asst. to the Executive Director

The CABE Journal (ISSN 1092-1818) is published monthly except acombined issue for July/August as a member service of the Connecti-cut Association of Boards of Education, 81 Wolcott Hill Road,Wethersfield, CT 06109, (860) 571-7446. CABE membership duesinclude $30 per person for each individual who receives The CABEJournal. The subscription rate for nonmembers is $75. Associationmembership dues include a subscription for each board member,superintendent, assistant superintendent and business manager. Thecompanies and advertisements found in The CABE Journal are notnecessarily endorsed by CABE. “Periodicals Postage Paid at Hartford,CT.” POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The CABE Journal,CABE, 81 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, CT 06109-1242. Email:[email protected] can find the CABE Journal online at: www.cabe.org/userlogin.cfm?pp=84&userrequest=true&keyrequest=false&userpage=84

Richard Murray

2 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/November 2014

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

CABE Board of Directors

Thank Youfor your dedication and service

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

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

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

Connecticut children through effective leadership.

CABESearchServices

For an update or more informationon vacancies go to our website:

www.cabe.org

Call CABEfor your

recruiting needs

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

Jacqueline V. Jacoby,Senior Search Consultant

Paul Gagliarducci • Associate ConsultantMary Broderick - Associate Consultant

Bob King • Associate ConsultantP.O. Box 290252,

Wethersfield, CT 06129-0252www.cabe.org/support

Equal Opportunity Employers

ConventionSponsors

Thank YouPLATINUM SPONSOR

Nellie MaeEducation Foundation

Renaissance Learning

GOLD SPONSORS

Berchem, Moses & DevlinConnCAN

Shipman & GoodwinSILVER SPONSORS

EASTCONNLEARN

Pullman & ComleyVantis Life Insurance Company

Wow! I can't believe it has been a year since our lastCABE/CAPSS Convention.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to mypredecessor, collaborator, and friend Lydia Tedone. I amgrateful for her partnership.

We have an amazingly dedicated Executive Boardbeginning with First Vice President Ann Gruenberg,Hampton Board of Education. Ann may be quieter thensome of us but no one is a more forceful advocate forchildren and public education.

Our Vice President for Government Relations, RobertMitchell, Montville Board of Education, is retired Navyand he brings a different perspective to the ExecutiveCommittee. Elaine Whitney, Westport Board ofEducation, has been a welcome addition to the ExecutiveCommittee, her passion and enthusiasm is infectious.

John Prins, Branford Board of Education, has beena vigorous but thoughtful advocate for the arts. Finally,my friend Donald Harris, Bloomfield Board of Educa-tion, who has been around the block a few times, (ha-ha)and is willing to eloquently share his experiences.

I learn something from these folks every time I amwith them, thanks to all of you for your service anddedication.

I have really enjoyed getting to know so many wonder-ful and awesome board members from all corners of theState who truly believe in public education. I anticipatemeeting more board members in the upcoming year. Last but certainly not least I must thank the CABE stafffor their collective and individual hard work and supportof Connecticut's Boards of Education.

Under the capable leadership of Bob Rader and

PatriceMcCarthy thestaff is a well-oiled machinein regards toorganizationand garneringsupport for ad-vocacy effortson behalf ofpublic educa-tion in this state.

So, I look forward to seeing, talking and learning withConnecticut board members at the annual CABE/CAPSSConvention at the Mystic Marriott Hotel in Groton onNovember 14 and 15.

I hope to meet with as many of you as possible. Thankyou for your support this past year and continued supportin the upcoming year. See you in soon!

People in the News!On Sunday, October 19, at the National School Boards

Association (NSBA) Northeast Regional Meeting, CABEPresident Richard Murray (Killingly) was elected to theposition of Northeast Regional representative to NSBA’sPolicy and Resolutions Committee. First Vice PresidentAnn Gruenberg (Hampton) was elected first alternate tothe Nominating Committee.

Robert Rader

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/November 2014 3

Superintendents have no effect onStudent Achievement: REALLY?

CABE AffiliateMembers

BUSINESS AFFILIATESDIAMOND MEMBER

Finalsite

GOLD MEMBERSAdvanced Corporate Networking

dba. Digital BackOfficeBerchem, Moses & Devlin

Centris GroupGuidance Counselorsfor Senior TeachersPullman & Comley

Shipman & Goodwin

SILVER MEMBERSAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Corporate Cost ControlMilliman, Inc.

Milone & MacBroom, Inc.Perkins & Eastman

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

BRONZE PLUS MEMBERSBL Companies

Friar AssociatesGoldstein & Peck, P.C.

Lindburg & RippleMilone & MacBroom

Morganti GroupO & G Industries

The S/L/A/M CollaborativeTrane

BRONZE MEMBERSBrown & Brown Insurance

Chinni & Meuser LLCDattco Inc.

Fuller & D’AngeloArchitects and Planners

JCJ ArchitectureKainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C.

The Lexington GroupMuschell & Simoncelli

Ovations Benefits GroupSuisman Shapiro Attorneys at Law

EDUCATIONALAFFILIATES

American School for the DeafArea Cooperative Educational Services

Capitol Region Education CouncilThe College Board

Connecticut Association of SchoolBusiness Officials

Connecticut Center for School ChangeConnecticut School Buildings

and Grounds AssociationCooperative Educational Services

EASTCONNEDUCATION CONNECTION

LEARNUnified School District #1

Management isabout arranging

and telling.Leadership is about

nurturing andenhancing.– Tom Peters

A recent study by the Brown Center onEducation Policy at the Brookings Insti-tute, came to the conclusion that superin-tendents of schools have little or no in-fluence on student achievement in theirdistricts.

