Last night's regular Board of Education meeting opened with a somber moment of silence honoring former MHS football coach John Skubel (passed on 8/17) and Veteran and Children's Advocate Lee B. Smith (passed on 8/16).
The BOE then amended the agenda to move up a vote authorizing the Superintendent to work with the city to create a new full-time Nursing Supervisor position. "We are seeing children with complex medical conditions and needs, and we must have someone that our nurses can come to with questions," noted Ann Perzan. Perzan is the Director of Special Education, but the school nurse program is housed in her department. Perzan also noted that school nurses are not currently given performance reviews because there isn't someone with greater clinical skills in the administrative chain. Substitute nurses are also hard to find because many qualified individuals won't work if there isn't a Nurse Supervisor in place. Superintendent Charles was authorized to work with the city to create the new position, and there will be no cost for the position as current Special Education funds will be repurposed to cover the position (the previous purpose for those funds ended in June).
Bielefield Elementary School then took center stage as the surprise star of the 2012-13 CMT test results. Designated a "focus school" because of struggling sub-groups' performance on the 2011-12 Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT), Bielefield instituted an after-school study program during the 2012-13 school year, aimed specifically at helping Hispanic students who struggle with English. Assistant Superintendent Enza Macri had told the BOE earlier in the year that students who have been in the U.S. for six months have to take the CMT in English, even if they are not proficient speakers. As administrators tried to determine why the Hispanic sub-group was struggling, parents explained that it was hard to help their students with homework when they struggled with English themselves.
Showing posts with label Dr. Patricia Charles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Patricia Charles. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Schools Administrators Address Challenging Budget Questions
Ed Dypa decried the ever increasing education budget, and asked Gene Nocera, Patricia Charles, and Dan Drew when it would be held constant from one year to the next. He said that his pension was constant, and the relentless increase in taxes for the schools might force seniors like himself out of their homes.
Dypa's question came after a 30 minute presentation at the quarterly Westfield Residents Association meeting, by Superintendent Charles on the schools and the budget request.
Dypa's question came after a 30 minute presentation at the quarterly Westfield Residents Association meeting, by Superintendent Charles on the schools and the budget request.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Board of Ed Redistricts to Solve Macdonough's Overcrowding
The Board of Education voted this evening, 5-1, to redistrict 10 streets from Macdonough Elementary School to Snow and Farm Hill Elementary Schools. The move would reduce the number of classrooms at Macdonough from 14 to 12 this fall. Superintendent Charles explained the move as the only option to relieve the overcrowded conditions at Macdonough, where specials teachers do not have a dedicated space to teach in. As an example, Art and Music share the same room, and both teachers have to undo and re-stage the room each time they teach. Macdonough Principal Jon Romeo called it a "work climate space issue" his teachers have to face that no other school in the district does.
BOE member Ryan Kennedy raised many concerns about the move, including the rather painful observation that these 10 streets had been moved to Macdonough just 3 years ago to help solve the racial imbalance issues the school faces. At that time, many parents begged to be left at the schools they loved, and BOE member Sheila Daniels reminded the board of that fact. When asked specifically, both Dr. Charles and Principal Romeo admitted that this redistricting would only solve overcrowding for now, and it would work against solving the racial imbalance issues. Specifically, Macdonough is only allowed to be 25% above the district's minority population average, and it was at 24.9% in October when school populations are measured by the state. Principal Romeo commented, "We think this move will change racial imbalance by about 1.5%, which is not significant....We're hoping the state will be lenient about being 2 or 3 students over since we're not asking to be like 10-15% out of balance."
The move will affect about 30 students, mostly those starting kindergarten, first and second grade in the fall. Only a handful of third and fourth graders are affected, and only because they are the older siblings of the younger children being moved. Macdonough currently has 3 kindergarten and 3 first grade classes, and the move would reduce those two grades to 2 classes each. The families have not yet been notified as the Superintendent needed the Board's approval before she could move forward.
The Board was missing three members this evening, including Ed McKeon, who is the Chair of the Feasibility community. Cheryl McClellan commented that the committee had discussed all of Ryan Kennedy's objections, but had decided that this move was the only option to solve the most pressing concern of overcrowding. In the final vote, Ryan voted against redistricting.
