Updated: Administrators Counter Union Leaders on Central Office Criticism

Thirty NPS Administrators have written a letter to the Board of Education countering last week's "no confidence" letter from  seven union leaders, including their own, which criticized the Central Office's leadership. (See a previous story for the text of the union leaders' letter.)

"Our union leaders in no way represent our position," write the 30 signatories who are a part of the Norwalk Association of School Administrators (NASA). "We were never consulted on the letter presented to the board or the content. In fact, our union administration has acted without our knowledge and consensus in presenting to the Board of Education correspondence implying that it is representative of the entire administrative group."

The signers of the letter, some of whose names are illegible, include Marilyn Liberatore, the former interim-Elementary School Director, Suzanne Brown Koroshetz, Principal of Brien McMahon High School, Linda Sumpter, Principal at Ponus Middle School, David Hay, Principal of Brookside Elementary, Karen Ockasi, Principal of Naramake Elementary, Frances Mahoney, Principal of Wolfpit Elementary, Ivette Ellis, Principal of Silvermine, and Myrna Tortorello, Principal of Marvin Elementary.

"I am still a big supporter of our union but I believe that the letter put forth doesn't represent all of the members," said David Hay, one of the signers, in a telephone interview. "We didn't have a voice in that letter." Mr. Hay also took issue with the scope of the union leaders' letter. "They threw paint on the wall without giving specifics," he said. "Broad brush strokes can get easily misinterpreted."

Several other signatories were contacted for their comments, however none returned phone calls.

Tony Ditrio, President of NASA, did call me back and said that he never claimed to represent the views of his union when he sent the letter.  "This was not a letter on behalf of the membership,"  he said. "It represented the opinion of seven union leaders who deal with the Central office on a regular basis."

Mr. Ditrio, who has been employed by Norwalk Public Schools in a variety of capacities over 41 years, said that he has "earned the right to have an opinion about this. The status quo is not good enough."

Mr. Ditrio said that he was not surprised by the counter letter. "There are some people in my union that don't really know what's happening and there are some others that benefit from their relationship with the current leadership."

Mr. Dirtrio singled out former interim Elementary Director Marilyn Liberatore as one of those who has a advantageous  relationship with the Central Office leadership. Mr. Ditrio claims that the counter letter was put together by Ms. Liberatore who also solicited signatures during school hours.

Ms. Liberatore retired as the principal of Columbus Elementary. She was pulled out of retirement to fill the position of Elementary School Director on an interim basis, but has continued to receive a pension. NASA filed a grievance with the BOE because Ms. Liberatore was in the position for a year and a half. NASA has also filed a grievance over the hiring of Carol Marinaccio who replaced Ms. Liberatore.

Critics have suggested that Mr. Ditrio initiated the letter to the BOE because he is upset that a candidate who he favored was not considered for the Elementary School Director position. "We were upset that one of our own was eliminated early on, but that's not what this is about," he said. Mr. Ditrio said that the grievance NASA has filed doesn't concern who was hired but the process used in the hiring decision.

Ms. Liberatore did not return a phone call asking for a comment.

NASA Letter

How Much Free Speech for Board Members?

At last week's BOE  meeting, Dr. Papallo and several Board members expressed their frustration and concern over Steve Colarossi's comments to the Hour about "the waste and inefficiency that has marked the central office."

There was considerable discussion in this website's Comments Section about the validity of  Mr. Colarossi's opinion.  However, one question that has not receive much attention was whether Mr. Colarossi or any board member should be speaking to the press in the first place.

Certain board members strongly believe that the BOE should function as a unified body and that only the Chairperson should should speak to the media on NPS-related matters. In fact the NPS Bylaws state:

Any news releases at the Board of Education level, or public statements, are to come from the Chairperson of the Board of Education, the Board as a whole, or by member(s) of the Board  providing the majority of the Board has gone on record as approving the release or public statement. This refers to all media.

I spoke to Nick Caruso, CABE's Senior Staff Associate for Field Service, who said that this is a "complex issue".

"We have this debate here at CABE, amongst ourselves", said Mr. Caruso.  "Of course, board members do not lose their first ammendement rights when they join the board. Passionate discourse and debate is part of democracy and often makes board motions better."

However, Mr. Caruso said that Boards of Education have authority "only as a whole" and need to be "sensitive to the fact that they are a team."

"If board members speak carelessly without thought, they can jeopardize the ability of the Board to work together," he said.  "Board members have opinions. They don't always have to agree, but they should try present a united public front, especially after descisions are voted on."

Mr. Caruso cautioned that outside groups, like teachers' unions, often benefit when members speak out of turn.  "They don't have to worry about change when there is discord on the board," he said.

In addition, he said that, in the case of Norwalk,  too much public criticizing on the board can send a negative message to potential candidates for superintendent.

Given the nature of their office, BOE members should, of course, be apolitical and work with their fellow board members in a spirit of teamwork and cooperation. Nevertheless, BOE members run and are elected as individuals just like any other elected officials. They have certain points of view and should be free to express them respectfully as individuals.  To expect them to become mute once they've assumed office is a disservice to voters who have elected certain people to office.

Last night, the Board of Education members convened a special "Board Retreat" meeting. "The main thing is to learn how to better function as a board," Board Chair Glenn Iannaccone told me in an e-mail. "We will talk about respecting each others opinions and holding each other accountable as a board. There isn't alot of training for new board members so this serves to answer questions and provide clarifications regarding a board member's dutys."

I decided not to attend. Given the spate of attacks I've witnessed at recent board meetings, it seemed that this retreat would be like marriage counseling where some healing could occur without the prying eyes of the press. Let's hope so.

Teaching of Foreign Languages on Decline

Fewer students are learning foreign languages in elementary and middle school according to a new study released by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL). Looking at enrollment patterns at all levels of schools over the last 20 years, the authors found that foreign language instruction has remained relatively stable only at the high school level .

“The findings indicate a serious disconnect between the national call to educate world citizens with high-level language skills and the current state of foreign language instruction in schools across the country,” they write in the study’s Executive Summary.