The report states that “Superintendentswhose tenure is associated with sizable,statistically reliable changes in studentachievement in which they serve, control-ling for the many other factors that affectstudent achievement, are quite rare.

When district academic achievementimproves or deteriorates, the superinten-dent is likely to be playing a part in anensemble performance in which the super-intendent’s role could be filled success-fully by many others… it is the systemthat promotes or hinders student achieve-ment. Superintendents are largely indis-tinguishable.”[emphasis added]

Wow! That was followed by an edi-torial in the New Haven Register, thename of which said it all: “School Super-intendents—Six Figures Worth of Noth-ing”. It then discussed the BrookingsInstitute report and tacked on some nega-tive stories about Connecticut superinten-dents, which go back years – one even 10years. One was a candidate for a superin-tendency, not a superintendent in Con-necticut at all. And, the stories had verylittle to do with stu-dent achievement.

What’s going on here? Is this just thetenor of how we treat leaders? Or is thisreal, helpful information?

The Brookings report was based ononly two states, Florida and NorthCarolina. It measured only studentachievement in terms of test scores—nothing about other goals we have for ourstudents, such as career or college readi-ness, good citizenship or all the subjectsother than reading or math.

It does not consider the significantimpact superintendents have on the ef-fectiveness of teachers and principalswhich do have a large impact on studentsuccess. It ignores the many roles ofsuperintendents, including in hiring,training and supervising, just to name afew.

The Register editorial, after citing theolder cases and, in one case, the conductof a superintendent candidate, containedthis comment: “The bottom line, thatschool superintendents don’t make a dif-ference, is something every parent, tax-payer and hard-working teacher and prin-cipal in Connecticut should take as aninsult – and something that must inspirethe state’s leaders and lawmaker to begina process to reform the system…”

That’s what the editorial writer of thesecond-largest general circulation news-paper in Connecticut thought? To me, ata time when superintendents are strug-gling to implement educational reformcombined with difficult funding chal-lenges, the editorial is gratuitouslyinsulting.

I have known many superintendents ofschools over my 33 years working withboards of education. The great majoritywork huge numbers of hours, care deeplyabout student achievement and their dis-tricts and provide excellent advice to theirschool boards. I think all education lead-ers will acknowledge that, just like in anyother profession, not every superintendentdoes that well. But, probably every onebelieves in and is working on continuousimprovement.

To imply that superintendents addnothing to the educational achievement ofthe students in their districts adds nothingto our understanding of the roles and re-sponsibilities of the superintendent.

CAPSS Executive Director JoeCirasuolo, Deputy Director and GeneralCounsel Patrice McCarthy and I havespent the last couple of months workingon a revised edition of our GovernanceStatement (the current one, developed in2004, is available on the CABE website).While not yet finished, the new statementwill again stress the idea that superinten-dents and boards represent a leadershipteam, with all the expectations thatimplies.

The leadership team has a huge impacton student achievement. This was shownby the Iowa Association of School BoardsFoundation’s Lighthouse study, whichshowed that when a school board andsuperintendent believe that all childrencan learn, none can be left behind and thatexcuses such as the child lives “on thewrong side of the tracks” or comes from aculture that deemphasizes education, thepowerful message flows down from theleadership team and helps strengthen thepositive climate throughout the district…and helps increase student achievement.

In districts with similar demographicsand wealth, where boards believe theopposite, a negative message also flowsdown through the district, helping restrainincreases in student growth.

NSBA’s Center for Public Educationhas also identified eight characteristics ofeffective school boards. Included is this:

effective school boards lead as a unitedteam with the superintendent, each fromtheir respective roles, with strong collabo-ration and mutual trust.

One boss I had years ago used to saythat the job of the CEO of a company,nonprofit corporation or even a schoolsuperintendent, is to “create the environ-ment” so that employees, in our case,principals, teachers and other staff mem-bers can be successful.

Using that thought in the context of ourdistricts acknowledges that superinten-dents have a role that, while possibly notdirectly adding points to student’s testscores, better explains the role of thesuperintendent.

Any institution that has a CEO or pre-sident responsible for the operations ofthe institution, must have someone to seethe big picture and implement the govern-ing body’s decision. In a school district,that is the superintendent.

Would anyone suggest that a corpora-tion’s CEO or president is unnecessary?While his or her job is to enable thecompany to make bigger profits, wouldanyone characterize the CEO as “sixfigures of nothing” if merely one of themany profit centers did not hit its target?

We are living in difficult times andcertainly holding public employees ac-countable is one area that we have rampedup over the last few years. School boardsand superintendents need to carefullyconsider the factors that impact studentachievement in their district and keep inmind that better test scores have manycomponents – the biggest one being therelationship between a teacher and a stu-dent and the superintendent’s vital role inensuring a successful relationship.

But, castigating superintendents as ifthey alone are responsible for test scoresand they have no other role in our schoolsundermines the credibility of our leader-ship team and public education. It con-tributes to a misunderstanding of superin-tendents and school boards’ roles instudent achievement.

So, to answer my questions in my fifthparagraph, I believe that the study and theeditorial added nothing to our knowledgeand, instead, has merely caused damage.They undermined the public’s confidenceand weakened the effectiveness of theState’s leadership teams working dili-gently to raise student achievement!


What employers want in new hires: EmpathyThe many columns written in Fortune Magazine by

Geoff Colvin are usually very much to the point, taking ano-nonsense approach to issues, such as corporateinversions (companies relieving themselves of Americantax burdens by moving their “headquarters” to anothercountry) and other dollars and cents issues.

But, in the September 22nd issue, he tackled somethingdifferent, an issue that we have stressed over the years asa critical part of being a board member and somethingwe need to teach our children.

The title of his article said it all: Employers AreLooking for New Hires With Something Extra: Empathy.

