New Board of Education re-elects Dr. Gene Nocera as Chairman

A new Board of Education met for the first time on Tuesday evening (11/19).  Newly elected members Vinnie Loffredo and Linda Szynkowicz joined newly re-elected members Sheila Daniels and Franca Biales and the rest of the board in unanimously electing Dr. Gene Nocera as Board Chairman, Sheila Daniels as Vice-Chair, and Ed McKeon as Secretary.  "I am thrilled and honored in this position," Dr. Nocera commented, "and I will try to do my best."

In District Highlights, MHS Athletics/Activities Director Mike Pitruzzello reported that the fall season is going very well for MHS athletes.  Additionally, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) considers the MHS Athletic Complex as one of the finest facilities in CT, and so MHS has been asked to host:

• Girls and Boys soccer semi-finals and final state championships
• Girls volleyball semi-finals
• Girls and Boys fall and winter diving championships
• Semi-final state football championships
• Three of four state track championships
• Girls softball state tournament games
• Boys baseball state finals at Palmer Field

Additionally, the track and four tennis courts at Woodrow Wilson Middle School will be re-done (including new fencing) this spring, with a projected completion date of June 2014.  These new facilities will be open for public use during the summer.  The six tennis courts behind Keigwin Middle School are scheduled to be redone over the summer, and Pitruzzello is trying to work out a deal with Portland High School so that MHS can use the Portland courts for practice when Portland is away.  Currently, MHS shares Wesleyan's courts with Wesleyan, Mercy and Xavier.

David Reynolds, Coordinator of Career and Technical Education, highlighted Middletown's #3 ranking out of more than 150 schools on the Connecticut Statewide Career & Technical (CTE) Assessment.  In the last four years, Middletown rose from a state rank of 89th in 2010 with only 33.33% of students scoring at or above the threshold score to 80th place (30.22% at threshold) in 2011, to 17th place (67.14% at threshold) in 2012, to 3rd place in 2013 with 141 out of 177 students (79.66%) scoring at or above threshold.  Canton High School took second place, with 17 of 20 students (85%) scoring at or above threshold, and Griswold High School took first place, with 66 of 77 students scoring at or above threshold.  Reynolds was quick to point out that MHS had more students at or above threshold than the #1 and #2 schools combined, and that Middletown scored #1 in the "Areas of Concentration" of Natural Resources and Video Production.  Furthermore, no other school had more "Areas of Concentration" in the top 10 than Middletown (8 of 11 areas tested).

During the Public Session, three MHS students complained about the lack of late bus transportation after school.  Senior James Robinson, Junior Gabriela Mikunda, and Sophomore Carolyn Reid told the BOE that students were discouraged from participating in after school activities because of the length of time it takes to get home on the one bus provided (up to two hours for some students).  The three students also described unsafe conditions such as overcrowding, students sitting in the aisles, and "unbearable" behavior such as screaming, yelling and pushing.  The students asked the BOE for a second late bus, noting that Woodrow Wilson Middle School's late buses were not crowded and possibly could be reassigned to MHS.  

When Robinson, Mikunda and Reid finished speaking, they left the Council Chambers and Transportation Director Marco Gaylord quickly followed after them.  Gaylord told the students he had heard no complaints about late busing, and he asked who else they had talked to about these issues - the answer was no one.  Gaylord also asked if the students knew which specific days had overcrowding and behavior issues so he could pull and review the video footage from those days - again the students didn't have specifics.  After instructing the students to tell an administrator at MHS then next time an issue happened with the late bus, Gaylord also promised to check into the need for more busing and to provide additional transportation if it was necessary.  During his Transportation Report to the BOE, Mr. Gaylord repeated what he had heard from the students and told the Board that he would look into the reports of overcrowding and poor behavior and take immediate action to correct the situation: "We're going to address it and make some positive changes. We want to help kids participate in after school activities."

Superintendent Pat Charles shared her 2013-14 goals with the BOE, noting that she's really focusing in on 4 areas to concentrate effort and effectiveness.  These goals are:

• Increase student achievement and reduce gaps between subgroups
• Provide the resources necessary to ensure educational excellence in a safe and healthy learning environment
• Hire and nurture high quality personnel in all positions
• Promote our schools and build public support and pride in our educational system

Assistant Superintendent Enza Macri updated the Board on the transition to the Common Core Curriculum and the new testing procedures.  While each elementary school now has the necessary computers to conduct the Smarter Balance testing (no more CMT testing as that applied to the old curriculum), Macri shared several concerns about the new testing: "The test requires use of a mouse, and our younger students are used to tablets and touch screens.  In one place, there is a split screen and you have to scroll down though two separate but side-by-side screens.  I'm worried our students don't have the mouse skills to do that."  While time limits no longer apply to the various tests, 3rd graders, for example, have 7 hours of testing, with only one set of 25 computers for each school.  Students also cannot go back and check their answers - once they move on in the test, they cannot back up.  Macri has been taking sample tests for each grade in order to train teachers on how to help their students prepare to take the tests, but she has a growing list of concerns about whether students will be able to transmit correctly the knowledge in their heads to the computer program.