Based on data provided by CAL, a recent article in the New York Times described how Mandarin is becoming a very popular language, but Japanese and European languages are being taught less. Spanish continues to be the most popular language taught in schools.

According to the Times: “Experts said several factors were fueling the surge in Chinese. Parents, students and educators recognize China’s emergence as an important country and believe that fluency in its language can open opportunities.”

One of the main culprits for the lack of language programs in elementary and middle school according is the No Child Left Behind law which has required schools to test in English and Math and has drawn resources away from teaching foreign languages.

The trend does not seem to be confined to the United States. “Foreign language lessons are becoming the privilege of elite and wealthy children,” according the British newspaper The Times of London. In the UK, the government recently dropped the requirement that all students had to learn a foreign language.

Here in Norwalk, French and Spanish are offered in Middle School.  In High School,  Classical Latin, German, Italian, French, Spanish and Greek are offered. In addition, The Center for Global Studies at Brien McMahon High School has courses in Arabic, Mandarin, and Japanese.  Foreign languages are not taught in elementary school, with the exception of Silvermine Elementary School.  

As a parent of elementary school students, I often wish more was done with foreign languages in the early years when language acquisition seems easy for children.  I know several parents that supplement their child's education with foreign language classes outside of school.  However, I also understand the need to focus on basic skills at a young age.  

Do you consider learning foreign languages an essential part of your child's education or an extra?

Seat Belts on School Buses? Quinnipiac Poll says "Yes" Take the NorwalkNet Poll

A poll released today says that 73% of Connecticut voters want to require seat belts on school buses.  The Quinnipiac survey* says that the proposal has broad support across party lines and throughout the state.

The state legislature is expected to take up this issue in 2010 session which begins on Feb. 3rd

The proposal came after a 16-year-old boy from Rocky Hill died in a bus crash on Jan. 9 on Interstate 84 in Hartford.  A school bus heading to a robotics competition in Farmington collided with a car and plummeted down an embankment.  A dozen other children were injured.

Amanda Falcone of the Hartford Courant wrote an extensive story on this issue earlier this week.

Across the country, school bus accidents can be the impetus for attempts to get the buses equipped with seat belts. The debates take fairly predictable forms, with lawmakers, special interest groups and parents weighing costs against benefits. Today, only six states have any kind of school bus seat-belt requirements on their books; some have passed laws, but haven't funded them. A seventh state, Alabama, is in the last year of a pilot study.

The issue is complicated by the apparent lack of statistics showing that seat belts on buses have saved lives. They save lives in cars, and the reasoning goes that they must on buses, as well. But with no data to help lawmakers make a decision, the issue remains controversial, often, but not always, resurfacing when it appears a restraint might have saved a life.

According to the article, 23 bills requiring seat belts have been put before the state legislature but they have never made it out of committee.  This time however, Rep. Antonio Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, has vowed to ensure that his bill receives proper vetting.  Now, with the results of Quinnipiac poll, he will have added public support for this cause. 

One of the reasons that the bill has met resistance is the strong lobbying by the bus companies, according to  Dr. Alan Ross, President of the National Coalition for School Bus Safety,

In a story by Connecticut Public Broadcasting Network, Dr. Ross said:

"Well the industry will tell you that the seat backs are padded, and they call that compartmentalization. The padding is not a bad thing, but it's not enough.  When a bus goes down an embankment, the padding on the back of the seat is not gonna hold a child in place and prevent them from becoming a projectile or a missile.  You need a shoulder harness belt."

Currently, federal law requires seat belts on small buses. Ross says adding seat belts to older buses can cost thousands of dollars:

"Many, many buses out there would have to be retrofitted, and a retrofit can cost as much as twenty or thirty thousand dollars. The reason for that is these buses are so flimsy in their construction, that the floors, the anchorages, the walls, all have to be reinforced and reengineered to support the safety belts."

In contrast, Dr. Ross says adding seat belts to new school buses can cost about $4,000. 

Over the years, I have used car seats of all shapes and sizes to drive my kids to and from school, but when they're on the school bus they're unharnessed and flailing around.  While I'd like to see a seat belt law on buses, especially for long trips, I expect there will be push back due to the financial pressure it will put on bus companies and school systems.  What do you think?

*Quinnipiac's poll of 1,594 registered voters was conducted between Jan. 14 and 19, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Updated: Sup Search Update, Frustration over Central Office & Race to the Top Reversed

At last night’s tension-filled Board of Education meeting, union leaders presented the Board members with a letter  expressing “frustration and concern” regarding the Central Office's leadership. (see below for the text of the letter).

"Many of us in union leadership positions, have served in the Norwalk Public Schools for decades. We have seen good times and bad times but nothing as bad as what we face today," said Tony Ditrio, principal of Kendall Elementary and President of the Norwalk Association of School Administrators. "We have no Superintendent and many of the top leadership positions are being held by interim appointments. Some of these people came to us after having less than successful careers in other school systems."

The letter was signed by six other union leaders representing Norwalk's teachers and school staff.

In an interview after the meeting Mr. Ditrio said, "I don't know who to talk to anymore.  The high level cabinet personnel are only interested what is good for themselves. They have no respect for the staff."

"It is critical that the new superintendent be able to pick a new team if have any chance of turning around this district," he said singling out the Director of Human Resources, the Director of Finance and Assistant Superintendent positions.

"Every single union leader was in the room tonight," said Bruce Mellion, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers. "This has never been done before and sends an extremely strong statement."

Interim Superintendent Bill Papallo did not respond directly to the criticism but said later in the meeting that the Central Office staff are "hard working and dedicated but understaffed." Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona said in an interview that he felt "blindsided" and wished that the group had brought their concerns to him and other administrators.

Early in the meeting, BOE Chair Glen Iannacone gave a brief update on the superintendent search.  Mr. Iannacone said that CABE Search Services, the search firm hired by the BOE to conduct the search, was in its final phase.  Mr. Iannacone said that one finalist will be brought before the community when the Board has made a selection.  He added that the Board, the sole interviewers, will work in conjunction with CABE to check references and conduct site visits. 

