With over 250 million enthusiasts around the globe, esports is one of the fastest-growing activities in the world – and it is making its way into high schools across the country, starting here in Connecticut! Esports are competitive, team-based video games that bring players together in high-skill environments to play against opposing teams while cheered on by their supporters, much like traditional sports. With just over a week before the event, sign up now to attend our information session facilitated by EGF on September 27th, and learn how to bring esports to your school or district!

Back to Contents

A coalition of Connecticut education associations – including CAS, CABE, CAPSS and CALAS – is partnering with the Brother’s Brother Foundation in an incredible effort to provide assistance to schools affected by the multiple recent hurricanes. Brother’s Brother has agreed to match all funds that we raise dollar for dollar – up to $300,000! Please join in this statewide effort!

Back to Contents

CAS is pleased to announce the launch of a new podcast series for school leaders! CASconversations will be produced bi-weekly and will feature engaging guests who provide thoughtful opinions, timely research and critical information to help school leaders succeed in their ever-challenging roles. In our debut episode - being released TODAY! - Executive Director Dr. Karissa Niehoff sits down with CAS President Dr. Rosie Vojtek to discuss a wide range of topics, including developments at CAS-CIAC, CT’s budget quagmire, new education-related state legislation, and the threat of education policy changes at the federal level. Listen now!

Back to Contents

In its 2017 legislative sessions, the Connecticut General Assembly made a number of changes in the statutes that affect students, districts and school personnel. Shipman and Goodwin LLP has prepared a helpful summary providing a brief overview of some of the more significant changes that were made this year in the area of education.

Back to Contents

CAS is proud to announce the winners of the 2017-18 Elementary and Middle School of the Year Awards. Congratulations to Quaker Hill Elementary School and Ellington Middle School and to their principals, Christopher Discordia and David Pearson, respectively.

Quaker Hill is the exemplar of the child-centered school, focusing on educating the whole child, learning through service and sustaining a positive school climate. Ellington Middle School excels in the areas of effective teaming practices, integrated instruction, parent engagement and student empowerment. Learn more about these remarkable schools!

Back to Contents

CAS is pleased to announce that Martha Curran of Polson Middle School in Madison is the recipient of the 2017-2018 Middle Level Educator of the Year Award. Chosen from among several outstanding educators, Mrs. Curran’s strong connections with her students, positive energy, passion for her profession, and willingness to share her expertise earned her this prestigious award.

Back to Contents

In the coming academic year, CAS, in conjunction with the CSDE, is offering an Administrator Induction Program (AIP) for all new building leaders. Modeled after the state's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program, the CAS AIP will offer new principals and assistant principals a series of six workshops specifically targeted to address issues critical to every new administrator. In addition to the six workshops, program participants will receive five days of embedded, onsite executive coaching and be afforded professional learning opportunities through the CAS New Leaders Academy as well as the BloomBoard administrator induction portal. Districts need only commit to a fee of $3,000 to support their new hires in the coming year. 

Back to Contents

CAS is pleased to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to enlist the help of the state’s school leaders in fighting the devastating opioid epidemic that is plaguing Connecticut. In 2016, over 900 people in Connecticut died of accidental overdoses, a majority of them were young people ages 18 to 25, many of whom developed an addiction to opioids after misusing prescription pills while in their teens or early adolescence. Sports injuries and other illnesses are common reasons for the original prescription. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is fighting this epidemic on several fronts, including outreach to schools for prevention. Contact either Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Avery, vanessa.avery@usdoj.gov, or AUSA Robert Spector, robert.spector@usdoj.gov, to schedule an opioid awareness program at your school. There is no cost for this life-saving program.

Back to Contents

The ever popular New Leaders Academy will be back this fall and all school leaders in years 1-3 of their leadership careers are encouraged to join! The six half-day workshops, offered at no charge to CAS-member schools, run from 8:30-12:00 at the CAS office. This year’s topics include:

• Legal Update for New Leaders;
• Providing High Quality Feedback;
• Holding Difficult Conversations;
• Building a Trauma-Informed School Culture;
• Leadership and the Special Needs Student; and,
• Leading for Students’ Emotional Health. 

Registration is by individual session so participants can customize their professional learning and attend as many or as few as they wish.

