Arne Duncan: Not all Teaching Jobs are Equal

Education Secretary Arne Duncan told an audience Monday at the Aspen Institute's Innovation Economy Conference that America has fallen behind in education. "We've lost our way in education in this country," he said. "In the most recent study of 15 year old’s math performance we were 31st internationally. That’s not who we think we are but that’s the reality."

Interviewed by journalist Gwen Ifel of PBS' NewsHour program, Secretary Duncan said that what's needed is "transformational change not just incremental change."

The ABCs of BOE Budgeting

As the Board of Education begins the process of setting its budget for next year (2010-2011), I thought it would be useful to learn more about how the budget actually gets determined.

The following is a guest post by Fred Wilms, Chairman of the Norwalk Board of Estimate & Taxation.

The City's Operating Budget process can come across as confusing and sometimes perhaps frustrating.  In this posting, I outline the process in three parts: the budget time line, some background on the key budget players, plus answers to a few frequently asked questions.

Operating Budget Time Line:

The City fiscal year begins July 1. Norwalk shares this fiscal year cycle with other Connecticut towns along with the State of Connecticut. To be ready for July 1, the City starts the Operating Budget process the prior October. The Director of Finance requests all departments to submit their proposed budgets by the end of November. The Board of Education (BoE) submits theirs the beginning of January. The Director then collects these requests, and after receiving overall direction from the Mayor, prepares a recommended budget.

Tidbits: BOE Committee Assignments, Mylo Leaves The Hour, and Breaktime

The 2009-2010 Board of Education Committees were announced today.  According to BOE Chair Glenn Iannacone, it is the Chairman's role to assign committees.  However, he did consider requests made my certain members.  Both the Chairman and committee assignments are for one year.

For the first time, the Committees have been posted on the Norwalk Public School website.

2009-2010 Board of Education Committees
Finance Steve Colarossi, Chair Jack Chiaramonte Glenn Iannaccone Susan Hamilton	Negotiations Jack Chiaramonte, Chair Jody Bishop-Pullan Sue Haynie	Policy Steve Colarossi, Chair Erin Halsey Migdalia Rivas Susan Hamilton
Curriculum Sue Haynie, Chair Erin Halsey Migdalia Rivas Heidi Keyes	CES Representatives Sue Hamilton Migdalia Rivas	Adult Education Representative Migdalia Rivas
Norwalk Facilities Commission Glenn Iannaccone	Mentoring Liaison (Human Services Council) Erin Halsey	Joint Consolidating Committee Glen Iannaccone Jody Bishop-Pullan
NEF Representative TBA	Norwalk ACTS TBA

In other news, Lauren Mylo, education reporter at The Hour, is resigning for personal reasons and her last day is this Friday.  Ms. Mylo has been at The Hour for one and a half years and covered education in Norwalk for less than a year.

According to Jerrod Ferrari, Managing Editor at The Hour, the newspaper is interviewing for her replacement.  In the interim, The Hour will use a combination of freelance and staff writers to cover education stories.

"Education is the most important beat in Norwalk, outside of City Hall," said Mr. Ferrari.  "It's important for us hire the right person and not rush."

"Lauren did a terrific job," said Mr. Ferrari, "She's the kind of reporter that every editor wants."

On a personal note, I've always liked reading her stories. Lauren was really on top of her beat. I was envious when she got to interview Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. What a scoop!

I'm taking a blogging break over the long weekend.   Happy Thanksgiving everyone

BOE Finance Commitee Gets Briefed on Stimulus Funding and Questions Legal Fees

Updated with background documents.  See below.

Nearly 37% of Norwalk students receive free and reduced lunch according to information presented at the Board of Education’s Finance Committee meeting held Monday night.

Dr. Dan Cook, interim CFO for the district, told the committee that the central office had made a big push to sign up as many eligible households as possible before the state’s October 1 deadline. The figure is up 3 percentage points from last year.

The number of students receiving free and reduced lunches affects how much funding a school receives from the Federal Government under Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

Full Agenda for BOE Finance Committee Meeting

A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Board of Education will take place tonight at 7pm at City Hall, A300.  The agenda includes many important items such as outside legal services, stimulus funding and the 2010-11 budget. Newly-elected Board member Steve Colarossi is the new chair of this committee.  NorwalkNet will report on this meeting.   Look for a story tomorrow.

BOE Finance Cmte.112309

BOE Meetings Now "CSPAN" Style

Below is a video of the BOE meeting that was held Tuesday November 17, 2009. The video was taped by the Norwalk Education Foundation.

You can find NorwalkNet's story about the meeting here.


BOARD OF ED NOV 17 2009 - Movie 01 from Norwalk Education Foundation on Vimeo.

Haynie Answers League of Women Voters' Questions

This is guest post by newly elected BOE member Sue Haynie.  

Time ran out at the Board of Education forum in October before all community questions collected by the League of Woman Voters and other sponsors were answered.  The responses below are summaries of my thoughts, only my thoughts and not those of other Board members, on these questions.

Since these were community questions and time and effort was taken to compile them, I wanted to respond. They are not researched to the level they deserve. Their intent is not to please everyone. However, they do give the reader an idea of my thinking, as a newly elected Board of Education member, on issues of importance to our community. Keep in mind, I remain open to good arguments and sound judgment. My hope is that this will be the beginning of many dialogs. 

Suspensions: How will your board membership decrease suspensions and lower the dropout rate?

-         It would be helpful to collect and publish data that details the correlation between the numbers of children who are suspended and their grade level in reading; it would be important to know what part literacy plays in Norwalk’s suspension rate.

-         It would be helpful to track the trajectory of suspensions for students and use that data to look for answers—for instance, does an upward trajectory seem to gain steam at a certain grade level and, if so, can we determine why?

-         Where are we as a district in implementing ‘positive behavior modifications’?

-         For the dropout rate, again, it would be helpful to collect and publish the data that details the correlation between dropouts and grade level in reading—what part does literacy play in drop out rates in Norwalk?

-          What is our drop out rate and let’s look at that closely.

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

-         For starters, create a sense of inclusion and collaboration with teachers. Hire a superintendent who listens and communicates and provide a Board of Ed that listens and communicates. Figure out better ways to celebrate successes.

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 achievement gap in a diverse classroom?

-         In my mind, a diverse community is Norwalk, a melting pot—a city with a variety of races, ethnicities, religions, languages, and cultures, a microcosm of our country. 

-         The achievement gap is a bigger issue than can be addressed here but, to begin—be sure that the supports are in place to ensure that the vast majority of our children are decoding/reading by the end of 1^st grade and, most certainly, long before they leave the elementary grades; provide language rich curriculums across subject areas; look to schools within the district that are using best practices in making demonstrable, replicable and dramatic gains in achievement; take fuller advantage of the reading research institutions within driving distance of Norwalk;  increase the availability of assistive technology where needed; raise the bar and level of expectations for all kids; ensure that the vertical transitions between elementary to middle school and then to high school are well-planned and fluid.

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

-         New York City began a rigorous restructuring of ‘social promotion’ procedures a couple of years ago under Mayor Bloomberg and Superintendent Klein—it is no longer a given that a child in NYC will be promoted to the next grade. However, there’s an emphasis on early identification and multiple avenues of help before a child is held back.  See this interesting article from Education Week Rand Study, Social Promotion in NYC

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

-         While running for the Board of Education, we had the opportunity to tour Briggs High School and meet their dynamic principal, staff and students.

