cabe journal may 2012

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

PeriodicalPostage

PAIDHartford, CT

Vol. 17, No.5 May 2012

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

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Presidents commentary ....................... 2Executive Director commentary ......... 32012 CABE/CAPSS Convention news............................... 4Nutmeg Board deals with graduation speech ............................. 5Civility on school property ................. 6Solar savings ....................................... 7American values ................................. 8CABE working for YOU .................. 10Virtual learning ................................. 11Media Message ................................. 13Book Review: Race for Relevance ......................... 15Letter to the Editor ............................ 15

See STUDENTS page 8

Get familiarwith Virtual Learning

Chris Seymour, Reporter, CABE

Students: Undervaluedpartners in education processJefferson WilkesHigh School Student, Simsbury High School

Congratulations:Mary Broderick and Patrice McCarthy

Jefferson Wilkes (Simsbury student), leading a panel discussion on bullying in the schoolswith students from other Connecticut districts, at the 2012 CABE Day on the Hill in March.

For the past 12 years I have lived in aworld created by educators, parents, ad-ministrators, and legislators. As the manyother seniors in the state and I prepare tograduate and begin our own lives, wehave a chance to look back and evaluatethe world in which we have been raised,the world created to prepare us for adultlife.

I have been making this evaluation formost of this year, as I have been luckyenough to sit as a Student Representative

on Simsbury’s Board of Education. Theexperiences I have had as a Student Rep-resentative have been some of my mostvaluable in high school.

What I have learned on the Board, atthe Capitol on A Day on the Hill, and atthe CABE/CAPSS Convention have notonly given me insight into the educationalframework of our state, but have influ-enced the way I will live the rest of mylife.

However, in the time I have left as a

These days, technology has penetratedevery facet of our lives, and as we movecloser and closer towards a more digitalsociety (and by extension, a digitaleducation/classroom), online learning is atopic that educators and school boardmembers will need to keep up on.

Gretchen Hayden, Director of the CTVirtual Learning (CVL) Center – whichoffers online supplemental courses toConnecticut high school and homeschooled students as a complement and asan alternative to traditional courses – saidmany school systems don’t even know theresources that are available to them viathe state agency.

“I think there are a lot of people inConnecticut districts across the state thatjust don’t have enough information – theydon’t know what’s available. We are hereto serve Connecticut; we provide a lot ofservice,” said Hayden – also the Directorof the CT Adult Virtual High School andDirector of Business and PartnershipPrograms for the CT Distance LearningConsortium – of CVL.

The Newington-based CVL Center hasa variety of options for the diverse needsof the state’s high school students,according to its website. These includecredit recovery and full high schoolcourses, available on a flexible enrollmentbasis, as well as Advanced Placement and

world languages with fixed start and enddates. In addition, all CVL courses aretaught by Connecticut certified teachers.

“We have Connecticut certifiedteachers available at no additional cost tothe student and they get an online coursewith a learning management system,course curriculum that’s aligned with notjust Connecticut standards but nationalstandards and our new updates will bealigned with Common Core State Stan-dards as well,” explained Hayden.

Hayden herself is even available for

See VIRTUAL page 11

Mary Broderick was honored duringthe National School Boards AssociationDelegate Assembly for her years of serviceat the state and national level. She receivedan official statement from GovernorDannel P. Malloy which read “On behalfof the state of Connecticut, I, Dannel P.Malloy, Governor, take great pleasure inrecognizing Mary Broderick on your com-mitment to education. As a member of theboard of education, LEARN Board of Di-rectors, President of the Connecticut Asso-ciation of Boards of Education and Presi-dent of the National School Boards Asso-ciation, you have dedicated over 22 years

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

Robert RaderExecutive Director, CABE

See MARY page 9 See PATRICE page 9

CABE Deputy Director and GeneralCounsel Patrice A. McCarthy turned overher gavel, ending her year as Chairman ofthe National School Boards Association’sCouncil of School Attorneys (COSA) at theNSBA Annual Conference held in Boston,MA. COSA represents thousands of stateschool boards association and private attor-neys involved in education law across thecountry. Patrice was the first Connecticutattorney ever elected chairman of this im-portant organization.

Patrice has been with CABE for 29years and has provided legal advice to

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEELydia Tedone ..................................................... President, SimsburyRichard Murray ................................. First Vice President, KillinglyAnn Gruenberg ................. VP for Government Relations, HamptonStephen Wright ........... VP for Professional Development, TrumbullJames Marpe ..................................... Secretary/Treasurer, WestportDon Blevins .............................................. Immediate Past PresidentJohn Prins ............................................................. Member at LargeMary Broderick ........................... NSBA Past President, East Lyme

AREA DIRECTORSSusan Hoffnagle ............................. Area 1 Co-Director, WinchesterMari-Ellen (Mimi) Valyo ............... Area 1 Co-Director, WinchesterDaniel Santorso ................................ Area 1 Co-Director, PlymouthBecky Tyrrell .......................................... Area 2 Director, PlainvilleLaura Bush ................................................. Area 3 Director, VernonGavin Forrester ................................. Area 6 Co-Director, StratfordElaine Whitney .................................. Area 6 Co-Director, WestportMichael D’Agostino ........................... Area 7 Co-Director, HamdenSheila McCreven .......................... Area 7 Co-Director, WoodbridgeJohn Prins ......................................... Area 7 Co-Director, BranfordRobert Ruggiero ................................ Area 8 Co-Director, MadisonPamela Meier ..................................... Area 8 Co-Director, MadisonGail MacDonald ................................... Area 9 Director, Stonington

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

COMMITTEE CHAIRSRobert Mitchell ............................. Chair, State Relations, MontvilleBeverly Washington ...................... Chair Federal Relations, Groton

CITY REPRESENTATIVESBob Trefry ....................................... City Representative, BridgeportMatthew Poland ................................ City Representative, HartfordMichael R. Nast ............................ 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 ServiceMelissa Dickinson ............................. Admin. Assist. for Membership ServicesGail Heath ........................................ Admin. Assoc. for Government RelationsWilmarie Newton ........................................ Admin. Assoc. for Labor RelationsCorliss Ucci .................................. Receptionist/Asst. to the Executive Director

Lydia Tedone

2 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/May 2012

PRESIDENT COMMENTARY

CABE Board of Directors

NSBA 2012 leads the way forward

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. “Periodicals Post-age Paid at Hartford, CT.” POSTMASTER: Send address changesto 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

CABE Deputy Director and General Counsel Patrice A.McCarthy participated in a panel discussion about diversityin education.

Thelma Dickerson, who served on the HartfordBoard of Education for 17 years as well as on the CABEBoard of Directors, died recently. After her retirementas an educator for the Hartford public schools, shefounded the Jumoke Academy Charter School in 1997.She was an advocate of lifelong learning, and believedthat everyone should have equal access to a qualityeducation. CABE extends sympathy to Hartford andThelma’s family.

Patrice A. McCarthyDeputy Director and General Counsel, CABE

Thank you to thesponsors of our

Networking Receptionfor Mary Broderick

William Caspar Graustein Memorial FundShipman & Goodwin

Siegel, O’Connor, O’Donnell & BeckBerchem, Moses & Devlin

CRECLEARN

O&G IndustriesSullivan, Schoen, Campane & Connon

Vantis Life InsuranceDATTCO

As I drove to Boston to attend the recent NationalSchool Boards Association (NSBA) Conference, I wasfilled with anticipation of a new dawn in public educa-tion. The Conference theme was “A Better Tomorrow ...STARTS TODAY.” I anticipated bringing home freshideas, best practices and strategies to prepare my schoolsfor a brighter future.

Boston is the birthplace of public education in thiscountry, with Boston Latin School founded in 1635. Astatue in front of the State Capitol honors Horace Mann,the “Father of Public Education”. Commitment to publiceducation led to the declaration that “schoolmasters shallequally and impartially receive and instruct while notrefusing any who have Right and Interest in School.”

Guiding principles such as these evolved into the ideaof free public education for all. One of Boston’s mostfamous sons, John Adams, once said, “The whole peoplemust take upon themselves the education of the wholepeople and be willing to bear the expense of it. Thereshould not be a district of one square mile, without aschool in it, not founded by a charitable individual, butmaintained at the public expense or the people them-selves.”

As I entered the Convention Center on my way to aworkshop, I thought about learning environments,opportunities and how to improve student achievement inmy district and in my state. I was part of a group of5,000 school leaders and administrators, including arecord number of 80 in our Connecticut delegation.Topics, sessions and workshops included educationalissues from a national perspective, federal legislation,technology innovation and how to maximize resourceswhile improving student performance; all criticalchallenges facing school boards today, while keepingcontinued emphasis on strengthening public educationnationally.

Like the rest of us, NSBA is an organization facingmajor change. The search process for a new ExecutiveDirector is underway as Anne Bryant retires. Acommittee is being established to assist in the course of a“new direction” for the Association. NSBA is repeatedlyasking the Federation of State School Board Associa-tions, “How can we best serve you and your member-ship?”