In financial news, the District budget is showing an anticipated balance of $219,790 as of October 31st.  As it is very early in the year, this balance is not expected to remain, especially since additional paraprofessionals need to be hired (more than what was originally budgeted).  In comparison, at this time last year, the district budget had a $1.2 million deficit.  Not included in these budget numbers is the $1.2 million spent on mold removal in several of the schools during this summer.  Currently, insurance has only covered $460K in the remediation costs, with another $120K approved but not yet paid, and $200K more still in negotiations.

Lastly, the Board discussed committee assignments and approved the following:

            Committee                                 Chair                            Members

            Budget                                       McKeon                       Loffredo, Szynkowicz

            Communication                         Hart                              McKeon, Wynn

            Curriculum                                Biales                            Daniels

            Facilities/Feasibility                   Loffredo                       McClellan, McKeon

            Policy                                        Daniels                         Hart

            Transportation                           Szynkowicz                 Wynn

            Negotiations                              n/a                                Biales, Hart, Daniels

            ACES                                                                             Loffredo

            Cultural Council                                                             Hart

            TEMS (Thomas Edison Middle School)                        McClellan

            Agenda Set                                                                     Nocera, Daniels, McKeon

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10th at 7pm in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.  Superintendent Charles is scheduled to present her 2014-15 recommended budget.

District Wide Education Standards Meeting

MSA - New Common Core Standards Meeting

Special MSA meeting on February 27, 2012 at 6:30 PM at the Youth Services Building, (former Vo-Ag, near WWMS), 372 Hunting Hill Avenue. Presentation will be on the new Common Core Standars for Mathematics & Englis/Language Arts. Click on above link for more information.

Letter to the Editors: Concerned Parent still has unanswered questions regarding DEAL Program closure

The following letter was submitted to the Eye by Bielefield Elementary parent Jane Majewski, the mother who started the recent online petition concerning alleged mismanagement on the part of three administrators of the BOE administration overseeing Pupil Services and Special Education Services. It should be considered as an opinion piece; the verification of any facts & responsibility of claims made rests solely on the author. This letter, and others submitted by readers, are posted as a courtesy to readers,a and not necessarily the opinion of the team of regular bloggers or blog editors of the MiddletownEye.

Recently there has been much conversation about the closing of the DEAL program housed at Lawrence School and its possible impact on the current issues being faced at Farm Hill School.

At the last Board of Education meeting Dr. Frechette cited a report from the Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, that covered a March 20 -24 monitoring site visit. As a result of that visit, Middletown was told that it "...needed to decrease the number of students in all disability categories who spend time in segregated settings as defined as students who are educated with their nondisabled peers." The report went on to say "This plan is to support the increase of students being appropriately educated in the district and within the general education environment that have otherwise been sent out of district or educated in separate classes due to behavioral needs or cognitive disabilities."

This is in direct contrast to the Cambridge report posted on the Lawrence School website. Within this report one sees a very different perspective to that of the BOE Administrators claim that they needed to disband the program. Allow me to highlight some of the statements on this report.

"In addition to its own regular student population the school provides education and support for 30 students in the Daily Experiences/Activities for Living Program (DEAL). These students would otherwise be placed out of district because of their significant learning and emotional needs. This is a district wide program that serves all 8 elementary schools in Middletown and which provides students with strategies to enable them to return to regular education, classrooms in their own schools."

"What the School Does Well.
The excellent behavior management strategies that are consistently demonstrated by staff ensure that the school is a calm and safe environment where students behave well, forge excellent relationships and learn the difference between right and wrong.

The school provides well for all students but particularly for those in the DEAL program to enable them to return to regular education, classrooms in their own schools. The learning difficulties experienced by students include autism, neurological impairments, emotional disturbance, intellectual disabilities and medical fragility".

At the recent Board of Education meeting Ted Radzka stated there was an increase in budget needs due to (amongst other things) an increase in cost to out of district placements and magnet school placements.

This is the reason why I became vocal about the issues facing Farm Hill. As a parent of a child in the DEAL program I was not told the DEAL program was being closed. It was just done. This is the lack of communication that parents are frustrated with. The conflict between the contradicting statements of the Cambridge report and the Administration is what leaves parents without a sense of trust.

Allow me to connect some dots. The DEAL program was closed. The children became ICM students at Farm Hill and Bielefield. The recommendations of Izzy Greenberg for redistricting (and closing of DEAL was under this) was not implemented. Farm Hill school did not have the staffing or resources to ensure a safe transition of this redistricting. Now, we have a divided confused community. As a direct result, children that would have been sent to DEAL are being sent out of town (farther away from our community) and the cost is increasing. More parents are applying to magnet schools for their mainstream children (myself included), cost is increasing.

No one is able to tell me where the ICM children's home schools would be. This is due to confidential laws that protect the children. The same administrators who fight to protect confidentiality of their clients have not fought to keep them safe and in an appropriate environment.

Why was DEAL really closed?
Why cant it be brought back?
If it worked (excellantly according to the cambridge report, staff and parents) why not keep it? It saves the taxpayers money and provides a nurturing and safe learning environment for all of our children

Jane Majewski

Meanwhile during the BOE Meeting....

