Stamford's Special Education Outplacements Cause Budget Concern

The Stamford Advocate had story in Tuesday's issue about special education entitled Stamford students' needs drive expanding costs of out-of-district placements. The issues discussed in the article mirror many of of the challenges facing Norwalk's own ability to educate children with learning disabilities.

An editor's note preceding the story sums up the budgetary dilemma facing the Stamford district :

A seat in a classroom isn't enough for some students, who need extra help to reach their potential. This year, Stamford Public Schools expects to spend $24 million on special education. For a district that relies primarily on taxpayers for funding, it's a fine line to walk, as these children's parents -- who must negotiate a learning curve unique to special education and its legal framework -- sometimes feel their children's needs aren't being fully met.

The cost of sending the neediest outside the district has risen to a net cost of $7 million this year. Meanwhile, more children are sharing assistants, and next year the district may have to find room for another classroom of special needs preschoolers.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, Stamford's Board of Education plans to discuss special education, both as a general update and with an eye toward bringing back some placed students out of district...

Under state law a child who has special educational needs that are not being adequately met by the public school system can petition to be placed "out of district" in a private school and the home district must pick up the tab.

According the article a tuition for an out-of-district student placement generally costs between $40,000 and $70,000 per child. A residential placement can cost as much as $100,000 per child. It all adds up:

These costs are increasing. In 2003-04, the district spent $4.3 million on district tuition. This year, it is budgeted to spend $7 million. These are net amounts, with the state kicking in a share to cover "excess costs," and, this year, will receive about $700,000 in federal stimulus money. The state is expected to provide Stamford with $2.4 million this year. Six years ago, it supplied just over $800,000.

Since 2005-06, state figures show a steady increase in eligible students and total costs.

Stamford's budget is based on having up to 171 students out of district . There are 145 who are attending school outside Stamford right now, but schools officials expect to see the number grow.

I know a Norwalk family with a child who is learning disabled. They are very dissatisfied with the services they are receiving, and are thinking about moving their child to a private school. Part of the problem is communication. After last year's CREC report, Norwalk's Board of Ed should consider holding a meeting similar to Stamford's. At the very least it would give parents the opportunity to speak to the BOE directly about their concerns about the state of special ed in Norwalk.

Obama and Duncan Want More School

The Obama Administration is signaling that it may become involved in setting the length of the school year, as reported by the Associated Press earlier this week.

"Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular idea," President Obama told the the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in a speech earlier this year, "Not with Malia and Sasha not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."

The President's remarks we reinforced by recent comments made by his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan who told the Associated Press: "Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today."

According to the AP article:

Obama and Duncan say kids in the United States need more school because kids in other nations have more school.

"Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here," Duncan told the AP. "I want to just level the playing field."

While it is true that kids in many other countries have more school days, it's not true they all spend more time in school.

Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).

Taken together President Obama and Secretary Duncan's statements point to a possible move by the Federal government to regulate the number of days children spend in school.

Already, local school districts feel the intrusion of federal guidelines with No Child Left Behind. If mandated, such a move would probably be instituted by making the availability of federal funds contingent on making sure that kids were in the classroom for a set number of hours.

While many children would surely protest initially maybe in time it would become just a part of life. Parents who work might actually benefit because they wouldn't have to think about providing as much after school/summer care for their children.

A big question would be whether teachers would be expected to do more work for the same amount of pay, and where the money would come from to keep schools open longer.

Updated -- Federal Stimulus Money Not in Norwalk Yet

The Norwalk Hour dutifully reported that Gov. Jodi Rell made an announcement in Hartford yesterday that $138 million in Federal stimulus funding was now available to Connecticut cities and towns for special education. According to the report Norwalk received nearly $2.5 million of this money that was made available as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

At Norwalk's central office however, Director of Special Ed Janie Friedlander was still looking at an empty bank account. According to Ms. Friedlander, The Hour spoke too soon because no money has been transferred to Norwalk yet. She says the funds are still with the State.

Ms. Friedlander said that she has prepared a plan outlining how the money will be spent, but did not give specifics. According to Federal guidelines the money must be spent on programs that will continue to be supported after the stimulus dollars run out.

Tomorrow I'm going to ask Assistant Superintendent Tony Dadonna to specify exactly what items Norwalk intends to use these special stimulus funds on.

Update: In an e-mail Assistant Superintendent Tony Dadonna said: "We have not received the funds yet. We are in the process of writing the IDEA ARRA grant and will present to the State for their approval.

