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Saturday, October 31, 2009

League Puts Out More Questions for BOE Candidates

There was only time for six questions at last Thursday night's Board of Education debate at City Hall.  However, the audience and organizers had many more.  Below is a list of some of questions that the moderator did not have enough time to ask.  Candidates, if you are reading, feel free to answer these questions in the comments section.  

Here is a note from the League of Women Voters about the extra questions.

"The following questions represent a portion of all questions submitted during the Board of Education Forum on October 29th at City Hall. The co-sponsors, LWV, CNNA, NAACP, NEF, PTO Council and Norwalknet.com agreed to a format where all candidates would answer all the questions, therefore reducing the total number of questions asked but giving the candidates more time to express their ideas. Representatives from NAACP, NEF, LWV and CNNA screened the questions received from the audience, and we made every effort to group questions so as to cover as many topics as possible.  The following list represents questions that were not asked directly, but were included in some of the six questions actually asked by the moderator.  Debate planners hoped that whatever questions were left out, that topics which candidates did not get to speak about would be included in their final two-minute closing statement."

1. Suspension:  How will your board membership decrease suspensions and lower the dropout rate? What can teachers do in the classroom to curtail the suspension of minority students?

2. Teacher morale:  Right now, some feel that teacher morale is at an all-time low.  What will you do to change this?

3. Diversity and closing the achievement gap:  Please give your definition of a diverse community and what do you feel can be done to close the achievment gap in a diverse classroom.

4. Standards of promotion:  why are so many children passed from grade to grade and they do not meet the standards for NCLB?

5. Briggs High School:  What do you plan to do to improve Briggs High School?

6. Code of conduct:  What will you do to ensure high professional standards of conduct?

7.  Tenure:  What is your position regarding tenure as it relates to performance?

8.  Superintendent:  Should Norwalk enact a residency requirement for the superintendant position?

9. Early childhood education:  How do you see early education-for 3 and 4-year-olds-fitting in with the overall district improvement plan?

10. Diversity training for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender(LGBT) school population:  We have a large LGBT population in our schools.  How do you feel about the training of diversity in school and how do you feel about support groups for these youths?

11. Curriculum:  Should 9th graders have the opportunity to take advanced placement classes?

12. Overcrowding in schools:  Where are you going to put all the students when the thousands of vacant or planned homes, condos and apartments become occupied?

13. Achievement gap:  What remedial efforts are being considered and implemented to specifically address the achievement gap between white and non-white students?

14. Academically-gifted students:  Tonight there has been a lot of talk about raising the bar and closing the gap, which are important...However, some parents feel that academically-gifted children are being left behind.  Can you respond?

Thursday, October 29, 2009

BOE Debate at City Hall

A debate last night with the candidates for the Norwalk Board of Education gave approximately two hundred voters a final opportunity to hear from the incumbents and their challengers firsthand. During the one and a half hour debate the eight candidates were asked six questions.

With only four days left until the election the candidates spoke about board transparency, defining high standards, over populated schools,  their ideal superintendent, special education, and budget priorities. 

"The debate definitely changed my mind," said Jane Robillard, a parent in the audience after the debate.  "For example, I didn't know that special education was such a big issue.  I want someone on the board who is going to pay attention to that."

BOE Board Chair Rosa Murray repeatedly described the difference between the boards policy making role and the administration's operational role and that the two were being confused.   Sal Corda's name came up several times during the debate by both Republicans and Democrats.  In addition there was considerable time spent on the problems and  high cost of special education in the district. 

The first topic addressed at the debate was about the importance of transparency.  Candidates were asked about specific ways they would  increase transparency at the board level. Most candidates interpreted the question to be about the need for communication between the BOE and parents which has become one of the major themes of this election.

Heidi Keyes, a Democrat running for the first time and Shirley Mosby, an Democratic incumbent, suggested methods like newsletters and emails to parents would increase the effectiveness of communication.  Erin  Halsey,  a Republican concurred by saying technology could be harnessed.  Sue Haynie, a Republican candidate suggested filming and televising the BOE meetings, holding more informational sessions for parents, and creating budget summaries so that the budget process would be clearer.

However Republicans Steve Colarossi and Artie Kassimis went on the attack criticizing the current BOE members for not answering e-mails and phone calls made by parents and other individuals. This prompted Ms. Murray, a Democrat, to respond that new superintendent should make a communication plan since the board is policy making body.  Amy Jimenez, also a Democrat,  countered by saying that the BOE members cannot respond as individuals to questions. She said that the BOE was a body of nine members and needed to act and speak with a single voice.

The candidates had a tougher time answering the next question about how to set and define "high standards" for the Norwalk school district.   Ms. Keyes and Mr. Colarossi emphasized the importance of early childhood education. Mr. Kassimis said that teachers needed to be engaged more and that as education experts they would know how to raise standards. Ms. Haynie spoke about need to go beyond state standard of  "compliance." She said compliance was not a high enough standard.

Ms. Murray said that the district has been implementing school improvement plans throughout the district by using data teams and improving the quality of after school programs. Ms. Jimenez said that she has been deeply involved in raising the bar.  Through performance plans Norwalk schools are plotting their progress she said. She believes that the NCLB is not leaving and that it requires that students make continual progress. Democrat Shirley Mosby spoke about the fact that several schools made sufficient progress to enter safe harbor status and the importance of differentiated learning.  In response to Ms. Haynie, she said "we need to keep in compliance" in order to eligible for state funds. 

The third question had to do with over crowded schools. The moderator noted that some classrooms were empty while others were bursting at the seams. Ms. Haynie said that schools that had good before and after school programs tended to be in high demand. Mr. Kassimis said the fault lay with the BOE for not anticipating shifts in population and increasing enrollment.

Ms. Jimenez said that the children she knew at Jefferson loved the portable classrooms and that the portables were a responsible way to address the overcrowding problem. She added that a study was commissioned in October to analyze enrollment and facilities planning at the elementary schools.  Ms. Mosby said that the public needs to get involved with the Board of Estimation and Taxation where the budget for capital expenditures is set.  Ms. Keyes said the portables are a short term solutions and that the BOE needs to think about the possibility of expansion longer term.

There was  much agreement when it came time to talk about the qualifications of the ideal superintendent.  The candidates wanted a great leader who loves Norwalk and its diversity.  "We are looking for someone who has the heart of Norwalk,"  said Ms. Murray.

