CAS will offer a two-hour seminar on attendance issues in schools from 2-4:00 pm on March 26th. Our presenter will be Joe Pedemonti from the Institute of Living's Webb School. School avoidance and attendance problems present school systems and parents with particularly difficult challenges. The reasons why students are unable, or unwilling, to attend school routinely are varied, often requiring a variety of different assessments and intervention approaches. Although the objective is usually the same - to help students reintegrate back into their public school communities and progress academically, socially, and emotionally – the roads which lead to achieving that objective may be quite different. Join us on March 26th and leave with ten tips to help support students with school-avoidance tendencies.

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Join us tomorrow for “Building a Trauma-informed Restorative Culture in the School Setting” with Joe Brummer. This workshop will introduce participants to a hybrid approach to implementing restorative practices, mindfulness, nonviolent communication, collaborative & proactive solutions, and the circle process. Joe is a well-respected and dynamic presenter, experienced in sharing innovative strategies that move away from punitive measures and towards healing, accountability, and change. Participants will also learn how and why this work is always done through a trauma-informed lens. Open to ALL school leaders, this half-day session is part of the CAS New Leaders’ Academy and the Assistant Principals’ Trending Issues Series. There is no cost for attendance and there’s still time to register!

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In Episode 8 of CASconversations, CAS President Dr. Rosie Vojtek sits down with Doug Casey, executive director of the Connecticut Commission for Educational Technology, to talk about their mutual passion: technology. Rosie and Doug discuss the exciting work that the commission has been undertaking, including its new partnership with EducationSuperHighway, its soon-to-be-released digital equity toolkit, and its history-making move to endorse the ISTE standards for both students and teachers.

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Registration for the 23rd Annual High School Arts Banquet, to be held on April 3rd at the Aqua Turf, closes next Friday. This popular event, sponsored by Jostens and Bearingstar, honors high school seniors who excel in the performing and/or visual arts. Each CAS member high school is invited to select two grade 12 students for recognition. Composer, arranger and award-winning saxophonist Jimmy Greene will speak at this year’s dinner.

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Join us on March 7th for a unique opportunity to hear and discuss the path to leadership of four successful women leaders in Connecticut’s education community. Their style of leadership, mentors and motivators along the way as well as impediments or issues faced on their journeys will be addressed. There will be time for Q/A as well as small break-out sessions to discuss ways in which schools can grow and develop leadership in young women. The esteemed panelists are: Dr. Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of CAS-CIAC; Dr. Gladis Kersaint, Dean of UCONN’s Neag School of Education; Dr. Penelope Lisi, Professor in CCSU’s Department of Educational Leadership, Policy and Instructional Technology; and Dr. Suzi D’Annolfo, Retired Administrator and Past Milken National Educator Award Recipient.

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Connecticut’s middle and high schools are encouraged to participate in the FOX 61 Student News program! This nationally recognized, award winning, educational partnership engages students in real world learning experiences as they showcase the excellent initiatives and activities happening in their schools. Fox 61 provides students with professional guidance and hands-on instruction in reporting and producing their own news stories. As part of the program, schools are provided access to software to assist with production and distribution of stories while teachers receive on-going support and attend bi-annual training workshops.

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CAS is working with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) to offer regional, mini-day professional development seminars focused on social and emotional learning (SEL). The first forum, originally planned for February 1st, has been rescheduled to March 22nd. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage in an exploration of new dimensions of SEL. Presenters will share best practices and weigh in on the content and delivery change levers that will help you support your students’ comprehensive development. You’ll gain ideas for weaving social, emotional and academic growth into the fabric of your school/classroom. This two-hour seminar will be held from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the CAS Office. Register now!

On a related note...
The state board of education recently adopted the Position Statement on Social, Emotional and Intellectual Habits for All Students, K-3. Click here to access the position statement as well as the Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 3 document issued by the state department. 

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The economic, academic and societal benefits of quality early education are well documented. Creating coherent, integrated systems from pre-K to grade 3 have shown learning gaps can be reduced, and achievement and opportunities for success enhanced. And, yet, national reports indicate that only one in five elementary school principals has background knowledge in early education. The Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut – in partnership with the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood – is offering a leadership development program for educators and administrators seeking to make a difference in pre-K through 3rd grade with the aim of improving outcomes through high school and beyond. Modules focus on curriculum and instruction; assessment practices with young children and evaluation of teachers and programs; and leading for equity, excellence and early success. Registration for the 2018-19 program is now open.

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Last month, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued a ruling in Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, Inc. v. Rell, the protracted, high-profile lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s education funding system. An article written by Attorney John Khalil of Berchem Moses PC traces the history of the court case over the past twelve years and gives a comprehensive review of and reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision.

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The February issue of the CSDE Academic Office Newsletter contains several important announcements for schools and districts. Included in this most recent issue are helpful updates, links to resources, and information about upcoming professional learning opportunities.

A gentle reminder…
On February 17th, the CT State Department of Education website will be officially located at http://portal.ct.gov/sde. Please update your bookmarks!

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On February 5th, Governor Dannel Malloy released his recommended budget adjustments for fiscal year 2019. Included in this budget proposal were changes to funding levels for the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant, schools of choice, and other education grants. In an effort to provide useful information for policymakers, educators and community leaders, the Connecticut School Finance Project has prepared two documents that look at how the governor’s proposed budget adjustments impact state education funding. These documents are:
• An analysis featuring ECS estimates for each town based on the governor’s proposed FY 2019 budget adjustments along with a comparison of those estimates to appropriated ECS amounts in the current biennial budget.
• A table outlining how the ECS formula in the governor’s proposed adjusted budget for FY 2019 compares to the ECS formula in the current biennial state budget.

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A recent poll by Sacred Heart University’s Institute of Public Policy examined budget concerns and quality-of-life issues among Connecticut residents. The results of the statewide survey, conducted in early January, revealed that a large majority was dissatisfied with the legislature’s budget agreement and felt it didn’t address key issues, such as funding for K-12 public education, infrastructure and pensions. Nor did it improve residents’ overall outlook on Connecticut, with 66.8% pessimistic about the state’s future. Topping their list of concerns were the high cost of living, taxes and energy costs in Connecticut.

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