White House looks to improve No Child Left Behind

An Associated Press story reports today that the Obama Administration wants to make changes to the No Child Left Behind law. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan plans to make a speech about this today in a meeting at the Education Department with leaders of more than 160 groups. Today's will be the first in a series of meetings with the groups. Sec. Duncan said the administration wants their input before making a formal proposal to rewrite the law.

According to the story:

Duncan credited the law for shining a spotlight on children who need the most help, according to a speech prepared for delivery Thursday. No Child Left Behind pushes schools to boost the performance of minority and poor children, who trail their white peers on standardized tests.

Duncan agreed with critics that standardized tests are not ideal measures of student achievement. Yet "they are the best we have at the moment," Duncan said.

...

While the law has helped improve the academic performance of many minority students, English-language learners and children with disabilities, critics say the law is too punitive: More than a third of schools failed to meet yearly progress goals last year, according to Education Week, a trade publication.

That means millions of children are a long way from reaching the law's ambitious goals. The law pushes schools to improve test scores each year, so that every student can read and do math on grade level by the year 2014.

Opponents say that the law's annual reading and math tests have squeezed subjects like music and art out of the classroom and that schools were promised billions of dollars they never received.

Norwalk has been labeled a district "in need of improvement" according to NCLB, as have many of Norwalk's schools. The district has placed a lot of emphasis on test scores in recent years as a result of NCLB.

Since Norwalk has a sizeable population of English-language learners, special needs children and low income students, any proposed changes made to the law would have a direct impact here.

Stamford Stories: Calendar, Raises and Buses

Yesterday's Stamford Advocate (9/22) contained three interesting education stories.

Calendar: The Advocate reports that that the Stamford BOE is considering modifying the holiday schedule. Currently Stamford, like Norwalk, students have a week off in February and a week off in April.

A survey sent to parents asked whether the breaks should be eliminated. 42 percent favored keeping one weeklong vacation in February and another in April. About 17 percent of about 1,500 respondents favored eliminating the February or April break. Meanwhile, 34 percent favored eliminating the February break and replacing it with a long weekend around Presidents Day.

What these results mean is open to interpretation:

Board member James Rubino said these results indicate the majority of people are not happy with the current system.

"The district is mostly poor," he said. "I can't imagine they want to pay for child care for two weeks."

Public Engagement Chairwoman Julia Wade, however, interpreted the responses differently, since 34 percent favored a hybrid version with a long weekend off in February as opposed to a full week.

"We didn't see in these numbers people asking for something different than what we had," she said.

If the same survey were conducted in Norwalk, I wonder what the result would be? Does a February and April break seem excessive?

Raises: The Advocate reported that the Stamford Board of Education is debating a decision by non-union central office staff to give back their 3% raises. Their Board of Ed is questioning whether any raises should be given at all.

If the giveback is considered a donation it will raise base salaries, and allow the employees tax and pension credit. If its considered as a deferral then it will not. In either case, the budget does not change.

The amount in question is not even a rounding error -- $24,000 for 10 employees in a $219 million budget, but the issue is a symbolic one.

Board members are questioning the very notion of pay increases:

"Anyone asking for a 3 percent raise in 2009 is out of touch," said board member James Rubino. "If the raise is granted this year, it raises future base salaries," he said.

However Superintendent Starr argued these employees were bearing the brunt of budget cuts in other ways too.

"This is a group that has willingly taken on additional work in the absence of other staff," Starr told the board.

The Advocate also notes that some school officials in Stamford have made significant personal sacrifices:

After the school budget was trimmed by $7.4 million by other elected boards last spring, the education assistants donated $200 per member, while the administrators increased their health care contributions to 19 percent. [Superintendent] Starr donated his raise and gave up two years of performance bonuses.

In contrast, Norwalk's central office key personnel, the Assistant Superintendent and Human Resources officers, received 7.5 furlough days equivalant to the salary increase for 2009-2010. According to the contract, "the full increase in base salary will be credited for pension and carryover to 2010-2011."

In a time when some central office workers were let go because of budget cuts, do you base salaries should have been frozen this year, instead of replacing raises with givebacks and furlough days?

Buses: The Advocate reports that the Connecticut Department of Transportation will receive $7 million from a $100 million federal grant to purchase hybrid transit buses and stationary fuel cells for the statewide bus system.

These buses will be used in Stamford and New Haven.

Compared to older buses, the new hybrids are 40 percent more fuel-efficient, use 30 percent less carbon dioxide and release 90 percent less particulate matter.