In other BOE news, seven Keigwin Middle School students helped Principal Silvia Mayo Molina present their school to the board. Their combined presence and polished public speaking skills made a huge impression on the board and the audience. The students spoke about their individual Student Success Plans (SSP), their involvement in extra-curricular activities, and their pursuit of personal goals. All were dressed to impress - great job!
From back left to right: Ramo Bajraktarevic, Sara Canfield, Khaliesha Ellison, and Makayah Joseph
From front left to right: Rose Romano, Anthony Vidot, and Bianca Labella
Finally, as the Superintendent prepares to present her budget to the City Council next Tuesday night (April 16), she was able to report that the district has erased the $1.2 million deficit it faced at the beginning of the school year. This is very good news, especially given the fact that the budget Dr. Charles is asking for represents a 7.1% increase over last year's budget. While this seems like a huge jump, the BOE budget has been flat for 5 years, which actually means the budget was cut each year when contractual price increases such as salary raises or contracted services price increases are taken into consideration.
Charles also reported that she is counting on receiving $1.6 million from the Governor's new budget, but that the district will not receive funds that were sequestered from the Federal Government. She admitted to some preliminary discussions about what would be cut if her budget is not fully funded, but she did not hint at what the cuts would be.
BOE member Ryan Kennedy raised many concerns about the move, including the rather painful observation that these 10 streets had been moved to Macdonough just 3 years ago to help solve the racial imbalance issues the school faces. At that time, many parents begged to be left at the schools they loved, and BOE member Sheila Daniels reminded the board of that fact. When asked specifically, both Dr. Charles and Principal Romeo admitted that this redistricting would only solve overcrowding for now, and it would work against solving the racial imbalance issues. Specifically, Macdonough is only allowed to be 25% above the district's minority population average, and it was at 24.9% in October when school populations are measured by the state. Principal Romeo commented, "We think this move will change racial imbalance by about 1.5%, which is not significant....We're hoping the state will be lenient about being 2 or 3 students over since we're not asking to be like 10-15% out of balance."
The move will affect about 30 students, mostly those starting kindergarten, first and second grade in the fall. Only a handful of third and fourth graders are affected, and only because they are the older siblings of the younger children being moved. Macdonough currently has 3 kindergarten and 3 first grade classes, and the move would reduce those two grades to 2 classes each. The families have not yet been notified as the Superintendent needed the Board's approval before she could move forward.
The Board was missing three members this evening, including Ed McKeon, who is the Chair of the Feasibility community. Cheryl McClellan commented that the committee had discussed all of Ryan Kennedy's objections, but had decided that this move was the only option to solve the most pressing concern of overcrowding. In the final vote, Ryan voted against redistricting.
In other BOE news, seven Keigwin Middle School students helped Principal Silvia Mayo Molina present their school to the board. Their combined presence and polished public speaking skills made a huge impression on the board and the audience. The students spoke about their individual Student Success Plans (SSP), their involvement in extra-curricular activities, and their pursuit of personal goals. All were dressed to impress - great job!
From back left to right: Ramo Bajraktarevic, Sara Canfield, Khaliesha Ellison, and Makayah Joseph
From front left to right: Rose Romano, Anthony Vidot, and Bianca Labella
Finally, as the Superintendent prepares to present her budget to the City Council next Tuesday night (April 16), she was able to report that the district has erased the $1.2 million deficit it faced at the beginning of the school year. This is very good news, especially given the fact that the budget Dr. Charles is asking for represents a 7.1% increase over last year's budget. While this seems like a huge jump, the BOE budget has been flat for 5 years, which actually means the budget was cut each year when contractual price increases such as salary raises or contracted services price increases are taken into consideration.
Charles also reported that she is counting on receiving $1.6 million from the Governor's new budget, but that the district will not receive funds that were sequestered from the Federal Government. She admitted to some preliminary discussions about what would be cut if her budget is not fully funded, but she did not hint at what the cuts would be.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Board of Ed Approves Possible Change to School Calendar
At tonight's Board of Education regular meeting, Superintendent Pat Charles asked the Board to approve a possible change to the 2012-13 school calendar. With tomorrow's snow day, the last day of school is Friday, June 21st. Thursday will be a snow day as well, so according to the policy listed on the calendar, one day of April vacation will have to be used to make up the missing day.