He also said that the public will be updated about the search through the NPS website and press releases as they become available.  Interim Superintendent Papallo's tenure in Norwalk comes to an end in mid-February and he said that he is working with the board to bring on another interim superintendent.

In an interview after the meeting, Mr Iannacone would not confirm whether the interviews had begun or not. 

Mr. Iannacone said that he hopes to find a superintendent as soon as possible.  However, when asked by this reporter what happens if the Board does not find a suitable candidate in the first batch of applicants, Mr. Iannacone replied;  “We will keep searching.”

Superintendent Papallo softened his initial resistant stance on Race to the Top Funding.   Dr. Papallo and Chair Iannacone had met with State Commissioner of Education earlier that day.

“We met with the State and clarified many issues,” said Dr. Papallo.  “I was assured by the Commissioner that even though we sign on now that does not commit the district. We are committed when we start receiving dollars.”

Dr. Papallo, who had received many letter from parents questioning why Norwalk was not signing on to the application, said that the requirements of the grant have been changing daily  "Nobody knew whether it would be prudent to proceed." 

Board Member Jody Bishop Pullan said that the Board did not have enough information about the grant to sign on initially and said the Norwalk Education Foundation was "irresponsible" for writing a letter to the Hour questioning the board's reluctance to sign on.

"There are a lot of issues around this funding," said Ms. Bishop-Pullan.  "The teachers need to understand it."

Ms. Haynie, a proponent of Race to the Top, said that the Norwalk is already performing many of the requirments of the grant and funding would allow for program improvements which the district has not been able to afford in recent years.

Mr. Papallo said he will recommend to the Board to sign onto the state’s application for the federal grant at the next board meeting. 

Central office efficacy resurfaced again at the end of the meeting when bitter remarks were exchanged between Board Member Steve Colarossi and Superintendent Papallo about an article in the Hour last week.

“You are irresponsible,” Dr. Papallo said of Mr. Colarossi’s remarks about "the waste and inefficiency that has marked the central office."

“There has not been efficient delivery of services by Central Office,” said Mr. Colarossi. “This does not demean how hard staff works. Taxpayers want improved efficiency and I will continue to voice my conscious.”

Board Member Susan Hamilton gave advice to the newly elected board members.   "They are entitled to their own opinions but they have to realize that they are part of a board. You can't always have it both ways."

Board Member Migdalia Rivas said that only the Board Chairman can speak for the Board and said that Mr. Colarossi was violating regulations governing the Board.

Mr. Colarossi rebutted that he was expressing his opinion, not the Board's.

"Nowhere was I claiming to speak for the board," he said.  "I am a member of the public and will continue to speak for them with a loud voice."

The Board also discussed two potential firms to perform a facilities study of the elementary schools which will address overcrowding and changing enrollment patterns.  The Board agreed to put forth Partners in Architecture over Perkins Eastman for approval by the Finance Committee since the former were less expensive and a smaller shop that would give more personalized attention to NPS.  In addition, Partners in Architecture would partner with NPS's current enrollment projection company instead doing their own demographic study, unlike Perkins Eastman.

Scan

BOE Meeting to Address Sup Search

Tonight's Board of Education agenda includes the long-awaited status of the superintendent search. 

There has been no news about the superintendent search for many weeks,  so I was relieved to see that it will be discussed tonight.    I have emailed Dr. Papallo and Board Chair Glenn Iannaconne a couple of times to ask them about the search and interview process, but my questions have gone unanswered.

The selection of a superintendent is the most important decision this district will make for years. Parents want to be assured that this Board is doing everything it possibly can to find the best person for the job.  While I understand there is a need for confidentiality around the names of candidates, I do not think that parents and the community should be left in the dark about the search process.  We should be updated about the search at every BOE Meeting, even if there is no new news to share. 

Norwalk is suffering from a serious leadership vacuum.  Key positions throughout Central Office are interim, unfilled, brand new or ready for retirement.   And while we wait for our new leader, important decisions are being delayed and not receiving adequate attention.  Norwalk's inability to sign onto the Race to the Top application put together by the state (although 100 districts statewide signed on, including all the districts "in need of improvement") is an example of this.  

Norwalk needs a strong Board during this period of transition.  While we can defer many decisions, we cannot defer all of them.  

Some of the questions I've emailed to the superintendent and board chair include:

• Have you begun the interview process?
• Who is interviewing the candidates? 
• Is there a possibility to include parents or teachers in the interview process?  Could be done with the use of a confidentiality agreement?
• How will the references and site visits be handled?
• Do you have a list of questions for candidates that you can share with the public?
• Is there a possibility of bringing finalists in front of the community?

Regarding the Interim Superintendent:

• When is Dr. Papallo's last day?
• Are plans underway to hire another interim superintendent?  For how long

I hope some of these questions are answered tonight.  Feel free to post your own questions about the search in the comments section.  Maybe some the board members will be reading this post.

11910 BOE Agenda

Education Reform: The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time

I read a wonderful article today by John Legend in the Huffington Post--  Education Reform:  The Cvil Rights Issue of Our Time.  Mr. Legend is a recording artist, concert performer and philanthropist and he makes a powerful argument that one of the best ways to honor Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy is to reform the educational system.

Today, across the country, there will be many events to honor Dr. King. Personally, I believe the very best way to honor him and our civil rights leaders is to fight for social justice. And I believe the most important tool in the struggle for equality is to guarantee every American a quality education.

 Mr. Legend reminds us of some sobering facts.

Just 15% of our high schools are responsible for 50% of the dropout students and those schools are more likely to have a majority of students who are African American or Latino. So while Martin Luther King Jr. fought for our laws to not discriminate, our education system still helps perpetuate inequity. I think Melinda Gates put it best when she recently said, "Education is the key to opportunity, and the opportunity is not equal."

A good education is inextricably linked to our rights as American citizens. And it is appalling that a quality education is not considered a fundamental right. This is why I consider the education "achievement gap" between those students who are receiving a quality education and those who are not the civil rights issue of our time. It is fundamentally unfair that Americans' educational opportunities are so heavily influenced by the conditions outside of their control.