I hope money flows to Norwalk for similar buses and the trend continues nationwide.

Norwalk Hopes Legislators Delay Implementation of "In School" Suspension Law...Again

Although it is now State law, Norwalk school officials have not implemented State requirements that students serve suspensions "in school." Instead, administrators are hoping that the State Legislature will pass a special bill delaying the requirement even though such tactics have been tried before.

"At this time we have no plans in place for this program since many school people were assured that the program would not be implemented this year since no funds were made available to cover the costs," said Interim Superintendent Bill Papallo in an e-mail to NorwalkNet. "There is a session of the legislature next week when this issue will be addressed once again. It is our hope that if the program is to be implemented they send money or suspend implementations until funds are made available to cover the costs."

Republican legislators are the ones pressing the delay of a law requiring in school suspensions.

Last Thursday, Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, R-Fairfield and House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk held a press conference at the capitol to urge the Democratic-majority to suspend an unfunded mandate to require in school suspensions because municipalities are struggling with their budgets. The General Assembly will be reconvening this week to iron out the details of the state's recently passed budget.

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 and supervision of students in in-school suspension programs in most districts. Bills were put forth before the legislature again this Spring to further postpone the implementation but they did not pass.

In July, Dr. Sal Corda, then Norwalk's Superintendent, wrote a letter to the legislature requesting a suspension of law. At the time, NorwalkNet ran a story with more background on the law.

However, Carolyn Maznec Dugas of the Connecticut Education Law Blog reminded educators in early September that the in school suspension must be implemented now according to the law:

While rumors abounded regarding a possible further postponement of the implementation date, no legislation was passed during this past legislative year or during any special session, nor is there any legislation pending that would change the implementation date. The time has come, effective as of July 1, 2009, for implementation of that law. School districts are to implement the new rules for the 2009-2010 year. School districts are required to have in school suspension programs in place that are functional for the coming school year. Remember that each school does not have to have an individual in school suspension location and that a district wide location would be acceptable.

Brian Lockhart, a politics reporter for the Connecticut Post, wrote a blog entry about this topic in which he interviewed Rep. Cafero.

“This is the wrong time to implement it,” Cafero told reporters, citing the estimated costs to cash-strapped cities ($600 annually for Bridgeport, $360,000 to $600,000 annually for Stamford and $250,000 annually for Norwalk).

While Cafero wants to delay the implementation of the law, he is in favor of it.

“I did vote for the bill,” Cafero said. “Sometimes it is easier and cheaper to just say (to students) ‘get out for ten days and we don’t have to educate you’. I’m not so sure that is the best policy.”

According to statistics published by the State Dept. of Education there were 1,165 students suspended or expelled in Norwalk during the 2007-2008 school year resulting in an incidence rate of 10.85%. The State of Connecticut's average incident rate was 10.06%.

What do you think about the new law?

Let's see what happens this week when the issue goes in front of the General Assembly. I'll keep you posted.

Marquee Mayhem

An LED sign is sitting unopened in a Board of Education warehouse while Norwalk High School parents and Norwalk's Planning and Zoning Commission battle over whether the sign can actually be installed or not.

The Zoning Commission heard public comments Wednesday night about the marquee sign that was bought for $68,000. Parents raised money to buy the sign through fundraisers and want to install it near the corner of Strawberry Hill Ave and County St., in front of the American Legion. The issue is before the Zoning Commission because these types of signs currently cannot be installed in residential neighborhoods without amending the zoning regulations.

The Norwalk High Marquee Project web site explains the sign. Parents bought the sign before formal approval because they thought that they had received assurances from city officials there would not be difficulties. Obviously they were wrong.

According to The Hour 20 people, including many public officials, spoke in favor of the sign at the public hearing. In addition, several petitions with hundreds of signatures were presented. Two neighborhood residents spoke out against it calling it unnecessary and obstructive.

I had a chance to speak to Sharon Cadden, a member of the NHS marquee committee. She told me that the sign is 2 feet high and 8 feet wide supported by a structure that's 5 feet high by 9 feet wide. The purpose of the sign is to improve communications between the school and parents because not everyone reads the announcements that are sent home. The sign would also be used to remind students about events. The sign won't flash and it won't operate after 9 pm at night.

Apparently the Commission is concerned that allowing NHS to have an LED sign will set some sort of precedent that will lead to a proliferation of digital signs in our city.