NSBA serves its members proudly, by providingmotivation through speakers with big ideas like Saul

Kahn, founder ofKahn Academy, bysharpening my skillsand strengthening myboard with essentialtraining, by focusingon taking initiativeand making progressthrough leadershipdevelopment or byfacing today’schallenges withinnovative solutions.

The things Ilearned in my trip toBoston will help mebetter serve the

CondolencesThelma Dickerson

children in mycommunity and my state. This professional developmentopportunity provided me with new skills, knowledge andmotivation to do better.

On a personal note, I would like to congratulate andthank Mary Broderick, former board of educationmember and Past-President of CABE as she concludesher year of Presidency of NSBA. Her commitment toexcellence in public education was demonstrated in herleadership, and was carried through in all she did. Shesets a great example for the rest of us to do better.

Upon returning home, I reflected on the NSBAConference and concluded whether it is 1635 or 2012,We have the capacity to offer the best education for ALLstudents. What was “started today will make a bettertomorrow.”

Now is the time to consider how your board canprovide such rich educational experiences for your boardmembers in the year 2013, when NSBA visits San Diego.I hope you can join me there.

Robert Rader

BUSINESS AFFILIATESDIAMOND MEMBER

Finalsite

GOLD MEMBERSBerchem, Moses & Devlin

Connecticut Business SystemsShipman & Goodwin

Siegel, O'Connor,O’Donnell & Beck, P.C

Sullivan, Schoen,Campane & Connon

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTARY

CABE Affiliate Members

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/April 2012 3

As we approach the end of the session . . .

BRONZE PLUS MEMBERSThe S/L/A/M Collaborative

Suisman, Shapiro, Wool, Brennan,Gray & Greenberg

Whitsons School Nutrition

BRONZE MEMBERS

Nathaniel G. Brown, LLCChinni & Meuser LLC

Dattco Inc.Fuller & D’Angelo

Architects and PlannersJCJ Architecture

Kainen, Escalera & McHale, P.C.The Lexington GroupMuschell & Simoncelli

SILVER MEMBERSAnthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Corporate Cost ControlLindberg & Ripple Inc.

Ovations Benefits GroupQuisenberry Arcari Architects

The Segal CompanyTrane

BRONZE PLUS MEMBERSBL Companies

Brown and BrownFletcher Thompson Architects

Friar AssociatesGoldstein & Peck, P.C.

Kaestle Boos Associates, Inc.O & G Industries

EDUCATIONALAFFILIATES

American School for the DeafArea Cooperative Educational Services

Capitol Region Education CouncilThe College Board

Connecticut Association ofSchool Business Officials

Cooperative Educational ServicesConnecticut Center for School Change

Connecticut EducatorsComputer Association

Connecticut School Buildingsand Grounds Association

EASTCONNEDUCATION CONNECTION

LEARN

This editorial was written well beforethe May 9th final day of the LegislativeSession, so I can’t comment on theoutcome. But, I do want to comment onan issue that cropped up during theSession and what we can look forward toin the future.

First, I’d like to take you “behind thescenes” to give you a good understandingof how we became a member of the “BigSix” Partnership, along with CAPSS, theConnecticut Association of Schools(representing principals), the ConnecticutBusiness and Industry Association, thenew Connecticut Council for EducationReform and ConnCAN.

Before the Session began and theGovernor sent what would become SB 24to the Legislature, the six organizationsmet and decided to support change thatwas aimed at raising student achievementand closing the achievement gap. We puta Statement together and did pressconferences on February 14th and thenApril 4th after the Education Committeereported the substitute bill out. We askedthe Legislature to address these issues ofcommon concern, focusing on SB 24.

As the Legislature began to study thebill, we worked with the other partners toexplain our concerns, meeting withlegislative leaders, members of theEducation Committee and others.

There are provisions in the original SB24 with which we did not agree (someexamples: using a “stick” approach withsmall districts to encourage them to con-solidate; giving $1000 in district moneyto charter schools for each of the districtschildren enrolled in the charter school;lack of training as a prerequisite for anytakeover of a school district). We contin-ued to speak with legislators on thoseissues separately from our involvement inthe “Big Six”.

Let me be clear that we worked withthe group on issues on which we allagreed. In no way did we imply that wewere changing any of our positions onissues on which we disagree. Nor does

becoming a member of the Partnershiprequire any change of a group’s policiesor positions.

No one askedus to, anyhow…

I am proud of the work we have donein this Partnership. We have based ourinvolvement on longstanding CABEpositions and, with those as our “anchor”,we were able to have a stronger voice atthe Capital and more access than everbefore. For the first time in my memory,the Governor and our Partnership haveled the discussion on some of our bed-

rock positions, even controversial oneslike 5-year renewable tenure, that havenot even been discussed before.

I also want to mention the work ofPatrice McCarthy and Sheila McKay,with the help of Gail Heath, and severalboard members, to speak with legislatorsand explain our positions. Patrice,President Lydia Tedone and I also metwith editorial boards as we do every year,but these meetings were more focusedthan usual — and we even met with someof them twice as the Session continued toprogress. We had never done this before.

Implementation of theCommon Core,Secondary School Reform

Second, there are other issues thatBoard members and superintendents aswell as CABE need to examine. Forexample, I hope you saw ChrisSeymour’s article on the first page of theApril Journal laying out our concernsabout implementation of the CommonCore. We have heard from districts that itis taking much more time and effort to do

this than the State Board and State De-partment of Education (SDE) had origi-nally expected. Among the importanttasks Barbara Beaudin (who recentlyretired from SDE) mentioned that districtswill have to tackle:

• establishing a new curriculumaligned to the new standards, bygrade or grade span, subject;

• informing and involving teachers;• purposing instructional materials

and purchasing new materials, asneeded;

• designing formative assessmentsand data/monitoring teams;

• providing professional development

for English Language Arts and mathteachers and across other contentareas for application;

• incorporating the implementation ofthe Common Core in teacher andprincipal evaluations; and

• informing parents, business leaders,policymakers, pre-school teachersand other early childhood constitu-ent groups about the importance ofthe standards and expected out-comes of the new assessmentsystem.

So, rather than the 10-15 percent ofchanges that were expected, the list aboveis a big task for any school district. Alongwith these changes will be any profes-sional development needed by administra-tors and teachers in regard to evaluationof teachers and principals. And, in thenext month, we should have a betterunderstanding of the potential costs assubgroups of the Performance EvaluationAssessment Council examine implementa-tion of PEAC’s original framework.

So, add those costs to the expenses thatwill be incurred as we begin to implementsecondary school reform. Every districtwill be affected.

We hope the Legislature will recognizethese costs as it focuses on ECS in thenext year. There is little appetite in localcommunities for budget increases abovethe rate of inflation, so other activities,programs or services, in addition topersonnel, may have to be cut. As theState requires much more of districts, wehope they recognize the need for compa-rable increases in ECS.

Board andSuperintendent Focus

So, as the 2012 Regular Session of theLegislature ends, here are three thingsboards and superintendents should focusupon:

• implementation of the CommonCore, secondary school reform;

• examination of CAPSS’ Transfor-mation Project (NextEd) to see howits recommendations compare withwhat’s needed in your schools; and

• self-assessment of the Board as youprepare to do the legally requiredannual superintendent evaluation.Most districts do both towards theend of the school year. Once yourself-assessment is done, usually theBoard begins to consider goals forthe next school year.

CABE also has a goal of continuousimprovement. Please let us know how wecan improve our services, programs andactivities as we work to help you!

“In no way did we imply that we were changing anyof our positions on issues on which we disagree.”


2012 CABE/CAPSS Convention

There is still time to register

To register go to the CABE website: https://em.eboardsolutions.com/cabe/emembership/getregistrant.asp?E=4128

Lisa SteimerSr. Staff Assoc. for Professional Development

Save the DateThe annual CABE/CAPSS Convention

will be held on Friday and Saturday,November 16-17, 2012 at the MysticMarriott Hotel in Groton. Your Conven-tion Committee, made up of board ofeducation members and superintendentsfrom across the state, has been hard atwork planning this year’s Conventionsince January.

Workshop OfferingsThe CABE/CAPSS Convention

Committee met on March 28 to review theworkshop proposals received. Finaldecisions proved particularly difficult thisyear as many of the proposals receivedwere very timely and of high quality.

The Committee heard the recommen-dations of the subcommittee, comprisedof two board members and two superin-tendents not submitting proposals of theirown, charged with meeting and makingrecommendations to the Committee-at-large. As usual, there was lively discus-sion about the proposals and afterdeliberation those proposals that will bestmeet the needs of board members andsuperintendents were selected.

Some of the workshops selectedinclude:

• Cost Savings and Student Achieve-

ment with Online Courses andLearning Management Systems

• Educating Your Community AboutLocal Education Funding

• Transgender Students: A Commu-nity Approach to Supporting a SafeSchool Climate

• The School Board and the SchoolGovernance Council: Legal andPractical Considerations

A complete list of workshop offeringswill be available on the CABE websitesoon.

