The Sixty-Fifth Annual Membership Reception drew a huge and hearty crowd to the central office last Tuesday. Nearly ninety members packed the CAS conference center to celebrate the end of another successful school year, enjoy good food, connect with colleagues and honor six individuals who have generously and selflessly served the association.

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CAS is offering a two-day training session on June 27 and 28 to acquaint school leaders with the provisions of the administrator evaluation model. This workshop is designed for all public school and private program leaders having evaluation oversight for school and district administrators. The Administrator Evaluation Foundational Skills Two-Day Workshop, which will be held at the CAS offices in Cheshire from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day, is offered without charge and is sponsored by the Connecticut State Department of Education. Please contact Ev Lyons at elyons@casciac.org if you have any questions regarding this program. Register now!

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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 23, 2017.

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The Alternate Route to Certification (ARC) program is anticipating approval by the state to offer a Business Education cohort for the upcoming school year. Once approved, ARC will be providing certification training in eight disciplines for the 2017-18 year. The other cohorts include Secondary English; Secondary Mathematics, Secondary Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, General Science, and Physics); K-12 World Languages; Pre-K-12 Family and Consumer Sciences; Pre-K-12 Technology Education; and, K-12 Music. The deadline for Business Education applicants will be extended to July. http://casci.ac/2163

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On October 17th, the Learning Counsel, a research institute focused on providing context for the shift in education to digital curriculum, will be hosting its annual Connecticut Digital Curriculum Sustainability Discussion at the CAS office in Cheshire. It will run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is open at no cost to all administrators and teachers. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Attendees will hear from education leaders on the state of the national education market; best-practices for digital transformation; winning strategies from state to state; and, what superhero schools are making happen and how. Interested schools/districts are encouraged to bring teams as there will be group exercises and chances for collaboration and planning for next steps.

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On May 3rd, the coalition of leading state education organizations known as the Big Six - which includes CAS, CAPSS, CABE, ConnCAN, CCER and CBIA – presented to the state board of education a set of design principles to guide the creation of a new funding formula for Connecticut's schools. The proposal, which was adopted by the board, puts forth six principles upon which a new funding system should be based: equity; innovation; coherence; transparency; fairness; and, accountability.

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Last month, the state released a new guide that provides a framework for local and regional school districts to develop a strategic plan and implement interventions that will lead to the reduction of chronic absenteeism among students in pre-K through grade 12. The guide, Reducing Chronic Absence in Connecticut’s Schools: A Prevention and Intervention Guide for Schools and Districts, comes just as Connecticut’s chronic absenteeism rate reaches a historic low.

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Have you finally reached that seemingly elusive milestone? If so, please let us know! All retiring principals and assistant principals receive life memberships in CAS. If you plan to retire this year, or if you know of any principal or assistant principal who is so planning, please go to www.casciac.org/retiringadmins and fill in the requested fields. This task should take no more than a minute of your time.

If you are planning to retire this year and want to stay active but not in a full-time capacity, consider registering with CAS as a potential interim administrator. The process is easy. Simply send an electronic copy of your resumé to Ev Lyons (elyons@casciac.org) and it will be forwarded to districts who contact CAS looking for interim prospects. Once CAS sends its bank of available resumés to an interested district, the district takes over and contacts individuals directly. So, if retirement is looming and you are not quite ready to pass the day in your Lazy Boy, consider an interim position and contact CAS!

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