I certainly don't want LED signs popping up everywhere either but this is a high school we're talking about here. The vigilant members of the zoning commission should realize the the benefits of having a communication vehicle of this sort out-weighs whatever minor aesthetic problems a couple of neighbors might have. The proposed zoning amendment only allows for signs to be put in front of schools that have over 1100 students, eliminating all but the two high schools. High schools in Ridgefield, Trumbull, Darien and Danbury all have similar signs.

The amendment will be voted on by the Zoning Commission in mid-October.

The planning and zoning board's resistance on this matter also puts a chill on parental involvement in our schools. In this case the money for the sign was raised completely by parents over many years -- exactly the type of dedication we want for school teams and activities. Now these same folks have had to hire experts to conduct traffic studies and a lawyer to present their case to the commission. What a waste of time and money.

The Commission's time and resources should be spent on making sure our neighborhoods remain balanced, not in finding ways to destroy school spirit.

BOE Slow to Move on Superintendent Search

The BOE will hold no meetings this month in its search for a new Superintendent. At the BOE's bi-weekly public meeting Chair Rosa Murray reported that the search committee, which is composed of the entire board, has also not decided whether to use a search firm to recruit candidates.

In a written statement Ms. Murray essentially repeated what she had said at the last Board meeting two weeks ago that the BOE is concerned that candidates won't apply to be the Superintendent in Norwalk if there is a danger that their name would become public:

The challenge for the search committee, who is committed to transperancy in this process must keep the search process confidential if we are to encourage the interest and applications from a large pool of high quality candidates.

The candidates must be assured that a thorough process is a goal of the committee, This will encourage candidates that are successful in their current position to apply for our vacancy. Without these assurances, experienced candidates will not apply. A "leak" would expose a candidate's position in their current community, sending a signal that their superintendent is looking. Only one person can be selected and the quality of candidates who will bot be selected become, "damaged goods" in their community.

The search committee will move the process forward without putting at risk the top priority of being thorough. Solicit and encourage input from the community in a variety of ways that will be announced in the near future.

Ms Murray's statement should cause any parent or teacher in Norwalk great concern. It's been almost four months since Dr. Corda announced he was departing and the BOE's actions, or lack thereof, demonstrate a absence of effective leadership.

It should have taken the BOE no more than a month to figure out a process by which to conduct its search. The BOE's time should be invested in finding the right candidate not in repeating the same talking points week after week.

In addition Ms. Murray is still unable, or unwilling, to provide a straight answer on what will occur in the likely event that a superintendent has not been found by the end of the year. Dr. Papallo has stated unequivically that State law prevents him from working more than half a year.

"We'll deal with it when the time comes. We'll try and work with Dr. Papallo on his days, " is all Ms. Murray had to say when asked about this topic.

At the BOE meeting, board members decided after much discussion that they woul hold a meeting in early October to discuss the search. BOE members also grappled with the question of whether to search for candidates only within the Tri-State area or to broaden scope to include national candidates.

Earlier in the day the several community organizations including the Norwalk Education Foundation, Norwalk Community College, Norwalk NAACP, and the Norwalk PTO Council held an event at the NCC to announce an event called "Community Conversation About Education" that will be held on October 17. The purpose of the gathering is to provide a forum for Norwalk citizens to discuss that state of education in Norwalk.

"Our school system is at a crossroads," said State Senator Bob Duff who is also a sponsor of the event. "We're searching for a superintendent and working to increase our standardized test scores."

No one from the BOE or central office attended the press conference. Ms. Murray said she has had "conversations" with the organizers but would not specify how the BOE will be participating.

Also at the BOE meeting Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona announced that the position of ultility aides which had been eliminated due to budget cuts will be reinstated. Most elementary schools will have aides will be available for 12.5 hours per week. School designated as Title I schools will have an aide available for 25.5 hours per week.

The decision to re-hire the aides came after central office administrators met with elementary school principals who said they needed these workers. Funding for the re-hirers is coming from a state priority school grant.

Workshop on AD/HD as Part of Awareness Week

This week, 9/14-9/18, has been designated ADHD Awareness Week by the city of Norwalk, as well as by the State of Connecticut and the United States Senate.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common neurobiological condition affection 5-8 percent of children, according to the National Resource Center on AD/HD, but affects up to half of those children who are learning disabled

Jeffry Spahr, a Norwalk parent, has been working with the Board of Education and its Curriculum committee for over a year in help to get designation for this week. He has helped to organize a workshop to educate parents about AD/HD that will take place tonight (Tuesday) from 7 to 9 pm at Columbus Magnet School.