Talented StudentWe are still accepting entries for the

Talented Student portion of the Conven-tion. We are looking for student musicalgroups to open the Convention on Fridayand Saturday mornings. In addition, weare looking for the work of talentedstudents to be displayed on Friday.

For more information about theTalented Student Program and an entryform, go to http://www.cabe.org/up-loaded/ConventionShowcase_your_talented_student.pdf

As the Convention is further devel-oped, details can be found on the CABEwebsite http://www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=408 and in future issues of the CABEJournal.

We look forward to seeing you at theConvention in November!

To be discussed:• SB 24 - An Act ConcerningEducation Competitiveness -

What Was Proposed andWhat Was Adopted

• Education Funding -State and Federal

• “HOT” Legal Issues

By attending thisworkshop you will:

Learn how new legislation willimpact your school district

Be briefed on new laws,regulations and court decisions

Who should attendBoard MembersSuperintendents

PrincipalsAssistant Superintendents

Business ManagersOther Administrators

Legislative Wrap-Up of the 2012 General AssemblyWhat Happened and What Are the Implications for Your School District?

Plan to attend this CABE briefing on new laws, regulations, administrative activities and court decisions that willrequire action by your local or regional school district.

See You in Court – The Nutmeg Board of Education

The Nutmeg Board deals with graduation speech containing religious referenceThomas B. Mooney, Esq.Shipman & Goodwin

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/May 2012 5

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 education andmuch, much more

You can call CABE at 860-571-7446 or 800-317-0033and purchase your copy

NOW!

Seventh EditionNow shipping

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.

It had been a long tough year inNutmeg, but the end was in sight. Mr.Superintendent always enjoyed thegraduation ceremony as he, Mr. Principaland the Board members send the graduat-ing class from Nutmeg Memorial HighSchool out into the wide world to maketheir mark. The profundity of theoccasion never failed to touch Mr.Superintendent.

This year, the valedictorian is PeterPious, a straight-A student and Presidentof the “Word,” the Bible study club at theHigh School. Mr. Superintendent wasrelieved that such an upstanding youngcitizen would be giving the graduationspeech, because he could relax and beconfident that Peter would not go offscript as can sometimes happen. Mr.

Superintendent was, therefore, surprisedto receive an agitated call from Ms.Principal, who was quite worried aboutPeter’s proposed speech.

“He is going to talk about God,” shetold Mr. Superintendent in a rush. “Whatin heaven are we going to do?” Mr.Superintendent told Ms. Principal to calmdown and to tell him exactly what Peterplans to say. “Well,” she began, “Peterwants to tell the audience about how theScriptures have defined his life and givenhim guidance. He wants to read hisfavorite passages, and he wants to leadthe congregation, I mean audience, in anon-denominational prayer. Oh. My.God. What are we going to do?”

Now it was Mr. Superintendent’s turnto get upset. “A prayer. We can’t permitthat! I will be there momentarily.” Mr.Superintendent jumped into his car anddrove right over to Nutmeg MemorialHigh. When he got to Ms. Principal’soffice, he suggested that he and she meetwith Peter and talk him out of his plannedtalk. Ms. Principal wondered out loudwhether they should invite Peter’s parentsto the meeting, but Mr. Superintendentinsisted that they talk with Peter right

“ . . . students are generally free to express theirreligious views in the school setting, as a matter ofboth freedom of religion and freedom of speech.”

away. They sent for Peter, and waitedimpatiently for him to arrive.

One would think that being called outof class to meet with the Principal andSuperintendent would have been intimi-dating. But Peter was serene, evenblissful, as he listened quietly as Mr.Superintendent explained that they couldnot have Peter talking about God in apublic school graduation ceremony.

When Mr. Superintendent finished,

Peter responded politely, but with steelyresolve. “God is my Guide, and He hasinspired me with His Grace. I will begiving the speech as I described to Ms.Principal. I hope and pray that you willnot create an ugly confrontation.”

With that, Peter stood up and left theoffice without another word. “We arebetween a rock and a hard place,” saidMr. Superintendent to Ms. Principal. “Ihave been doing this long enough to smella lawsuit if we don’t let Peter give hisspeech. And I smell a different lawsuit ifwe do. Would it be inappropriate for usto do a little praying for guidance our-selves?”

Mr. Superintendent and Ms. Principalmust pick their poison. What do yousuggest they do? Shall they allow thespeech as Peter proposed or prohibit it?

Actually, neither is the right answer. Ifthe Nutmeg Public Schools have created aforum for the private speech of thevaledictorian, they should not prohibitPeter’s speech. But they are not power-less, and they may edit the speech.

We should start with the basic prin-ciples. In relevant part, the First Amend-ment provides that “Congress shall makeno law respecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the free exercisethereof,” and this provision, as applied tothe states through the Fourteenth Amend-ment, requires that school officials beneutral in matters of religion.

When courts look to see if governmentactions conform to this principle, theyoften apply the three-part test announcedin Lemon v. Kurzman (U.S. 1971): (1) isthere a secular purpose for the govern-ment’s action, (2) does that action neitheradvance nor inhibit religion, and (3) doesthat action avoid excessive entanglementwith religion. When these three questionscan be answered in the affirmative, theaction will be considered permissibleunder the First Amendment.

Often the analysis will focus onwhether the action advances or inhibitsreligion, and over the years there has beena shift in what that means. In the 1960sand 1970s, the courts were leery of anyreference to religion in the public schools.Bible study clubs, for example, were

prohibited because, it was feared, studentscould mistakenly perceive permitting suchclubs to be state support for religion.

However, in 1990, the United StatesSupreme Court affirmed the Equal AccessAct (thus permitting Bible study clubs),and since that time there has been agradual shift toward greater tolerance ofstudent religious activity.

This change applies only to students.School officials must avoid taking action

that would be perceived as supportingreligion. For example, twenty years agothe Court ruled that public high schooladministrators in Rhode Island violatedthe First Amendment when they invitedclergymen to give “non-denominational”benedictions at graduation ceremoniesbecause their actions promoted religiousactivities.

By contrast, students are generally freeto express their religious views in theschool setting, as a matter of bothfreedom of religion and freedom ofspeech. Here, we presume that thepractice is to give the valedictorian ofNutmeg Memorial High School freedomto choose the topic for his graduationspeech. If that is the case, it is hostile toreligion to single out talk about religionfor prohibition.

That said, school officials can andshould reserve editorial control overgraduation speeches. The topic andlanguage used must be appropriate to theevent. Students are not free to swear ortalk about drugs or alcohol. Schoolofficials can demand to see a copy of thespeech in advance, and many administra-tors have a cut-off switch at the ready, justin case a student goes off script.

Here, Peter wants to talk about hisreligious beliefs, and he may do so. Butschool officials can insist that he do so ina manner consistent with the celebratorynature of the graduation ceremony.

Comments that make the audienceuncomfortable (e.g., eternal damnation)need not be tolerated. Moreover, prayeris more than speech, and school officialscan and must tell Peter that he may notlead the audience in a prayer.

The key in such matters is to rememberthat students have the right to talk abouttheir religious beliefs, and school officialsmay not categorically keep such speechout of the school setting. However,school officials remain able to asserteditorial control over religious speech inthe same manner as any other studentspeech.

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.


Vincent A. MustaroSenior Staff Associate for Policy Service, CABEThe Policy Corner

Civility on School Property: Needed Policy DirectionMuch attention has been given to the

topic of bullying. School districts need towork harder on improving the socialclimate within our schools. Policies in anumber of areas, in addition to bullying,impact the issue of achieving the desiredmoral and ethical climate desired in ourschools. These additional areas includethe topics of Nondiscrimination,Suspension and Expulsion, Conduct,Violent and Aggressive Behavior, SexualHarassment, Racial Harassment, PeerSexual Harassment, and EqualEducational Opportunity. Samples ofthese policies are available upon requestfrom CABE.

`In today’s society there is anincreasingly common “in-your-face”model of dealing with conflict. The mediaand popular culture seem to exemplify theangry argument as the model ofcommunication. However, it is possiblefor people to disagree but to do it civilly.This could enhance the safe, nurturingculture in the school environment.Therefore, it is appropriate that school

property or at school events. A powerfulexample is set for the student populationwhen the district indicates that it expectsmutual respect, civility and orderlyconduct from the adults with whom thedistrict interacts. A civility policy may beused as a preventative measure to stop orcurb incidents of violent or hostilebehavior by adults before they become aproblem. Such a policy could apply toboth school employees and to adultpatrons of the school community.

In addition, boards of education,through their actions, should be rolemodels of the desired behavior. Boardbylaws related to methods of operationwill help ensure the appropriate orderlyconduct. The premise of such a policy isthat schools must be safe, and even whenpeople disagree, they can do so with anair of civility to each other.

This is an important message for thestudents in our schools, especially in lightof the current political climate in our na-tion. All too often in schools we see ex-amples of loud disruptive behavior byadults and verbally abusive attacks direct-ed toward school administrators, teachersand staff.