Empathy, that is, “sensing at a deep level the feelingsand thoughts of others”, is not usually a word found inmany help-wanted ads, and especially not in the tech-nology sector. But, that is exactly what many info-techbusinesses are searching for.

That may seem a little strange in this time of com-petition for the best technology brains, not only for techcompanies, but also for those which do many other typesof work.

As an example, the CEO of Infor, which makesenterprise software, described how his company com-petes against an industry giant such as Oracle: we offer“beautiful business software for your business pro-cesses.”

But, Colvin writes, this “clear trend is not some fad inthe software industry. A mushrooming demand foremployees with affective, non-logical abilities spans theeconomy.”

He cites a group of executives and educators in the

U.K. which stated that “Non-cognitive skills andattributes such as team working, emotional maturity,empathy, and other interpersonal skills are as importantas proficiency in English and mathematics”.

Colvin says that this is occurring for the followingreasons:

• A “search for differentiation in a world wheremany products and services are becomingcommoditized”. When so many products workfine, how does a company distinguish its products?The CEO of Intuit “knows the question to ask: ‘Didit leave me with a positive emotion?’”

• “CEOs are finding that in order to compete andwin, “they first need to understand the customer’sinner experience. Their employees need empathy.And that trait is becoming ever more valuable…

because the supply of candidates who possess itseems to be shrinking” according to researchers.

• “We have evolved exquisitely to connect inperson.” If you are alone, working in a cube, youmay miss some of the opportunities to connect withpeople. Because of the way we live our lives, “ourindividual worlds become increasingly cognitiveand virtual, lacking in face-to-face contact.”

While the thoughts in Colvin’s article are not unique(remember 21st Century skills?), with the emphasis onreading and mathematics brought on by the implemen-tation of the Common Core, err, Connecticut CoreStandards, it is important to remember that we mustteach our children not only the “hard” subjects, but alsothe softer ones.

We need to ensure that they have not only the know-ledge that they will need in the global marketplace, butalso the life skills that will make them more than stand-ardized, factory-built citizens.

One of the founders of our thinking about emotionalintelligence skills is Dr. Daniel Goleman, PhD. He haswritten that emotional intelligence, such as empathy, canmean much more than mere high IQ when predictingfuture success. It now appears that this is even true forthose in the technology sector.

It is important that board members andsuperintendents consider the importance of these skills,in addition to those taught in other “harder” subjects.

Robert RaderExecutive Director, CABE

We need to ensure thatthey have not only the

knowledge that they willneed in the global marketplace,but also the life skills that will

make them more thanstandardized, factory-built citizens.

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

A Nutmeg Board of Education questions: Is remote access legal?Thomas 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.

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

• School Safety and Security • Bulying Law •• Teacher Evaluation and Support • Teacher Tenure Act

• New Requirements for Professional Development• Budget Issues • Prohibitions on Electronic Notifications

of Referenda • Minimum Budget Requirements • FMLA forParaprofessionals • Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting

Requirements • Uniform Regional School Calendars• Excusal • Student Assessments • Pool Safety

• Concussion Prevention and Education • Sudden CardiacArrest Prevention and Education • Administration and

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

The 8th edition will be available in mid-November from CABE.Order your copy TODAY by going to the CABE website:

www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=749

COMING SOONEighth Edition

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

The other members of the NutmegBoard of Education were surprised whenErnie Entrepreneur was elected to serveas its newest member. Though respectedin Nutmeg, Ernie was notoriously over-extended with his business commitments,and the other Board members wonderedhow Ernie would manage to attend Boardmeetings.

It didn’t take long to find out. At thefirst Board meeting after the election,Ernie pulled out his phone to check hiscalendar against the Board calendar, andhe announced grandly that he had somebig deals brewing and that he would beout of town for four of the next sixmeetings.

“That’s too bad,” veteran Board mem-ber Bob Bombast commented snarkily.“We sure are going to miss you.”

“Actually, I will be attending themeetings by Skype,” Ernie responded.“No matter what important business takesme out of town, I will fulfill my obliga-tions to the voters of Nutmeg.”

“Is that legal?” Board member MalContent asked. “I thought we actuallyhad to come to these meetings, tiresomethough they may be. What gives?”

“Of course!” said Ernie. “I will beSkyping in for each meeting.” The otherBoard members didn’t want to pick afight, and they simply nodded in silentacquiescence. They were, however,curious how Ernie’s Skyping would work.

They found out at the next meeting.Mr. Chairperson was ready to call themeeting to order, and all the Boardmembers were present . . . except forErnie. A laptop was placed in front of theBoard table, eye level for the other Boardmembers, with a big blank screen. RingRing. The IT technician promptly placeda call to Ernie as the other Board mem-bers waited impatiently. Ring Ring. Noanswer.

“Well?” Bob Bombast asked impa-tiently. Are we going to wait forever?”

“Obviously we have some technicaldifficulties,” responded Mr. Chairperson.“Let’s just chill out here and give Ernieanother few minutes.”

Ring Ring. “Hello?” everyone heardas Ernie’s smiling face appeared on thescreen. “What did I miss?” asked Ernie,his hair apparently wet from the shower.

Mr. Chairperson called the meeting toorder, and things went smoothly, more orless. Twice the Board lost the Skypeconnection with Ernie, but the technicianwas able to restore the connectionpromptly each time. Ernie even partici-pated in the discussions and started tocast a vote . . . .

“Point of order,” interjected Bob

Bombast. “Ernie can attend the meeting inthe same way as the folks at home canwatch us on cable, but he can’t vote, canhe?”

Mr. Chairperson quickly waved Boboff. “Unless you can cite some law, Bob,I am not going to interfere with Ernie’sright to vote.” With that, Mr. Chairpersoncalled the vote, counting Ernie’s vote inannouncing the total.