Back to Contents

For Connecticut educators aspiring to advance their careers and serve in roles as assistant principals, principals, or district-level administrators, the University of Connecticut Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP) offers an educational leadership program through the Neag School of Education designed to prepare qualified and capable school leaders for all Connecticut schools. Graduates are awarded a sixth-year diploma in educational administration and are eligible for the (092) certification endorsement as an intermediate administrator in the state of Connecticut. Click below for info session details.

Back to Contents

The 2017-18 Connecticut's Kid Governor^SM program has been officially launched! This award-winning statewide civics program for 5th graders teaches students about government, the history/process of voting, and the importance of civic engagement. It is a no-cost program that aligns with the CT Social Studies Frameworks and CT Core Standards. Registration for this year's program is now open, so register early. The 2017 statewide election will be here in a flash!

Back to Contents

Student leaders, club members and advisors are invited to the Aqua Turf on October 13th for a half-day mega-event! This combined student activities expo and leadership conference offers boundless opportunities for camaraderie, learning and inspiration!

Back to Contents

Last year, over 90 leaders of alternative education programs met with CAS and CSDE officials to begin a discussion of needs and build networking opportunities within this cohort of leaders. This year, in an effort to continue this critical work, CAS has created a community of practice model specifically targeted to the interests and needs of alternative education program/school administrators. The first session will be held October 4, 2017, from 4-6 p.m. and will feature two Connecticut educators, Mike Foran and Steve Strand, who presented at the National Principals Conference this past summer. Mike and Steve will offer effective strategies for improving outcomes for students who have not previously been successful in school.

Back to Contents

CAS will again offer its well-received CAS Leadership Academy: Leading for Change. Designed to support teacher leaders, the five-session series builds skills and competencies needed by teacher leaders in today’s schools. The Academy has a limit of twenty (20) cohort participants to ensure active engagement and personalized attention for each. In addition to the day-long sessions, participants are required to work with district/building leaders to develop and implement a leadership project which allows them to practice the concepts and skills learned in the Academy setting. Contact Ev Lyons at CAS for additional information - 203.250.1111 or elyons@casciac.org.

Back to Contents

The 10th annual Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)-Travelers Teen Safe Driving Video Contest is underway.  The contest is open to Connecticut high school students only. Travelers is offering up to $26,000 in prizes to the winning schools and students, including a new $2,000 award that will go to the school with the most entries to the contest! Students are asked to create a video public service announcement using this year’s theme: “Teen Safe Driver: Could This Be You? Every Second Matters.” Video requirements and official rules are available at ct.gov/teendriving/contest. Questions? Please contact Ernie Bertothy by e-mail at ernie.bertothy@ct.gov or by phone at 860-263-5034.

High school student leaders and health educators are encouraged to attend AAA to Gen Z: A Safety Summit for the New Generation of Drivers on December 6th in Meriden. The summit will feature discussions led by experts and young drivers on the challenges teens and young adults face behind-the-wheel today. Speakers will include Dr. Eric Shapiro of St. Francis Hospital, an expert in the effects of pot and driving, especially among teens, and Joni Siani, professor, author and filmmaker, who will talk about technology addiction among teen drivers.

Back to Contents

On October 10th, the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER), in partnership with CAS and CBIA, will present “Leading for Literacy” at the Sheraton Hartford South in Rocky Hill, CT. Focused on the skills that district and school leaders need to promote literacy achievement, the conference will include:

• a keynote by Dr. William Teale, Director of The Center for Literacy at the University of Illinois at Chicago and former President of the International Literacy Association;
• an introduction to a no-cost, online tool for monitoring literacy programs, presented by Literacy How and HILL for Literacy;
• a session on Connecticut's K-3 Literacy Initiative, presented by Dr. Michael Coyne, Professor of Educational Psychology at UConn;
• a workshop on how administrators can support teachers and students to ensure academic success, presented by Margie Gillis, President of Literacy How; and,
• exemplary practices from districts that have increased student achievement for all students.

Click below for details and registration information.

Back to Contents

Next month, Dr. Marilyn Friend, international presenter and expert in the area of co-teaching, will be coming to Connecticut to conduct back-to-back workshops for teachers and administrators. On October 2nd, Dr. Friend will share recent research and identify contemporary ideas for implementing outcomes-driven co-teaching at a full-day conference for general and special education teachers. On October 3rd, Dr. Friend will present the first of a three-session series for administrators which will examine ways to implement co-teaching successfully at the building level.

Back to Contents