The workshop is designed to help parents, teachers and others understand Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and its implications for school success. Participants will receive information about AD/HD behavior support for parents and instructional support for teachers.

AD/HD in children is associated with both inattentiveness and hyperactivity. Children with AD/HD predominantly inattentive type (Type I) are easily distracted and cannot follow through on instructions. Children with AD/HD predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (Type II) have difficulty staying in their seat or waiting their turn. In both cases according to a report by Connecticut's AD/HD taskforce "if a child cannot attend to appropriate information in the classroom, sustain attention, or overcome the impulse to respond before the instructions are complete, his her education and achievement will be compromised."

Teachers' Union Calls BOE Complaint "Frivolous"

The president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers is calling the recent labor complaint filed by the Board of Education "frivolous" and a "distraction."

On Friday, the BOE filed a complaint with the State of Connecticut Board of Labor Relations alleging that NFT violated an agreement to keep contract negotiations between the two parties confidential. In particular, the BOE claims that by holding a rally on September 1, at Brien McMahon high school that was attended by 600 teachers the union breached a "Ground Rules for Negotiations" agreement that was entered into prior to the start of contract negotiations.

The NFT which represents 900 teachers and the BOE have been in heated negotiations over a teachers' contract since June. The current contract expires in August 2010.

In a recent interview with NorwalkNet, Bruce LeVine Mellion, President of the NFT said that the provisions of the agreement specifically allow him to report about the negotiations to his constituents which is what he was doing at the meeting at Brien McMahon. Mr. Mellion says he is not sure how the press was informed about the rally.

"I did nothing improper," said Mr. Mellion. "I will continue to report to my membership. We want to negotiate a contract."

William Connon, the attorney representing the BOE in the contract negotiations said the BOE disagrees with the union's interpretation. He called the rally and subsequent press coverage unproductive and a breach of good faith bargaining.

"Negotiations are not resolved in the court of public opinion," said Mr. Connon. "They are resolved by an arbitrator. This is not American Idol."

Clearly the union held a rally to expose the general public to what it has called "draconian" and "retrograde" proposals by the BOE. Public opinion won't have a direct impact on the negotiations however this is an election year in Norwalk in which half of the BOE board seats are being contested, a fact not lost on Mr. Mellion.

"The citizens of Norwalk are not going to stand for this kind of treatment of its teachers," he said. "We could see a flip in this BOE from a Democratic majority to a Republican majority."

Mr. Connon retorted that the union is "playing politics."

During the interview with NorwalkNet, Mr. Mellion used the words "economic devastation" repeatedly to describe the teacher contract proposals made by the BOE. He highlighted the elimination of the "longevity schedule," which determines the compensation of teachers on the basis of seniority.

"This will drive out veteran teachers," said Mr. Mellion. "They will ask why do I want to stay in Norwalk? It will force teachers to resign and move to other districts. We will not be able to compete with neighboring towns. Norwalk will end up a wasteland."

Mr. Mellion said that his members are not indifferent to the current economic situation but he believes that Norwalk is in very good financial shape. He pointed to what he described as $2 billion in new construction being undertaken in the city.

"The teachers of this town understand economic tempering, but we do not understand economic devastation," he said.

Mr. Mellion would not discuss concessions that the union is prepared to make in order to arrive at an agreement with the BOE.

Since the two parties have not been able to agree on a contract during the negotiation period,
they will be entering into a binding arbitration process during which a state appointed arbitrator will hear the last and final offers from each side and make decisions about the contract which are considered final. This process could take several months.

Laurie G. Cain, a Simsbury attorney, has been selected as the arbitrator and an initial meeting between the two parties will take place next Thursday. Ms. Cain has served on the State Department of Education Panel representing the public interest since 1993.

In addition, as a result of the labor complaint, the State will send a Labor Agent to investigate the claim made by the BOE within the next month. According to Mr. Connon, most parties reach a resolution in a preliminary conference which may include a monetary settlement. However, if no resolution is agreed to the two parties go to a hearing in front of a Labor Board. This process, which can also take several months to resolve, runs in parallel to the arbitration process.

Mr. Mellion criticized the BOE's actions. He said both the filing of the labor complaint and earbitration are "expensive" and "an unnecessary waste of taxpayer money".

Steve Colarossi, a Republican candidate for the BOE agrees. He points to the fact that the BOE has set aside nearly $400,000 in its budget to cover legal expenses.

"This is a blank check, and a colossal waste of money," said Colarossi, who is also an attorney. "Having this much money allocated for legal fees makes for bad decisions."