“Fine,” Bob responded. “Have it yourway. Two can play at this game.”

Bob did not explain his cryptic remark,and the meeting continued, with Ernie onSkype, commenting and voting as well ashe could from his hotel room.

Right before the next Board meeting,however, Bob sent Mr. Chairperson anote stating that he would not be attend-ing the meeting but that his votes on theproposed motions were attached. Sureenough, Bob had written “Yays” and“Nays” on the agenda that he provided toMr. Chairperson.

Can Bob vote this way? Can Ernie?

Starting with Bob, the answer is no –he cannot vote that way. Boards ofeducation are deliberative bodies. Thatmeans that they make decisions throughdiscussion. A key part of that decision-making process is to listen to the perspec-tives of the other board members. Votingahead of time is inconsistent with thatapproach. For example, in assessingwhether a board member has a conflict ofinterest, we don’t only look at whether theboard member voted. Rather, we mustconsider whether the board member spokein favor or against the issue. It is throughdiscussion and comment as well asthrough votes that board members affectdecisions.

Given the way in which boards ofeducation make decisions, a boardmember may not vote by proxy or simplymail in his or her decision. He or sheshould have the benefit of hearing thediscussion of the other board membersbefore voting. Accordingly, Mr. Chair-person was not obligated to grant Bob’srequest to permit him to vote ahead oftime.

By contrast, Ernie’s request to partici-pate in the meeting by Skype is consistentwith law and custom. Starting with law,the Freedom of Information Act hasprovided since its inception that publicofficials may participate in meetings ofpublic agencies “by electronic means.”Ernie’s participation in meetings of theNutmeg Board of Education by Skype,therefore, is perfectly legal.

Moreover, many boards of educationpermit their members to participate intheir meetings by computer video-conferencing. The devil is in the details,of course, and boards of education mustthink about whether and under whatcircumstances to permit members toparticipate in meetings remotely.

First, a blanket rule against suchparticipation may be unwise. There maybe circumstances in which the boarddesperately needs a quorum, and the only

way to achieve a quorum may be topermit a member to participate “byelectronic means.”

Second, electronic participation shouldbe a second-choice. There is no substitutefor being physically present to see thebody language and to feel the mood in theroom. If board members can attend themeeting in person, they should do so.

Third, electronic participation raises ahost of policy issues. Should the boardmember attending the meeting remotelysit through the entire meeting? What dowe do if the line is busy or the connectionis lost? How do we protect the security ofexecutive session (how do we know whoelse is in the room with the board mem-ber)?

Boards of education can seek toaddress these issues with policies and

procedures. However, it is hard to dealwith every eventuality through policy, andit may be best simply to treat suchparticipation as a procedural issue onwhich the chairperson should rule ad hoc,depending on the circumstances. If thechairperson’s ruling is adverse, theaffected person may appeal as with anyother point of order.

In sum, it may be best, at least for now,to deal with such situations as they arise,with the overriding principles being toencourage personal participation and toallow remote participation as circum-stances may warrant.

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

Family and Medical Leave ActPolicy Update for Paraprofessionals


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

The Policy Corner CABE-MeetingCABE-Meeting is a user-friendly

online service offered by CABEspecifically for school boards. Userscan eliminate unnecessary paperwork,increase efficiency and reduce costswhile enabling board members to utilizethe latest in cutting edge technology.Using CABE-Meeting, the MeetingManager can create and electronicmeeting from developing the agenda tocreating the minutes and everything inbetween.

When the meeting is ready, theMeeting Manager emails your boardmembers and designated administratorsto let them know they can log in. Userscan login from the comfort of theirhomes or work place. With a mouseclick, agenda and related documents areopen and ready for viewing. Using thesearch features, administrators andboard members can easily locateinformation from previous boardmeetings. No more time consuming,tedious searches through mounds ofpaper!

What Else DoesCABE-Meeting Offer?• Secure login access for board and

district staff• Password protected access for

certain features and audiences• Access from any location with

Internet access• Search archived agenda and meeting

related items in a flash.• Ability to download and print

attachments• Option to provide a public link to

board meeting information• Calendar for tracking events of

district interest

Your CABE-MeetingSubscription Provides:• Access to CABE-Meeting• Initial and ongoing training• Support and maintenance• Upgrades to the service

CABE MemberSubscription Information:Initial Subscription Fee – $3,000Annual Maintenance Fee –$1,500

If you have an interestin this service,

contact Lisa Steimerat 860-571-7446

or [email protected].

The 2012 Connecticut GeneralAssembly passed Public Act 12-43,“An Act Concerning Family and Medi-cal Leave Benefits for Certain Munici-pal Employees,” to provide Family andMedical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits toschool paraprofessionals who, typical-ly, did not work enough hours eachyear to be eligible under the federalFMLA.

FederalFMLA appliesnot only toprivate sectoremployers with50 or moreemployees, butalso to munici-palities andboards of edu-cation and re-quires employ-ees to work atleast 1,250 hoursin the 12 monthsimmediately pre-ceding FMLAleave.

Connecticut’s FMLA law expresslyexcludes coverage of municipalities,boards of education and private ele-mentary and secondary schools.

Therefore, the Legislature craftedthe new law to require boards ofeducation to provide benefits equal tothose under the federal FMLA if aparaprofessional worked only 950hours in the 12 months immediatelypreceding an FMLA leave, rather thanthe standard federal requirement of1,250 hours.

The 2012 legislation also requiredthe Commissioner of Labor to adoptimplementing regulations. The new lawfurther specified that no paraprofess-ional would begin accruing the neces-sary 950 hours before those regulationsbecame effective. The ConnecticutSecretary of State’s website posted theDepartment of Labor’s Family andMedical Leave for School Paraprofes-sionals final regulations on May 12,2014.