-         Briggs provides a refuge for kids who need an alternative to the rough and tumble of a large high school; it’s about tenacity, hope and new beginnings. Celebrate it, and, rather than marginalize it, expand and enhance the model.

-         It has no library—be sure that at the very least the online library, Bookshare, with it’s 60,000 books, magazines and periodicals, can be accessed at the school;

-         Look into assistive technology applications, fundable under ARRA funds, that can increase access to curriculum for all students, an example is Kurzweil a reading and college prep assistive technology;

-         The school needs a crosswalk—how can Norwalk or the Board help?

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

-         Much of this issue begins at the top, in the Superintendent’s office and the Board of Education, setting high standards and expectations for everyone, including them.  Include stronger governance as well as training for Board of Education members to be productive members. Provide governance for behavior protocols and ethics so it’s clear what the expectations are and how to enforce them.

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

-         Collaboration and communication on this issue is important, reaching a common ground and a common understanding with mutual respect, but, ultimately and importantly, doing what’s best for the kids.  Public school districts across the nation are dealing with, talking about, and experimenting with variations of traditional contract arrangements.  Norwalk has time to watch, and listen and learn from this. Since this is potentially a contentious issue, it’s important that communication remains vibrant and minds remain open.

Superintendence: Should Norwalk enact a residency requirement for the superintendent position?

-         It would be convenient but I don’t think it should be required. I believe that the hiring of a Superintendent is one of the most important jobs a Board of Education can do and I’m not convinced that residency and excellence are related. I’m also not aware of residency being a corporate norm. In addition, this is clearly not an ideal time to be buying or selling a home. 

Early Childhood Education: How do you see early education for 3 and 4 year olds fitting in with the overall district improvement plan?:

-         Early childhood education is definitely desirable, directly applicable to the district improvement plan but increasing it from what we are currently doing costs money. We would have to look at what the costs are, what the options are, and what we can afford. Are there outside funding sources that can expand on what is already available in district?  Do we have the space?  This is an important question but, quite frankly, I don’t have enough district or financial information to answer it well.

-        

Diversity training for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender 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?

-         Norwalk and Brien McMahon High Schools have Gay & Lesbian Alliance Clubs. I’m not sure what Briggs offers. I don’t know what is available at the middle school level. Many kids need support or guidance, regardless of the reason—a question I would ask is what avenues are available for a child who has questions or conflict and, do they know where to turn? Community conversations at the high school level might be an interesting and helpful option.

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

-         At first glance, I would say yes. But, more research on the subject would be warranted, and, communication with and the thoughts of teachers and administrators, as well as parents, at the high school level would be highly appropriate.

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?

-         An updated facility plan that accounted for the myriad changes that are occurring in Norwalk would certainly be helpful. Portable classrooms, how can that be issue be addressed or planned for?

-         The Avalon apartments on Belden Avenue and the apartments planned for 95/7 on West Avenue are high end and have not necessarily been designed with children in mind—what are the resident child projections for those projects?

-          The South Norwalk Community Charter School has a tentative opening of September 2010; it will begin with 80 children. How will that affect district school population shifts when it is built out to K-5?

-          Norwalk Public Schools had a negative -4.4% 5-year growth rate as of the 2008 State of Connecticut Strategic School Profiles. However, Darien had a  positive  +12.5% 5-year growth rate, New Canaan +4.8%, Westport +10.5% and Wilton a +6.4%.  My question is, why are we losing children when, of all the five towns just mentioned, Norwalk is the ‘starter community’, the most affordable? Is it perception? I think so. How will the hiring of a determined and motivational Superintendent change that and how will that affect our facilities study?

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?

-         The Director of Norwalk’s Academically Talented department is doing some fabulous things with Parent Orientations, Parent Coffee Series, notifications of events, seminars, summer opportunities, parent informational series and question and answer sessions.  I have been nothing if not impressed by the Directors work.  I would make my concerns known to the Director and begin a dialog. As part of the Board of Education, I have a strong desire to raise the bar for ALL kids, including this subset of children who may need additional challenges.

[The contents of this article represent the views of the writer, not of NorwalkNet.com.] 

Updated: Rocky Start For New Board

Correction:  A previous version of this story stated that Midgalia Rivas was Chair of the Policy Committee.  In fact, Ms. Rivas was a member of the the policy and curriculum committee. Susan Hamilton was the previous chair of the policy committee.  In addition,  Ms. Hamilton commented on Janie Friedlander's resignation; she did not "announce" it as previously reported.


Community tensions that had been building since the Board of Education’s elections two weeks ago burst into the open as four new BOE members were sworn in at tonight’s meeting. Existing Democrat Board members and newcomers clashed repeatedly over committee assignments and procedural matters. 

About 75 people crammed into a meeting room at Norwalk City Hall. Prominent among the crowd was an organized contingent from the city’s African American community which had lost three of its members from the previous board.

During the public comments section Amanda Brown, who lost a seat herself on the Norwalk Common Council, told the new BOE members that she had concerns about the composition of the board because with the exception of Migdalia Rivas, who is Hispanic, the rest of the board is White.

“Diversity is not being celebrated in Norwalk,” she said. “It’s being used as a weapon to divide us, and what divides us makes us weak.” Ms. Brown recommended that the new board members undergo sensitivity training because she believed that their backgrounds did not prepare them to understand the life-long discrimination experienced by Black people.

Richard Fuller, a former member of the BOE, also spoke about the lack of diversity on the new board. He told the board that a parent coalition called the “Board Watchers” had been formed.  They would be present at most board meetings and would monitor the board to ensure that the needs of minority students were being met.

Lauren Rosato, Executive Director of the Norwalk Education Foundation also addressed the board and presented a summary report about the Community Conversation held last month at Norwalk Community College.  NEF is also taping BOE meetings and airing them on Channel 78 (I’ll find out the time.)

As a result of the three of the Republican-endorsed Parents Not Politicians candidates being elected, the balance of power on the BOE has shifted. The Republicans used their new majority to select existing board member Glenn Iannaccone as the new Chairman of the BOE and Jack Chiaramonte as Vice-Chair.  Susan Hamilton was voted in as Secretary.

Early in the meeting, Mr. Colarossi questioned a $5,000 budget transfer request from West Rocks Middle School to cover expenses related to the use of paper supplies which he said seemed excessive.   Lynn Moore, Principal of West Rocks and Dan Cook, CFO were asked to clarify the expense. 

Ms. Rivas remarked that questions about the specifics of budget items should be brought up with the Director of Finance before the board meeting.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan added that because of the difficult budget reconciliation the Board should expect additional budget transfers. 

Mr. Colarossi also made a motion to amend the agenda to add a discussion about an e-mail he had circulated to board members in the afternoon.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan, said that unless the issue was time sensitive the general procedure that the board followed was not to introduce items at the meetings because neither the public nor board members would have had time to evaluate the issue. Mr. Colarossi withdrew his motion and said that the Board can revisit the issue at a later meeting.

In the same discussion Ms. Rivas remarked that it was inappropriate for board communications to take place by e-mail and rebuked Mr. Colarossi for his attempt to add an item to the agenda at the last minute.

Prior to the committee reports, Mr. Iannacone announced that the Committee chairs would also be changing. Henceforth the Finance and Policy Committees would be headed by Steve Colarossi, the Negotiating Committee would be led by Jack Chiaramonte, and the Curriculum Committee would be directed by Sue Haynie. Committee members had not been assigned.