Many candidates said it was important that he or she be visible in the community and be a strong communicator. 

Sal Corda's name came up several time during this part of the debate. "Some of the current board members did vote for Sal Corda," said Ms. Halsey.

Ms. Mosby replied that although she was not on the board at the time of the hiring, Sal Corda was hired to revamp the curicullum, an area of weakness at the time of his hiring.  "He did his job, but things have changed now," she said.  Ms. Jimenez added that the current board voted 9-0 to not renew Mr. Corda's contract.

Steve Colarossi lamented that it has taken four months for the current board to pick a search firm and that the board should be in charge of collecting community feedback, not the search firm.  Community forums have been scheduled for early November.

There was also considerable discussion at the debate about special education. The Republican candidates questioned why there is $400,000 budgeted to fight lawsuits related to services for special education children.  They stated that according to the 2008 CREC report there is a lack of urgency around special education and that there are serious problems in the district.  They brought up the incident with Spectrum Kids, LLC a special education services company that was hired without verification of the credentials of its owners and with which a litigation ensued. 

The Democratic candidates said that the Spectrum Kids incident was the fault of the administration.  Ms. Mosby said that it was the Board who commissioned the CREC report and are diligently working towards addressing problems in special education.

Finally, the candidates were asked to identify two items that they would fight for in the current budget and two items for reduction.  Most of the candidates said they would want to "protect the classroom" by not eliminating any services that affect children in the classroom  Ms. Jimenez said that she would look for more public-private partnerships, using the Norwalk High pool as an example.   Ms. Haynie said that Special Education makes up 20 percent of the budget and she would look for savings there.

Several of the candidates talked about the need for more consolidation between city and school services in places like the mailroom and the potential of recycling.  Mr. Kassimis said the district needs to use technology to improve efficiency and save money.

Were you there?  Did this event help you to make up your mind about whom to vote for?

Candidate Interview: Artie Kassimis (R)

Below are unedited responses to questions posed by NorwalkNet to all the candidates for BOE. Candidate answers are being posted as they are received.

1. Please describe why you feel you are qualified to be on the BOE. Please list your educational, professional, and community background.

I am currently the Senior Pastor of a local non-denominational Christian Church in the heart of Norwalk. Every Sunday morning, for the past 14 years, we have been running Christian education classes for Norwalk’s children. Our children form a very diverse group that come from all the neighborhoods of Norwalk. We are very proud of them. Our church has conducted outreaches that have benefitted many of the charitable organizations throughout the city and abroad.

My background in corporate America, as an IT executive will bring a much needed business mind to the Norwalk Board of Education. Whether it is through technology, cost cutting, consolidation of effort and/or retiring of obsolete practices; there are areas of our School System that need to be addressed immediately so effective budgetary decisions can be made. The last thing we want to do is cut the positions of those individuals that directly influence the lives of our children (e.g. teachers, aides …)

I have been a Little League coach for over 11 years, for both boys and girls teams, recently, as the coach for the Angels NAA Girls Softball Team.

Over 5 years ago, I was one of the first parents to raise the flag on gang violence in our schools. I represented a group of very concerned parents that were looking to create a safer environment for Norwalk’s children. I pulled together a Town Hall meeting that brought in many of our elected officials and city leaders to discuss the issue and propose recommendations to our School Board and City Leaders. One of our recommendations was for the placement of Police Officers in the High Schools. The former mayor had enacted a policy that would have placed resource officers in our high schools. However, no officers were placed in any of the schools until Mayor Moccia was able to coordinate the funding and assignment of those officers.

2. What are your top 3 goals for the next term and how do you plan to achieve them?

Communication between the Board, Central Office and the Public – Increasing communication with all stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, taxpayers and students) will be my number one goal. I would like to see “Town Hall” meetings conducted by the Board of Education in each of the districts/neighborhoods of the city. These meetings would solicit the feedback of all concerned citizens.

A communication breakdown between Norwalk’s current educational leadership has directly affected the budget process and the search for our next Superintendent.

Superintendent search – This is the most important and most urgent decision facing the next Board of Education. A well thought out list of qualifications of the next Superintendent, should be put together and made available to the public for input.

Test scores – There is a wide gap between many subgroups within our schools. The causes behind these gaps need to be fully investigated and resolved. I believe our parents and teachers are the best resource in decreasing this gap.

3. Norwalk is seeking a new superintendent. What qualities do you believe it is important for this person to have?

Norwalk needs a strong leader with a significant proven track record of success. A Superintendent who will pull all involved parties together and create a unified approach in raising student achievement scores; A Superintendent who will support the diverse culture of the Norwalk community. A Superintendent who is committed to higher performance levels and fiscal accountability measures for himself, Principals, Administrators, Staff and Students within the Norwalk Public School System.

4. The Cambridge and CREC reports have cited communication within the district as a problem. What specific ideas do you have to improve communication?
There has been a breakdown of communication between Norwalk’s current educational leadership and the public. By improving communication we will create a school system that, I believe, will be the best in the state. Reaching out to parents, taxpayers, teachers and students will give the Board of Education greater insight into the needs of our schools.

I propose holding “Town Hall” type meetings throughout the city of Norwalk. These meetings will draw valuable information from the parents and taxpayers, since they are all stakeholders in our educational system.

A percentage of Norwalk’s students are bussed to schools outside of their neighborhoods. I propose that school meetings should also take place in these neighborhoods to benefit those parents that do not have transportation. Parental involvement is an integral part in a child’s education. The data proves it! Parents must not be left out because of the lack of transportation.

Also, the BoE should be visiting all schools on a regular basis, so they can see for themselves what impact their decisions are making at the school level.

Increasing communication will immediately improve the budget process and give ample opportunity for all involved to address any proposals put forth by the Board of Education.

This will also better serve the needs of our Special Ed kids and put a stop to the payment for legal services. These funds would better serve our kids on services they deserve!

The next Board of Education will select the next Superintendent of Schools. Open lines of communication will allow for valuable input from our citizens and enable the Board of Education to select the right person to lead our schools.

5. a) If you’re running for re-election. Please speak about what you’ve accomplished during your term on the BOE and why you should be re-elected. b) If you a new comer please describe what you feel the current board as succeeded in accomplishing and where it has fallen short.

The current members have given of their time over the past 4 years, and for that I applaud them.