The BOE's attorney Mr. Connon countered that for school districts the size of Norwalk the legal fees associated with arbitration is not excessive. "It's insignificant given what's at stake economically," he said.

NCLB Allows School Transfers & Tutoring

Students at Title 1 schools which are "in need of improvement" are allowed to transfer schools and are entitled to supplementary services like tutoring, according to provisions contained in the No Child Left Behind legislation. In Norwalk, Jefferson, Silvermine, Cranbury and Tracey elementary schools fall into this category.

According to Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona, all parents from these schools received letters in August to inform them of their option to switch schools. The district received 43 requests to transfer schools by the late August deadline. After Labor Day, the district will assign these students to another school based on enrollment numbers.

What happens if you missed the letter informing you of your child's ability to transfer schools?

According to Mr. Daddona the school district will try and accommodate requests that are made but cannot guarantee another placement.

The option to transfer schools is available to all students at Title I schools designated "In Need of Improvement". However, free supplementary services like tutoring are only available to students who receive free and reduced lunch and who individually are not performing up to standards required by NCLB.

According to Carol Marinaccio, Norwalk's Title One Grants Administrator, there will be a supplementary services information session for parents at Jefferson School on September 30th at which state approved tutors will be present.

Last year 90 out of 150 families with students eligible for assistance participated in the program set up by the Norwalk school district, and of those students 55% showed progress.

Title I distributes federal funding to schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families. To qualify as a Title I school, a school typically has to have around 40% or more of its students that come from "low income" families.

NCLB's menu of sanctions, including possible restructuring, are only for Title 1 schools. As a result students at a school that is not designated as a Title I school do not have the option of switching schools or receiving supplementary services.

Separately, the Norwalk school district is one of 15 districts in the state to be classified "In Need of Improvement" State officials came to Norwalk in June to see how the district is progressing in its District Improvement Plan. An evaluation report from the State is expected any day, according to Mr. Daddona.

Despite Norwalk's compliance with NCLB, school officials say that the legislation has flaws. Diane Filardo, Norwalk Public School's testing coordinator said that NCLB does not give the whole picture of the quality of education offered in Norwalk.

"NCLB is all or nothing," she said, "but things are complicated in Norwalk". Ms. Filardo explained that all the subgroups in a school could be proficient except one, but the whole school gets penalized and labeled "in need of improvement".

Ms. Filardo would prefer that students and the district be evaluated differently,

"What we should really be looking at is vertical scale scores--how students are performing from one year to the next, how they are progressing."

Obama Tells Kids to Work Hard

The White House has released the text of the speech that President Obama intends to give today (Tuesday) to the nation's school children. The speech emphasizes taking personal responsibility and the importance of working hard in school.

"We can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities," said President Obama's written remarks. "Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed."

In an attempt to connect with children who are not focused on their studies the President recounted the educational challenges he faced in his own life:

"I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork. I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.

So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse. But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams."

President Obama's speech has generated controversy because some conservative commentators and parents believed the President would use the occasion to inject politics into the classroom.

The speech is largely apolitical with only a passing reference to the Obama Administration's plans to reform schools.

According to a statement issued last Friday by Asst. Superintendent Tony Daddona individual teachers and principals would decide whether or not to show the speech. Students and parents could opt out if they wished.



Appearing Sunday on the CBS News program "Face the Nation" Education Secretary Arne Duncan said of the Presidents speech:

"At the end of the day, if the president motivates one C-student to become a B-student or one student who is thinking about dropping out to stay in school and take their education seriously, it's all worth it."

I'm not sure if my kids will be seeing the speech in school, but if they aren't I plan to watch it with them after school. I would be interested in getting your opinions about the speech and especially what your kids thought.

Breaking News : BOE Files Labor Complaint Against Teachers Union

The Norwalk Board of Education has filed complaint with the State of Connecticut Board of Labor Relations alleging that Norwalk Federation of Teachers violated an agreement to keep contract negotiations between the two parties confidential.

In particular the BOE claims that by holding a rally on Monday at Brien McMahon high school and distributing fliers about the BOE's specific contract proposals the union breached a "Ground Rules for Negotiations" agreement that was entered into prior to contract negotiations.

As part of the agreement each side agreed to a news blackout. At the rally NFT President Bruce LeVine Mellion spoke to reporters.

In a press release sent by its attorneys the BOE said: "The Board of Education regrets the Union president's attempt to inflame the staff of the Norwalk School District using scare tactics and misrepresentations of the Board of Education's proposals in negotiations. The Board has no intention of similarly taking the Union's proposals out of context and holding then up for ridicule."