Such incidents impact staff morale.Therefore, the purpose of a civility policyis to promote mutual respect, civility andorderly conduct among district employ-ees, parents and the public. Moreover,through such a policy the board encour-ages positive communication and discour-ages violative, hostile or aggressiveactions.

School boards, through CGS 10-221,are given the authority to “prescribe rulesfor the management, studies, classifica-tion and discipline of the public schools.”

The same statute indicates that boards ofeducation have the responsibility for thecare, maintenance, and operation ofbuildings, lands, apparatus and otherproperty used for school purposes.

Members of the public are subject tothe reasonable rules and policies of theboard while in attendance at school eventsand in and on school facilities.

It is reasonable for a school board toask its employees and patrons to actcivilly toward each other when discussingeducation concerns. The primary functionof the schools is to educate the children.An effective way to perform this vitalfunction is in an environment free of andfrom interference with teaching thestudents. Civility is part of that education;it should be practiced by and expectedfrom school employees and members ofthe community.

districts consider a policy pertaining tocivility that provides ground rules forcommunication among teachers, parentsand students.

School districts are now required toprepare a safe school climate planpertaining to the elimination of bullyingbehavior in the school setting through theoverall improvement of school climate.As an extension of this effort and as partof the effort to improve school climate,boards may want to consider a policypertaining to civility. Safety policies andplans are designed to respond to crisissituations involving violent behavior ornatural emergencies. Incidents also occurin schools which involve parents or othermembers of the community that do notrise to the level of behavior requiring theactivation of the district’s or school’ssafety or crisis management plan. Suchbehavior, however, may involve hostileand/or aggressive actions.

A board of education has every right toexpect civility, respect, and orderlyconduct among all individuals on school

Policy ImplicationsPolicy #1316, “Conduct on

School Property,” pertains to thistopic of civility on schoolproperty. This policy has beenone of CABE’s sample policiessince the time former Commis-sioner of Education TheodoreSergi requested school districts towork harder on improving thesocial climate within our schools,over a decade ago. The policy hasbeen updated. In addition, newmodels have been prepared. Arelated policy, #6142.11, “HumanRelations Education,” alsopertains to this issue.

Education Press Conference

Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE; Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and GeneralCounsel, CABE; Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director, CAS; Joseph Cirasuolo, ExecutiveDirector, CAPSS; and Lydia Tedone (Simsbury), CABE President speaking at a “Big 6” pressconference on issues of joint support in the education reform legislation.


Let us help you maximize your energy savings.CREC and DBS Energy have teamed up to help schools implement energy conservation measures.

HVAC system upgrades

Solar thermal and geothermal systems

Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and General Counsel, CABE, and NBC Connecticut’sAmanda Raus on set for a segment on the education reform bill on March 27.

Education reform legislation

In most districts across the U.S.,energy is ranked one of the largest singleoperating expenses. It also happens to beone of the most manageable. That’s whyschools in Connecticut are making solartheir number one priority in trying to cutenergy costs during this slow economicrecovery.

With physical assets that lend them-selves well to solar power generation,schools with unoccupied rooftop spaces,surplus lands, open parking lots andcommon spaces are finding solar photo-voltaics to be the ideal technology tolower energy costs and provide budgetrelief. That being said, the up-front cost toprocure solar equipment and design andinstall a solar energy system can consti-tute an insurmountable barrier to entry.That’s why superintendents are turningtowards their Boards of Education for thenecessary approval to leverage one of ahandful of available financing mecha-nisms to purchase a solar power installa-tion on their campuses with minimalfinancial outlay and risk.

Power Purchase AgreementsPower purchase agreements, or PPAs,

have become an industry standard forsolar financing. Under a PPA, a for-profit,third-party entity purchases and installs asolar array, and sells the power it gener-ates back to the school at a predeterminedreduced rate. PPAs carry a number ofinherent benefits. First and foremost,because the third-party partner bears all ofthe equipment and installation costs, thearrangement allows the school to beginreceiving solar power and realizingsavings on day one with zero up-frontcost. Also, because schools, as tax-exemptentities, are not able to enjoy the tax

credits and incentives offered for solarenergy, engaging in a PPA allows thethird-party partner to capture the value ofthose state and federal subsidies and passthem on to the school as valuable savingsthat would have otherwise been forfeited.Moreover, because schools are contract-ing to purchase power at below-grid ratesduring the length of the PPA term (usually20 years), schools can avoid the average 4percent annual utility rate increases andaccurately forecast their energy costs fordecades.

General Obligation BondsGeneral Obligation (G.O.) bonds

represent another vehicle for financing asolar installation. G.O. bonds make moneyavailable for large capital projects, andschools can incorporate the cost of a solararray in the scope of work performedunder a G.O. bond. As with a PPA,financing a solar project with a G.O. bondallows the district’s general fund to seeimmediate cash savings, as the districtwill essentially be developing a revenue-generating solar facility that is savingmoney on electricity that would haveotherwise been lost. Over time, the bondis then paid through the property taxes ofthe community members, making this aninvestment that a school district willeventually own without the additionalcost.

Zero-EmissionRenewable Energy Credits

Zero-Emission Renewable EnergyCredits (ZRECs) are another financingtool that, due to recent changes inConnecticut law, have seen greaterutilization, covering nearly 40 percent ofthe system cost in some cases. WhileZRECs have been actively employed in a

number of states to help drive long-termrevenue for the solar system owner, theydo involve some inherent uncertainty asprices are traditionally market-driven –i.e., when oversupplied, values drop andvice versa. The energy bill that Connecti-cut passed in June of 2011 included arequirement that utilities solicit competi-tive bids for long-term contracts ofZRECs. Because of these long-termcontracts, project financing is much easierto secure and at more favorable rates.

With the variety of financing mecha-

Solar Savings -How Connecticut schools can finance lower-cost energy options

Bill RiccoProject Developer, Borrego Solar

nisms available to schools, even in thisdifficult economic environment, districtsthat are strategic and savvy about financ-ing solar energy can drive significantsavings on their energy bills, and directmore money to the classroom.

Editor’s Note: Borrego Solar hasworked with the Bristow Middle School inWest Hartford, taking advantage of solarpower. They have also worked on solarinstallation at Hopkinton High andMiddle School in Hopkinton, MA, thehigh school is pictured above.


Over Patriots Weekend, my son Bradand I went up to Concord, Massachusetts,where the American Revolution began.We took a two-hour bike ride with a guidewho told us about what happened there.

We heard not only from our guide, butalso from a park ranger who ended hisnarrative with his opinion about how theRevolution affects how we govern

ourselves today. It was the Revolutionthat enabled our towns and cities to haverepresentative government, includingtown meetings which enable all citizens tohave a voice in government.

The British did not allow representa-tive government. We all remember thecry, “No taxation without representation”.The Revolution allowed all of us to havea say in our towns, state and the federalgovernment. And the People decide, forbetter or worse, how our taxes are spent.

I was thinking about that as I reflectedon how challenging this latest Legislative

Session has been. While it has beendifficult, certainly there has been noquestion of individuals’ right to speak. Abullhorn, a newspaper article or blog mayserve as the tool of the individual. Weheard and read a lot of things that weremisinformation or just untrue.

But, for all, there is no question aboutthe right to have their say without

censorship from the Government oranyone else.

Even today, over two hundred andthirty years after our Revolution, there aremany countries around the world wherecitizens still do not have the right tocommunicate openly with the othermembers of their communities or theircountries. We have a gift here that maynot look pretty at times and certainlydoesn’t always lead to the results wewould like. Gridlock and inability tomove the system is often extremelyfrustrating. The influence of money in

politics is, too.But, we have the right to try to change

things. We have the tools and the Bill ofRights’ freedoms to associate with thosewe want; to speak freely; to publish whatwe want; to peaceably assembly; and theright to petition the Government for aredress of grievances.

It helps to remember that as we reflecton the Legislative Session. Democracycan be downright messy, but as Churchillsaid, it is “the worst form of government,except for all those other forms that havebeen tried from time to time.”

I urge you to go up to Lexington and

American values

Concord to remind you of the time beforewe had local municipal government,boards of education, the Federal and StateGovernments and the power and responsi-bility to speak for ourselves. It will takeyou back to an earlier time, that may havebeen simpler, but in so many ways, moredifficult than today.

I urge you to visit the cradle ofAmerican Democracy. It left me with afeeling of pride about what you do andwhat we do to help you in your localcommunities.

Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABE

“It was the Revolution that enabled our townsand cities to have representative government,

including town meetings which enableall citizens to have a voice in government.”

(continued f rom page 1)Representative, I feel that it is my respon-sibility to do more than passively experi-ence government.

Last year at A Day on the Hill, I lis-tened to a legislator explain the newbullying laws that would finally makecyber-bullying a crime punishable by law.This is, by all accounts, a success in thewar against bullying.