As a society, we have to ensure that every individual is given the opportunity to shine. We have to level the playing field. It shouldn't require a Herculean effort and great luck just to make it out of your neighborhood high school. We owe it to our kids to make sure they have the opportunity provided by a quality education.

Stamford Stories: Achievement Gap Forum & Furry Reading Coaches and Haiti

Two articles from the Stamford Advocate caught my eye this weekend.

On Saturday, a Stamford non-profit, Domus, hosted a listening tour about Connecticut's complicated and persistent achievement gap.  As part of the statewide Campaign LEARN -- the Campaign for Leadership, Education, Achievement and Reform Now -- legislators sought input from the public and organizations on improving the academic performance of black, Hispanic and poor students.

Wynne Parry in the her story, "State Leaders, Teacher and Parents Discuss the Achievement Gap" writes:

In Stamford, the school system has begun a reform effort that includes reducing the number of ability levels in middle schools and making them more flexible. State Rep. Patricia Billie Miller, D-Stamford, applauded this effort and recalled being a substitute teacher in Stamford and hearing a student refer to her group as the "dumbest class." No child should have to face this stigma, Miller said. As a member of the state General Assembly's education committee, she called for bills to address the achievement gap...

When parents and teachers came to the podium, they brought up underlying issues, such as inequities in expectations from teachers based on their students' race and cultural attitudes toward education -- issues more difficult to address through legislation.

Parents talked about  holding all children to high standards and diversifying the staff. A teacher said that closing the achievement gaps was about more than education:

Closing the achievement gap is about more than education, said Richard Cheng, an eighth-grade science teacher at Trailblazers Academy, a charter school run by Domus.
"It's their mentality, their confidence level," he said of the students. In addition to teaching science, he said, he also teaches confidence and belief.

At Trailblazers, the school sets up students for successful learning by helping them work through some of the emotional baggage they may have brought to school through a structured greeting every morning. On Friday mornings, they also hold boys' and girls' discussion groups to work through issues, he said.

I wrote about Campaign LEARN's initiative a couple of months back.  I think it would be a great idea if Norwalk educators, politicians and activists could organize a similar type of discussion here in Norwalk.  

****
A Stamford Middle School is trying out a couple of furry reading coaches.

For the past six weeks, Eli, a black labrador, and Logan, a large English mastiff, have been reading coaches at the Trailblazers Academy, a charter school in Stamford.

According to an article in Tuesday's Advocate, "Dogs Help Kids Learn to Read Tales", the dogs are helping about 15 struggling readers practice their skills before "less intimidating" ears.  One of the students said,  "When you read in front of a lot of people, it makes me nervous, and he's a dog." 

"It's been a really cool carrot for a lot of our kids, whether they are struggling with reading or it's a confidence issue," said Craig Baker, chief educational officer for Domus.

Because the program is new, the school is still experimenting somewhat with the format. While the three girls shared one session and one dog, passing the book back and forth as they sat on a couch, other students read one-on-one with a dog and a reading specialist or high school intern.

****
Finally, I was wondering how Norwalk parents and schools have been reacting to the unbelievably tragic earthquake in Haiti.  Many families in the area have been directly affected since Norwalk has a sizeable Haitian population.  My own children have Haitian-American classmates who have yet to hear from their extended families.  Many of the images on television and stories in the news have been haunting and undoubtedly the rescue and recovery effort will continue for a long time to come.   Are you and your family participating in any Haitian relief efforts?  How do we, as parents, explain such a catastrophic event to our children?

Outdoor Recess in Winter

Last week, I received a letter from my son’s teacher asking parents to dress children in full winter gear because she sends the kids outside for recess, even on very cold days when there is some snow on the ground.   She said in her letter that she believes strongly that it is very important to get kids outside everyday.

My husband, who is originally from Canada, says that when he was growing up it was mandatory to go outside for recess every day, regardless of the sub-zero temperature.

Many educational experts consider outdoor recess an important part of the school day, especially for younger children.   They say that outdoor recess can cut down on childhood obesity, help children learn through play, and improve student behavior and concentration. (Check out this article in The New York Times:  "The 3 Rs: A Fourth is Crucial, Too: Recess")

However, in the winter, schools must consider safety concerns about icy play areas. Some children don’t wear sufficiently warm clothing and parents worry that playing outside in the cold will make their children sick.

Parents have long been discussing this issue across the country.  In an Op-Ed in the New York Times in 2003, a Yonkers teacher complained about “a new layer of fat” parents might find hanging off their children each spring due to skipped winter recesses.

During this year's long and frigid winter, many of the city's public elementary schools canceled outdoor recess, instead keeping students inside where they watched videos (and snacked). At my son's school in Manhattan, children stayed indoors -- where they killed time in the gymnasium -- through much of April, too, because of rain. Wouldn't these children have been better off playing outside?

In Norwalk,  the decision to outside for recess seems to be left up to the principals and teachers.   On cold snowy days, many teachers and schools offer an indoor alternative to outdoor play, which includes unstructured activities like gym time, Legos or drawing. 

Mark Gorian, Director of NPS Facilities, said that the responsibility for clearing snow around schools is divided among the three city departments.  The Department of Public Works is responsible for clearing off parking lots and driveways.  Norwalk's Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for sidewalks in front of schools and pathways on fields. The NPS Facilities Dept. is in charge of a school's entrance area and asphalt play area.  The actual play structures (swings, slides, etc) are not cleared off.

Mr. Gorian, whose department has two trucks with plows,  usually waits for a call from a school prinicipal to come and clear off the asphalt areas (including basketball and tennis courts).  He said that not all of the schools use his plowing services; some schools use part of the parking lot or receiving areas (which are plowed by DPW) for outdoor time.

"We usually wait a day or two after a storm to clear off the playgrounds," said Mr. Gorian.  "Our priority is the entrance areas."

What do you think about outdoor recess in the winter?  Would you prefer your children to go outside or stay indoors?  If you are a teacher, what do you do for recess when it is very cold or snowy?