I've been preparing a story on the contract negotiations based on an interview I did with Mr. Mellion ealier this week.

A copy of the BOE's press release, complaint and the agreement is embedded below.

BOE Labor Complaint

Some Conservative Parents Oppose Letting Prez Obama Speak to Kids -- Updated

President Barack Obama’s plan to give a nationally telecast speech to school children about the importance of education is encountering opposition from Conservative groups across reports the New York Times and the Associated Press.



President Obama is appearing live at a high school in Virginia next Tuesday (Sept. 8) and his speech will be simulcast on the White House’s web site. The White House would like schools across the country to tune in.

Right-wing talk radio is in an uproar warning parents that President Obama wants to indoctrinate their children evoking comments like this:

The thing that concerned me most about it was it seemed like a direct channel from the President of the United States into the classroom, to my child.” said Brett Curtiss, an engineer from Pearland, TX, who said he would keep his three children home.

Thankfully the Times found more sensible adults:

“It’s difficult for me to understand how listening to the president, the commander in chief, the chief citizen of this country is damaging to the youth of today,” said Phyllis Griffin Epps, an analyst for [Houston] who has two children in public school.”

Just like Ms. Epps I think the whole notion of keeping kids from listening to the President of the United States is quite frankly silly. Obviously there are many people who disagree with President Obama’s policies, but it’s still valuable for children of all ages hear what he has to say.

Instead of shutting their eyes and ears parent and teachers can turn the President’s speech into a teachable moment and have students discuss what they’ve just heard or give a lesson about civics or history.

In fact the federal Department of Education has prepared a list of sample activities both for younger students (preK to Grade 6) and older students (Grade 7 to Grade 12). One sample question asks elementary school students, "Why do you think he wants to speak to you?" Middle school and High School students are asked, "We heard President Obama mention the importance of personal responsibility. In your life, who exemplifies this kind of responsibility? How? Give examples."

I’ve e-mailed interim superintendant Willliam Papallo to see if Norwalk students will be hearing President Obama’s address and if there is any policy that will allow students to opt-out.

I’d also be interested in hearing from teachers, parents an students as to what you think about the President being able to address the student of America.

UPDATE:

I met with Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona this morning. Mr. Daddona thought that the speech would be "historic," however the decision to watch the program will be up to principals and teachers at each school.

He also said that the district had received several emails yesterday from parents asking for their kids to "opt out" of watching President Obama's address and in response has prepared this statement:

In answer to your request about the President's speech, I have been asked to inform you that the schools will do as they have always done with such issues. The program must be integrated and aligned with our curriculum in order to be shown in class. In addition, there will be no political position taken by any staff members. Stuents will have the opportunity to opt out of viewing the program should it be shown in their class, in which case they will be provided with an alternative educational activity. Finally, parents have the opportunity to inform the school that they do one want their student to participate in the viewing.

Majority of Norwalk Schools "In Need of Improvement"

Hundreds of Connecticut schools, including a dozen in Norwalk, have failed to meet meet the performance standards required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

WSHU, an NPR affiliate, has the story

12 of Norwalk's 17 public schools are "In Need of Improvement," because they did not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) on the Connecticut Mastery Test. The Norwalk school district itself is classified as "In Need of Improvement."

No Child Left Behind requires states to measure "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) for schools receiving Title I funds with the goal of all students reaching the proficient level on reading/language arts and mathematics tests by the 2013-2014 school year. States must define minimum levels of improvement as measured by standardized tests chosen by the state. If a school receiving Title I funding fails to meet its AYP target for two or more consecutive years (described as Year I), the school is designated "in need of improvement" and faces specific consequences.

The Norwalk schools that are in Need of Improvement are:

High School
Norwalk High School, Year IV
Brien McMahon, Year IV
Briggs,Year VI

Middle School
Nathan Hale,Year IV
Ponus Ridge,Year II
Roton,Year III
West Rocks,Year III

Elementary School
Cranbury Elementary School,Year II
Fox Run, Year I
Jefferson, Year III
Silvermine, Year III
Tracey, Year II

When a Title I school fails to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for two or more consecutive years (Year I), parents of chidren in that school have the choice to transfer their children to schools which are not identified as "in need of improvement" A district cannot deny school choice to eligible students due to lack of capacity.

When a Title I school fails to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for three or more consecutive years (Year II), students are eligible for state-approved supplemental educational services, which include tutoring or other extra education services that provide academic aid to students.