Dr. Charles asked the BOE to let her pursue a survey of Middletown teachers to see how many could teach on Tuesday, February 19, in lieu of the first day of April vacation. Monday, February 18th is President's Day, and Tuesday was the last day of February Break. Charles argued that taking February 19th, if it could be done, would allow student families and teachers/staff to have a full vacation in April. The Superintendent also told the BOE that she had spoken to all the Union Presidents, and there was no objection to her surveying the staff to see if they wanted to trade a day in February for a day in April.
BOE member Ryan Kennedy pointed out that school cannot continue into the week of June 24th because the Middletown Parks and Recreation programs start that day, and several of the school facilities are reserved for that purpose. Additionally, since most of the school buildings are not air conditioned, keeping children in school past the 21st of June is counter-productive due to how hot the buildings get inside.
The BOE agreed, and Superintendent Charles will send a Honeywell alert tomorrow morning to all Middletown teachers and staff to ask them to take a short, two question survey from a link on the district's website. Given a favorable reply (meaning most teachers can report to work and the cost for substitutes for those who can't isn't cost-prohibitive), Middletown schools will be in session on Tuesday, February 19th. If this is the case, a Honeywell alert will be sent to all Middletown families, notifying them of the change in schedule.
For those who are worried about the snow load on school roofs, Director of Facilities, Ken Jackson, had this to say: "We were very lucky that there was no snow on the roofs before the storm started, and we have actively worked since Monday to make sure that the roof drains were clear. The high winds involved with this storm worked in our favor, and in many places, there were only 6-7 inches of snow on the roofs. I am meeting with the City's building inspector tomorrow morning, and we will be inspecting all the school roofs to make sure our facilities are safe. I am personally confident that there are no issues with our buildings."
More on the rest of the BOE meeting in a separate post.
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Dr. Charles asked the BOE to let her pursue a survey of Middletown teachers to see how many could teach on Tuesday, February 19, in lieu of the first day of April vacation. Monday, February 18th is President's Day, and Tuesday was the last day of February Break. Charles argued that taking February 19th, if it could be done, would allow student families and teachers/staff to have a full vacation in April. The Superintendent also told the BOE that she had spoken to all the Union Presidents, and there was no objection to her surveying the staff to see if they wanted to trade a day in February for a day in April.
BOE member Ryan Kennedy pointed out that school cannot continue into the week of June 24th because the Middletown Parks and Recreation programs start that day, and several of the school facilities are reserved for that purpose. Additionally, since most of the school buildings are not air conditioned, keeping children in school past the 21st of June is counter-productive due to how hot the buildings get inside.
The BOE agreed, and Superintendent Charles will send a Honeywell alert tomorrow morning to all Middletown teachers and staff to ask them to take a short, two question survey from a link on the district's website. Given a favorable reply (meaning most teachers can report to work and the cost for substitutes for those who can't isn't cost-prohibitive), Middletown schools will be in session on Tuesday, February 19th. If this is the case, a Honeywell alert will be sent to all Middletown families, notifying them of the change in schedule.
For those who are worried about the snow load on school roofs, Director of Facilities, Ken Jackson, had this to say: "We were very lucky that there was no snow on the roofs before the storm started, and we have actively worked since Monday to make sure that the roof drains were clear. The high winds involved with this storm worked in our favor, and in many places, there were only 6-7 inches of snow on the roofs. I am meeting with the City's building inspector tomorrow morning, and we will be inspecting all the school roofs to make sure our facilities are safe. I am personally confident that there are no issues with our buildings."
More on the rest of the BOE meeting in a separate post.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Superintendent presents 2013-2014 School Budget
Superintendent Patricia Charles presented her 2013-2014 budget to the Board of Education Tuesday evening, asking for increases in almost every part of the budget. Five major price increases are driving the overall budget increase:
Once the City and the Superintendent agree on what services can be combined, the Superintendent's budget can be finalized. A bottom line budget number is expected at the January BOE meeting.
