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LAST CALL FOR LEGAL HOT TOPICS WORKSHOP
Don’t miss tomorrow’s legal workshop on gender and social media issues. Attorney Michael McKeon from Pullman and Comley LLC will offer guidance on a school district’s legal obligations to students who identify with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. He will cover relevant areas such as school records, the use of bathrooms and locker rooms, participation in sports and other extracurricular activities, and disagreements between students and their parents regarding gender identification. Attorney McKeon will also delve into the perennially challenging topic of social media: What control do school officials have over social media as used by staff? Do traditional concepts of freedom of speech apply? Can school officials “search” student electronic devices? Learn the answers to these and other questions surrounding these two hot topics. There’s still time to register!
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DEADLINE EXTENDED FOR ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR AWARD NOMINATIONS
The deadline for nominations for the 2018 Elementary Principal of the Year Award has been extended to this Friday, January 26th. This award recognizes elementary school principals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership, a passion for educational excellence, a selfless commitment to their students and staff and ongoing service to their communities. Here’s your chance to bring state and national recognition to a deserving principal in your school or district!
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PAT CICCONE TALKS RESTORATIVE PRACTICES ON LATEST PODCAST
In the most recent episode of CASconversations, President Rosie Vojtek chats with Patricia Ciccone, superintendent of the Westbrook Public Schools and renowned leader in the area of school climate and restorative practices. “Social media has created a situation where kids come to school less confident and feeling a sense of diminished value. This is really impacting the climate in our schools," says Pat. "Kids are torturing one another.” In 2013, Education Week named Pat as a “Leader to Learn From” for her focus on school climate while serving as the superintendent of Connecticut’s Technical High School System. More recently, she was named by Education Week as one of eighteen women educators internationally that all K-12 educators should know. Listen and learn from this extraordinary leader!
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EXAMINE NEW DIRECTIONS IN SEL
CAS is working with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to offer regional, mini-day professional development seminars focused on social and emotional learning! Examine best practices and weigh in on the content and delivery change levers that will help you support your students’ comprehensive development. You’ll gain ideas for weaving social, emotional and academic development into the fabric of your school/classroom! The presenters will include, among others, Dave Maloney, CAS Director of Student Activities, and Nicole Elbertson, Director of Blended Learning for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. The first seminar will be held on February 1st from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the CAS Office. Register now!
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FEBRUARY ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION COP FOCUSES ON CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
The Connecticut State Department of Education, in partnership with CAS and SERC, has established a community of practice (CoP) series specifically for educators at alternative schools/programs. The purpose of the CoP is to provide a forum for sharing ideas and discussing targeted interests and needs. The next session of the series will be held February 8, 2018, and will address the following topics:
- Follow-up on Chronic Absenteeism
- Tiered System of Intervention to address Chronic Absenteeism
- Review of Alternative Education Guidelines
The two-hour session will be held at the CAS office from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
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ARE YOU PROUD OF YOUR MIDDLE SCHOOL?
Then LET US HEAR about it! Share the wonderful programs and happenings at your school and what makes YOURS an outstanding school! Consider applying for the CAS Middle School of the Year Award today! Click below to download the application and award criteria. We are extending the deadline to February 19th, so apply soon!
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CT SUPREME COURT RULES STATE EDUCATION FUNDING SYSTEM IS FLAWED BUT CONSTITUTIONAL
In September 2016, a federal court judge issued a long-awaited ruling in the then eleven-year-old CCJEF v. Rell lawsuit which challenged the constitutionality of Connecticut’s education funding system. Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher found that Connecticut’s school finance system—particularly the Education Cost Sharing formula—was not “rational, substantial and verifiable” and failed to address the gaps in school resources and community wealth found across Connecticut. Moukawsher’s decision was subsequently appealed by the state’s attorney general, George Jepsen, and overturned last week by the CT Supreme Court. In their 4-3 ruling, justices wrote that “although the plaintiffs have convincingly demonstrated that in this state there is a gap in educational achievement between the poorest and neediest students and their more fortunate peers, disparities in educational achievement, standing alone, do not constitute proof that our state constitution’s equal protection provisions have been violated. The plaintiffs have not shown that this gap is due to the state’s unlawful discrimination against poor and needy students in its provision of educational resources as opposed to the complex web of disadvantaging societal conditions over which the schools have no control.”
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SERC AND CAS TO CO-SPONSOR SPECIAL ED LEADERSHIP SERIES
This spring, SERC and CAS are co-sponsoring a three-part workshop series to help general education school leaders improve outcomes for the special education students in their schools. Workshop topics are: Strengthening Tier 1 Universal Practices for Students with Disabilities; Developing Standards-based IEP’s; and, PPT Facilitation Strategies and Family Engagement Practices. All workshops will be held at the Radisson in Cromwell from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Click below for details and registration information.
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UCONN HOSTING UCAPP INFO SESSIONS
For Connecticut educators aspiring to advance their careers and serve in roles as assistant principals, principals, or district-level administrators, the University of Connecticut Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) offers an educational leadership program through the Neag School of Education designed to prepare qualified and capable school leaders for all Connecticut schools. Graduates are awarded a sixth-year diploma in educational administration and are eligible for the (092) certification endorsement as an intermediate administrator in the state of Connecticut. Click here for info session details.
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STUDENT EQUITY CONFERENCE – CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Fairfield Warde High School Achievement Gap Task Force and the SCSU Graduate Department of Educational Leadership are looking for presenters for their second annual student equity conference coming up in March. Students and educators in CT are invited to share their stories and experiences in using student voice to promote equity in their schools. The conference, which will be held on March 29th at SCSU, focuses on elevating the voices of students to help adults learn about achievement gaps and how their actions can help or hinder the performance of historically marginalized groups of students. Please consider submitting a presentation proposal for this important event!
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