My concern, however, is the war onbullying itself. In my time as a StudentRepresentative, I have seen the educa-tional system presented as a machine,well-oiled at times, while at others in needof adjustment. Data is analyzed, bargraphs are drawn, and millions of dollarsare spent making sure that discrepanciesin the numbers are taken care of. When aproblem such as bullying emerges intopublic view, I have seen the governmentact immediately, outlawing specific actsto protect the education machine.

However, this will never totallysucceed, because the school environmentis not a machine; it is a world, a complexsociety of its own. Students are not robotswith blank hard drives; if one turns onanother, you cannot simply program it tostop. Students are people.

The issue of bullying is not only anissue of breaking the law; it is a societalissue, or at an even deeper level, a humanissue. Intimidation and psychologicaldomination, which are at the heart ofbullying, have existed as long as mankindhas.

This is not to say that every person hasthe desire to subjugate the people aroundhim, but that throughout human history,such people have existed; the success theyhave had depends on the society aroundthem.

Slavery and segregation are extremeexamples of institutionalized bullying;racism is an example of what remainswhen institutions outlaw an act but theculture of intimidation remains. Althoughthis may seem an improvement over theprevious situation, it is by no means adesirable end state.

But what is the difference between thisand the current situation in Connecticut?The defined act of cyber-bullying maynow be punishable by law, but themotivations behind it have been leftuntouched.

Despite their concern for students,governing agencies and school adminis-trations have little success in solving theproblem. If bullying, or more impor-tantly the culture behind it, is to betaken seriously, it must be studentswho take responsibility. Racism tends tosurface less in societies that actively fightit; the same is true with bullying.

The social structure of a school issomething largely overlooked by educa-tors, but it is the single most significantelement of the day to day reality ofeducation. This might be hard to accept,because it is not something that can becontrolled by a board or an administra-tion.

However, once it is seen as truth, thesolution is to use it. A bully and his victimdo not exist in a vacuum; it is the silentacceptance of the student body that causesthe most damage to the victim. The

atmosphere of that student body isdetermined by its leaders; not just theofficial ones (the class presidents, theteam captains, the club founders, althoughthey certainly play a part), but thestudents whose peers unconsciously lookto them as role models.

When these leaders decide to stand upand fight the intimidation in their schools,the attitude of the school as a wholechanges, and the bullies lose their power.They may not disappear, but suddenlythose who were once victims are nowvalued in their school.

This solution goes beyond simplybullying. When the student body decidesto take charge of its own environment, theschool as a whole will succeed. The

student leaders in a school must know theintegral role they play in their schoolswell-being.

They must realize that they have asmuch of a responsibility for the success of

their education and their school as theadult officials elected for that purpose.Many students across the state havealready made this realization, andchanged their schools because of it.

However, only when educators activelypromote the idea that students are equalpartners in the education process will thatprocess become complete, and thecomplex society we call the educationsystem will finally have a chance atsuccess.

Jefferson Wilkes led the student paneldiscussion at Day on the Hill. He isStudent Representative for the SimsburyBoard of Education. A senior, he willattend West Point next September.

Students: Undervalued partners in education process

“. . . only when educators actively promote theidea that students are equal partners in the

education process will that process become complete,and the complex society we call the educationsystem will finally have a chance at success.”


CABE’s Model Student andParent/Guardian Handbook 2011-2012

Available on CD with accompanying hard copy!

Check out the advantages of the Handbook on a CD:44444 FREES up staff’s time — no need for staff to do the research.

44444 All essential legal areas are covered. Provides listing of mandatory, recommended and

optional topics for a handbook.

44444 Contains information that meets requirements for student and parent notification.

44444 References are made to appropriate existing policies, as well as to Connecticut General Statutes.

44444 Modify the material on the diskette to fit your school district’s needs.

Major additions added this year are: advanced placement courses, student support services,online course credit, computer resources and telecommunication devices.

Plus many other changes that will bring your handbook up-to-date.

The handbook is available to member districts for $200, plus $20 for additional copies ofthe CD. The cost to nonmember boards is $500, plus $40 per extra CD. To order, please go

to the CABE website www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=773.

Congratulations: Patrice McCarthy

People in the News

Please join us inwelcoming the newestmember of the CABE staff,Melissa Dickinson, who isthe administrative assistantfor the MembershipServices Department. Alifelong member of the GirlScouts, Melissa has held a

Congratulations: Mary Broderick

variety of administrativeassistant positions thathave given her theexperiences to be an asset to CABE. When youare in the CABE Office, please feel free to stopby to say ‘hello’ to Melissa and introduceyourself.

The Performance Evaluation AdvisoryCouncil (PEAC) has divided its work on thedetails of the evaluation framework that wasadopted by PEAC and the State Board ofEducation. The subgroups on which CABE isrepresented are: Teachers - James Marpe(Westport) and Patrice McCarthy (CABE);Administrators - Elaine Whitney (Westport)and Bob Rader (CABE); PSP - RichardMurray (Killingly), Sheila McKay (CABE)and Ann Gruenberg (alternate) Hampton.

Siegel, O’Connor, O’Donnell & Beck; Berchem, Moses& Devlin; CREC; LEARN; O&G Industries; Sullivan,Schoen, Campane & Connon; Vantis Life Insurance;and DATTCO.

(continued from page 1)thousands of Connecti-cut school boardmembers and superin-tendents. In addition toproviding legal help toschool boards, sheprovides direction forCABE’s GovernmentRelations Department.

As Chair of COSA,Patrice made one of herpriorities increasing theengagement of youngermembers of the council,many of whom don’t have the opportunity to travel andmeet face-to-face with other school attorneys.

She urged COSA to provide more programs such aswebinars, something she has pioneered at CABE. Shehas served on the COSA Board of Directors for 12 of the29 years she has been a member of the national organiza-tion, and has often been a presenter at national conven-tions and events. In 2007, she received the NSBAFederation Member Distinguished Service Award.

McCarthy has also served as treasurer and presidentof the Connecticut Council of School Attorneys.

(continued from page 1)of service to the town of EastLyme, the state of Connecti-cut and the nation. Yourmany accomplishmentsspeak to an extraordinarywork ethic, dedication andcommitment to yourcommunity. I applaud youryears of leadership and hardwork and wish you contin-ued success”. In addition,President Lydia Tedonefurther honored Mary for her service.

Mary was also presented with a letter from Congress-man Joe Courtney, which read in part “The NationalSchool Boards Association states its mission is workingwith and through state associations to advocate for equityand excellence in public education through school boardleadership. You have followed this mission as a memberof the National School Boards Association as well theEast Lyme Board of Education, LEARN Board ofDirectors and Regional Quality and Diversity PlanningCommittee.

Your dedication to the quality of education across thenation has been exemplary and can be illustrated by themany state and national committees you have served on.Congratulations on an exceptional term as President ofthe National School Boards Association. I sincerelythank you for making a difference in the quality ofeducation in our nation.”

CABE also sponsored a networking reception in herhonor. Other donors included: William CasparGraustein Memorial Fund; Shipman & Goodwin;

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 ensuring membersreceive the most up-to-datecommunications:

• Provided webinar update oneducation legislation

• Prepared Custom Policy materialfor Derby, Newtown, Park CityPrep Charter School, Pomfret,Wallingford, Waterbury,Windsor, Windsor Locks, andWoodbridge.

• Entered into an agreement with theBrooklyn Public Schools to updatetheir existing policy manual.

• Completed the development of anew policy manual for the PomfretPublic Schools.

✦ By providing services tomeet members needs:• Prepared Customized policy

material in order to help membersmeet their policy needs; customupdate policy service and materialswere distributed to New Fairfield,New Hartford, and Stafford.

• Sent Policy Update Servicepublication to subscribing memberdistricts. The topics discussedincluded revised FERPA regula-tions, revised approach to thetreatment of pediculosis (head lice),children of militarily deployedparents/guardians and bring yourown device/technology to schools.

• Attended Connecticut Society ofAssociation Executives’ workshopon workplace climate.

• Participated in Performance

Evaluation Advisory Councilsubgroups on administratorsmeetings.

• Presented at Avon Board ofEducation meeting on the districtreturning to CABE.

• Demonstrated CABE-Meeting forCentral Office staff in Windsor.

• Demonstrated CABE-Meeting forinterested members of the CABEBoard of Directors.

• Trained Southington CentralOffice staff on how to use CABE-Meeting to create meetings.

• Demonstrated CABE-Meeting for acommittee made up of boardmembers and central office stafflooking at paperless meetings inSeymour.

• Facilitated Goal Setting workshopwith the East Haddam Board ofEducation.

✦ By providing opportunitiesfor members to learn howbetter govern their districts:

• Provided policy information to 48districts, one newspaper, onesuperintendent search service, andfour out-of-state school boardassociations through 90 answeredrequests for information or samplepolicies, on 71 topics. The topics ofgreatest interest were alcohol, drugsand tobacco; bullying; work-placebullying, social networking, videosurveillance, computer acceptableuse policies, and security checks.

• Planned and implemented success-ful workshop on Online Learning:Policy Implications.