*****
FYI:  The newly formed Communications Committee did not officially meet on Monday because Committee Chair Erin Halsey (and newly elected board member) was not fully aware of the procedure of scheduling a meeting.  The Committee will convene on Feb 8th at 6pm and the second Monday of every month thereafter. 

Districts across State sign onto Race to the Top

As of noon today, 84 school districts and charter schools had signed on to Connecticut's Race to the Top Application.  The deadline was yesterday.

Race to the Top Funding is the Obama Admistration's $4.35 billion investment in school reform that requires states to compete for grants.  The grants place a strong emphasis on effective teachers and principals and data systems to track student performance.

According to Thomas Murphy, a spokesman for the State Department of Education,   several more districts including Waterbury, New Haven, Hamden and Danbury will be signing the Memorandum of Understanding in the next day.  Several districts asked for extensions on the deadline because school board meetings were scheduled early in the week.

Stamford has already signed on with the cooperation of its teacher's union.  In addition, Bridgeport is participating without the teacher's union.  Fairfield has decided not to sign on.  In total, Mr. Murphy expects 90-100 participants.

"We have really met our goal as a state," said Mr. Murphy.  In all, there are 166 school districts in the state, 16 charter schools and half-dozen regional service centers that provide special education and teacher-training services.

Mr. Murphy said many of the districts that did not sign up are small, affluent districts that do not have a Title 1 allotment and stand to gain only a few thousand dollars.

Norwalk has decided to not sign onto the State's application in this phase since there is a possibility that the cost of implementing the required programs may outweigh the funding.  If Connecticut is awarded the grant,  Norwalk would have been eligible for at least $1.4 million (and possibly more) over 4 years.   The district will revisit its decision if the State applies for Phase II of the program in June.  

Regarding Norwalk's decision to not participate in Phase 1 of Race to the Top, Mr.  Murphy said: "It's a local decision."

Mr. Murphy also confirmed there is a cost to implement some reforms and that many districts are already moving in the direction specified by the State's application.

Lea Mou Sign on Comp as of 12pm 1/12/10

Updated: Parents Question NPS Decision on Race to the Top

Below are two letters written by Lisa Thomson, Co-President of the Roton Middle School PTC, and Kerry O'Neill, PTO President at Silvermine Elementary,  to Superintendent Papallo, BOE Chair Glenn Iannacone and NFT President Bruce Mellion expressing their dismay at the district's decision to not sign on to CT's Race to the Top application.  The deadline to participate in Phase 1 is today.

Dear  Mr. Iannaccone,  Dr. Papallo and  Mr. Mellion, 

I am writing to express to you, my concern and frustration over your recent decisions, for Norwalk to NOT PURSUE  the unprecedented  Race to the Top grant money being offered by the federal government.

Given the known budget constraints that this city, district  (and country have for that matter,) I find it incredible, that your organizations can so easily brush off an opportunity to  participate in this educational reform and funding initiative.  We ALL know that once Norwalk’s budget process of reconciliation gets underway, that further cuts will occur.

As a member of the District’s Data Management Team, I have, for the past 18 months, heard from principals,  teachers and administrative staff across this District, talk about the lack of funding and resources.  I have also witnessed, first hand, the cultural resistance by SOME teachers AND administration over the accountability reforms and systemic changes, necessary to improve our present educational system.  While these issues are not unique to Norwalk, I am nevertheless concerned as a public school parent, taxpayer, businesswoman and American citizen.  

As each you, represent the LEADERSHIP  of the B.O.E., Public School District, and Teachers Union, I respectfully  implore you to reconsider your decision regarding Norwalk’s  application for Race to the Top funding.  I think you are potentially sending a very dangerous leadership message and laisse-faire attitude to the taxpayers, parents and businesses of the City of Norwalk.

It is widely accepted that K-12 education in this country needs REFORM.  We have the best universities in the world, but  ALL of our American students,  African American, White and Hispanic, are facing increased pressures from students from other countries,  who test better in Math, Science and sadly even in English (oftentimes, speaking and writing better than our students.) when applying to higher education.  School districts across this country need the support of the Race to the Top, in order to drive the systemic reforms needed in education. The Norwalk Public School District  NEEDS Race to the Top money and reform.  Other school districts in our ERG are applying, why aren't we?  

While I believe that the deadline for signing on, is this Monday, January 11, I understand there may be a 90 day window of opportunity for which Norwalk can apply.

May I please have your stated positions, as leaders of your respective organizations, as to we have not sign on yet, and when, if ever,  we plan to in the future?    

I , and other parents like myself, eagerly await your responses.

Sincerely,

 Lisa Thomson

PTC Co President – Roton Middle School 

***

Dear Dr. Papallo, Members of the Board, and Mr. Mellion:

I have been following the discussions around NPS participation in the Race to the Top application with extreme frustration and disappointment. That we would not embrace and actively pursue this unprecedented funding opportunity is shocking to me.

I have heard firsthand the cavalier attitude towards what our district would be missing out on if we didn’t sing the MOU and become a Participating District:

·         This is a “back-door” effort by the state to get secondary school reform.

o   Wait – I thought this was something we embraced as a district. Now it’s a negative?

·         This would “saddle” an incoming superintendent.

o   Are you kidding me? If we are hiring a superintendent that isn’t excited about Race to the Top, then we’ve got bigger issues.

·         That the burdens on the district are too cost prohibitive.

o   Educate me. I could not discern from the presentation, since no facts were provided, what the specific cost concerns were and what the specific $ amounts were, and whether, in fact, any of the RttT funds could be used to implement these items.

Then I’m left wondering: what do these folks know that I don’t?

·         Are they aware of some significant up-tick in local or state revenues over the next few years that will bring similar resources to bear on our school system?
·         Do they already have a strategic vision and plan in place to accomplish the reform goals the state has laid out for its application?
·         Or worse, none of the above: there is no strategic vision, there is no plan to deal with shrinking resources, there is no true embrace of the reforms the state has outlined (we know better? we can do it all ourselves?), there is no true embrace of creative solutions to the problems our district faces. And everyone is ok with that.