The news of the changing roles seemed to catch the Democrats off guard. Ms. Rivas, who had been the on the Policy and Curriculum committees complained that she was being purposely “excluded” and not being “given respect.” She said she was on the Board to represent the needs of District B (South Norwalk), a community about which she said she is "passionate."

“Like you were doing such a great job,” responded Mr. Iannacone who was not aware that Ms. Rivas was on the policy committee.

The repeated back and forth among the BOE members and interruptions from the audience raised the ire of Mr. Chiaramonte who exclaimed,  “The bickering ends here and now.“

The fraught meeting actually started off on a positive note when Dr. Papallo congratulated Jefferson and Silvermine Schools for receiving that Lone Pine Award for Academic Gain.  Principals from both the schools received a standing ovation from the Board. 

Dr. Papallo also gave an update on the superintendent search.  The focus groups conducted by the search firm have concluded although Dr. Papallo suggested that there maybe another one.  He said that the next 3-4 weeks are a waiting time for the consultants to field candidates.  The Board should be ready to interview candidates by mid-December according to Dr. Papallo. 

In other updates, Ms. Hamilton commented on the resignation of Janie Friedlander, Director of Special Education. Ms. Friedlander submitted her resignation in October and will continue to work until April 30th.

Mr. Iannacone said that the $50,000 for the elementary facility/expansion study was approved by the city.

In a final comment, Mr. Chiaramonte said that Board should act as an apolitical body with only the taxpayers and children of Norwalk in mind.  He said he was offended by the “circus” and that he cares about “each and every child in Norwalk.”

CT Applying for $150 million in Race to the Top Funding

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released the final application for Race to the Top Funding last week on November 12th.   Race to the Top is an education initiative by the Obama Administration that will reward some states undertaking bold school improvement initiatives with awards totaling $4.35 billion.  Connecticut will be applying for a $150 million piece of this pie.

Race to the Top funding puts an emphasis on charter schools, using standardized test scores in teacher evaluation and merit pay systems, and encouraging local districts to dismiss staff at failing schools.

The State has been working since August to respond to the  requirements of the grant and has assembled a team of educators, including superintendents and teachers, and business leaders to help put together Connecticut’s proposal for reform.

According to Superintendent Papallo, no Norwalk district officials are involved in helping the State to prepare its application, however once a new superintendent is selected that person may get involved.

"I thought that it would be unfair to commit the new person to this project at this time.  If he or she wishes I am sure that they can become involved in the project," said Dr. Papallo in an email.

According to a press release from the Connecticut State Department of Education:

“This process is designed to have us take a good honest look at our education system and take action — at the state and local levels — to bring our schools into the 21st century and meet our responsibilities to our next generation of workers and citizens,” Commissioner McQuillan said. “We are requesting upwards of $150 million over three years to effect major change in Connecticut’s 1,100 public schools....

“Writing the application is only one part of the work. Essential to our application is the thinking of principals, teachers, university leaders and other policymakers. We’ve asked them to the table to help us build the strategic vision and mission guiding the grant,” Commissioner McQuillan said.

In addition, the Commissioner has invited 18 superintendents from Connecticut’s most disadvantaged communities to form a “virtual” district organized around three major reforms:
• urban school renewal;
• secondary school reform; and
•prekindergarten-Grade 6 academic improvement. 

“These initiatives have been part of the Department’s work with these districts since 2007, but with the prospect of dedicating new dollars to the work, the superintendents have expressed genuine hope that reforms that had once been out of reach — the creation of a longer school days, for example, coupled with major curricular innovations in science, mathematics and technology — may be possible with the funding provided."

Draft guidelines for the fund were released in August and were the subject of considerable criticism from states and educational organizations.  The new final guidelines reflect the feedback.

According the U.S. Dept. of Education press release:

The final application released today includes significant changes to the proposal released by the U.S. Department of Education in July. After reviewing responses to the draft proposals from 1,161 people, who submitted thousands of unique comments, ranging from one paragraph to 67 pages, the U.S. Department of Education restructured the application and changed it to reflect the ideas of the public.

"The public's input on this application was invaluable to us," Duncan said. "The comments helped us clarify that we want states to think through how they will create a comprehensive agenda to drive reform forward."

The final application also clarifies that states should use multiple measures to evaluate teachers and principals, including a strong emphasis on the growth in achievement of their students. But it also reinforces that successful applicants will need to have rigorous teacher and principal evaluation programs and use the results of teacher evaluations to inform what happens in the schools.

States have until mid-January to prepare applications for a first round of the grant competition, and until June for a second round. Applications must describe multiple strategies for change and must be accompanied by statements of support from leaders of local school districts.

Nathan Hale Principal Wins "Local Hero" Award

Bob McCain, the principal of Nathan Hale Middle School, was one of five people selected in Fairfield County as a "Local Hero".  Mr. McCain was presented his award last Thursday evening (Nov. 12) at a ceremony at the Palace Theatre in Stamford. 

The prize is sponsored by the Bank of America as part of its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative program through which the bank is donating $450,000 to Fairfield County non-profits.  The Cardinal Shehan Center and Domus each received $200,000. Each of the Local Heros can direct $5,000 to the charity of their choosing. Mr. McCain seleceted to support the Norwalk Education Foundation. 

In addition, five student leaders were recognized for their contribution to the community, including Jill Daley and Ariel Shachter of Norwalk.

"Bank of America created the Local Hero award to acknowledge and motivate those who show an extraordinary commitment to serving their community.  Bob McCain is an example of what an educator can do for a community by providing confident and effective leadership and always putting youth first," said Bill Tommins, Fairfield County President at Bank of America. "As principal, Bob has motivated students to excel in the classroom and in life, and his tireless dedication has transformed Nathan Hale Middle School into a vibrant learning community."

Many parents and other community leaders are hoping that Mr. McCain applies for the vacant Superintendent of Schools position. In an interview with NorwalkNet on Friday, Mr. McCain said he has not decided whether he will apply.

"The award is very humbling and is the result of a combined effort of our school community," said Mr. McCain.  "This is a great district with some of the hardest working teachers that I've ever met."

In addition to Mr. McCain the following people were also awarded "Local Hero" by Bank of American:  Emilio Funicella, a Stamford resident and founder of Keep Stamford Beautiful, Nancy Kingwood, a Bridgeport resident for her work in HIV/AIDS prevention,  Shalini Madaras, a Wilton resident and founder of Kick for Nick, and  Joe and Gaye Yllanes, Newtown residents and foster parents to 10 children.

Below is copy of the remarks made by Mr. McCain's in speech at banquet held by Bank of America to recognize the recipients:

Everyday across America thousands of teachers and administrators enter their buildings and classrooms to help students achieve because they believe they can make a difference. They believe what they do each and everyday may, one day, change the world.

At NHMS we believe that we have the opportunity to make these changes for our students. I would like to thank the Bank of America for this wonderful honor that they have bestowed on myself and my school. I am truly humbled to be standing here in front of you.

Although this award is being presented to me, I really feel it should go to all the teachers, secretaries, aides, custodians, and parents who have made such a difference in the lives of the children at NHMS.  I am so fortunate to work with such dedicated and enthusiastic people and it is an honor to go to work each day in Norwalk. I would like to thank my wife and children who have come tonight to support me along with my Dad and his wife Sylvia and my Father-in-Law, Eldon.  Without strong family supports, I would not be standing here today. Although my parents never went to college, they instilled in me the importance of education.  Being from a proud Navy family instilled a strong work ethic and gave me values of honesty, integrity and determination. They shaped me to be a good person and gave me confidence to believe in myself. I am so grateful to them.