• Met with Coventry Board Chairand Superintendent on CABEprograms, activities and services.

• Attended New London Board

meeting with State Department ofEducation representative to helpstrengthen the Board.

• Held and participated in CABE/CAPSS Convention subgroupmeeting on student attendees at theConvention.

• Facilitated workshop for theVernon Board of Education onroles and responsibilities.

• Facilitated board retreat for theBolton Board of Education.

• Facilitated board evaluationworkshop for the Brooklyn Boardof Education.

✦ By promoting public edu-cation:• Attended legal seminar presented by

Shipman & Goodwin.• Presented a “Hot Topic” workshop

pertaining to Virtual Schools/OnlineLearning.

• Participated in an interview withJohn Dankosky on NPR’s WhereWe Live discussing educationreform.

• Answered questions about the cur-rent legal issues facing boards ofeducation, administrator evalua-tions, collective bargaining nonmeetings, record retention, fieldtrips, and special meeting require-ments.

✦ By representing Connecti-cut school boards on the stateor national level:

• Attended Education Cost SharingTask Force meetings.

• Met with numerous legislators todiscuss education legislation.

• Participated in teacher evaluationsubcommittee meetings of PEAC.

• Participated in UConn Law Schoolpanel discussion on diversity ineducation.

• Provided legislative updates at theCREC Council meeting.

• Participated in NSBA Board ofDirectors conference call meetings.

• Interviewed by Channel 30 TV andWTIC radio to discuss educationreform legislation.

• Attended State Board of Educationmeeting.

• Participated in CCJEF nominatingcommittee meeting.

• Participated in the What Will OurChildren Lose coalition discussingfiscal concerns of Connecticutschool districts.

• Participated in the Governor’sPrevention Partnership’s AuditCommittee meeting.

• Participated in New Haven Registerand The Day editorial boardmeetings on current issues beforethe Legislature.

• Participated in Press Conference on“Big 6” concerns (see page 3).

• Participated in meetings of SafeSchool Climate Resource Network,which will help provide informationto school districts on bullying.

• Participated in meeting of theConnecticut Coalition for PublicEducation.

• Participated in meeting of thestatewide School GovernanceCouncil Advisory Committee.

• Met with Lawrence Shaefer(CAPSS) on presentations we willmake to Executive Directors fromaround the country at the NSBAConference and in Rhode Island toits superintendents on CAPSS’NextEd project and the CABEresponse to it.

• Participated in CSAE Board ofDirectors meeting.

• Attended CAPSS TechnologyCommittee meeting.

✦By helping school boards toincrease student achieve-ment:• Sent three issues of Policy High-

lights via email covering topics thataffect student achievement. Theseincluded online learning and creditrecovery, virtual classrooms, onlinecredit programs, professionaldevelopment use of seclusion andrestraint in schools, lunch programs,arts education and dress codes.

• Met with State Program Director ofConnecticut’s College Students forEducation Reform.

• Held CABE/CAPSS Conventionworkshop proposal subcommitteemeeting to review and recommendworkshops to be presented at theConvention.

• Provided Lighthouse training for theDanbury, Killingly, Norwich,Norwalk, Shelton and WindhamBoards of Education.

Norwalk Board of Education participating in Lighthouse Training.

Lighthouse TrainingMark your calendar!

June 7, 20121:00 - 4:00 pm

Rocky Hill MarriottCollective

BargainingWorkshop

Watch your mail formore informationand to register!


Get familiarwith Virtual Learning

OnlineLearning:PolicyImplications

Vincent A. Mustaro, Senior Staff Associatefor Policy Service, CABE, discussed thechallenges involved with developing andupdating policies to address this new andexciting form of learning in our publicschools.

Participants from across the State gather in the Rovins Conference Room at CABE: to reviewvirtual learning opportunities in Connecticut; to acquire an international, national and stateperspective; to understand the major issues; consider the standards to be addressed whenimplementing virtual learning; and study statutory language and its policy implications.

(continued from page 1)any district that may need her expertise. “Igo out and consult for absolutely nocharge in any district,” she said.

CVL currently has about 20 schooldistricts that utilize its services, includingMadison, Enfield, Manchester, NewBritain, Newington, North Stonington,Wallingford, Wolcott and Madison. But20 is a rather unimpressive number whenthere are over 160 school systems in thestate.

“Connecticut Virtual Learningunfortunately doesn’t have impressiveenrollment numbers; I attribute it topolitics and funding,” said Hayden.

CVL is a self-sustaining state entity,noted Hayden. “We [the CT DistanceLearning Consortium] run CT VirtualLearning; we are a State of Connecticutagency but do not receive any fundingfrom the state for this program. It issupported completely from tuition perenrollments,” she said. “ConnecticutAdult Virtual High School is a programthat we also run that is for students that

are enrolled in adult education. Connecti-cut Adult Virtual High School is grantsupported.”

Douglas Casey, the Capitol RegionEducation Council’s (CREC) Director ofTechnology Services, pointed out thatthere are many different faces to onlinelearning, including taking formal classesonline as electives or for credit recovery;it can also include visiting a teacher’swebsite for homework assignments.

“Really one of the big stories aboutonline learning is that there are manydifferent applications for online learning;for example you could have a student whoreally wants to expand themselves andtake Mandarin Chinese,” said Casey.

“Their school system might not offer it.Or [they want to take] AP Physics; theirschool district may not offer it,” explainedCasey. “Those kids are really goodcandidates to take online courses— theydon’t have to be limited to what’s in theirschool district.”

Casey added that there is a perceptionthat gifted or talented kids – who are

often familiar with technology – are theones taking all the online courses.However, that’s not always the case.“Kids who have struggled and have beenunable to pass certain classes, they’ll takeclasses under the category of creditrecovery,” explained Casey.

There’s also an aspect of onlinelearning where districts purchase “a shellof a platform – a learning managementsystem or LMS.” He explained, “Aschool system might invest in one ofthose platforms and then have theirteachers develop courses so they’redeveloping the curriculum online. Itcomes in lots of different flavors.”

In terms of teacher websites as acomponent of online learning, Caseynoted that Glastonbury schools are“doing a really good job with that.” Heexplained, “They set up teacher web sitesand [their Director of EducationalTechnology] Brian Czapla has done agreat job with that. With online learning –you can do a lot with it.”

Despite her enthusiasm for onlinelearning, Hayden stressed that schoolsystems need to be aware of “for profitprofiteers” in the corporate world whoare selling school systems an onlinelearning product that she said essentiallyequates to an online workbook – rather

than “an instructional opportunity for astudent” – because they offer no supportfrom certified teachers.

“You can take this beautiful onlinematerial and if it’s not delivered with ateacher or supplemented with classroomactivities, because a lot of these materials… the majority of that work isautocorrect,” said Hayden. “Since there’sno certified teacher teaching them, theymight be shortchanged in the end.”

Unfortunately, according to Hayden,many a school systems have been “ro-manced” by these companies and thenpurchased their products. “Some of it’svery impressive looking; there are a lot ofinteractive components to that and theyhave the marketing dollars and thewherewithal to get in and wow people toget them buying,” noted Hayden.

In addition, the state currently has no“mechanism” in place to assure thatstudents are receiving “the level ofreinforcement required to confirm they’veactually learned something,” said Hayden.“I’m not seeing it,” she continued. “I don’tmean to be criticizing anyone – I’m justobserving what’s taking place.”

For more information on CT VirtualLearning, please visit www.ctvirtuallearning.org or email [email protected].

is recruiting for

SUPERINTENDENTOF SCHOOLS

For more information contact, CABE Search Services,Jacqueline V. Jacoby • 860-539-7594

Randall H. Collins • 860-235-6340

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

AMITY REGION 5 PUBLIC SCHOOLS

MANCHESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

OXFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SIMSBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

For an update or more information onvacancies go to our website: www.cabe.org


Broderick gives final NSBA speechEditors Note: Mary Broderick, Past

President of both NSBA and CABE, gaveher last General Session speech at theNSBA Convention in April in Boston. Wethought that the speech was exceptionalin its thoughtful content and how itexpressed the fine qualities that Mary hasalways exhibited locally, statewide andnationally. The speech was edited forspace reasons.

A yearago, I stoodbefore you inSan Fran-cisco. Andnow, after somany extra-ordinaryvisits withyou on yourhome fronts,we meetagain on thisother coast.

face of a child. Their whole body isin motion when problem-solving,but their eyes glaze over when wepour information into their heads.they feel powerless and disre-spected. This is what we are nowdoing to our children… And to ourteachers!

We know from brain research thatkids, like all of us, are wired for what theyneed . . . They are curious and naturalproblem solvers . . . the ideal skills for avery uncertain future!

Yet federal policy makers and manyreformers seem oblivious to brainresearch and motivation research. Theyreject the wisdom of long-term educatorsas they demand of our schools mind-numbing drill and practice and educa-tional decisions made far from Johnny inthe third grade.

Standards have their place. Golf ballsare built to spec. They need to beconsistent sizes and shapes. They need toperform to specific standards for consis-tency.