I believe that most of their decisions have fallen short in meeting the needs our students. One such example was back in February with the abstaining vote for the selection of Ms. Ockasi as Naramake’s next principal. She was the best qualified for the position as well as the recommended candidate by the parent search committee. Yet, the majority of the BoE abstained from voting for her. There were hundreds of parents that turned out that night to address the BoE and plea for her appointment. I, also, addressed the BoE that night. Communication is a “two way street” and this has been the number one complaint of all parents and taxpayers. That same night, I was deeply saddened by the comments made by the parents of the victims of Spectrum Kids. One by one they recounted the disservice that was done to their children by the BoE selection of Spectrum Kids. The BoE has also fallen short with our Special Needs kids as well.

I believe it’s time for change. It’s time for a new Board of Education.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Reminder -- BOE Debate Tonight

The League of Women Voters and several community groups are sponsoring a BOE candidates debate Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Concert Hall in Norwalk City Hall.

This is an excellent opportunity to hear from the candidates and assess their ideas.

Bring a friend or two.

Summary of Community Conversation on Education Released

The organizers of the Community Conversation on Education which took place October 17, at Norwalk Community College have released a document that summarizes the topics that were discussed that day.

Participants discussed issues concerning leadership, communication, community partnerships, and standards and accountability.

"The next step will be to finish a final report digging deeper into some of these themes," said Lauren Rosato, President of the Norwalk Education Foundation, one of the organizations that sponsored the event. "This was a conversation starter. Our hope is that it will continue with groups and among individuals in the community."

Were you at the event? What are your thoughts about some of the topics that were discussed?

Executive Summary Community Conversation 101709

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Candidate Interview: Erin McNeil Halsey (R)


Below are unedited responses to questions posed by NorwalkNet to all the candidates for BOE. Candidate answers are being posted as they are received.

1. Please describe why you feel you are qualified to be on the BOE. Please list your educational, professional, and community background.

• Norwalk High School
• University of Connecticut
• BS Communication Sciences/Marketing
• I have worked in Medical Education for the past 23 years, focusing on logistics, marketing, training and management
• Former Parish Council Member
• I taught religion at St. Jerome church for 6 years, from 1st grade through 4th
• Active volunteer for the American Heart Association
• Active volunteer for my children’s class trips, parties and fundraisers
• Junior Achievement
• Habitat for Humanity
• Americares

Monday, October 26, 2009

Bruce Kimmel on the BOE Election

This is a guest post by Bruce Kimmel, a former BOE member. He stepped down from his position in March 2009.

This is indeed a strange election, as far as the Board of Education is concerned. Generally, incumbents run on their records. But that’s kind of difficult when state monitors have had the final say on most major initiatives the past two years. And anyway, most of the public is not overly concerned with the nuances of this or that curriculum or organizational reform. It’s even less interested in bland pronouncements about data teams that may or may not be functioning in the schools.

The Hour Candidate Interviews & BOE Debate on 10/29, 7pm @ City Hall

The Hour published interviews with all 8 of the BOE candidates today.

Rosa Murray (D)
Amy Jimenez (D)
Shirley Mosby (D)
Heidi Keyes (D)
Steven Colarossi (R)
Sue Haynie (R)
Erin McNeil Halsey (R)
Artie Kassimis (R)

Here is the press release about the debate on Thursday:

The Board of Education Debates will take place on Thursday, Oct. 29 from 7pm-8:30 pm at City Hall in the Concert Hall.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Candidate Interview: Heidi Keyes (D)

Below are unedited responses to questions posed by NorwalkNet to all the candidates for BOE. Candidate answers are being posted as they are received.

1. Please describe why you feel you are qualified to be on the BOE. Please list your educational, professional and community background.

I feel that I am qualified to be on the board since I have a vested interest in this City as a life-long Norwalk resident with 3 children in the Norwalk Public School system. I am not a career politician but rather an educator, parent and neighbor that will bring my life experiences and common sense to this position.

Candidate Interview: Sue Haynie (R)


Below are unedited responses to questions posed by NorwalkNet to all the candidates for BOE. Candidate answers are being posted as they are received.

1. Please describe why you feel you are qualified to be on the BOE. Please list your educational, professional, and community background.


I have a broad base of experience. I was in the restaurant business for 20 years, owning and managing two of my own full-service restaurants. I have been in the real estate and construction business for the last 15 years. I am the Director of NorwalkSEEKS, a literacy and special ed advocacy group. I’ve taken a leave of absence in my role as President of the Norwalk PTO Council. I am on a variety of committees, both in the district and with outside agencies. I have been involved in issues relating to Norwalk Public Schools for 12 years. I have three children in Norwalk Public Schools. I have a BA in English.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Updated 10/26: Very Small Raise and Change in Health Plan for Norwalk Teachers

A new teacher contract reached between the Norwalk BOE and the Norwalk Federation of Teachers is expected to save millions of dollars of savings for Norwalk according to BOE member Jody-Bishop Pullan.

"This new contract will result in substantial savings to the city," she said in an interview with NorwalkNet.

The savings will come primarily from the changes in health care which are to begin as of Jan 1, 2010. The savings amount to $2 million each year of the contract and $1 million this budget year according to a press release issued on Friday.

The parties also agreed to a salary increase, however it is the smallest increase that the BOE has ever given--1.35%, 1.36%, and 1.37% each year respectively.

"I am pleased with this contract. I think it is fair to everybody and it will save a lot of money," said Ms. Bishop-Pullan. "These are difficult economic times and next year's budget will be even tougher than this year's. We need to have the funds to protect our programs and protect our staff."

In addition to the changes in the health care plan and the salary increases, Ms. Bishop-Pullan said that the the accumulation of sick leave was capped to 15 days per year and severance pay was eliminated for new hires. The longevity pay schedule which rewards teachers for seniority in the system and was a major point for contention for Bruce Mellion, president of the NFT, remains unchanged.

When asked about the timing of the contract negotiation and its resolution just prior to election day, Ms. Bishop-Pullan said that timing was wholly determined by the State and not political.

"We had to meet the time requirements set by the State," said Ms. Bishop-Pullan. "There is no wiggle room. We have to reach a settlement within a certain time. In Norwalk, it just happened to be around election time."

Are you a teacher? What do you think about this new contract?