I came to Norwalk 5 years ago with the vision of turning the least desirable middle school in the district into one in which the community could be proud and where student achievement became a priority.  I came with a vision of how to accomplish this and was blessed with the faculty, staff, parents and students to make it happen.

Nathan Hale Middle School was a diverse school that had been on the decline for years. It was designated, by the State of Connecticut, as a “School in Need of Improvement” before I arrived because it had not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) since the inception of the NCLB Act. It had never even reached the state average on the Connecticut Mastery Test in Math, Reading or Writing at any grade level at any time.

The suspension rate was over 30% and police were regularly involved in the school. Gangs were active and fights occurred frequently. The community called our school “Junior Jail.”   We had bullet holes in windows, graffiti on the walls, broken furniture, and a school in turmoil. After touring the school with my wife for the first time, she got in the car and said, “Is it too late to back out and take the other job?” However, to me Nathan Hale was a diamond in the rough and I was in the place I needed to be.

The very first thing I did was meet with Team Leaders over the summer before school started, and I told them that our three year mission was to be a Connecticut Middle School of Year!  James Collins once said that “Vision isn’t forecasting the future.  It is creating the future by taking action in the present.”  We adopted this belief and started building our future.

We created a three year strategic plan in order to accomplish the mission.  We read many professional leadership books together, debated over our belief statements, researched current trend in education and collected data.  And we collected a lot of data! We adopted my schoolwide BARK philosophy where we modeled and taught all students Belief, Awareness, Respect and Kindness.  We celebrated successes and showed students that we really cared about them. Together, we were building the future and it was an amazing transformation to witness.

Our suspension and retention rates started to drop and the number of students making the honor roll increased.  We held Transition Nights for parents at our school and then brought those presentations on the road to Meadow Gardens, Grace Baptist Church, Roodner Court and the NEON Centers to ensure our entire school community understood our mission.  We needed our entire community to support us!

Within three years, we were named a Connecticut Top Ten School three times for the academic achievement growth of our Black and Hispanic students by the CONNCAN Foundation.  We were removed from the NCLB list and placed in “Safe Harbor” twice for our outstanding academic improvements, and we exceeded the State averages on the CMT in reading, writing and math.  We became the number one school (out of 21 schools) in our District Reference Group established by the State Department of Education in Math, Reading, Writing and Science.  Our scores on the state test have grown each year for students reaching goal level from 37 percent to the present where we are reaching goal in mid to high 70’s.

Our proficiency rates, which is what the Federal government uses to determine successful schools, has now at reached over 90 percent in math and writing. We were one of about 20 schools to be given an “Educational Citizenship Award” by the State of Connecticut for our outstanding work for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Finally, we were named a Spotlight School by the New England League of Middle Schools. This three year honor was only given to 5 schools throughout New England and made us not only a Connecticut Middle School of the year but a New England Middle School of the year for the next three years.

This year we have created a new mission and that is to be named a “Blue Ribbon Middle School for the United States” and we have begun to undertake the steps necessary to achieve this honor.  We still have work to do such as reducing our Achievement Gap, forming successful Advisor/Advisee groups, and being permanently removed from the NCLB list. But we are proud of the work we have done.

I would again, like to thank the Bank of America for bestowing upon me this unbelievable honor. I also would like to thank one of our Nathan Hale parents Gloria Falcone for nominating me and writing the application. The $5000 award that the Bank of America is giving me will be donated to the Norwalk Education Foundation so they can continue their hard work with helping the children of Norwalk.

Papallo Apologizes for Not Attending Award Ceremony

Interim Superintendent Bill Papallo sent an e-mail in response to yesterday's story on Jefferson and Silvermine being recognized by the Lone Pine Foundation for improving student achievement.

Papallo wrote:

From my end, I was only made aware of the award ceremony a few days before the event. I know the same was true for others. I knew that the schools were winners some time back as I received a call from the Lone Pine staff but did not know about the date or time of the awards ceremony at that time. It was a miscommunication at this end or theirs, not through anyone’s fault. I sent my apologies to each school for not being there and have talked with each principals to extend my apologies for no one being there and my congratulations to all staff for this exciting achievement. I have also sent along a note of Congratulations to ALL staff. Life is very complex. Bill.

It's a sign of leadership that the Superintendent is acknowledging that a mistake was made.

Jefferson and Silvermine Win Academic Gain Award

Jefferson and Silvermine Elementary Schools are the recipients of the Lone Pine Foundation's Academic Gain Award. The schools took home top prizes at an awards ceremony held on Monday evening at UConn Campus in Stamford. They were selected from 151 schools in Fairfield County as having the greatest improvement in student achievement on the 2009 Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMT).

"This award is incredibly motivating and a tribute to our hard working staff," said Katherine Gallagher, assistant principal of Jefferson School which took home first place.

"We have been making steady gains and this year it really showed," said Ms. Gallagher. "It's great that someone is recognizing us.   I'm so excited for Norwalk and it just goes to show that every child can learn."

According to Ms. Gallagher,  several new teaching techniques have been put into place at Jefferson.  The amount of reading instruction given to students in 2nd and 3rd grades has doubled.  In addition,   students across each grade are regrouped into smaller work groups focusing on specific topics.  The school is building strong grade level teacher teams and allowing teachers to watch each other teach and learn from each other. 

At Silvermine, Prinicipal Ivette Ellis said that teachers are meeting every six days by grade level to monitor student progress. 

As winners of the Award every full-time employee at Jefferson Science Magnet School in Norwalk during the 2008-09 academic year will each receive $500. Every full-time employee of the 2nd place winning school, Silvermine Elementary School, will each receive $350.

"Our aim is to reward every single employee in the building, including the cafeterial and custodial staff, " said Lucy Ball, director of The Lone Pine Foundation. "We believe educating our children is a team effort and every single employee plays an important part in creating a learning environment."

According to Ms. Ball,  the Lone Pine Foundation together with Cambridge Education undertook statistical analysis of the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT). The Lone Pine Foundation Advisory Board then selected a short list of the four most improved schools.

A team from the Lone Pine Foundation and Cambridge Education conducted full day site visits at each of the Finalist schools on the short list. The visits included interviews with the principals, students, teachers, and parents, as well as thorough reviews and evaluations of school portfolios – test data, student work samples, school improvement plans, and professional development plans.

"I was very impressed by the process," said Prinicial Ellis. "They took the time to look at the story behind the numbers."

Approximately 40 people attended the awards ceremony,  mainly principals, assistant principals teachers and parents from Jefferson and Silvermine.  No one from Norwalk's central office or any other elected official was present, according to Silvermine's PTO President Kerry O'Neill, which she said was "disappointing and disheartening."

"Mayor Finch of Bridgeport was there to congratulate two Bridgeport schools that received third and fourth place," said Ms. O'Neill.  "We need that kind of support and encouragement in Norwalk."

"One of the messages I took away from previous winners of the award is that we just have to keep working.  Our  families are going to come back when they see improvements like this, " said Ms. O'Neill referring to the fact that  Silvermine's enrollment is down 100 students over the last several years.