Children, on the other hand, come indifferent shapes and sizes from different

potential and encouraged him to pursuecollege. After attending Cornell on an R-O-T-C scholarship and serving in themarines, he taught in Trenton, thenreceived a masters from Princeton. Heeventually became a visionary superinten-dent.

To do what is right for children, Kim,like so many others, has spent the pastfew years fighting for equitable schoolfunding and against so-called “reform”policies.

Kim is worried that, because federaland state policy makers dont understandmotivation, we are losing our besteducators – those who want to imbue inchildren wisdom and a broader under-standing of the world. He said, “Thepolicies are to control and reduce discre-tion. Teachers have responded with thesame learned helplessness children exhibit. . . We need to give autonomy anddiscretion to teachers.”

Kim himself is leaving public educa-tion, returning to Hawaii to work inprivate schools where he expects tocultivate wisdom and self-directedlearning.

How dowe motivategreat educa-tors to stay inpublic educa-tion? I amreminded ofwhat VinceLombardisaid to theGreen BayPackers attheir firstmeeting: Hesaid, “I amnot remotelyinterested injust beinggood.” Andhe proved itwith out-

compliant people, and that is ourstrength.

• Third, Our vision should be toinspire excellence, recognizing thatour most important resource is ourchildrens minds. We want childrento take responsibility for their ownlearning.

• Fourth, Since we know frommotivation research that carrot andstick motivators are not effective forcomplex tasks, let’s be sure therewards of learning and challengesof the work itself are the primarymotivators of students and staff.

• Fifth, Let’s cultivate a spirit ofinnovation and inspiration. We willonly succeed in preparing for ourfuture if we empower all in ourschools to think through complexproblems and generate solutions.Rather than laboring over bureau-cratic compliance problems, let’sengage students, teachers, and evenboard members in solving problemsof teaching and learning.

• Sixth, Schools will never becomegreat through threat or intimidation.Let’s make them safe places to takerisks, where staff and students feelvalued for their ideas and talentsand empowered to fail so they cangrow.

• Seventh, We should invest inteacher training and professionaldevelopment embedded in the work,through coaching and ongoingsupport.

• Eighth, Let’s use our vast techno-logical know-how to share ways toinspire learners. Beyond monitor-ing performance, federal policyshould identify, support, and shareexcellent, proven ideas.

• Ninth, To make the greatestprogress in closing achievementgaps, children born with the leastmust have rich learning environ-ments.

• And, finally, I asked the Presidentto convene a national dialogue, notmade up of politicians, but includ-ing the breadth of educationalthought, to reconsider our policydirection. Current policy jeopar-dizes keys to our national success:our ingenuity, our openness toinnovation, and our creativity. Letsmarshal the nations brain power andtap into the research, proven prac-tice, and demonstrated evidence ofexcellence.

races and cultures with different inclina-tions and talents and gifts. We cannotbuild our children to spec and expectconsistent results! Children are not GolfBalls!

I am convinced that American publiceducation remains what Ernie Boyercalled “the greatest success story in thehistory of the world.” We have ourchallenges. Our media love to focus onthose. But we also work miracles everysingle day.

School boards play a critical role inthose successes. We know our communi-ties – our challenges, hopes, and aspira-tions. Because learning is value-ladenand contextual, effective school boardsensure that decision-making is as close aspossible to the child/teacher relationship.But federal and state policies are drivingaway many of our best and brightest.

I talked recently with Earl Kim,Montgomery Township, NJ superinten-dent of schools. Kim was a strugglingHawaiian teenager, but a teacher saw his

Mary Broderick Though Ilive in

Connecticut, we grew up in New York,where my father instilled in each of his sixchildren a commitment to public serviceand belief in the dignity of every humanbeing.I lived here in Boston for a number ofyears. Four siblings and my mother nowlive here in MA, and my son teaches 20minutes from here. I have a brother inNH, and a daughter and son-in-law in VT.So welcome to my home!

The land between our coasts and inHawaii and Alaska is filled with problem-solvers. They are students, educators, andboard members. Through my travels thisyear, I have learned much about ourdifferences and similarities, our collectivehopes and dreams and frustrations. Manyimages still burn bright in my memory:

• The faces of children in NewOrleans recovery schools, concen-trating fiercely, with teachersworking hard to overcome the lunchbags of challenges these childrencarry with them – poverty, hunger,and trauma.

• The Hillsborough, Florida, teachers,eagerly encouraging their children,worried that budget cuts willeliminate their jobs.

• The first graders in a school inUtah, speaking and writing inFrench, four months into theirstudies with their young teacherfrom France.

• Board members engaging students,listening to their thinking.

• During my travels, I also observedbrain activity in a young child witha complicated puzzle to solve. Youcould see the fascination andengagement on this childs face as heused trial and error to manipulatethe puzzle. His brain was stimulatedand he was learning.

But, as soon as that little boy wastold the answer, he lost interest andthe brain activity stopped. Youknow what that looks like on the

(l. to r.) Rita Volkmann (Groton) Board Member; Robert King, Consultant,CABE; Beverly Washington (Groton) Board Member attended the networkingreception in honor of Mary Broderick.

(l. to r .) Robert Mitchell (Montville) StateRelations Chair, CABE; Gary Brochu (Berlin)Board Chair.

(please see BRODERICK page 13)

standingteams.

Ratherthan focusing on compliance and ac-countability, let’s focus on our greatvision. Let’s unleash potential in ourstaffs, inspiring them to do great things.But how can we, while the feds thinktheir role is to regulate, direct andenforce and the local response is tointerpret, comply, and resent?

We have to find a better balance. Tothat end, I have written a letter toPresident Obama, including advice frommany of you. You can read the wholeletter at .

I made 10 specific points:• First, We share a sense of urgency

to give each and every child highquality experiences to allow themto develop their full potential.

• Second, Though we need sometesting to gauge learning, we are atthe point of damaging teaching andhurting children. We will never befirst in the world on standardizedtests, nor is that something to whichwe should aspire. We are not a


CABE and Baldwin Media: Partners in Managing Communications

The Media Messagefrom Ann Baldwin, Baldwin Media Marketing, LLC

How to get your cause in the news:13 candid tips from seasoned CT journalists

Fear not. If you missed the recent media panel atConnecticut Advocacy Day on how to get your causein the news, here are 12 golden tips from the lips ofDaniela Altimari of the Hartford Courant, LucyNalpathanchil from WNPR CT Public Radio, andKeith Phaneuf from the Connecticut Mirror:

• Daniela and Lucy prefer a brief email (fol-lowed by one telephone call) from organiza-tions wishing to pitch a story. A direct messagethrough Twitter also works for Daniela. Keithprefers a phone call. Never pitch a storythrough Facebook.

• Telling reporters about personal, humaninterest stories is the single most effective wayto get your cause in the news. “Talking heads”(read: Executive Directors) are unlikely to bethe best storytellers. People want to hear aboutreal people affected by an issue. Those are the stories that get in the news.

• Don’t just pitch stories during the legislativesession. Think about how the issue ties in withthe news during the year, and regularly pitchstories to reporters.

• When pitching a story, the earlier the better.Pitch early in the morning (by 8:30 am) ratherthan later, when reporters are looking throughtheir email and considering what to writeabout that day.

• Personal relationships with reporters stillmatter very much. All things being equal,

Carol BuckheitFounder/Principal, Nonprofit Media Works

reporters will go witha story from a knownsource rather than anorganization/indi-vidual new to them.Take the time to pickup the phone andintroduce yourself and

• Follow reporters on Twitter! Find DanielaAltimari at @CapitolWatch, Lucy at@LucyVn, and don’t even bother trying tofind Keith on Twitter. He calls himself “thesocial media anti-Christ.” (Shameless self-promotion: Follow Carol at@NonprofitMediaW).

• Don’t send a press release with contactinformation for your Executive Director, whenhe/she has just left for a long vacation.(sheesh)

• Check out CT Capitol Report by TomDudchik. He’s got a daily dose of the scuttle-butt at the Capitol. Read it.

• In this day and age, the news cycle is 24/7. InDaniela’s words: The public “has a voraciousappetite for news . . . and nonprofits can usethis as an opportunity.” Provide lots of newstips and pitches, and your cause is more likelyto find its way onto a blog, newspaper story,tweet, video story or newscast.

(l to r): Carol Buckheit (Nonprofit MediaWorks), Daniela Altimari (Hartford Courant),Lucy Nalpathanchil (WNPR Connecticut Public Radio), Keith Phaneuf (ConnecticutMirror)

your organization.• When should you

time your pressevents at the Capitol?Avoid conflicts with bigger stories (e.g. Don’tschedule a press conference at the Capitol on theday the Governor unveils a new budget). Otherthan that, earlier in the day tends to be better.

• When being interviewed, avoid acronyms andjargon. Don’t sound like you are reading from ascript. And don’t assume everyone knows what youare talking about. Use language and terminologythe general public would understand.