Below is the official press release from the BOE about the outcome of its arbitration with Norwalk Federation of Teachers.
NORWALK BOARD OF EDUCATION
OCTOBER 23, 2009 PRESS RELEASE

After two days of arbitration, the Norwalk Board of Education and the Norwalk Federation of Teachers were able to reach a settlement which resolved all outstanding issues in dispute between them. Their new three year agreement was adopted by the panel of arbitrators on October 22, 2009 as a stipulated settlement in arbitration. The Board had hoped to have been awarded more of its proposals but feels that in the end the settlement was both fair, and economically sensitive to the needs of the City of Norwalk, in a variety of meaningful ways.

The general wage increase in each of the next three years will be 1.35%, 1.36%, and 1.37%. This is among the lowest salary settlements, if not the lowest salary settlement ever. Additionally, to offset even these relatively modest salary increases, the parties agreed to replace the current PPO group health insurance plan with a high deductible health savings account (“HSA”) group health plan. It is estimated the new HSA plan will save the Board of Education in excess of $2,000,000 in each of the three years of the contract which begins September 1, 2010 and will provide for a financially neutral budget settlement. Furthermore, the parties agreed to implement these plan changes this year, by January 1, 2010, or as soon thereafter as Anthem can implement them. This will result in reductions in the health insurance account estimated to save an additional $1,000,000 between January 1 and August 31, 2010, the months remaining in the final year of the current contract.

By state statute, teachers are entitled to 15 sick leave days per year, cumulative to a minimum of 150 days. In Norwalk, the accumulation of sick leave days by teachers has always been unlimited. Beginning with this new contract, the accumulation of sick leave days will be capped. The Board was also able to eliminate the severance pay fringe benefit for all employees hired after the expiration of the current contract. It was a long process but it is felt that the results are fair to teachers and will benefit the community and it’s nearly 11,000 students.

Updated: Letter to Editor Questions PTOC and NEF Role in Elections

A letter to the editor in The Hour today by Irene Sikorski claims that the PTO Council and Norwalk Education Foundation have endorsed specific BOE candidates in e-mails sent to parents. Ms Sikorski calls such endorsements "unethical."

However in an interview with NorwalkNet this afternoon Ms. Sikorski, a Wilton resident who retired in 2008 after teaching for more than 30 years in Norwalk public schools, said that she has no direct knowledge of such endorsements. "I was told about this by some parents, and I believed them," she said.

Both the NEF and PTO Council have given strong statements to The Hour denying they have made any endorsements:
"We have never done it before and will never do it," said [NEF President] Lauren Rosato. "That's not our mission; we're a non profit charity. We do not endorse candidates."
. . .

"We have sent out e-mails about debates and community conversations and encouraged people to participate, but it's just passing along information," said [PTO Council Treasurer] Jennifer Covello. "We're not endorsing candidates. We're just endorsing people (the public) to get informed."
In her conversation with NorwalkNet Ms. Sikorski said that she also opposes the PTO Council and NEF playing any role in co-sponsoring the BOE candidates debate being organized by the League of Women Voters.

"It's not within their purview to do that," she said. "When your're involved in an organization nurturing parents or supporting teachers politics should not be there in the middle of all of that . Their focus should be on the curriculum and being emmeshed in the life of the school."

While I admire Ms. Sikorski's passion and long commitment to Norwalk public schools I am dismayed that she took it upon herself to write such a strong letter without verifying the underlying facts first hand.

She obviously has a different point of view on the scope of the PTO and NEF's involvement in BOE debates. I personally find it a bit old fashioned. There is nothing wrong with non-profits providing a forum for discussion. As a parent that's exactly what I would expect them to do.

I have called the PTO Council and NEF to get their comments and will update the story as I hear from them.

Here is Ms. Sikorski's letter:
To the Editor:

As a Norwalk public school retired teacher and former president of the PTO, I believe that the endorsement of political candidates by the PTO Council and the Norwalk Education Foundation is unethical.

Who has the right to endorse specific candidates? Certainly, the individual political parties and their affiliates would be great spokesmen.

Should the PTO Council and the Norwalk Education Found-ation be in the campaign business? I personally do not think so. When I was president of the PTO Council, I was told that the organization had to be totally apolitical.

Why are parents receiving e-mails from PTOs extolling the virtues of political candidates for Board of Education seats. The NEF's sole responsibility is to assist teachers' initiatives by providing funding, not supporting political candidates, which risks their 501C3 standing as a nonprofit organization. The NEF has also taken on the crusade of being a watchdog of the board; this role is also inappropriate. These two organizations should not be political organizers for any party or candidate; their primary focus should be on the students and teachers of the Norwalk public school district.

Irene Sikorski, Wilton

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

All Hands on Board for District E Education Debate

A first of its kind education debate was held at Roton Middle School Wednesday night bringing together candidates who are running for Mayor, Common Council and the BOE.

The forum was organized by the Parent Teacher Organizations from Brookside Elementary, Fox Run Elementary, Rowayton Elementary and Roton Middle School, as well as the Parents Club of Brien McMahon High School.

Fourteen candidates crowded the stage and answered questions ranging from how the achievement gap between white and minority students can be closed to strategies on how to prepare Norwalk students for the 21st Century. Also addressed were issued on overcrowding, facilities planning, redistricting and racial imbalance, and the image of Norwalk's schools.

"We wanted to send a message to politicians that they need to work together," said Lisa Thomson, Co-President of the Roton PTO and one of the organizers of the event. "Education is an issue for the entire city not just the BOE and Superintendent. Everybody has a piece of the education pie"

The debate started with each candidate introducing themselves and speaking about their interest and role in improving education in Norwalk.

BOE Chairwoman Rosa Murray who is running for a fourth term called herself an experienced leader with a long list of accomplishments. She emphasized her work building consensus amongst board members and forging school and community partnerships.

Sue Haynie, the former President of the PTO Council who is running as a Republican on the Parents Not Politicians ticket said that while Norwalk school we good they could become the best in the state and the nation with the right leadership in place.

Republican Artie Kassimis focused on the his belief that the present BOE and former superintendent Sal Corda did not communicate with the public. He cited his experience in trying to "raise the flag" on gang violence at Norwalk High and not receiving any response. Mr. Kassimis also emphasized fiscal responsibility saying it was irresponsible for the BOE to commission expensive studies and not put in place the recommendations.

Democrat Amy Jimenez who had previously served on the BOE from 1990 to 2000 and was appointed this year to serve out Bruce Kimmel's term. also cited her experience. "I know how how long it takes to become a good working board member," she said. Ms. Jimenez said that a BOE member needed to have a good understanding of the various state education and labor laws.