The Lone Pine Foundation, is a Connecticut-based private non-profit group funded by the employees of Lone Pine Capital LLC a Greenwich based hedge fund.  The foundation seeks to break the cycle of poverty through education. This is the third year that this award was given.  Last year, Jefferson was third place and Brookside was fourth.  No Norwalk schools were selected in 2007.

One of the goals of the Lone Pine Foundation Award is to collect effective teaching practices used at  winning schools as an example of best practice.  A list of these practices (listed below) was distributed at the awards ceremony.

*****
Effective Practices of the Finalist Schools:

Inspirational and Visionary Leadership: Principals inspire staff, parents and students to commit to their very clear vision for how the school will reach and sustain challenging goals for student academic and personal achievement

Data Analysis and Collaborative Leadership: Administrators and teachers work in collaborative leadership teams to analyze in great detail student assessment data in reading, math, science and writing to drive decisions and accelerate learning at individual, group, grade and school level.

Teacher Collaboration: Regularly scheduled grade and cross-grade meetings of teachers and support staff ensure the alignment of instruction and curriculum to data and enable the sharing and embedding of effective lessons and teaching strategies.

Accountability: Every teacher and specialist accepts accountability for every student's achievement and progress regardless of class or grade and consistently follows research-proven procedures for planning and delivering effective learning.

Use of Formative and Summative Data to Raise Achievement and Accelerate Progress: The whole faculty constantly uses and shares evaluation instruments and data to measure student achievement throughout the year, to target interventions and to drive instruction.

Flexible Targeted Grouping: The leadership team uses formative testing data to implement flexible and constantly changing classroom and cross-grade groupings for reading and math to target student specific academic needs and to ensure differentiated academic challenge. Intervention activities and extra academic time support all students and not just those who are not reaching proficiency levels.

Continuity for Accelerated Progress: Effective transition arrangements ensure that student achievement does not need to be reassessed at the start of each year. This enables teaching and learning to begin immediately. This year’s number one school also runs a summer preschool program to prepare incoming students for curriculum expectations. The full day kindergarten program has academic goals that are pre-tested, taught, and post-tested for mastery.

Self Assessments: Students know in reading and math the level they are working on and with their teachers they set academic goals. They also use rubrics to evaluate their daily work.

Personal and Social Development: There is strong focus on research-proven student learning and creating environments that support personal and emotional development alongside academic achievement.

Parent Involvement: Parents are welcomed as equal partners in their children's education and therefore support the schools in their work. Parents are provided specific information to know the child’s level of achievement and next steps for learning.

Community Partnerships: The support from community groups extends student experiences and enriches the curriculum both on and off-site.

Diversity and Minority Issues Dominate Community Sup Search Forum

Diversity and minority issues dominated the discussion at the Community Forum for the Superintendent search.

Approximately 30 people attended the forum organized by CABE Search Services, the consultants hired by the BOE to find a new chief for Norwalk Schools. About half were the same people that attended the Thursday Parent Forum last week including Board Members Glenn Iannacone, Shirley Mosby, Rosa Murray, Sue Haynie (elect). In addition, principals Lynn Moore of West Rocks, Bob McCain on Nathan Hale, Linda Sumpter of Ponus Ridge were present as well. Bruce Morris, NPS's Human Relations Officer was also at the forum.

When the consultants asked about challenges in Norwalk, one parent spoke about the challenges of the federal No Child Left Behind law and teaching to the test. Another highlighted the lack of attention on identifying early on children who have special needs or reading issues.

Ms. Sumpter said that the next superintendent will have to focus initially on "healing the community" which she feels has suffered rifts. "The new superintendent will have to reach out to everyone," she said. Ms. Sumpter added that Norwalk needs to continue its work in improving student achievement. "Because of the NCLB, we have changed the way we teach children. Evey child is more closely examined. That work needs to continue. It's not one size fits all anymore," she said.

Ms. Sumpter added that the new superintendent will also have to focus on professional development and building relationships with the business and corporate communities.

John Mosby, a leader in Norwalk's Black community, spoke passionately about the need for a leader who will not "sugar coat" issues that are important the black community. He said that he feels that Norwalk has been "selling out" the Black community and that there aren't enough Black and Hispanic administrators and leaders in the school system. "The new superintendent should be ready to treat the black community right,"he said.

Ms. Moore said that there is a suspicion among some people in the district that a the new board has already made its decision about who will be selected as superintendent. "There is scuttlebutt that the decision has already been made," she said.

Mr. Morris told participants that it was unlikely that they were going to find a "superman" who would solve all of the problems of the district. However, he added, "we need to make sure that diversity is not just lipservice," He added that Norwalk needs someone who has a proven track record in an urban district.

Marie Allen, assistant principal at Ponus Ridge Middle School who used to work as a teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, also commented on the issue of diversity. "I've never seen such inequities in schools as I have in Norwalk," she said. The new superintendent needs to address this problem, she said.

One parent said Norwalk needs to cultivate its own leaders and build leadership from within.

Another parent said that perhaps children do a better job with diversity than adults. "They just see each other as friends and are color-blind," she said.

The consultants said that they have met with Norwalk students in this data gathering phase and one comment from the children that struck them was "unify us".

One parent said that she would like to see a superintendent that thinks like a person in corporate world, one that is focused on results and accomplishments.

Ms.Haynie, who was recently elected to the BOE, said that the good thing about looking at data is that it is objective and not emotional. "It shows the bottom-line results, something everyone is interested in," she said

Another parent said that we need a superintendent with, "a big heart and feeling for the children."

The CABE consultants have been meetings with teachers, students, administrators and parents over the last couple of weeks. Tuesday's meeting was the final public forum. All of the data collected at these various meetings will be synthesized and presented at a BOE meeting on December 1.

Tidbits: Community Forum, Superintendent Job Ad, and Obama on Education

A reminder that a Community Forum for the superintendent search which will be held Tuesday, 7pm November 10 at City Hall in the Community Room.

....

An ad for Norwalk Public Schools Superintendent position has been posted to the job board of the American Association of School Administrators. You can see the posting here. 

Among the list of qualifications: "Prior successful Central Office experience is a must." At last week's meeting between the CABE search consultants and Norwalk parents there was some discussion about how necessary it really was for the candidate to have central office experience.  That thread was continued in comments to the story that I posted about the meeting.

More discussion on this topic is needed. By explicitly putting the requirement out there are we limiting good candidates that might otherwise apply?

Here is a list of the qualifications listed in the job description:

The Norwalk Board of Education seeks a dynamic, innovative and confident leader who can make a difference by developing a conscious strategy for continuous improvement which will build the Norwalk Public Schools into an exemplary district.  All candidates must possess or meet Connecticut certification requirements as a school superintendent.  Strong emphasis will be placed on the following qualifications and attributes:

• A passion for public education and an ability to embrace the opportunities and challenges of educating a diverse population.

• An ability to foster a positive culture that contributes to the success of all students and cultivates a professional learning community focused on outcomes.

• A proponent of public engagement who welcomes input and involvement from staff, parents, students and the community when making educational decisions that impact all stakeholders.

• An ability to articulate a coherent and inspirational vision for how the community can come together to address its challenges.

• Strategic planning experience that demonstrates an ability to reconcile and respond to student needs, program requirements, equity and fiscal responsibility.

• A participatory management style that fosters a climate of collaboration and united purpose. 

• Experience in implementing research-based "best practices" and data-driven decision making to assess programming strategies and enhance organizational capacity for improvement.

• An outstanding and visible communicator who welcomes interaction with all members of the school community and community at large.