I have done my own research on Race to the Top – both what the Feds put out in the solicitation and what the state has devised for its application approach. I have reviewed all the publicly available materials on the state’s website, including the MOU itself. This is something we should absolutely want to be a part of. With approximately 20 districts in CT signed on, our share of the $262MM in funds, should CT win an award, would be significantly higher than the $1.4 million that was presented at last week’s meeting. Even by not signing on as an “Involved” district or a “Collaborating” district, we are walking away from the chance to tap into significant resources. But to be a Collaborating or Involved district, you also have to sign on as a Participating district and sign the MOU.

As an aside, I just completed an application to the feds for a similar type of competitive program for energy efficiency funding. I coordinated a submission involving 14 towns in CT (each requiring an authorization letter from the chief municipal officer, like the state is requiring an MOU) and 9 different non-profit, for-profit, quasi-public and academic organizations. The application was over 200 pages long and involved detailed budgets, models and outcomes from each partner and the project as a whole. I’m intimately familiar with the stakes involved in these types of federal solicitations – what is required to put a great application together, but also the level of accountability that’s required if you win an award. It is a new way of operating and it can seem scary. But understand – this new way of operating isn’t going away, in any of our public sectors. It’s the “new normal” as the pundits now say. As a district, we need to figure out how to operate in this new way.

As one of your most informed constituents when it comes to education policy and issues, please know that this lack of serious consideration by our administration, our union and our board is deeply disturbing to me. I urge you to consider signing this MOU today and demonstrate leadership for all the children of Norwalk.

Thank you for your consideration.

Kerry O'Neill

PTO President, Silvermine Elementary

Colarossi and Haynie Scrutinize Budget

Board Members Steve Colarossi and Sue Haynie are doing what voters elected them to do.  They are going through next year's proposed $155 million operating budget line-by-line and asking a lot of questions.

At last Thursday's Finance Committee, Mr. Colarossi, chair of the committee, reviewed a list of questions that he had presented to Dan Cook, Interim CFO. Ms. Haynie had her own list of 40 questions, for Mr. Cook.  (See below for the entire list of questions and answers).

In addition to answering the questions, Dr. Cook is looking into a list of "open issues" and potential areas for savings, including the number of reserve teachers, legal fees and teacher turnover.  The Finance Committe will be reviewing these open items at future meetings.

In an email to NorwalkNet, Mr. Colarossi said:

First, we do need to review it line-by-line to be certain that duplicative costs and excessive increases are noted, explained and corrected.

Secondly, we need to be certain that all essential student programs and critical operational functions are sufficiently and fairly funded.  This analysis requires a more broad examination of the budget document and discussions with school principals and department heads, with important input being provided from our parents, students, teachers and staff.

Thirdly, we need to appreciate that the budget contains important policy implications which need to be addressed in conjunction with the needs and expectations of our community....

The goal is that, by the time we have our final budget cap set, we will have a good sense of what our actual needs are and how we might make the budget cuts which are required in non-essential areas.  At that time, the public will have been given the same information that is being shared with the members of the Finance Committee (and the entire Board) and we will be able to collectively work on the solutions that are needed. 

A reminder that the BOE's Communications Committee and Curriculum Committe will meeting this evening at 6pm and 7pm, respectively.
Steven Colarossi Budget q

Sue Haynie Budget Questions

Mayor Moccia asks for Union Givebacks: No Raises for Stamford Teachers

Mayor Richard Moccia has called for a zero increase in the NPS 2010-11 school budget.  In order to accomplish this, he is asking for union givebacks. See Robert Koch's story in the Hour today.

"My hope is that not just the teachers union, but the administrators, everybody will start to look at some of the things the city did, whether it's furloughs, deferred raises, no raises," said Mayor Richard A. Moccia. "If they don't, then the only thing you're going to hear is 'Programs are going to have to be cut.' I think there has to be -- and I'm going to quote President Obama -- 'We're all in this together,' and we all have to make sacrifices." 

The Norwalk Federation of Teachers, Norwalk's teachers union, negotiated a three-year contract in October which included a 1.35% raise for the coming year.  Bruce LeVine Mellion, NFT president, said in today's paper that discussions regarding concessions are premature.

"We think there are other ways, other avenues, other venues to address the budgetary issues and concerns. But it's not going to be the reopening of collective-bargaining agreements that we have concluded negotiating," LeVine Mellion said. The city has "a joint committee between the BET and BOE to find efficiencies. We have retirements, we have attrition. Examine the budget fully, see what can be done and then discuss (concessions)."

Meanwhile in Stamford,  an arbitration panel issued an award on Monday which curtailed raises for Stamford teachers, eliminating raises altogether for the coming year and allowing for only limited raises the two following years.  In addition,  health insurance co-payments and deductibles increase in 2010-11.

Read the Wynne Parry's full story in Tuesday's Stamford Advocate.

Eventful contract talks, which began in August, approached a conclusion Monday, when a three-member arbitration panel released an award sharply curtailing raises for city teachers -- completely eliminating them next year -- while increasing health care contributions.

Although the award must still go before the Board of Representatives, it makes the school board's task of keeping its budget request as low as possible more feasible...

Starr touted the award as a means to keep teachers working.

This spring, the school board won't have to budget the $5 million increase to cover teachers' wage and step increases, meaning "we are that much more likely to keep teachers employed," he said.

Last year, other elected city boards cut the school budget by $7.4 million. As a result, the schools lost more than 40 positions, according to Stamford Education Association President Lora Rossomando.

According to the article, teacher were upset by the negative tone of the negotiation process.   

"A settlement which was within reach, and certainly would have promoted a more positive relationship between the teachers and the district," she said in a statement. In it she also called the Board of Education's insistence on no wage increases in 2010-11, "shameful."

What do you think about this? Is it unfair to ask teachers to give back raises?  Or is it a sign of the touch economic times?

BOE Approves Budget and Calendar; "Race to the Top" Delayed

The Norwalk BOE approved the Superintendent’s 2010-2011 operating budget and school calendar at their meeting last night.

