The popular Summer Leadership Institute is returning to The Heritage in Southbury on June 27-28. Space is limited at this sell-out event and the early bird registration discount ends in three days! This year’s theme is “21st Century Vision: Leading the Integration of Social, Emotional and Academic Learning.” Dr. Debbie Silver, noted educator and author, will be the keynote speaker and one of the breakout presenters. Other breakout sessions will feature educators from districts around the state who will highlight their work connecting social-emotional leadership and student achievement. Resource tables will provide attendees with the chance to link up with organizations that can help with the work once they return to their buildings or districts.

CAS is excited to announce a newly-designed executive coaching model which is priced significantly lower than other models, making administrative support now affordable for all districts. In the new CAS model, a veteran former principal will work with a new, or experienced, administrator, providing support and guidance gleaned from years of experience. Participants will engage in a personalized mentor experience within their building while strengthening their professional capacity through CAS's professional learning community. The CAS coaching model ensures alignment between district goals and both the principal’s AND teachers' SLOs. Learn more about this innovative, affordable program by watching the short video below or downloading the promotional flyer.

The Center for Leadership and Innovation (CLI) staff has been busy planning a rich array of professional learning programs for the new school year. The 2019-20 Leadership Series includes workshops on a broad range of topics from vaping, DCF protocols, and social-emotional learning to restorative justice, school climate strategies and teacher evaluation. Check out the line-up of new workshops!

CAS is pleased to announce that this year’s winner of the Elementary Outstanding First-Year Principal Award is Dina Senecal, principal of Somers Elementary School. She was nominated by her assistant principal, Melissa Mucci, who describes her as a model instructional leader with strong ethics, a dynamic personality, and an unyielding commitment to students, staff, and families. Learn more about this extraordinary administrator!

The Board of Directors of the Connecticut Association of Schools is pleased to invite qualified individuals to apply for the position of Assistant Executive Director for Elementary and Middle Level Education. The board is seeking a visionary leader with strong communication and leadership skills to oversee the programs and services of our elementary and middle level divisions. Candidates should have a background in K-12 education, have held prior positions of leadership and be committed to carrying out the mission of CAS. The deadline for applications is June 10. Click here for a detailed position announcement.

High school principals are invited to nominate a student to be considered for service as a member of the State Student Advisory Council on Education (SSACE). The council gives Connecticut students a voice in education planning and provides educational decision-makers with high school students’ perspectives on key issues. Please consider nominating one of your students. Applications must be submitted by June 21, 2019.

Capping a busy 4-months of competition for Connecticut’s high school FIRST Robotics (FRC) teams, CAS, in partnership with NE FIRST, hosted the seventh annual FRC High School State Championship on Saturday, May 11, at the Connecticut State Armory in Hartford. Thirty-five teams from around the state competed in this year’s championship with the alliance of the South Windsor Bobcats, Bethany Tech Tigers and Aces High from Windsor Locks/Suffield finishing at the top.

CAS is offering a 2-day administrator evaluation and support workshop on September 25 and 26, 2019, at the CAS office in Cheshire. This two-day workshop will cover the basics of the administrator evaluation and support system authorized by the CSDE and is designed to provide participants with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively evaluate and support the development of educational leaders. Registration is now open.

Each year, the International Literacy Association (ILA) collects titles of well-loved books from children, young adults, and educators. The lists are intended for classrooms, homes, and libraries to help readers find books that they will enjoy. You may wish to review the lists as you order new titles for your school's library and classrooms. This year's lists can be found on the ILA web site.

The Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence and the Department of Public Health have teamed up to help support schools in the development and implementation of successful sexual violence awareness and prevention programs. As a first step, they are surveying the state’s administrators to assess the successes and challenges of policies and practices that are currently in place in the state’s K-12 schools. The results will help them develop a toolkit to best support school communities in implementing meaningful policies, practices, and educational activities geared toward creating safer schools. Please take 10 minutes of your time to complete the survey at: https://casci.ac/4690.