Steve Colorossi, a corporate lawyer running as a Republican said that he wanted to focus on the achievement gap and early childhood education. He was frustrated by the current BOE during the budget process because "they didn't have the courtesy to respond" to questions sent in by the public.

Shirley Mosby, a Democrat, who was appointed to complete Rick Fuller's term, spoke about her strong ties to Norwalk and her desire to create a high quality educational system.

Fellow Democrat Heidi Keys who runs a pre-school in Silvermine said that community participation, communication, and board visibility would help improve Norwalk schools.

Republican Erin Halsey said she believed that the BOE had to work to keep the best teachers in Norwalk.

The forum was attended by Mayor Dick Moccia (R) and his Democrat challenge Steve Serasis. Chris Potts (D), Nora King (D), Andy Conroy (R) and Victor Cavallo (R) who are running for Common Council in District E. All eight candidate vying for the four BOE seats attended as well.

The issue of facilities planning, enrollment and overcrowding came up several times during the debate. Mr. Serrasis held up a copy of a 2001 facilities plan that addressed increasing enrollment which he said was quite accurate in describing the current enrollment in Norwalk's schools.

"The city should have been planning based on this previous study. The city should have had the vision," he said.

Mr. Moccia retorted that a new facilites plan had been presented to the BOE addressing all the capital needs. A part of the funds would be used to commission a study to specifically address the elementary school overcrowing issues.

Mr. Colarossi also said that the BOE needs a better long term plan to address facilities needs citing portables at Jefferson and Rowayton as unacceptable. Ms. Keyes called the portables a "band-aid".

Bussing, redistricting and racial balance were also discussed at length. Mr. Potts said the schools should "manage racial balance" and said that racial sensitivity and an appreciation for multi-culturalism is as important as the"three Rs".

Mayor Moccia said that the State may come in and impose redistricting upon the Norwalk schools.

Several of the candidates said that we should have more community dialogue about this issue.

"We have to think of creative ways to address the issue of racial balance. It can't go on the way it is," said Ms. Murray.

The moderator asked what is the biggest single item that can reduce cost for the system. The mayoral candidates stated energy efficiency, recycling and joint purchasing with other city departments. Ms. Haynie also added that there is considerable opportunity for cost savings in the area of special education.

Were you at the debate? What did you think?

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

BOE Seeks Community Input on Sup Search

Tonight’s BOE meeting was full of information about the search for a new superintendent with Chair Rosa Murray saying all the right things about community input and participation -- even announcing a public forum tentatively scheduled for Nov. 10.

That still didn’t stop interim Superintendent William Pappalo from jokingly saying, “The turtles are moving,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to critics, including Norwalknet, who have lamented the slow pace of the BOE’s search.

Ms. Murray was quick to respond, “The turtle wins the race.”

The exchange occurred at the end of a full discussion about how the Board will solicit comments from community stakeholders.

On behalf of the Board, Ms. Murray released the following statement:

I am happy to share with you the important news about the next step in the superintendent search process.

The board of education has directed staff to arrange for meetings that will provide everyone in the community with an opportunity to share with the Board of Education their view as to what skills and talents the new superintendent should possess. The dates for these meetings will be announced shortly and will provide an opportunity for anyone who wishes to share their thinking about this matter with the board.

Tentative plans are underway at this time to hold a Public Forum on November 10th at 7 o’clock in the Community Room at City Hall. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure that all members of the community that wish to make their feeling know to the board have an opportunity to do so as the board moves forward in this very important process.

In addition, a number of groups will be invited to meet with the search consultants in focus meeting settings to share their thoughts with the consultants about this very important issue.

Meetings will not be the only forum for citizens to make their feelings known as there will also be a opportunity for anyone who wishes, to complete a Leadership Profile Assessment form which will be available at all schools and on the NPS website. In addition all citizens may share their thoughts with the search consultants in writing.

It is the board’s primary objective that, anyone who wishes their thoughts to be heard, has the opportunity to do so.

Ms. Murray also said that the Board would use information that they received from this past weekend's Community Conversation a forum that was organized by the Norwalk Education Foundation.

Eliza Holcomb, the consultant from CABE Search Services, was present at the BOE Meeting as an observer.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Uptick in Elementary Enrollment Results in Added Classes

A slight increase in student enrollment is causing Norwalk Schools to add additional elementary classes in some schools and aides in others.

According to the Oct 1 District Enrollment Report which was submitted to the State recently, there are 5,240 students attending elementary schools in Norwalk. The number is approximately 80 more students than last year, according to interim Chief Financial Officer Dan Cook. While there has been an increase in some school classes there has also been a decrease in others causing a shuffle of teachers and the use of two reserve teachers that were previously budgeted.

(Middle school enrollment is also up slightly and high school attendance decreased slightly according to Mr. Cook. 2,339 students now attend middle schools. 3,304 students attend Brien McMahon and Norwalk High schools.)

In a separate memo circulated to the Board of Education in preparation for tomorrow night's meeting, Mr. Cook wrote to the interim Superintendent William Pappalo on October 16, about the enrollment and changes necessary:
In compliance with the contractual commitment between Norwalk Board of Education and the Norwalk Federation of teachers there has been an ongoing review of class size during the months of September and October....

The contract states: "The NFT and the Board will continue to consult to eliminate as rapidly as possible all instructional classes of hetergeneously groups students in excess of twenty-two (22) students per class in grades K, 1, 2, and twenty-four (24) students per class in 3, 4, 5."
According to Mr. Cook's memo a Kindergarten class was added at Fox Run elementary, a 2nd grade class was added at Brookside elementary, a 4th grade section was added at Cranbury elementary, a 3rd grade was added at Kendall. At Rowayton elementary extra 1st and 4th grade classes were established. Aides were added at Marvin, Brookside, Fox Run and Naramake.

The impact of creating new classes was discussed at the the October 6th meeting of the BOE. At the time the board voted to set aside $50,000 from $6 million that the City of Norwalk has remaining to update school facilities. Certain members of the Board expressed concern that there needed to be a better understanding of the of enrollment trends and related space requirements that would be needed in the future for elementary schools. This year, Rowayton and Naramake required portable classrooms underscoring the need for this issue to be examined.

District Enrollment Oct1

Thursday, October 15, 2009

More on CABE Search Services

Norwalk's search for a new superintendent of schools is now in the hands of two experienced recruiters.