• Prior successful Central Office experience is a must. Experience in an urban school district of similar demographics considered a plus.

 ....

President Obama gave a speech last week in Madison, Wisconsin at the James C. Wright Middle School titled "Strengthening America's Education System" in which he highlighted is Administration's Race to the Top program.

Near the end of his speech he veered off topic and related a small story about he motivated his own children to perform well in school. He reminded me that as much as I want to push my children to do well in their studies, what I really want to do is instill a love of learning so that they can motivate  themselves to learn. 

You can see a video of Obama's speech archived at CSPAN. The part referenced above begins 24:07. (Move to that point if you don't want to see the whole speech).

Here's a transcript if you don't want to watch:

In our own household, with all the privileges and opportunities that we have, look, there are times when kids slack off. There are times when they would rather be watching TV or playing a computer game than hitting the books. And part of our job as parents, Michelle and my job, is not just to tell our kids what to do, but to start instilling in them a sense that they want to do it for themselves.

So Malia came home the other day and she had gotten a 73 on her science test. Now she's a 6th grader. There was a time a couple years ago when she came home with like an 80-something and she said I did pretty well, and I said, no, no, no. I said our goal is 90 percent and up. So, here's the interesting thing. She started internalizing that, so she came and she was depressed - got a 73. And I said well what happened: 'Well the teacher, the study guide didn't match up with what was on the test.' So what's your idea here? 'Well, I'm gonna start, I've got to read the whole chapter. I'm gonna change how I study, how I approach it.' 

So she came home yesterday and she got a 95. But here's the point. She said, 'I just like having knowledge.' That's what she said. And what was happening was she had started wanting it more than us. Once you get to that point, our kids are on their way. But the only way they get to that point is if we're helping them get to that point. So it's going to take that kind of effort from parents to set a high bar in the household. Don't just expect teachers to set a high bar; you've got to start setting a high bar in the household.

Recount Shows Heidi Keyes Wins BOE Seat

A recanvas of Tuesday's BOE election confirmed that Democrat Heidi Keyes eeked out a victory over Republican Artie Kassimis. The recount was conducted on Saturday at Norwalk City Hall.

According to Stuart Wells, the Democratic Registrar of Voters,  the margin of votes between the two candidates was 6 votes.

A recount of the election was mandated by state law because there was less than .5% difference in the votes between the two candidates from Tuesday night's election.

Mr. Kassimis ran for the BOE as part of a group who called themselves Parents Not Politicians which included Steven A. Colarossi, Erin Halsey and Sue Haynie. They were endorsed by the Republican Town Committee. With the exception of Mr. Kasimis all three other Republican candidates were elected to the BOE.

Mr. Colarossi released a statement to NorwalkNet: "Although I am personally disappointed that my dear friend Artie Kassimis was not victorious, I am honored to be serving with Heidi Keyes who, as a concerned parent who wants to improve communication, will be an asset to the Board of Education."

Parent Forum on Superintendent Seach

A parent forum about the superintendent search was held yesterday evening (Thursday) at City Hall.  Approximately 30 people met with two search consultants from CABE Search Services, Eliza Holcomb and Jakie Jacoby, a former superintendent for Glastonbury and Hartford.

In addition to parents, several administrators and board members were present, including Rosa Murray, Glenn Iannaccone, Shirley Mosby, Sue Haynie (elect), and prinicipals Lynn Moore of West Rocks and Bob McCain of Nathan Hale. While the forum was billed as a "Parent Forum", several of the board members and administrators added their input.

The search consultants explained the process of finding a superintendent, the certification requirements and the need for confidentiality.  They said they will advertise for the position nationally as well as go out and recruit candidates.  "We will reach out in as many ways possible to get a rich candidate pool," said Ms. Holcomb. 

The consultants said they viewed Norwalk to be a desirable placement because of its diversity, location, size, and strong faculty.  "It's great for an candidate that is looking for a challenge.  There is great potential in Norwalk," said Ms. Jacoby. 

They asked the parents about other strengths of Norwalk schools which should be shared with a prospective superintendent.   One parent commented that Norwalk is a mid-size city but "feels like a small town" and that the schools have a lot of spirit.  Another parent said that we have some interesting programs like the magnet schools and the Center for Global Studies.

The consultants then asked about Norwalk's challenges.  Lynn Moore, prinicipal of West Rocks, spoke at length about the negativity that exists in Norwalk and how anonymous comments on blogs are partly to blame.

Gloria Falcone, president of the Norwalk High School PTO, said that communication and transparency are a problem in Norwalk and a lot of what you get is "smoke and mirrors."  She also described Norwalk as "a house with good bones that needs renovation."

Jennifer Covello, a member of the PTO Council said that Norwalk schools needs to stop the "band-aid approach" and go more for the "open-heart" surgery approach to resolve the issues that face the district.  She also said that she is looking for someone with a "spark in their eye who loves what they do."

Several parents spoke about the need for a superintendent who is visible and trustworthy. 

Ms. Mosby spoke several times about her concern about children from all backgrounds and the achievement gap.  She also said that she wanted someone with Central Office experience. 

One parent said he wants a superintendent who has a good working relationship with the BOE and that two parties should share the same goals and objectives.

When asked about what strategies they would employ to make sure the candidate didn't just "talk a good talk", the consultants responded that they would run background checks, tap into national networks, ask probing questions, check state data and perform site visits.  The consultants also said they are reaching out to women and minority educator groups.

Ms. Holcomb and Ms. Jacoby said they typically present 5-6 candidates from which a board chooses, but it could be more or less.  "We think quality is more important than quantity, " said Ms. Holcomb.

They expect that they will have candidates by mid December or January.  There is a possibility of bringing two finalists before the community if the candidates agree. 

Ms. Murray asked specifically about site visits and how they would be handled.  She stressed that we need to speak with a variety of parties within a community to learn about the candidate.

Bob McCain, prinicipal of Nathan Hale,  was a silent observer at the forum.  At the end of the event, this reporter asked if he was applying for the job.  "I'm still thinking about it.  I haven't decided yet," he said.

CABE Search Services will synthesize all of the data collected from the Leadership Assessment Profiles and Community Forums and present their findings at a BOE Meeting on Dec 1. 

See related stories:
More on CABE Search Services
Search Firm Selected: CABE Search Services

Steve Colarossi and the Naramake Family Resource Center

This is guest post by Steve Colarossi in response to comments on NorwalkNet.com about the Naramake Family Resource Center. It is posted here, not in the comments sections, because of its length.

Conventional wisdom dictates ignoring innuendo and annonymous malcontents. My desire to be open to the public, however, prompts my response to the absurd comments made by the various (or single) "Anonymous" parties.

But, as an initial caveat, please recognize that I am offering these comments as an individual (who is the subject of some silly innuendo) and not as a member of the Board of Directors of the Naramake Family Resource, Inc. (which is a non-profit corporation run by a Board of Directors). Furthermore, I am not the spokesperson for the Parents Not Politicians slate-- I was simply one candidate among four good people seeking to make the changes we needed for our public schools.

First, as far as I know, there have never been any allegations of "improprieties" regarding the operation of the Naramake FRC, Inc. In fact, the Board of Education annually has approved various initiatives of the Naramake FRC, Inc. and certifies that conditions have been met for certain grants that have been awarded to the FRC (but which are administered through the school department).

Secondly, I know of no Norwalk Public School administrator who is on the payroll of the Naramake FRC.