In addition to these services, parents continue to have school transfer options

When a Title I school fails to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for four consecutive years (Year III), the district must implement at least one of the following corrective actions: replace school staff; implement new curriculum; decrease the authority of school-level administration; appoint outside experts to advise the school; extend the school year or school day; and/or restructure the internal organization of the school.

When a Title I school fails to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for five (Year IV) consecutive years, the district must prepare a plan to restructure the school. The restructuring plan must include one of the following alternative governance arrangements: reopen the school as a public charter school; replace all or most of the school staff, including the principal; enter into a contract to have an outside entity operate the school; arrange for the state to take over operation of the school; or any other major restructuring of the school's governance arrangement.

When a Title I school fails to meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) goals for six consecutive years, the district must implement the plan developed in the previous year to restructure the school.

I have a call into Dr. Papallo to find out exactly what corrective and restructuring actions will be taking place as a result of these new results.

UPDATE:

According to Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona,
"Sanctions’ only apply to Title I schools. Jefferson and Silvermine are the only two schools who require corrective action. These two schools have Executive Coaches. They work with the building Principal developing a School Improvement Plan and in the implementation of the School Improvement Plan. These schools also have received a plan for service of 5 days on CALI assistance... "

CALI is the Connecticut Accountability for Learning Initiative, a program by the State Department of Education to help schools devise a plan improvement to increase student performance.

The Title 1 schools that are in need of improvement are Cranbury, Fox Run, Jefferson, Silvermine and Tracey.

As one of the comments indicates Cranbury, Roton and Silvermine are "on hold," meaning if they make AYP next year they'll be off of the "needs improvement" list.

UPDATE 2:
If you'd like to access the NCLB data go the State Dept of Ed website:

http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/cwp/view.asp?a=2662&Q=322372

Board of Education Meeting Round-Up

The Board of Education met on the eve of the first day of school to discuss the superintendent search, facility repairs and the mystery of the missing portable classrooms.

Portable classrooms that were supposed to be ready for use by the first day of school at Naramake and Rowayton elementary schools are literally missing in action. The company that was contracted to supply the units has not delivered them as promised.

Interim superintendent William Papallo called the situation "painful" and a "carnival."

"The company has lied to us so often," he said. Norwalk Schools CFO Dan Cook said the portables are now scheduled to be delivered on September 10th.

In a predictable move, BOE Chair Rosa Murray said that the Superintendent Search Committee would be comprised only of the nine school board members.

"Many people , including the Mayor and other stakeholders, have volunteered to participate in the search," said Ms. Murray. "However, we will stay with the nine board members." Ms. Murray described the board members as having an "intimate understanding" of the system.

She added that the BOE would keep the public updated however they will deliberate in private to ensure confidentiality.

In an interview after the meeting Ms. Murray said that the Board's first order of business will be to engage a search firm that specializes in superintendent recruitment. She added that public input will be sought through focus groups and stakeholder meetings. When asked what would happen if a new superintendent is not found by the time Dr. Papallo leaves in less than five months, she said, "We'll have to see how things go. We can't say anything now."

The BOE also voted last night to reinstate the elementary school Assistant Principal positions. Tomorrow morning students and Wolfpit, Tracey and Columbus schools will see the same assistant principals that were there in June. During the summer there was a plan recommended by Dr. Corda that would have moved Columbus' assistant principal to Marvin and assigned part-time assistant principals at Wolfpit and Tracey. Vacancies at Marvin and Naramake are being advertised as full-time positions.

At the meeting Dr. Papallo also shared the good news that the State will be providing approximately $50,000 to help transport students to a technical school in Danbury, freeing up some funds for reinstating the assistant principal positions.

The BOE also began discussing the NPS Facilities Audit awhich outlines required construction projects at all the schools. The assessment was originally done in 2005 and has been updated to reflect the current needs of Norwalk schools. The audit found that approximately $50 million was need to keep school buildings in good condition. According to Dan Cook there is currently only about $6 million in the BOE's capital improvement fund. (For more details on this sub ject see a story in the Norwalk Hour).

During the public comments period Norwalk Federation of Teachers (NFT) President Bruce LeVine Mellion told the BOE that teacher morale has been low for the last two years.

The union and the BOE are locked in a increasing difficult contract negotiation. Mr. Mellion told the Board "You have sent a lightening bolt of fear by the proposed action," he said referring to various concessions the BOE has asked for. Negotiations between the two sides are continuing.