Eliza Holcomb and her partner Jakie Jacoby , who are independent contractors for CABE Search Services, say they are ready to give their "undivided attention" to finding a new chief executive for Norwalk's schools.

CABE Search Services was hired by the BOE to conduct the search after several firms submitted proposals over the last month. The firm is affiliated with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and has helped to fill superintendent positions in over 60 school districts in CT including cities like New London, Danbury, and West Hartford. They were also involved in Stamford's search for a superintendent 6 years ago.

In an interview with NorwalkNet on Thursday afternoon, Ms. Holcomb said that she has been recruiting superintendents for Connecticut schools for the past 7 1/2 years. She is also president elect of the National School Board Association of Superintendent Searches. Her colleague Ms. Jacoby was the longstanding superintendent for the Glastonbury Public Schools and interim superintendent for the Hartford Public Schools.

"We want to get to know the community and are looking for the input of all stakeholders," said Ms. Holcomb "We plan to hold public forums."

Ms. Holcomb said that in a city like Norwalk, the ideal candidate would be someone who is excited by the opportunity to work in a diverse community and has a track record of success.

Ms. Holcomb did not want to comment on a timeline put out last week by BOE Chair Rosa Murray's which states that applicants will be ready to interview by the end of November, until she has a chance to meet with entire Board on this coming Tuesday night. Ms. Holcomb explained however that the process to find the right candidate to interview usually takes 60-90 days. At the same time she cautioned that the candidate ultimately selected might be obliged by contract to finish out the year at their current school.

In deciding to hire a search firm the BOE made the calculation that its needs would be better served by hiring and expert rather than trying to recruit the next superintendent on its own.

Interim superintendent William Papallo, who has been advising the BOE on the recruitment process wrote in an email to me that cost, while important, was not the primary factor when choosing the CABE search firm. "Cost is always a consideration with any issue," he said. "But the major consideration for this issue was how well the board felt that a search firm could perform the task of presenting quality candidates to the board for consideration in choosing the next superintendent."

According to Dr. Pappallo, the cost for CABE services is, (1) a consulting fee of $15,000 and (2) supplemental expenses (items such as postage, printing, supplies and the like) at $3,500.

Search Firm Selected: CABE Search Services

A search firm has been selected to recruit a new superintendent for the Norwalk Public Schools system. CABE Search Services is a business of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education.

According to their website
CABE Search Services was formed to support CABE's ongoing efforts to provide local boards of education with the resources they need to govern their districts effectively and productively. As such, we are uniquely qualified to assist school districts recruit and retain key personnel. We specialize in executive searches tailored to the specific needs of Connecticut districts.
The website also shows the group's search service history. CABE Search Services has extensive experience in CT. It is currently performing superintendent searches in Wallingford, East Lyme and Columbia. However, most of their searches have been in relatively smaller towns in CT. Of the searches performed since 2006, only two districts, West Hartford and Danbury, are comparable in size to Norwalk.

The lead consultant is Eliza Holcomb; her profile and resume are available on the CABE website.

I have contacted Ms. Holcomb, an official from the West Hartford schools and Dr. Pappallo. I will update my story as I interview them.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

20 Days Until Election Day (updated)

I've just returned from a long weekend in Montreal. Over here it was Columbus Day, but up north they were celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving. I bought my son his first pair of ice skates and a hockey stick. We are hoping that Woods Pond freezes over so we can skate outdoors.

On the drive home I started refocusing on education in Norwalk. It dawned on me that the BOE elections are only 20 days away.

Over the next 3 weeks I'm planning to interview all eight candidates who are running this year. I'd like to ask them some general questions, but also some specific to each candidate.

What do you think I should ask?

(Updated: Here is a post I wrote in July that gives some background on how the BOE is elected.)

How does the Board of Education get elected? I had no clue but wanted to know since I was told that there would be BOE elections in November. After searching the web and talking to Town Clerk Andy Garfunkel here's what I learned:
  • There are nine members of the Board of Education who are elected by Norwalk residents.
  • Each member's term is 4 years. The terms are staggered with elections occurring every two years so the whole board is not up for election at one time.
  • Four of the nine members of the BOE are designated as members-at-large. At large members are voted on by all Norwalk residents. All four members-at-large seats are up for election this year.
  • Five members of the BOE are elected through district elections. There are five districts in Norwalk, A through E. The district members were elected in 2007, so the next election for their seats will occur in 2011.
Here's a list of the districts in case you didn't know:

District A -- Central Norwalk
District B -- South Norwalk
District C -- East Norwalk, Strawberry Hill and Wolfpit
District D -- Cranbury, West Rocks and Silvermine
District E -- West Norwalk, Brookside and Rowayton

The current BOE members are:
  • Chair Rosa Murray (Democrat): Member at large, 2005-2009* (up for reelection)
  • Shirley Mosby (Democrat): Member at large, 2005-2009 (up for reelection)
  • Greg Burnett (Democrat): Member at large, 2005-2009
  • Amy Jimenez (Democrat): Member at large, 2005-2009 (took over the term of Bruce Kimmel) (up for reelection)
  • Susan Hamilton (Democrat): District A 2007-2011,
  • Migdalia Rivas (Democrat): District B, 2007-20011
  • Glenn Iannaccone (Republican): District C, 2007-2011
  • Secretary Jack Chiaramonte (Republican): District D , 2007-2011
  • Vice Chair Jody Bishop-Pullan (Democrat): District E, 2007-2011
*last elected term.

The highest vote getter in the 2007 BOE elections was Glenn A. Iannaccone with 1,820 votes cast. So a relatively small number of voters can have a significant impact on who gets elected. The BOE is reponsible for overseeing our school system and managing a $150 million annual budget. With a responsibility like that more people should be voting. How do we get more people to participate?

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

BOE Creates Timeline for Sup Search

A timeline detailing how the BOE plans to conduct its search for a Superintendent of Norwalk schools was released by Board Chair Rosa Murray after Tuesday night's bi-weekly board meeting.

The disclosure is a promising development that gives both parents and employees of the school district tangible milestones by which to measure the BOE's progress in finding a new executive.

However given that four months have already gone by since the resignation of Sal Corda, the holidays are around the corner, an election is upcoming and the fact that interim Superintendent Bill Pappallo can only work to the end of the year, I have concerns whether the board will be able to execute on Ms. Murray's plan.

"It is exciting for me to announce that the solicitation for proposals from search firms is well under way and that proposals are now being accepted," said Ms Murray in a statement released to the media.