In the mean time, Dr. Charles has to deal with the current budget deficit for the 2012-2013 budget. The BOE approved immediate cuts in the following areas:
Athletics trainer ($5000)
Activities ($20, 548)
21st Century After School ($15, 000)
Cell phone reduced ($3000)
1 custodian - unfilled position ($40, 000)
All City Arts Show cut back ($2000)
Adult Ed benefits ($40, 000)
BOE salary/benefits reduction ($2000)
Facility use (Hall House) ($9, 621)
Increase cafeteria prices ($15, 000)
Consultant fee reduction ($2, 500)
15% hold on supply funds ($142, 969)
long term sub ($31, 889)
city return of unexpended utility balance ($70, 381)
EAP RFP ($5, 400)
Total - $455,308
These immediate reductions really only cover approximately 1/2 the actual deficit amount. As the school year continues, there are several unknowns that may exaggerate the deficit: winter weather, the out-placement of special ed students, unexpected facilities issues/repairs, state funding reductions, maternity leave, and magnet school participation. Furthermore, approximately 75% of the budget is salaries and benefits, so any significant budgetary savings would have to include cutting teaching positions.
BOE member Sheila Daniels praised the Superintendent, thanking her for a thorough presentation that was eye-opening and daunting: "I think you presented a budget that will move us forward."
BOE Budget Committee member Ed McKeon thanked Dr. Charles for her hard work and analysis for savings, noting that he intended to personally support her budget requests. "We have to work hard to make sure the budget is realistic, but we have been skating on thin ice for 5 years. We have been working on budgets that have sent us backwards, and we can no longer accept budgets that push us backwards. We will continue to see erosion to magnet schools." McKeon went to on say that the "Public has to understand the position that the state put us in - without any proof in the pudding - that this problem is foisted upon BOEs without legislators addressing how to fund education system. The poorest communities have the biggest problems and the wealthiest communities have no problems. It is unacceptable for the governor to say he's cutting education and expecting us to do more. Our schools can't perform at the level expected if resources are taken away."
Budget Chairman Ted Raczka seemed stunned at the proposed budget, and he raised several potential issues of concern:
In contrast, BOE Chairman Dr. Gene Nocera commented, "we have a clear understanding of what the district needs, it took a considerable amount of time to present this, and our responsibility to present this in as clear a way as possible. The next 30-60 days are critical to move the district forward."
Besides approving budget reductions, the BOE also acted to approve the 2013-14 School Calendar (yes, February break is included!) and it increased breakfast and lunch prices by $.15 and $.25 respectively. The cafeteria price increase will begin January 2, 2013. For more information, read Dr. Charles' letter to parents here. (click on the Cafeteria Menu Prices Increase as of January 1, 2013 link)
The next regular BOE meeting is Tuesday, January 8, 2013, at 7pm in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.
- Contractual increases in salaries (asking for 7% increase)
- Increased cost of benefits (assuming a 20% increase in costs)
- A need to purchase critical technology infrastructure & hardware (asking for 23% increase)
- State mandates for the new Common Core State Standards, professional development, assessments, and reform efforts
- Tuition for out of district students (33% increase asked for - covers both special ed services and magnet school participation)
Once the City and the Superintendent agree on what services can be combined, the Superintendent's budget can be finalized. A bottom line budget number is expected at the January BOE meeting.
In the mean time, Dr. Charles has to deal with the current budget deficit for the 2012-2013 budget. The BOE approved immediate cuts in the following areas:
Athletics trainer ($5000)
Activities ($20, 548)
21st Century After School ($15, 000)
Cell phone reduced ($3000)
1 custodian - unfilled position ($40, 000)
All City Arts Show cut back ($2000)
Adult Ed benefits ($40, 000)
BOE salary/benefits reduction ($2000)
Facility use (Hall House) ($9, 621)
Increase cafeteria prices ($15, 000)
Consultant fee reduction ($2, 500)
15% hold on supply funds ($142, 969)
long term sub ($31, 889)
city return of unexpended utility balance ($70, 381)
EAP RFP ($5, 400)
Total - $455,308
These immediate reductions really only cover approximately 1/2 the actual deficit amount. As the school year continues, there are several unknowns that may exaggerate the deficit: winter weather, the out-placement of special ed students, unexpected facilities issues/repairs, state funding reductions, maternity leave, and magnet school participation. Furthermore, approximately 75% of the budget is salaries and benefits, so any significant budgetary savings would have to include cutting teaching positions.