Third, these anonymous posters don't seem concerned about receiving the financials of any other non-profit which provides valuable services to our public school children, which have city officials on their Boards and which use school facilities. This point actually gives me some hope that the poster is really bent on a vendetta against me and is not intent on undermining the amazing partnerships which exist between the City of Norwalk, its schools and some great non-profits. Norwalk’s non-profits are indispensible to all segments of our diverse city—they provide an amazing array of services at no direct cost to our taxpayers.

Fourth, the alleged "educator" who feels that education should start in kindergarten is woefully misinformed about the need to start teaching kids from an earlier age. Because many at-risk children are born to parents who were, themselves, at-risk youths and who did not necessarily have positive school experiences, having school-based early childhood education programs helps in a variety of ways. You see, these programs help socialize children to school-life, provide critical early literacy and numeracy skills and have been found to reduce special education placements as children grow older. Furthermore, programs like the Naramake FRC provide parent education programs, as well as playgroups for much younger children; they help build a positive relationship between school and family. These programs help all members of our community at no direct cost to taxpayers.

Fifth, if you want to see a non-profit's tax returns, the information is publicly available. In fact, just to make sure that the information was publicly available, I looked at the Naramake FRC's returns, as well as the returns of other local non-profits through free, publicly available means. So, please, stop the nonsense of claiming that the information is not publicly available or that there is anything to hide. My hunch is that you know how to obtain that information, discovered nothing untoward in them but still want to see if you can spin some conspiracy tale out of nothing. Either that or you simply have no understanding of what it is you think you are looking for and are being completely misguided. Unfortunately, for those who want to hide behind anonymous comments, you can't expect to have documents mailed to you, now can you?

Sixth, the Naramake FRC provides a host of services to the school and its students. All the services, like the pre-school, are offered on a sliding scale (which is why different people pay different amounts). At least one program (the afterschool tutoring program) is offered free of charge.

Seventh, the Naramake FRC has been a valuable member of the community-- making donations to the school, providing babysitting services for school events held in the evening, offering vacation camps (which are a godsend for working families), leading parent education seminars at night (such as those to help parents promote reading at home and to provide guidance for behavioral issues) and co-sponsoring family events with the PTO. The before-school and after-school care programs are offered on a week-by-week basis which provides families significant flexibility (folks only need to sign up for the days they need on Thursday for the following Monday and do not need to pay for more than the one week in advance). Also their staff is always available when a family crisis occurs and a parent is going to be late to pick-up a child or must request last-minute before-school or after-school care.

Eighth, you understand that the Norwalk Board of Education has had several meetings to review the Naramake FRC as well as the city's other after-school programs. Many of the questions to which you are seeking answers are all contained within the public record. Once again, if you simply reviewed past BOE minutes you would have found the answers you seek, but then again you would not have enjoyed the few moments you have had to try to defame a great program that helps families and discredit me.

Ninth, if you have all these questions (and I do not mean to suggest that all your questions are mere baseless innuendo, although the fact that all of them are posted anonymously suggests more guile rather than concern) ask the families who use the FRC if they are paying more than the other programs in the city or if their children are not receiving quality before school and afterschool care. Sure, you won’t make your political points in public or see your “anonymous” name in print, but you would get first-hand information about a program for which you profess to have legitimate concerns.

Tenth, and finally, do you actually think that your bullying tactics are going to dissuade me from trying to help other school groups in forming their own programs to advance school-based early childhood education, or that you are going to discourage me from fighting for what is best for all of Norwalk's children? For years I stood before the Board of Education advocating for Naramake's children and now I have the opportunity to fight for all of Norwalk's children. Bullies and innuendo only encourage me to fight harder.

But, "anonymous", you already know that-- after all you're the reason I ran for the Board of Education and worked as hard as I did to make a difference for all of our kids, families and taxpayers.

Steven A. Colarossi
www.parentsforcolarossi.com
stevecolarossi@yahoo.com


[The contents of this article represent the views of the writer, not of NorwalkNet.com.]

Tidbits: Start Date, Parent Forum, Teacher Training

A few things:

Newly elected BOE members will be sworn in at the November 17th BOE Meeting, according to the Board Of Education's central office.  This means they can start working almost immediately which is important given the fact that we are in the midst of superintendent search and beginning the budgeting process.

...

A reminder that there will be a Parent Forum for the Superintendent Search on Thursday November 5, 7:30 p.m. in the Community Room, Rm A330 at Norwalk City Hall.  Spanish and French Creole translators will be available.  If you can't make it, fill out a Leadership Profile Assessment available on the NPS website and send in your criteria for a new superintendent.

...

Finally, I read a terrific article in the New York Times this weekend about teacher training.   The author, Susan Engel, is director of a teaching program at Williams College. She writes:

If we really want good schools, we need to create a critical mass of great teachers. And if we want smart, passionate people to become these great educators, we have to attract them with excellent programs and train them properly in the substance and practice of teaching.

Ms. Engel argues that the best colleges and professors need to get involved in Education as a subject matter. Teaching programs should be selective and free of charge (with a stipend for teaching three years in a public school).  She also writes that teachers need to be trained differently.

(Teaching) students should learn their craft the way a surgeon learns to operate: by intense supervision in a real setting with expert mentors. Student-teachers are usually observed only twice during a semester and then given a written evaluation. But young teachers, like young doctors, should work side by side with skilled mentors, getting plenty of feedback, having plenty of opportunities to observe and taking on greater and greater responsibility as they improve.

Ms. Engle writes that teachers should continue to study the subject they teach, watch and critique videotapes of themselves teaching and learn more about child development psychology.  She also suggests that new young teachers should be hired in groups of seven or more in a district so that they won't feel isolated. 

Updated: BOE Incumbents Defeated by Republican Candidates; One Dem Wins (Maybe)

The three Democrat incumbents on the Board of Education were defeated in Tuesday's election by their Republican challengers who were running under the "Parents Not Politicians" banner. However Democrat newcomer Heidi Keyes squeaked out an 11 vote win over Republican Artie Kassimis. As a result of the small margin of victory a recount of all of the votes will be required within 10 days.

Board Chairwoman Rosa Murray (D), Amy Jimenez (D) and Shirley Mosby were voted off of the BOE by Norwalk voters. In their place Steve Colarossi (R), Sue Haynie (R), and Erin Halsey (R) were elected to four year terms.

Here are the numbers (an example of how every vote counts!):

* Steve Colarossi 6,671 votes
* Sue Haynie 6,400 votes
* Erin Halsey 5,947 votes
* Heidi Keyes 5,908 votes
* Artie Kassimis 5,897 votes
* Amy Jimenez 5,486 votes
* Rosa Murray 5,469 votes
* Shirley Mosby 4,597 votes

Democrats were also defeated in other city contests including mayor and several common council seats. The poor results for the party was attributed to voter dissatisfaction at the existing BOE candidates. "The driver of the election was on the back of the ballot," said a senior Democrat explaining the day's results.

Democrats gathered at a vacant store on North Main Street to watch the election results come in. As they milled about eating pizza and fried chicken, the mood turned gloomy as the results were announced.

"This is bad for the city," said Galen W. Wells, District E Chair. "There will be no minorities elected on to the board, and with Republicans you can expect to see cuts in the budget that will affect services."

None of BOE candidates would comment on the outcome.

In contrast, the Republicans gathered at a ballroom in the Norwalk Inn and a cash bar was was in full swing.