Meanwhile, at the new Comcast studio in Cromwell, while the BOE meeting was going on Tuesday, two Middletown mothers were guests on the cable access show "The Edge" hosted by Jonathan Pulino and guest co-hosted by Councilwoman Debra Kleckowski filling in for regular host William Wilson. Jane Majewski, mother of two children attending Middletown public schools, one with autism, and organizer of the online petition written about previously in the Eye, calling for the termination of the three administrators in charge of special education services for Middletown because of what she calls their negligence in failure to address the needs of her son by elimination of the DEAL program. The DEAL program was a program made up of special classes taught by teachers trained to handle children with various learning and behavioral disabilities that was housed at Lawrence Elementary to serve all Middletown elementary aged special needs students.

Board of Ed To Consider New Policy on Public Comment

Tuesday night's regular Board of Education Meeting was a busy one: Superintendent Michael Frechette reported on snow days (4 taken so far, not many left), the projected district enrollment for the next 10 years (will remain fairly flat with a bubble in the current 2nd grade), and the difference between his wish list and the list of support needs the district has.

Assistant Superintendent Barbara Senges talked at length about the District Data Teams, noting that technically, this is the last year of the 3-year District Improvement Plan mandated by Middletown's performance levels on the Connecticut Mastery Tests (CMTs). In a recent meeting, it was decided that instead of writing a new plan for the next three years, the district will continue with its current plan. This is for two reasons: first, all the parts of the original plan aren't implemented yet, and second, the original plan is working and Middletown is off the "needs improvement" list for the first time in several years. Senges also passed on several compliments from the State Representative who visits all 16 districts in CT with improvement plans: "She said that in all the districts she visits, no one has the depth of conversation Middletown has...and she's never seen a group with the same level of instructional leadership as we do."

The hot seat for the evening belonged to Facilities Director Ken Jackson as there are still issues at MHS with a failed retaining wall, lighting and acoustical problems in the pool area, and cracked seats in the auditorium. The good news, though, is that the seat company is replacing all 1,000 auditorium seats under warranty. Jackson also asked the BOE for $5000 for an Engineering Study to tackle the electrical issues at Woodrow Wilson Middle School. The school had its second electrical fire on January 19th, but the problem stems from CL&P's phase dropout issues on that side of town. While an infrastructure update will ultimately solve the problem once and for all, that's CL&P's decision, and in the meantime, Jackson has to take measures to prevent future fires and to protect power to the district's server. When WWMS loses power, power to the district's server is also lost, which affects the ability of every school in the district to access the internet. This loss of internet service also means the district can't use its Honeywell Emergency system to notify parents. This was obvious on Jan. 19 when the school was evacuated and kids sent home early, but the district couldn't call parents to tell them their kids were on their way home. Jackson told the Board he wants to have an electrical study of the system to see how to get surge protection, but that he will also be looking to install an emergency generator to protect power to the server.

The most interesting topic of the evening, though, came from a quick comment during the public session. A gentleman (and I didn't catch his name, I apologize) thanked the BOE for returning SRO's (School Resource Officer) back to Middletown High. "The teachers really appreciate it and the officers are excited to be there and they're really settling in." Then the gentleman went on to add, "I also urge the board to consider some kind of policy to control the slanderous comments made during the Public Session...people just get up here and say stuff that isn't true."

MHS Principal Robert Fontaine then gave a "State of Middletown High" speech. (This was still during the public comment session where speakers have 3 minutes and when the timer beeps, BOE Chairman Ted Raczka cuts the speaker off mid-sentence.) Fontaine had lots of nice things to say about how the climate is improving at MHS and how the data teams are making are improving instruction and how suspensions are down. Notably, though, when the 3-minute timer beeped, Fontaine kept talking...

Toward the end of the meeting when Policy Committee Chair Sally Boske was updating the Board on policy issues, she noted that the committee would be considering a "policy on public comment."

Now why is this interesting (especially to this EYE reporter)? Just over a year ago, the BOE amended Bylaw 9325(a) to limit public comment to 3 minutes a person down from 5 minutes a person. The Board has been routinely criticized for this limitation. The MHS Principal could have been added to the agenda in any number of places as a legitimate report to the board, but he choose to use public comment time and he wasn't limited to 3 minutes. And it wasn't like he was just allowed to finish his sentence or even a paragraph. He continued speaking for at least another 2 -3 minutes past the allotted time. And now, the policy committee will be looking to create what kind of policy?

Bylaw 9325(a) currently allows "any individual or group to address the Board concerning any subject that lies within its jurisdiction..." The only restriction possible is that the subject of the public address has to be a matter that the BOE has control over. So, for example, someone couldn't complain to the BOE about how public works removes or doesn't remove snow from corners in Middletown. I'll be curious to see just what comes next...a tax-paying citizen can only talk to his or her elected officials in a public setting if...if...the subject is nice and doesn't point out any deficiencies? Oh wait, maybe only if the citizen has personal knowledge of a problem (meaning he or she was actually there on school property to witness the concern) and it's the second Wednesday of the fourth month of an odd year.

Hmm. I guess I'm going to have to dig out my first amendment again...