Similar to the federal FMLA’s 1,250hour requirement, only actual hoursworked count towards the 950 hoursrequirement, as determined by FairLabor Standards Act principles.

Time off, whether paid or unpaid,does not count, including paid holidays,personal time off, etc. Summer recessdoes not count as FMLA leave timeunless a paraprofessional is required toreport to work during the summermonths.

The effective date of the new re-

gulations is May 12, 2014. Hours workedafter that date by a school district employ-ee who falls under the paraprofessionaldefinition set out in the regulations willbegin to count towards the required 950hours.Therefore, this means that covered em-ployees will likely not be eligible for theirfirst leave under the new regulations untilsometime late in the current 2014-2015

school year, based upon the typical work-week of a paraprofessional in the schoolsetting.

The new regulations define a parapro-fessional as “a school employee who per-forms duties that are instructional in na-ture or deliver either direct or indirectservices to students and/or parents andserves in a position for which a teacherhas ultimate responsibility for the designand implementation of educational pro-grams and services.”

P.A. 12-43 and its newly issued regu-lations expand the number of school dis-trict employees eligible to take FMLAleave. This law extends to paraprofess-ionals all of the rights, responsibilitiesand obligations that employees and em-ployers have dealt with under the federalFMLA.

Paraprofessionals will be eligible forthe same FMLA leave benefits as otherFMLA eligible employees. This meansparaprofessionals will be eligible to useFMLA:

• Upon the birth of the employee’sson or daughter, or to care for theemployee’s newborn child;

• In connection with the employee’sserious health condition;

• To care for a spouse, son, daughteror parent who has a serious healthcondition;

• In connection with a qualifyingexigency relating to the foreigndeployment or call (or impendingcall) to active military duty of aparaprofessional’s spouse, son,

“The new regulations define a paraprofessionalas ‘a school employee who performs duties thatare instructional in nature or deliver either director indirect services to students and/or parentsand serves in a position for which a teacher hasultimate responsibility for the design andimplementation of educational programs andservices.’”

daughter or parent; and• To care for a spouse, son,

daughter or parent who suffereda serious injury or illness in theline of duty.

The Connecticut paraprofessionalFMLA generally should be administer-ed in the same way as the existingfederal FMLA. Human resourcesmanagers and staff should follow the

same rules withrespect to the cer-tification of seri-ous health condi-tions, concurrentuse of paid leaveand other issues.

The new regula-tions require dis-tricts to post no-tices that explainthe new parapro-fessional FMLAentitlement andthat inform em-ployees of theprocedures forfiling complaints

with the State Department of Labor.Notices must be posted prominently

in places where they can be seen byemployees and job applicants. Elec-tronic posting may be sufficient solong as the electronic posting meets allother regulation requirements.

The Department of Labor has de-veloped a model notice that employerscan post to comply with the regula-tions’ notice requirement.

The model notice and additionalinformation is available online at:

http://www.ct.gov/sots/lib/sots/regulations/recentlyadopted/

ecopy_reg_6160.pdf.

Policy ImplicationsThe new 950-hour eligibilityrequirement requires amendmentto the board of education’sFMLA policy and regulations,#4152.6/4252.6, “Family andMedical Leave Act.” This is arecommended policy forinclusion in a district’s policymanual. CABE has severalversions of this policy andaccompanying administrativeregulation. Also, a sample notice,developed by the ConnecticutDepartment of Labor, pertainingto the new paraprofessionalFMLA entitlement, as describedabove, is available from CABE.


The adoption of the Common Core State Standards(CCSS) has significant implications for teachers. Thestandards call for general education teachers to recognizeand address student learning differences and incorporaterigorous content and application of knowledge throughhigher-order thinking skills. Despite the obvious con-nection to the field of gifted education, how do educatorsaddress this for ALL students?

Enrichment through content is one way to help im-plement the CCSS. Using general exploratory activities,group training activities, and individual and small groupinvestigation of real problems, students can learn to thinkmore creatively, be deeply challenged, and delve intoself-selected work while being guided by teachers.

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM), devel-oped using the Renzulli’s Enrichment Triad has beenimplemented in over 2,000 schools across the countryand interest in this approach has continued to expandinternationally. The SEM model is proven effective atserving high-ability students and providing enrichment ina variety of educational settings, including schools serv-ing culturally diverse and low socioeconomic popula-tions, based on over 30 years of research and field-tests.

Schoolwide Enrichment ModelThe Enrichment Triad Model serves as the theoretical

and curricular basis for the SEM that currently isimplemented schoolwide to service special education,

Excellence through enrichment for ALL studentsgeneral, and gifted education students in a variety ofsettings, including gifted programs. In the SEM,teachers help students better understand three dimensionsof their learning – their abilities, interests, and learningstyles.

All of this information focuses on student strengthsrather than deficits. Curriculum modifications are alsoaccounted for by:

(a) adjusting levels of required learning so that allstudents are challenged,

(b) increasing the number of in-depth learningexperiences, and

(c) introducing various types of enrichment intoregular curricular experiences.

Enrichment Learning & TeachingFour principles underlie the enrichment and teaching

approach:1. each learner is unique;2. learning is more effective when students enjoy

what they are doing;3. learning is more meaningful and enjoyable when

content (i.e. knowledge) and process (i.e. thinkingskills, methods of inquiry) are learned within thecontext of a real and present problem; and

4. some formal instruction may be used, but thestudent is encouraged to develop his/her ownconstruction of meaning.

Ultimately, the goal of SEM is to replace dependentand passive learning with independence and engagedlearning.