Early in the meeting,  Mayor Richard Moccia, ex-officio member of the BOE, outlined a grim financial picture for the City saying that tax revenue and state aide have decreased significantly, while home foreclosures and unemployment have increased.  He said that Board of Estimation and Taxation would not look favorably upon the $155 million budget, which includes a 3.4% ($5 million) increase over last year.  The City is recommending a zero increase budget.

“We cannot have a 7 or 8% tax increase,” said Mayor Moccia, which is what it would require to support the proposed school budget. 

Superintendent Papallo said that he was not surprised by the City’s position and that the district is already investigating ways to reduce the budget.

The Board voted 7-2 to approve the superintendent’s current budget, with Steve Colarossi and Sue Haynie voting to delay approval.

“I still have many unanswered questions,” said Mr. Colarossi who suggested sending the budget to the Finance Committee and reconvening a special meeting next week to approve the budget. In particular, he said he has yet to get an explanation about why Rowayton and Marvin Elementary Schools have a decrease in funds for school aides this year.  He also said there is opportunity to decrease legal fees.

Ms. Haynie said that the public should be given more time to weigh in on the budget before the Board’s sign off.  

“Most people have not had time to look at this budget,” said Ms. Haynie.  “I feel we are putting the cart before the horse.  If we send it to committee, there is more time for community input and transparency of the process.” 

However, Board Chair Glenn Iannacone supported sending this budget to the City.   “I think we should pass this through.  We know that 3.4% is not going to stand, but this way we are not waiting till last minute to get the process going.”

Board Member Jodi Bishop-Pullan also recommended approving the budget but expressed concern about how the budget would be reduced without cuts in programs.

“Parents need to understand that this kind of reduction means cutting programs,” she said. 

The Board also voted 8-1 on approving the proposed 2010-2011 calendar, with only Ms. Haynie opposing.

Ms. Haynie suggested reconvening a calendar committee that was assembled last year but was unable to finish its work because former Superintendent Sal Corda resigned.  She said that the committee was in the process of discussing start and end dates, early dismissals and holidays.  She stressed that the calendar was about “time on task” and “student achievement”.

“It’s only January 5th.  We clearly have time,” said Ms. Haynie.

Board Member Jack Chiarmonte said that the he received many complaints last year because the calendar was set in March and not earlier.

“People need to plan their vacations.  Some people need to book their time-shares,” he said.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan said the calendar requires a "full study" that cannot be accomplished in a few weeks. 

Mr. Iannacone and Dr. Papallo suggested convening a calendar committee with parents once the new superintendent is in place. 

“The calendar is a complex issue,” said Dr. Papallo.  “I have noted it down in the transition for the new person.”

The Board also discussed Race to the Top Funding, a $4 billion education reform initiative by the Obama administration for which states have to compete for funds. 

The discussion revolved around whether to become a “participating” district and sign onto the State’s Memorandum of Understanding by January 11th. 

Assistant Superintendent Tony Daddona told the Board that if Norwalk signs onto the State’s application (and if CT were awarded the grant), the city would receive $1.4 million over a four-year period.  He said that some of the programs that the State’s application requires, like secondary school reform, revising teacher evaluations, implementing national common standards, updating data systems, may require an investment of funds and a change in teacher contracts.  He questioned the financial feasiblity of this proposition and said that Norwalk is already implementing many of the improvement initiatives outlined by the State.

Ms. Haynie asked Mr. Daddona how other districts like Norwalk that are “in need of improvement” were addressing the issues he brought up and is there a way to collaborate with them on the grant.  She believed that there is potentially more than $1.4 million available for Norwalk, depending upon how many districts in the State sign onto the application. 

Bruce Mellion, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers, whose opinion was sought by the Board, said that the application appears to be a back-door for secondary school reform, a long time project of the State, and that the district should not get involved at this time. 

“The numbers are not there.  I don’t think we should do it.  We don’t have a handle on it,” he said.

Several Board members, including Mr. Iannacone and Ms. Bishop-Pullan expressed concern over the Jan. 11th deadline to sign on, saying that it was too important a decision to make hastily. The Board agreed that they would continue to collect data and get involved in the grant process for the Phase 2 deadline in June.

Ms. Haynie reminded the Board that the issues brought forth by Race to the Top are “not going away.” 

“This is where education is going,” she said. 

Finally, Ms. Haynie announced that the Curriculum Committee will meet on Jan 11th.  The Communications Committee, chaired by Erin Halsey, will meet earlier on the same day.

Papallo Presents Draft Budget

Superintendent Bill Papallo presented a draft of the operating budget to the Board of Education and public at a sparsely attended gathering in the community room at City Hall last night.

The current operating budget stands at $155 million dollars, a 3.4% increase ($5 million) increase over last year. 

Prior to the meeting, Dr. Papallo attended a meeting with the Board of Estimation and Taxation at which Mayor Richard Moccia said that the BOE should anticipate a zero increase budget.  (See today’s Hour Story for more on that meeting).

“What I heard at the BET meeting was not surprising,” said Dr. Papallo. “This budget is well below bare bones, but we are already trying to find ways to reduce this number.”

“Think of the budget like an onion,” said Dr. Papallo. “For years we have been adding a layers.  Now the onion is going to be peeled back and it's going to be painful.”

The budget includes a contractual 1.35% raise for teachers as negotiated by the Norwalk Federation of Teachers and the BOE this fall.  It also assumes an increase in enrollment in the elementary schools thereby including salaries for seven reserve teachers (who may or may not be hired according to enrollment at the time.)

As for other staffing changes, there are three new staffing positions added to the budget:  two In-School suspension teachers as required by a new State law and a data clerk.  One speech & language teacher position in the Special Education Department is being eliminated. 

Board Member Steve Colarossi had several questions and comments on the budget. In particular, he asked why it appeared that there were cuts in teachers' aides in Rowayton and Marvin elementary schools.  CFO Dan Cook said that he will do an analysis of this.

Mr. Colarossi also said that the legal fees budgeted seemed excessive.  Mr. Cook said that based on a decision by the Finance Committee (of which Mr. Colarossi is chair), an RFP is going out for legal services that may bring this cost down. 