• A well-written, engaging, frequently updated blogcan be a terrific way for journalists to view you asan expert on an issue. But importantly if you don’thave time to maintain your blog, take it offline.

• Most journalists are using Twitter to share news asit happens. You can do the same with a Twitteraccount for your org. Keys: Make your tweetsinteresting! Promote others, build community, anddon’t automate your tweets with Facebook. If it’sboring, they won’t come. And if you can’t fre-quently update your Twitter feed, don’t use Twitter.

That’s my challenge to the President, but it is alsoto Congress, to NSBA and to you. NSBA is hereto unite our voices. Let’s demand policies thatmove us toward excellence and strengthen ourhumanity.

If these are our expectations of Washington, what canwe do ourselves? Board members, working as a teamwith our superintendents, can move mountains.If we are not teams, we flounder. When we wallow in ourdisagreements, circle the wagons and shoot inward, ourchildren suffer. Our former superintendent in East Lyme,Jack Reynolds, used to say, “It’s amazing what you canaccomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Andwe proved it!

So let’s get beyond what divides us and come togetheraround a vision that unites us. Let’s look for models ofthe ideal.

That will bring out the passions of our staffs, theenthusiasm of our students, and the confidence of ourcommunities. Studies of highly effective organizations,including the U.S. Army, invariably find that key to theirsuccess is love… love for the mission, love for the work,love for the people.

Love for our work let’s us thrive. And love forcolleagues and coworkers lets them thrive. Accountabil-ity and high expectations with love are what childrenneed to learn.

As I complete my year as president of NSBA, I knowthe children of America are in good hands. It has beenan enormous honor to serve with you as weve advocatedon behalf of Americas public school children and schoolboard governance.

About a mile from this spot, John Kennedy ad-dressed the all-male Massachusetts legislature in 1961.He said, “For those to whom much is given, much isrequired. When at some future date the high court ofhistory sits in judgment on each of us...our success orfailure...will be measured by the answers to four ques-tions: First, were we truly men of courage...? Secondly,were we truly men of judgment...? Third, were we trulymen of integrity...? Finally, were we truly men ofdedication...?”.”

We have much to be proud of in Americas publicschools, thanks to your courage, judgment, dedication,integrity, and love.

So whether your state is lapped by the Atlantic or thePacific, or is far from either of those shores, together ourchallenge is to change the national trajectory so that, asPresident Obama wants for his daughters, each child in

America will “grow up in a world with no limits on[their] dreams and no achievements beyond [their] reach,and grow into compassionate, committed [men and]women who will help build that world.”

As I leave the NSBA board, I want to thank you foryour leadership and the opportunity to serve with you. Ilove you.

Broderick gives final NSBA speech

(continued from page 12)

(l. to r.) Randall Collins, Senior Consultant, CABE SearchServices; David Erwin (Berlin) Superintendent; StephenWright (Trumbull) Vice President for Professional Develop-ment, CABE.

14 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/April 2012

CABE-Meeting

Learn more:

CABE-Meeting is a user-friendly, web-based service specifically designed to assist the board, superintendent and centraloffice staff in preparing for and running board of education meetings.

• Do you want to save yourdistrict money?

• Do you want to utilizetechnology to enable staffto be more efficient?

• Do you want to focus moreof your human andfinancial resources onincreasing studentachievement in yourdistrict?

• Do you want to enhancecommunication with yourcommunity?

• Do you want to model themethods that should beused to infuse technologyin your schools?

If you answered “yes” to atleast one of the abovequestions, read on. CABE-Meeting can help you!

Take a few minutes and goto http://www.cabe.org/page.cfm?p=158 tocomplete our CABE-Meeting cost analysisworksheet (located at thebottom of the page) and seehow much your district cansave in one year. Districtscan save thousands ofdollars each year by usingCABE-Meeting.

For more information or toschedule a demonstrationfor your board, call LisaSteimer at 800-317-0033 or860-571-7446 or [email protected].

CABE-Meeting

Lisa SteimerConnecticut Association ofBoards of Education81 Wolcott Hill RoadWethersfield, CT 06109www.cabe.org

Is CABE-Meeting for you?

Does you policy manual look like this?Then you are the perfect candidate

for the CABE Customized Policy Service!CABE’s Customized Policy Service tailors a policy manual for a subscribing board of education that reflects the specificneeds and priorities of that community.

The service includes:• Review and analysis of existing policies for relevancy and compliance with federal and state statutes and regulations.

• Review of current contracts and student and personnel handbooks for explicit and implied policies.

• On-site consultation for school board members and school administrators by CABE staff.

• Update of existing policies

• Legal referencing of policies:- Connecticut and U.S. statutes- Federal/state court decisions

• Development of needed policies and regulations.

• Use of CABE Codification System

• Printing of policies and arrangement in manual.

• Manual on CD

Fee is based on school district enrollment. For more information contact Vincent Mustaro at CABE860-571-7446 or 800-317-0033. You can also email Policy Services at [email protected].

The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/April 2012 15

Letter to the EditorDear Editor,

Last year, Connecticut Appleseed circulated its study of efforts toreduce the number of out of school suspensions, highlightingsuccessful best practices and cost-effective in-school suspensiontechniques that could be brought to scale across the state. We hopeyou found our final report, “Keep Kids in School: ImprovingSchool Discipline”, useful and informative. Connecticut Appleseedis a nonprofit organization which deploys volunteer professionalsto study and develop solutions for the causes, rather than thesymptoms, of our state’s social problems.

This year, in partnership with the Governor’s PreventionPartnership and a team from Travelers, we engaged in an 12-monthstudy of another challenge facing school districts across the state:bullying. In particular, as you know, recent statutes expandingdistrict responsibilities to improve school climate and protectstudents from bullying – while obviously laudable in purpose –impose obligations that are neither insignificant nor inexpensivefor districts to administer.

The report, Bullying in Connecticut’s Public Schools:Implementation of Public Act 08-160 highlights successful “bestpractice” prevention and post-incident techniques that could bebrought to scale across the state’s school districts. By showcasingeffective practices and examples of how their peers are handlingthe challenges related to bullying, our project team hopes to helpenable cost effective implementation of the 2008 statute. Togenerate this report, a team of more than 20 attorneys fromTravelers conducted interviews with superintendents, principals,teachers, guidance counselors and psychologists within 11 diverseschool districts.

All of our project partners are grateful to the 11 superintendentswho opened their districts as laboratories because they wereappropriately proud of their foresight and fortitude in tacklingissues related to bullying. Copies of the final report have beenprovided to your superintendent for review and distribution withyour district as you see fit. Finally, the Governor’s PreventionPartnership (www.preventionworksct.org) will welcome questionsregarding the techniques featured in this report as well as anysuccessful anti-bullying practices that your district may wish toshare with others.

Best Regards,Michael C. D’AgostinoChairman, Hamden Board of Education

New Fairfield winsCommunications Award

At a recent board meeting, CABEArea 6 Director Gavin Forresterfrom the Stratford Board ofEducation (right, back), pre-sented the New Fairfield Boardof Education with the 2012Award of Excellence for Educa-tional Communication.

B O O K R E V I E W

Relevant for School Boards –Race for Relevance

While the book, Race for Rel-evance: 5 Radical Changes forAssociations, by Harrison Coerverand Mary Byers, is targeted atassociations, itoffers many “rel-evant” observations for schoolboards.

For example, the authors suggeststeps to support the empowered staffmodel and encourage improvedcommunication in the volunteer(board members) – staff (superinten-dent) relationship:

• Institute a three year strategicplanning cycle, with the boardand key staff as equal partici-pants. This should be designedto build consensus on thedistrict’s direction, prioritiesand most importantly, resourceconcentration.

• Conduct an annual perfor-mance appraisal of the superin-tendent

• Complete an annual board selfevaluation process

• Perform evaluation and feedbacksurveys after each board meeting

The authors point out that existingprograms and services are often contin-ued without much challenge. Once it isintroduced, programs are granted alifetime contract (like tenure!) Thecurrent paradigm is that more is better.

Some of the questions school boardsshould consider with respect to resourceallocation are:

• Are we allocating resources tofocus on opportunities to addvalue?

• Do we allocate resources primarilybased on history and tradition orbased on student needs?

• Are we allocating resources towhat we know how to do versuswhat we should be doing?

• Are we allocating sufficientresources to the development andtesting of new programs, services,and delivery mechanisms?

Patrice A. McCarthy,Deputy Director/General Counsel, CABE

CT represented atNSBA Conference

Ann Littlefield, Shipman &Goodwin presented aworkshop on Peer Bullyingand Harassment.

Connecticut board members, CABE staff and superintendents atthe conference.

l. to r.) Patrice A. McCarthy, Deputy Director and GeneralCounsel and Robert Rader, Executive Director, CABEpresented a workshop on 10 Practices to Avoid Liability.

CABE Senior StaffAttorney Kelly Moyherspeaking on 10 Practicesto Avoid Liability.

16 The Journal – Connecticut Association of Boards of Education/April 2012

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