The "Parents Not Politicians" candidates were heartily congratulated by Mayor Richard Moccia who was in a jubilant mood having been re-elected himself.

Sue Haynie (R) said that the election showed that voters thought that it was, "a time for change."

Steve Colarossi an Independent who was endorsed by the Republicans said that he was eager to begin working. When asked how he would approach forming the 2010 school year budget he said that he and his colleagues would first look for efficiencies and then look for "administrator bloat and waste." He said that there may also be "better ways of doing things" referring to the school district's current approach to special education which involves $400,000 being budgeted towards legal fees.

Mr. Colarossi also said that the new BOE would have to decide how to provide interim leadership for the school district if a new superintendent cannot be found before Dr. Papallo has to leave in December. He said that the current Board's delay in hiring a search firm was "egregious." He suggested that an outside administrator would have to be brought in if there was money for that, or the Board would consider using the assistant superintendent as a fill-in.

Mr. Colarossi also acknowledged that the lack of minority representation on the BOE was a problem, but he also believed that individuals who used this argument overlooked his own background. He said that his children, adopted from Kazakhstan, were minorities.

"It's not a color issue, it's a kid issue," said Sue Haynie when asked about minority representation on the Board. "We are working for all the kids of Norwalk."

Fred Wilms, a member of the Republican Town Council's executive board said that he had tried to recruit some non-White candidates but they would not cross party lines and run as Republicans.

Erin Halsey (R) said, "I'm really excited to get to work. This ticket is great because we bring different things to the table. For example, I'm not a budget person. My strength is communication, and I want to advocate for kids who don't have anyone to advocate for them."

Consider Donating to NorwalkNet.com

Dear Reader,

NorwalkNet.com is a start-up website.  For the past couple of months, I've been working to build credibility among readers and also generate a following.  I will be seeking sponsorships and grants in the coming months so that this website can become a viable project for me.

If you value my reporting and analysis especially around the election, please consider contributing by clicking the "Donate" button to the right.  Any amount is appreciated.

I will be covering the election results as they come in this evening.  Check back tomorrow for my story.

Best wishes,
Moina

Endorsements: Haynie, Keyes, Colarossi, Kassimis

In this year’s BOE elections NorwalkNet.com endorses Sue Haynie (R), Heidi Keyes (D), Steve Colarossi, (R) and Artie Kassimis. (R).

This is a crucial election year for Norwalk schools. First and foremost, the BOE will have to select a new superintendent. Once that individual is chosen, the Board and the Superintendent will have to work together to take our schools to a higher level.  As we begin this new phase, I believe that we need new individuals with fresh ideas and commitment to be present on the Board to guide this process.

The primary purpose of a Board of Education is to make the school system accountable to the public.  After all, it’s our tax money and more importantly our children’s education at stake!   The culture of the current Board centers around control of information.  In fact, this board thinks that individual Board members shouldn’t provide their own opinions on school policies, but they need to speak collectively. The pervasive attitude of the incumbent candidates is that they owe no answers to the public or to parents, and that the public should come to them instead of vice versa. 

In order for a vibrant education system to flourish in Norwalk we need open and transparent communication, and this must start with our leaders; without communication there is dysfunction and mistrust. 

As a community of informed parents, teachers, administrators and concerned citizens, we need to get to the serious work of educating our children.

Sue Haynie is a passionate advocate for literacy and special education and has articulated an insistence on high standards for all our children.    Like her, I also believe reading is the key to all education.  She is correct to focus our attention on special education in Norwalk, which is in need of serious improvement.  As PTO Council president, she is a known and trusted person among parents. 

Heidi Keyes understands the importance of early childhood education, a field in which she is getting an advanced degree. She has spoken more than any other candidate about the importance of the teacher and the classroom in student achievement.  In addition, she has responded promptly to all of my questions to her, in spite of her fellow Democrats' silence.  Actions speak louder than words.

Steve Colarossi has been active in the Naramake and Nathan Hale PTOs.  He has not been afraid to stand up and fight for something in which he believes, particularly in the case of Naramake principal.  I also think his background as a lawyer will assist the board in navigating the world of state laws, labor relations and other complicated legal educational matters. 

Artie Kassimis is a former IT executive.  This district needs a school board that understands the importance of technology both as a tool for communication, but also a tool for student learning.  In addition, he is a man of action and took initiative on the problem of gang violence in our high schools and worked to ensure a safe environment for students.

Analysis: BOE Elections,Track Record vs. Race

The complicated and multi-faceted issue of race has been surfaced in the BOE elections by a group of predominately African American activists who say that incumbents Shirley Mosby (D) and Rosa Murray (D) need to be re-elected because they are Black and best represent the needs of minorities.

I’ve been aware for quite a while that if Ms. Mosby and Ms. Murray are not re-elected on Tuesday that there will be no African Americans on the BOE . Greg Burnett, a Democrat, was not renominated by his party.

In general, I think it is important for Norwalk’s leadership to reflect the diversity of its population. We become a better place to live when people bring their unique life experiences to the table and use these perspectives to make decisions that benefit us all. Race is a powerful factor in shaping people’s lives, but should it be used as the determining factor to choose one candidate over another?

Saturday’s Hour headlined a story "Leaders call for More Minority Representation on BOE", in which the  Norwalk Chapter of the NAACP,  Rep, Bruce Morris (D-140), a group of African American ministers, and the Democratic candidates for Mayor and Town Clerk essentially advocated voting for Ms. Mosby and Ms. Murray because they are African American.

“…local leaders say they want to make sure all students continue to be represented,” wrote the Hour’s Lauren Mylo in the first paragraph of the story about the press conference.  According to the piece Rev. Lindsay Curtis said it’s important for minorities to have a voice"because no one can better speak up for them than themselves".

As I think about the press conference it seems to me that there were other factors at play. Even as we imagine ourselves to be living in a post-racial America, ethnic politics still holds sway. In this case the Black community has two seats on the BOE which they are in danger of losing. A call for "minority representation" on the eve of the election strikes me as really a call to their base to turn out on election day. Minority representation is an important topic, but perhaps it should have been brought up earlier in the election or even before candidates were nominated.  Now it seems like a last ditch political tactic of a group that is afraid of losing power. 

I can understand that an all white board might not be as aware or engaged in the educational issues that particularly affect African Americans or Hispanics. In fact, I've been struck by the lack of discussion about the growing Hispanic population in Norwalk during the debates.  Is this because there is not a Hispanic candidate running?

Racial and ethnic sensitivity is an important consideration, especially in a city like Norwalk, but it is one of many factors.  In the voting booth a voter's primary consideration should be who will help to improve student achievement for all children. 

Perhaps more important than actually electing someone of a certain race or background is making sure that the candidate pool is comprised of diverse individuals. Having people of various backgrounds running demonstrates that the process is open to everyone and not the domain of any one particular ethnic group. Here the Democrats are doing a better job than the Republicans who have fielded an all white slate.

However, once minority candidates, like Ms. Mosby and Ms. Murray, are elected they should seek reelection on the basis of their track record.  Ms. Murray in particular has served four terms on the BOE and is currently its chairwoman. Her supporters should be touting her accomplishments not the color of her skin.

Come Tuesday, we should go to vote for the best qualified candidates on the BOE to represent us -- all of us. If Ms. Mosby and Ms. Murray are not successful in their relection bids, their rejection by voters should be taken as a call for change, and nothing more.