CENTER NEWS

CAS TEACHER-LEADER ACADEMIES "GRADUATE" OVER 70 LEADERS

Early May marks the conclusion of this year’s CAS Teacher-Leader Academies, with over 70 teacher-leaders completing the five-session training program. Participants in three district-based cohorts (Meriden/Middletown, Waterford and East Hartford) and one combined small-district cohort (Oxford, New Fairfield and Bloomfield) completed an individual Theory of Action and a district-based leadership project. While some of the participants are looking toward an administrative career, the vast majority intend to remain in the classroom and will assume either formal or informal leadership roles within their building. The program will continue next year and is open to any district. Contact Ev Lyons at elyons@casciac.org if you would like to cultivate the leadership capacity of your teacher-leaders.

NEW LEADERS ACADEMY COMPLETES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The 2017-18 CAS New Leaders Academy, which consisted of five workshops (though one was canceled due to snow!), was an unqualified success. High ratings were garnered by each of our presenters who covered topics as diverse as school law, planning difficult conversations, leadership for supporting students' emotional well-being, building a trauma-informed culture and providing high quality feedback in the instructional setting. This year's sessions were open to a new class of educational leadership interns from Quinnipiac University and also drew a core group of assistant principals into the fold. The Academy’s planning group will soon be meeting to consider broadening the focus of the program to veteran practitioners as well as providing additional assistance in the form of embedded coaching as part of our initiative to support new administrators.

SUMMER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE POSTPONED

The annual CAS Summer Leadership Institute went to-to-toe with Mother Nature and lost! The excessive school closings this past winter have resulted in a school year that is going far into June for many districts, disrupting our traditional late-June conference date. Recognizing that most school leaders want to remain in their districts and/or buildings in those final weeks and need to really "close-up" their operations prior to the departure of faculty and students, the SLI planning committee decided to move this year's program to September 21, 2018. The theme ("Leading Our Schools to Develop Resilient Students"), the location (The Heritage in Southbury) and the format for Day One of the conference (keynoter and breakout sessions with resource tables manned by programs aligned with our topic) will remain the same. However, Day Two will be held the following week, the morning of September 28th, at the CAS Office in Cheshire. In this second session, participants will be led through an action planning activity designed to provide them the opportunity to create the structures and activities within their schools associated with this leadership focus. More detailed information will be posted during the summer recess, so stay tuned!

"IN THE WORKS".....

Planning for the coming school year is ongoing at CAS, so be watchful for the following:

• Alternative Education Community of Practice dates and topics;
• topics and workshops to support and empower assistant principals as school leaders;
• a series dedicated to helping school leaders navigate the morass of legal issues;
• a continuing partnership with SERC to support the needs of general education leaders with special education issues;
• Understanding and Implementing Next Generation Science Standards - a partnership with the Connecticut Science Center;
• Designing Standards-based Teaching and Learning in the Arts - a partnership with the Connecticut Arts Administrators Association;
• a continuing partnership with The Office of Early Childhood and the Connecticut State Department of Education to support best practices in the implementation of early childhood standards;
• a new date for the Women in Leadership Conference (October); and,
• expansion of “trending topics” series to include areas such as restorative justice, student anxiety and attendance issues.

FINAL AP LEADERS’ MEETING | MAY 2 | 4:00-6:00 PM

The final Assistant Principal Leaders' meeting of the 2017-18 year will be held on Wednesday, May 2nd, from 4-6 p.m. at the CAS office. This will be an open forum to discuss ideas and focus areas for next year's activities. A light supper will be provided. Please register in advance.

AWARDS PROGRAMS OFFERED BY CAS

The Center for Leadership and Innovation understands the importance of recognizing, celebrating and sharing exemplary achievement and best practices. To this end, the Center offers a number of awards programs that spotlight the success of individuals and schools. Click on the links below to learn more about each award. 

• William Cieslukowski First-Year Principal
• School of the Year
• Exemplary Educator
• Outstanding Leadership
• Positive School Climate
• Creativity and Innovation

RECENT HAPPENINGS

In the final session of the 2017-18 New Leaders Academy, breakout groups discuss the impact of trauma on students’ learning & educational success.

Congratulations to Jason Bitgood (center), principal of East Lyme Middle School and winner of the 2018 Outstanding First Year Principal Award at the middle level. CAS Assistant Executive Director Donna Schilke (left) presented the award at a local ceremony on May 1. Jason was nominated for the award by his superintendent, Jeffrey Newton (right).

On April 26th, principals Albert Sackey, Nathan Hale MS, and Ralph Mayo, Eastern Middle School, presented the Distinguished Friend of Education Award to Barbara Dalio, co-founder and director of the Dalio Foundation.