The SEM is well aligned with the CCSS philosophy.SEM provides the opportunity for ALL students to

Beverly Katz, Executive Director andBecky Hamman, Vice President for OutreachConnecticut Association for the Gifted

develop their gifts and talents and to begin the process oflife-long learning, culminating in higher levels ofcreative and innovative work in their areas of interest andpassion as adults.

For more information about SEM, please contact theConnecticut Association for the Gifted (www.ctgifted.org) or the Neag Center for Gifted Education and TalentDevelopment (www.gifted.uconn.edu).

The Connecticut Association for the Gifted, foundedin 1969, is the pre-eminent parent, teacher, schoolresource, and legislative advocate for Connecticut’sgifted and talented students. CAG provides parents withinformation and resources to benefit their talentedchildren, educators with high quality professionaldevelopment, and Boards of Education with the tools tosupport talented students. CAG meets with legislators toadvocate for legislation to provide high quality studentswith challenging curriculum. Visit www.ctgifted.org formore information.


Conduct unbecoming:disciplining educators for non-school-related behavior

Michael P. McKeon, Esq.Pullman & Comley

The involvement of a Connecticutmiddle school Principal and a middleschool Guidance Counselor in the writingand production of films the media hasdescribed as being replete with femalenudity, violence and sexually suggestive,if not downright explicit, dialogue raisesquestions about the extent to whichschool boards can discipline employeesfor non-criminal conduct that occurs offschool grounds and outside the schoolday.

Although it is indisputable that every-one is entitled to his or her own privatelife, for public school educators, whathappens in Vegas (or even in Connecti-cut) does not necessarily stay in Vegas.

Over twenty years ago, the Connecti-cut Supreme Court held in Kelley v.Bonney that public school teachersqualify as “public officials.” While thecourt’s decision focused on the appropri-ate legal standard for defamation claimsbrought by a public school teacher inresponse to criticisms of his classroomperformance, it reflected the wider realitythat the public has a significant interest inthe conduct of educators – particularlythose within their community’s publicschools — regardless of where that con-duct occurs.

Two years earlier, in the 1990 case ofRado v. Board of Education, the Con-necticut Supreme Court affirmed the

termination of a tenured teacher despitethe fact that he had been acquitted at trialof eavesdropping on other school em-ployees, a felony.

Similarly, in the 1997 case of Gedney v.Groton Board of Education, the Connecti-cut Appellate Court upheld the terminationof a tenured teacher who was arrested forpossession of both cocaine and drugparaphernalia, despite the fact that uponhis compliance with the terms of theaccelerated rehabilitation which he hadbeen granted, his criminal record was, as amatter of law, expunged.

Both the Rado and Gedney courtsbased their decisions, at least in part, uponthe fact that the respective school boardshad established “due and sufficient cause”for the terminations, which “includes anyground which is put forward . . . in goodfaith and which is not arbitrary, irrational,unreasonable, or irrelevant to the com-mittee’s task of building up and maintain-ing an efficient school system.”

Due and sufficient cause can be pre-dicated upon behavior that “must neces-sarily have undermined [the educator’s]capacity to effectively work . . . withfellow staff members, sets an extremelypoor example for students and staff andreflects personal values inconsistent with[his] continued employment as a teacher.”

In fact, in considering whether conductconstitutes due and sufficient cause, thecourts held that “the impact of that con-duct upon the operation of the school is a

significant consideration” (emphasisadded).

The Rado and Gedney decisions bothinvolved criminal misconduct. Inelucidating the parameters of “due andsufficient cause,” however, the courts didnot cite the illegality of those employees’conduct, but rather its effect.

Using the rubric established in Radoand Gedney, an educator’s creation andpromulgation of films that might be per-ceived as sexually objectifying womencould possibly hinder the educator’sability to “effectively work” with col-leagues, particularly if he holds a supervi-sory position and is therefore responsiblefor leading and evaluating staff.

Similarly, such conduct might bedeemed “an extremely poor example forstudents,” especially when considered inconjunction with Title IX’s proscriptionsagainst gender-based discrimination.

One might argue that non-school-related conduct that involves creativeworks implicated First Amendment, free-speech protections, thereby distinguishingit from the behaviors addressed in Radoand Gedney.

Over 45 years ago, however, theUnited States Supreme Court held thateven constitutionally protected speechmust be balanced against an employer’sright to maintain an orderly workplace.

Thus, in 2003, the United States Courtof Appeals for the Second Circuit —which has federal appellate jurisdiction

over Connecticut – applied that balancingtest to reject a teacher’s claim that histermination for off-campus conduct vio-lated the First Amendment.

The court noted that a teaching posi-tion “requires a degree of public trust notfound in many other positions of publicemployment,” and thus, an educator is“beholden to the views of parents in thecommunity,” and any “disruption createdby parents can be fairly characterized asinternal disruption to the operation of theschool.”

Needless to say, all relevant factorsshould be carefully weighed before anyemployee is disciplined. A particular actshould not be considered in a vacuum, un-less, of course, the conduct is so obvi-ously egregious as to outweigh any priorpositive performance.

Nonetheless, even with those protec-tions in place, it is important for botheducators and school boards to under-stand that when considering the appropri-ateness of a public school educator’sconduct, that inquiry is not necessarilylimited to what occurs within the scope ofthe school day or of the educator’spedagogical duties.

Attorney McKeon is a Member of thelaw firm of Pullman & Comley LLC,which represents a number of Connecti-cut school districts. More articles aboutissues pertaining to school districts andother educational institutions can befound on the firm’s blog Education LawNotes at: schoollaw.pullcomblog.com

NSBA Northeast Region meeting in Mystic;Murray, Gruenberg elected to NSBA Committees

State school boards associationleaders from all of the NSBA NortheastRegion met in Mystic on October 17-19th.The leaders, including virtually all presi-dents and executive directors of the stateassociations from Maine to Maryland andthe Virgin Islands and NSBA leaders in-cluding President Anne Byrne, who willspeak at the upcoming CABE/CAPSS

Participants from the northeast met at the NSBA Northeast Regional meeting at the MysticMarriott Hotel in Groton.