BOE member Sheila Daniels praised the Superintendent, thanking her for a thorough presentation that was eye-opening and daunting: "I think you presented a budget that will move us forward."
BOE Budget Committee member Ed McKeon thanked Dr. Charles for her hard work and analysis for savings, noting that he intended to personally support her budget requests. "We have to work hard to make sure the budget is realistic, but we have been skating on thin ice for 5 years. We have been working on budgets that have sent us backwards, and we can no longer accept budgets that push us backwards. We will continue to see erosion to magnet schools." McKeon went to on say that the "Public has to understand the position that the state put us in - without any proof in the pudding - that this problem is foisted upon BOEs without legislators addressing how to fund education system. The poorest communities have the biggest problems and the wealthiest communities have no problems. It is unacceptable for the governor to say he's cutting education and expecting us to do more. Our schools can't perform at the level expected if resources are taken away."
Budget Chairman Ted Raczka seemed stunned at the proposed budget, and he raised several potential issues of concern:
- How could a new budget get put together if staff contracts had not yet been approved by the Common Council?
- Several of the budget object codes were not clear or transparent for Raczka to understand what the budgeted funds would be used for.
Raczka seemed to be the only BOE member who verbalized doubts about the proposed budget: "An 11% budget increase? Almost 8 million dollars? This is breathtaking given the realities in our community...this would be a fundamental change in how city funds everything. The community can't afford that kind of budget increase unless other things are let go."
In contrast, BOE Chairman Dr. Gene Nocera commented, "we have a clear understanding of what the district needs, it took a considerable amount of time to present this, and our responsibility to present this in as clear a way as possible. The next 30-60 days are critical to move the district forward."
Besides approving budget reductions, the BOE also acted to approve the 2013-14 School Calendar (yes, February break is included!) and it increased breakfast and lunch prices by $.15 and $.25 respectively. The cafeteria price increase will begin January 2, 2013. For more information, read Dr. Charles' letter to parents here. (click on the Cafeteria Menu Prices Increase as of January 1, 2013 link)
The next regular BOE meeting is Tuesday, January 8, 2013, at 7pm in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Dr. Patricia Charles Elected as New Superintendent of Schools
Former Keigwan Principal (1998 - 2002) Patricia Charles has been elected as Middletown's new Superintendent of Schools. Charles is coming from Westbrook where she has been Superintendent since 2006. Charles was also Principal at Farm Hill Elementary School from 1990-1998. See her full resume here.
BOE Chairman Gene Nocera commented "the whole board is very pleased. Dr. Charles is absolutely the right fit for Middletown. She is an experienced superintendent with a proven track record in leadership and collaboration. She will leave a legacy second to none."
Update at 8:35pm:
Dr. Charles was introduced to the public at tonight's Board of Ed Meeting. She was one of 19 applicants for the position, 8 of whom went through the interview process. The search committee consisted of the entire Board of Education, a parent, a teacher, a current administrator (a principal) and a city staffer who also happens to be a parent. According to BOE member Ed McKeon, Dr. Charles was the unanimous first choice by the entire committee.
Charles was given a few moments to speak publicly, and she answered the obvious question of "why come back?" Trying to conceal her great excitement, Charles commented, "This was my home for 17 years. My grandchildren are going to go to school here, and you won't find anyone who will work harder to make this a great school system."
BOE member Sheila Daniels was also obviously excited, noting that she was "thrilled to pieces" that Charles was back: "This is a new day for Middletown Schools!"
Even Mayor Dan Drew showed up to the meeting to praise Charles and the Board of Ed. Speaking during the public session, Drew told the board it "hit a home run"by selecting Dr. Charles: "She's so well regarded and I'm very proud for the opportunity to work with her and the board."
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