At its September 15th meeting the BOE decided that all of its members would serve on a search committee but that it would also hire a search firm.

In her statement Ms. Murray said that many of the tasks that BOE expects from the search firm are "fairly standard" and include items such as:
1. Providing the board with the benefit of their experience as experts in the field as they will have successfully completed many searches,
2. Solicit community input to assist the board in creating a profile of desired skills and characteristic that the new superintendent should possess,
3. Advertise for and recruit quality candidates for this position,
4. Thoroughly investigate selected candidates’ credentials and background,
5. Provide other functions as directed by the board.
Along with the statement, Ms. Murray released a timeline (embedded below) that outlines certain actions that need to take place and dates by which they will be completed.

For example, by October 6 the BOE was to have chosen firms that it would interview search firms. (At the BOE meeting held that night Dr. Pappallo reported that requests for proposals had been sent to seven firms and four had responded. He said the whole process should take 3-4 months)

By next week, according to the timeline, the BOE expects to have interviewed and chosen the firm. The search firm would then have until October 20 to outline how it would collect community input and produce samples of newspaper ads and a brochure about the positions.

During the month of November, the BOE would like the firm to collect community input and also begin the recruitment of candidates. The board hopes to start interviewing after November 29th and be able to announce a hire thereafter.

I have questions of my own like what format will the "community input" take? Will there be forums where parents and teachers can express their needs and hopes? Will the finalist appear publicly before he or she is selected?

Most importantly, neither Ms. Murray's statement nor the timeline document addresses contingencies to deal with the situation that no candidates are found in the given timeframe.

It's definitely good to finally see the BOE's thinking on paper, but the goals seem aspirational. There is 2 1/2 months before the end of the year, and Thanksgiving and Christmas fall in that period.

Robert Rader, the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, told the Hour in an interview that a superintendent search process generally takes at least six months from beginning to end depending on the process and the availability of candidates.

Depending when the BOE wants the new superintendent to start candidates could be in short supply. That's because their contracts run from July 1 to June 30.

The cynic in me also notes that there is an election coming up in less than a month with half of the board, including Ms. Murray, up for election. In all likelihood not everyone will be returning. To what degree will the BOE feel that they have to defer to the wishes of the newly elected members? Suppose some of the Parents not Politicians candidates want to proceed differently?

Don't get me wrong this information is valuable and I'm glad that it was produced. However, perhaps this timeline should have been compiled shortly after Dr. Corda's resignation. The actual search to find the right candidate for our district is the part of the process where time needs to be invested.

sstim001

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Updated: District E Parents Frustrated by Democratic BOE Candidates

This version of the story corrects the position of Mike Barbis to Co- President of Roton Middle School and updates the story with a quote from Heidi Keyes.

Parents from District E (Rowayton, Brookside and West Norwalk) are organizing an educational forum for political candidates, but the Democratic candidates running for the Board of Education have not confirmed their attendance as yet.

The organizers of the forum have contacted each of the candidates but instead of hearing from them directly they've received calls from "emissaries" like Gail Wall, the Democratic Party leader and Bruce Morris, a Democrat who represents Norwalk in the State Assembly and is also employed by the BOE as its human relations officer.

Mike Barbis, co-president of Roton Middle School PTO and one of the main organizers of the event said that he and his committee have been frustrated by the lack of responsiveness of the Democratic candidates. "I want to hear from them," said Mr. Barbis referring to the candidates themselves.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Oct 7th, but had to be pushed back because the Democrats did not respond to an earlier invitation. The Democratic candidates later offered two dates including the 21st through their intermediaries.

The forum is scheduled to take place on Oct. 21st at 7pm at Roton Middle School. The guest list includes both mayoral candidates, District E candidates for city council and all eight candidates for the Board of Education. (See below for the official announcement.)

Mr. Barbis said that the organizers decided to have all these different candidates to discuss education because many elected officials, not just the BOE members, have a role to play in education in Norwalk.

"We decided to invite all of these candidates because we want straight answers. Some times there is overlap in responsibility. And there is a lot of pointing fingers. This way we have everyone there," he said.

The event is open to the entire city of Norwalk. However, some of the topics will be specific to District E schools, for example overcrowding at Rowayton School.

Mr. Barbis said they have not chosen a moderator as yet.

I contacted all of the Democratic candidates and Ms. Wall. Only Heidi Keyes, the only non-incumbent running, has responded.

"My understanding is that they were working on a date/time for the event since the originally scheduled date/time conflicted with a BOE meeting," said Ms. Keyes.

The incumbent Democratic BOE candidates are Rosa Murray, Amy Jimenez and Shirley Mosby.

I'll be attending the BOE meeting tonight and will try to confirm whether the Democratic candidates will be attending the forum and why its necessary for intermediaries in the Democratic party to get involved in such a simple matter.

Updated: BOE candidate Heidi Keyes emailed me to confirm her attendance:
I wanted to confirm with you that I will be attending the District E forum on the 21st. I look forward to meeting and talking to parents about the future of the Norwalk school district. I think this forum will be less about partisan politics and more about an open dialog about the concerns parents have about their children's education and how they will best be served.
Here is the official announcement for the forum on the 10/21:

Hear Our Local Political Candidates Discuss Education – Submit Your Questions Today and Attend The Forum on Wednesday October 21 at 7 PM

As voters, taxpayers and parents, we all have many concerns about education in the City of Norwalk. Currently, we are spending $169 mm (or 61% of the City’s budget) to educate the 11,000 children in our public school system (almost $16,000 per student). This November 3rd will feature a local election – we will be electing our mayor, our city council and 4 of the 9 Board of Education members. All of these people play a role in education.

Living in Rowayton, Brookside, West Norwalk, Harborview and Village Creek, we live in the political District E. The Parent Teacher Councils (PTCs) of the public schools in District E are organizing an Education Town Hall Forum for all of these local candidates . . . as they all impact the education that we are paying for and our children are receiving. Please come to this forum and hear all of the candidates answer YOUR questions about the future of education in Norwalk.

We ask you to submit your questions in advance to Vote4Education@optonline.net . These questions will be handled confidentially. Many issues need to be addressed from capacity constraints to budgets to the quality of education to CMT scores to the new superintendent we will be hiring. Please participate so that we can all make informed decisions as to who we should vote for on election day. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you on October at the Auditorium at Roton Middle School (201 Highland Avenue)

Organized by the Parent Teacher Councils of Brookside Elementary, Fox Run Elementary, Rowayton Elementary and Roton Middle Schools as well as the Parents Club of Brien McMahon High School .