Convention, spent the better part of threedays learning, sharing ideas and choosingrepresentatives.

CABE President Richard Murray(Killingly), who chaired the BusinessMeeting, was elected to the position ofNortheast Regional representative toNSBA’s Policy and Resolutions Commit-tee. First Vice President Ann Gruenberg

(Hampton) was elected first alternate tothe Nominating Committee.

Connecticut had last hosted the meet-ing in 2002. About 80 people were inattendance this year.

NSBA has decided to hold a once-a-year meeting in Chicago rather than someof the meetings that had taken place atdifferent times of the year. Delegatesvoted, however, to continue to hold anannual meeting, rotated among the states,in addition to the Chicago meeting.

CABE Deputy Director and GeneralCounsel Patrice McCarthy and ExecutiveDirector Robert Rader engaged the atten-dees in discussing issues facing schoolboards and how to ensure their relevancyin the future. Former CABE and NSBAPresident Mary Broderick helped atten-dees learn more about how to be evenmore effective in their leadership at theirstate associations.

CABE Senior Staff Associates LisaSteimer and Bonnie Carney played hugeroles in making this conference such asuccess. The warmth and hospitality theygenerated, in addition to effectively hand-

ling logistical and communications duties,were as beneficial to the overall successin this meeting, as our members have wit-nessed at the CABE/CAPSS Convention.

Other CABE attendees included FirstVice President Ann Gruenberg (Hamp-ton), Vice President for GovernmentRelations Robert Mitchell (Montville),Vice President for Professional Develop-ment Elaine Whitney (Westport),Secretary/Treasurer John Prins (Bran-ford), Immediate Past President LydiaTedone (Simsbury), and Member at LargeDonald Harris (Bloomfield).

The attendees also toured the Mashan-tucket Pequot Museum, a unique andinteresting site. Attendees told us that itwas a very valuable tour and they willcome back to visit with their children orgrandchildren.

Overall, attendees believed it was avery valuable conference. If such meet-ings in Northeast states continue, Connec-ticut will probably host again in 2026!

Robert RaderExecutive Director and

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director/General Counsel, CABE


CABE and Baldwin Media: Partners in Managing Communications

The Media Messagefrom Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

It was a Wednesday afternoon that Ireceived a call from a school superin-tendent that she may have to put herschool on lock-down and that shemight need my help. She then pro-ceeded to tell me that the AthleticDirector found what he believed to bea shell casing from a bullet in the highschool gym.

The problem was that he found itthe previous Friday and this was justnow being brought to her attention.My first question was, “Why are youjust finding out about this now?” Mysecond question was, “Are you surethis is a shell casing from a bullet?”

Two very different and importantquestions that had to be asked andanswered in my opinion before anyfurther decisions were made. First ofall, think about the public relations

Don’t wait to communicate – a true storydisaster that you will have on your handsif you put a lockdown in place nearly sixdays after thediscovery of ashell casing?

That was a realconcern. So,strategically wedecided that weneeded a policeexpert to take alook at the objectand confirm whatit came from. Wewere able to makethat happenimmediately andin the end it was quickly determined thatit was actually a shell casing from a nailgun.

There was work being done on the

roof and apparently a stray casing landedin the gym. Deep sigh of relief for every-

one, but the lessonlearned here is two-fold from a commu-nications perspec-tive.

“If you seesomething, saysomething” to quotethe infamousmarketing strategyout there, but I’dlike to add the word“immediately” – ifyou see something,say something

immediately, don’t wait!Had this person reported what he found

when he found it and due diligence wasdone to find out exactly what they were

dealing with, this would have all beennothing more than an exercise in goodcommunication. In the end, it couldhave been disastrous.

Sometimes we are so close to asituation that we don’t always take thetime that we should to think it through.Whether you have minutes or hours,you have to think about what actionsyou take before hitting the panicbutton.

Following this situation, the districtlooked at this as an opportunity to re-evaluate their communications processand to reinforce their reporting proto-col.

It also points to the fact that asCABE members you have access to theservices of Baldwin Media 24/7, shouldyou need assistance with any situation,or just need some quick advice orguidance.

CABE: working for YOUIndividualized Workshops • Professional Development Opportunities

Legal Services • Policy Services • Representing You Statewide and Nationally


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

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

• Attended CAPSS Technology Sub-committee meeting.

• Participated in Big 6 meeting on crea-tive ways to save money for schooldistricts with Educational ResearchServices.

• Met with CAPSS Executive DirectorJoe Cirasuolo on updating ourGovernance Statement and TeamAssessment documents.

• Presented white paper on the Futureof Boards of Education to the Na-tional School Boards Association(NSBA) Board of Directors on behalfof executive directors from around thecountry.

• Met with Executive Director CamStaples (former co-chair of the Edu-cation Committee) of the New Eng-land Association of Schools and Col-leges (NEASC) and former Commis-sioner of Education Ted SergiNEASC proposed changes.

• Taped videos on public education-related issues with Ann Baldwin ofBaldwin Media.

• Planned and presented a workshop toCharter School Board members ontheir roles and responsibilities.

• Participated in NSBA ConferenceCall on the National Connectionsprogram.

• Attended the Connecticut Consortiumof Education Foundation’s annualconference.

• Attended a Shipman and Goodwinlegal seminar.

• Participated in an NSBA managementaudit of the Idaho School BoardsAssociation.

• Participated in meeting of the Con-necticut Coalition for Public Educa-tion.