Mr. Colarossi also questioned the use of IT overtime, HR advertising, the cost for superintendent designees at expulsion hearings, and the need for additional portables.  He asked why there is no reduction in the cost for trash pick up given that NPS has begun a recycling program and why trips to Roton Planetarium appear twice on the budget.

“I don’t mean to be picky,” said Mr. Colarossi. “But a few thousand here and there can add up.”

There were no questions from other board members. 

During the public comment section of the meeting, Dr. Lynn Moore, principal of West Rocks, asked how was it going to be possible to arrive at a zero increase budget. 

“There is nothing in this budget that addresses the segregation in our schools and the inequities of our buildings,” she said. 

Bruce Mellion, president of the NFT, said that Human Resources is understaffed and that teachers are not getting clarification on many of their HR questions.  He also said that the budget need to take into consideration that there are 40-50 teachers retiring in the near future. 

He added that NPS needs additional staff in English Language Learners program and that all income taken in by NPS should be accounted for in the budget.

Mr. Mellion said that it should not be overlooked that by switching to the Health Savings Acoounts, teachers have incurred substantial savings to the school system.

Kerry O’Neill, PTO president of Silvermine Elementary school, said that the possibility of going through the budget line by as was done during last year's reconciliation is “quite scary.”

“I’m afraid that we are not addressing some long term strategic issues,” she said. “We need to do some soul searching.”

“Are we really tackling the achievement gap issues and other inequities?  We need to think of our students,” she said.

The budget is on the agenda at tonight's regularly scheduled BOE meeting and will be discussed further at the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday.

Updated: Reconvening Calendar Committee is a Good Idea

A newly revised version of the draft calendar was released this morning by Central Office.  It includes a second day off for Rosh Hashanah.

The 2010-2011 school calendar is slated for a vote by the BOE at Tuesday night's meeting (See the proposed calendar below).  Next year's calendar is very similar to this year's calendar. 

At the Dec. 15th Board meeting,  Emily Aguilar, PTO Council Vice President of Administration reminded the Board during the public comments that a Calendar Committee of parents, administrators and teachers had been formed last spring to address the upcoming calendar.   The Committee was set up by former superintendent Sal Corda as an advisory committee and met several times in April and May 2009.  They discussed the start and end dates of the school year, holidays, vacation scheduling and shortened days, according to Ms. Aguilar who was member of the committee.

The group was supposed to present a report to the Board of its recommendations at the end of the school year, but just before the group could come up with its final recommendations,  Dr. Corda resigned, and a lot of good work was set aside.

At the Board meeting, Ms Aguilar asked that the calendar committee be given the courtesy of finishing the work that they had started.  

Sue Haynie, current Board Member and former president of PTOC, also urged the Board to recognize the hard work of this committee and suggested reconvening the Committee before making a final decision on the calendar.

 Some of the questions raised by the committee included:

• Why do 9th, 11th and 12th graders have shortened days during the CAPT tests?
• Why are there 5 half-days at the end of the school year?
• Are there other ways to conduct professional development days, other than during the school year?
• Why do all the schools have to have a half-day when the elementary schools have conferences?

Prior to the formation of the Calendar Committe,  the PTOC Board (of which Ms. Haynie was president) did a thorough investigation into the NPS's calendar and compared it with the calendars of neighboring towns and cities.  The findings of this study can be found on the PTOC Website.  Here are a couple of Q &A s from the PTOC document that I found particularly interesting.

How many hours of instruction do Norwalk and its Surrounding Communities have? : 
Darien-999/hrs elementary; 982/hrs middle school; 1,008/hrs high school
New Canaan-1,001/hrs elementary; 1,012/hrs middle school; 990/hrs high school
Norwalk-953/hrs elementary; 1,001/hrs middle school; 998/hrs high school.
Stamford-995/hrs elementary; 1,010/hrs middle school; 1,004/hrs high school
Wesport-1,032/hrs elementary; 1,019/hrs middle school; 972/hrs high school
Wilton-992/hrs elementary; 974/hrs middle school; 1,007/hrs high school  

 
What ‘Holiday Days’ did Norwalk and Norwalk’s Surrounding Communities 
not have off for the 2008/2009 & 2009/2010 School Year?:

Darien: Did not take Veteran’s Day; only 1 day for Rosh Hashanah (‘08/09);

NewCanaan: Did not take Veteran’s Day; only 1 day for Rosh Hashanah (‘08/09);

Norwalk: Took all Federal Legal Holidays,  Good Friday, Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah—(2 days for Rosh Hashanah ‘08/09)

Stamford: ‘08/09-Same as Norwalk; ‘09/10 not available;

Westport: Did not take Veteran’s Day or Columbus Day; only 1 day for Rosh Hashanah (‘08/09);

Wilton: Did not take Veteran’s Day; only 1 day for Rosh Hashanah (‘08/09)

It was a good step to include parents in the formulation of the calendar. Many parents, especially working parents, have to find childcare or leave their children home alone when school is not in session.

Additionally,  national education reform efforts are emphasizing that students should receive more hours of instruction, including longer days and shorter summer vacations.

Since the State Department of Education allows school districts until June 30th to finalize their calendar, the BOE should consider reconvening the calendar committee, under the direction of Central Office. Even if the calendar is not finalized for another couple of months having outstanding issues addressed by a committee of key stakeholders including parents sets a good precedent.
Revised 2010-11 NPS Calendar

New Year Begins with Burst of Activity and Meetings

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had a restful break and is ready for a very full and exciting year for Norwalk Public Schools.  The year is starting with a burst of activity.  On Monday, Dr. Papallo will present his proposed operating budget to the Board and public at 7:45pm, City Hall A300.

On Tuesday, there is a Board of Education meeting and on Thursday, there is a Finance Committee Meeting. Below please find the agendas and details for these two meetings.  You can also link to all the agendas and Board packet on the NPS website (thank you new Board!)

BOEmtg 1/5/10

BOE Finance Mtg