Monday, October 5, 2009

In School Suspensions Delayed For the Year

The Connecticut Assembly voted late last Friday night to delay the implementation of the state's in school suspension requirement until July 2010.

The move was pushed by school officials across the state, including both Norwalk's former Superintendent Sal Corda and Interim Superintendent William Papallo, who argued that new law was required additional resources like staffing and space.

The Hartford Currant reported that the cause was taken up by Connecticut Senate Republicans who claimed that the initiative is an unfunded mandate:
"Given this economy, it doesn't make sense for us to be adding programs that aren't fully funded," Republican Sen. Michael McLachlan said during the Senate's debate over a new state budget package Friday.
According to the paper Republicans will press for another delay next year.

But Senate Democrats are warning that this is the final extension:
"We gave an extension in 2007 when the schools said they weren't ready yet. Now they're calling it an unfunded mandate, and we're giving them another year," said Democratic Sen. Thomas Gaffey, co-chair of the education committee. "I can tell you the feeling in my caucus is that they're not going to get another one. Keeping kids in school is good for the kids."
Norwalk's Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona agrees. "It is always best to keep our students within a learning environment," he told me in an e-mail. "I will incorporate in the 2010/11 budget the opportunity to have an in school suspension at the high school."

Daddona says NPS has a Code of Conduct that serves as a guide for administrators when deciding how and when a student needs to be suspended. According to him in high school all suspension are out of school, however there are alternatives to suspension such as Saturday detention. Principals in middle schools and elementary schools have the discretion to have suspensions in school or out of school.

The in school suspension law, which went into effect on July 1, 2009, requires that students who are disciplined serve their suspension in their school rather than being sent home. The requirement for in-school suspension does not apply to students who are a deemed a threat to safety. The law also extends the number of days a student can be suspended from 5 to 10 days.

The requirement for in-school suspension has been controversial. The legislation was passed in 2007 as Connecticut Public Act 07-66 and signed into law by Gov. Jodi Rell. Originally slated to go into effect July 1, 2008 the implementation date was delayed to July 1, 2009 after school superintendents across the state protested that the new law was going to require additional staff.

Now it's been delayed again.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Plans Underway for South Norwalk Community Charter School

Plans to submit a proposal for a new charter school in South Norwalk targeting low income African-American and Latino students are well underway according to Rev. Lindsay Curtis of the Grace Baptist Church who is spearheading the effort.

In an interview with NorwalkNet earlier this week, Rev. Curtis who is the president of the NAACP of Norwalk said that he hopes to submit the "charter" for the South Norwalk Community Charter School to the state by the end of the year.

In addition, the school's planning committee has begun to identify possible locations for the school, including the Norwalk Community Health Center on Water St. (the Health Center is moving to South Main St.).

"As of today, the goal is to open Fall 2010, but we are expecting some bumps, so it may be delayed a bit," said Rev. Curtis sitting in his church office on West Ave.

One of the main tasks ahead for the planning committee is to find a leader for the school. "We are looking for someone with passion, creativity and drive," said Rev. Curtis.

Initially, the school intends to open two kindergarten classes and two fourth grade classes, with 20 kids each. The plan is to expand the school to a K-8 school.

According to Rev. Curtis, the first step for the South Norwalk Community Charter School (the name may change) is to get the charter. After that, he said that even if the state is not able to fund the school immediately given its budgetary constraints there is enough private funding and support in Fairfield County to get the school started for the first couple of years.

Plans for the South Norwalk Community Charter School were announced this time last year. According to a Concept Paper prepared by the planning committee the need for the charter school exists because:
Only 30% of Black and low income students and 40% of Hispanic students scored “At or Above Goal” in grades 3-8 on the Connecticut Mastery Tests in 2007. Many of these students are bused from their homes in South Norwalk to schools elsewhere in the district.
"Look at what is happening with black and brown kids," said Rev. Curtis. "There is an achievement gap and they are on the low end of the test scores. We need to look for alternatives that will address these low test scores, high school drop out rates, parental engagement."

"While we are not denying anyone--everyone is welcome at the school--we are looking to serve a certain type of demographic."said Rev. Curtis

According to the Concept paper the school will have a heavy emphasis on basic skills like reading and math. They plan on having longer days than the typical public school days.

Rev. Curtis has not been working with Norwalk's Board of Education on the project to date. "Sal was passive about the idea," said Rev. Curtis referring to former school superintendent Dr. Sal Corda.

The charter school is, however, receiving support from other quarters. State Rep. Larry Cafero, who is also Norwalk's expulsion officer, Mayor Dick Moccia, State Rep. Bruce Morris, a Human Relations Officer for Norwalk Schools, and State Sen. Bob Duff and are all behind the project. Last October, the Norwalk Republican Town Committee also endorsed plans for the school.

If the Community Charter School's application is approved it will become the second charter school located in South Norwak. The Side-by-Side school was started in 1997 and has students K-8. There are 16 charter schools statewide.

Charter schools are schools that organized by individuals and groups. They operate as autonomous public schools, through waivers from many of the rules and regulations that govern district public schools. Charter schools are partially funded by the state, but they also receive money from private foundations and sometimes companies. Charter schools try to differentiate themselves from public schools by specifying their mission, program, and ways they measure student success.

There is some evidence to show that charter school students are helping to close the achievement gap. An article in the New York Times last week reported that Caroline M. Hoxby, a Stanford economist found that in New York City "students who attended a charter school from kindergarten to eighth grade would nearly match the performance of their peers in affluent suburban communities on state math exams by the time they entered high school, a phenomenon she characterizes as closing the “Harlem-Scarsdale” achievement gap. The results are somewhat less striking in English, where students closed 66 percent of the gap, according to the study."

The South Norwalk Community Charter School is planning to model itself after successful charter schools in under served communities in CT like Amistad Academy in New Haven and KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) which has schools across the country.

At Side by Side, test scores are for the most part consistent with those of Norwalk Public Schools according the school's principal, Matthew Nittoly. He said, however, that they prefer to look at student progress over time.

"We now focus on longitudinal data—measuring student test scores for various cohorts over time to determine individual progress. We have seen a lot of evidence of this (progress made) in students attending our school,"
he wrote in an email.

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