• Attended meeting of CAPSS Board of

Directors with Governor Malloy.• Attended Capitol Region Education

Council (CREC) Council meetings,facilitated discussion on essentialqualities for a new commissioner.

• Attended Connecticut Coalition forJustice in Education Funding(CCJEF) Steering Committeemeeting.

• Presented session on legislative issuesto Southern Connecticut State Univer-sity (SCSU) aspiring administratorsclass.

• Attended Sandy Hook Commissionmeeting.

• Attended Connecticut Association ofSchool (CAS) board meeting.

• Attended NSBA Council of SchoolAttorneys Board of Directors meetingfall seminar and State AssociationAttorneys meeting.

• Attended CAPSS International Edu-cation Committee meeting.

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

• Provided roles and responsibilitiesworkshops for the Barkhamsted,Region 5 and Region 6 Boards ofEducation.

• Provided the Stafford Board ofEducation with a board self-evalua-tion workshop.

• Met with town leadership team andNorth Stonington Board of Educa-tion on community engagement.

• Worked with the Columbia andNorwich Boards of Education oncommunity engagement.

• Provided the Region 8 Board ofEducation with a board evaluationworkshop.

• Held a workshop on effective meet-ings and district goals with the Wind-sor Board of Education.

• Met with Region 13 Board ChairKerrie Flanagan and SuperintendentKathryn Veronesi on CABE services,

• Trained Derby staff on CABE-Meeting.

• Participated in Partners’ Meetingwith states using eMeeting.

• Provided policy information to 26districts and the State Department ofEducation through 40 answeredrequests for information or samplepolicies, on 38 topics. Further,districts continue to access CABE’sonline Core Policy Reference Manualand/or online manuals posted byCABE for policy samples. The topicsof greatest interest pertain to technol-ogy issues, student discipline andstudent health issues.

➤ By providing servicesto meet members needs:

• Assisted facilitation with the MilfordBoard of Education on district re-organization.

• Held a board retreat with the Weth-ersfield Board of Education andworked on planning a retreat for theEast Hartford and Region #13Boards of Education.

• Participated in conference call withWilliam Daggett, CABE/CAPSSConvention keynote speaker to dis-cuss the audience, logistics, etc.

• Staffed CABE Nominating Commit-tee meeting.

• Worked on an audit of the BloomfieldSchools Policy Manual.

• Completed an audit of the WindhamPublic Schools manual.

• Revised sample policies pertaining tograduation requirements, suspensionand expulsion.

➤ By ensuring membersreceive the most up-to-

date communications:• Attended CAPSS’ workshop on Per-

sonalized Learning.• As part of the development of new

policy manuals utilizing the CustomPolicy Service, materials were pre-pared for Clinton, Cromwell, NorthHaven, Thomaston andWethersfield.

➤ By helping school boardsto increase studentachievement

• Provided Lighthouse training for theVernon Board of Education.

• Participated in conference call onCommunicating the Core (CommonCore).

• Attended, planned and implementedsuccessful workshop on Special Edu-cation.

• Sent out two issues of Policy High-lights via email listserv covering top-ics that affect student achievement.This included graduation require-ments and state assessments, use ofE-cigarettes, board of education self-evaluation, energy conservation, foodallergies, and expungement of expul-sions of student records.

➤ By promotingpublic education:

• Met with the Branford and New-town Policy Committees.

• Answered questions about the currentlegal issues facing boards of educa-tion. “HOT” topics this month were:executive session privilege, timeli-ness of FOI requests, records reten-tion, use of school buildings, andcapital budget.

Beyond Fiction: At A Glance(continued from page 1)

Available from the CABE Bookstore!

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

Understanding theConnecticut Freedom

of Information Actand

Access to Public Meetingsand Records

- Fourth EditionWritten by:

Mark J. Sommaruga, Esq.Pullman & Comley, LLC

this issue, we arrived at severalconclusions:

• The ability to understand andretrieve information, whether it befrom an encyclopedia, a billingstatement or the back of aprescription bottle, is a necessarylife skill

• American grade school students dowell at reading literature, comparedto their international peers but notin reading for information

• This gap widens with age; U.S. 15-year-olds are at the internationalaverage in reading while literacyrates of American adults overallranked below the internationalaverage on an OECD survey

• Poor literacy skills often lead to ahost of negative outcomes including

fewer employment opportunitiesand depressed wages

Our findings clearly demonstrate theimportance of giving informationalreading co-star billing to its literarysibling.

Christine Duchouquette is a formerpolicy intern at the Center for PublicEducation, who now works as thecoordinator for the University ofMaryland’s Academic AchievementProgram. Kristen Loschert is writer,editor, and editorial consultant,specializing in education and publicpolicy issues. Patte Barth is director ofthe Center for Public Education.

Reprinted with permission from theNational School Boards AssociationCenter for Public Education. See moreat:www.centerforpubliceducation.org/beyondfiction#sthash.yIPjyCZh.dpuf

programs and activities.


Special Education:The Law the Process and Hot Button Issues

Kelly Moyher, Senior StaffAttorney, CABE, welcomedparticipants and gave anoverview of the morningworkshop.

Attorney Marsha Moses,Berchem, Moses andDevlin, gave an overviewof relevant state andfederal law pertaining tospecial education.

Attorney Anne Littlefield,Shipman & Goodwin, spokeabout due process hearingsand settlements: making thebest of a difficult situationfor both parties.

CABE President RichardMurray (Killingly), with theyoungest workshop at-tendee.

Participants from around the state met at the Four Points by Sheraton in Meriden. Some of the“Hot Button Issues” discussed were:

• Physical and mental impairment• Major life activities• Special education process• Discipline of special education children

cabe journal - november 2014

Documents