Board of Education Meeting Minutes

October 21, 2008

ATTENDANCE: Susan Hamilton, Chair; Jody Bishop-Pullan; Bruce Kimmel; Greg Burnett; Jack Chiaramonte; Rosa Murray; Shirley Mosby; Migdalia Rivas

STAFF: Mayor Moccia; Dr. Salvatore Corda, Superintendent of Schools; Sheri McCready

OTHERS: Mary Budrawich; Mary Peniston; Cathy Nash; Lisa Lawrence; Margaret Bustell; Mike Bustell; Maeve Bustell; Kim Graham; Jennifer Phelps; Ken Roberts; Karen Roberts; Jodi Rich; Mr. Krishna; Joanna Cooper; Ms. Supraja; Bruce Mellion; Dr. Henry; Alan Lo; Amar Shamas

I. CALL TO ORDER – 7:45 P.M. – Rm. A300

Ms. Hamilton called the meeting to order at 7:48 p.m.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Ms. Hamilton led those present in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

III. SPOTLIGHT ON NORWALK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Ms. Hamilton read the following:

A distinguished group of students will be recognized this evening for performing at the Advanced Level on the 2008 Connecticut Academic Performance Test. Sara Adams, Sarah Anderson, Nicole Brancaccio, Nicholas Cafero, Jessica Camhi, Daniel Faugno-Fusci, Ellen Foster, Rachel Hamilton, Dhruv Jani, Shannon Kieburtz, Dominic Kruszewski, Emily Lavins, Eloise Libre, Emma Lott, Meghan Mulvehill, Jeremy Rotner, Taylor Scicchitano, Felicia Tam, and Ryan Touger. The students were then presented with their awards.

IV. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Early Childhood Education Report

Dr. Corda mentioned the recent newspaper articles concerning an issue in the district involving Spectrum Kids, which is a service that provides specialized educational services to children with special needs. He said there are certain allegations that have been made, and the District has taken the allegations seriously and is looking very carefully into whether or not there is any substance to them. Secondly, there have been statements made that the District has not been responsive to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Law. He said the statements are not accurate. He said responses were provided and the District provided the information that was available to them. He further reported that they are in the process of gathering information where needed. He will make a report to the Board of Education when the inquiries are concluded. He wished to make the community understand that when issues arise that are serious, the Board takes them seriously and does all they can to address them.

Dr. Corda introduced Mr. Ed Wachowski, the new Assistant Principal at Silvermine Elementary School. He mentioned that Mr. Wachowski has a background that will be a terrific asset to the District. Dr. Corda said Mr. Wachowski has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish and is bi-lingual, along with a specialization in English as a Second Language in his Master’s Degree.

Dr. Corda said he had attended a United Way Board of Directors Meeting. He has been on the Board for six years. Each year the United Way engages in a campaign in the community to raise money and to further specific objectives, including education in the Norwalk Public Schools. He explained that the United Way supports programs in the Norwalk Public Schools and provides direct help to people in need. He said given the urgency of the economic times in which we are living, he wanted the community to be aware of the United Way campaign.

Dr. Corda then introduced Ms. Mary Budrawich, Instructional Specialist in Early Childhood Education, and Ms. Mary Peniston, who gave a presentation on Early Childhood Education at the Brookside Pre-School facility and throughout the City. Ms. Budrawich thanked Ms. Marinaccio, Principal David Hay, the Board of Education, Norwalk Early Childhood Council, Norwalk Children’s Foundation, Early Childhood Consultants and Staff, and the children and families who they serve. The Brookside program is a small example of what the Early Childhood Council has been achieving in Norwalk.

The Early Childhood Council has been developing programs for over 10 years to serve 3 and 4 year olds. The program will ultimately have 20 three and four year olds in each classroom; 25 will be supported by the State School Readiness funding, and 15 will be supported by the Norwalk Children’s Foundation funding. It is one program. Two teachers are supported by four paraprofessionals. The demographics of the 30 students enrolled are 15 girls, and 15 boys. There are 9 African Americas, at 30%, 14 Hispanics, at 47%, and 7 white students, at 23%. There are 15 students who have English as a home language (50%), 8 have Spanish (27%), 5 have English/Spanish (17%), and 2 have Greek (7%). 14 of the students have Brookside as a home school (47%), 2 have 99’s (7%), 3 have Fox Run (10%), 1 is from Jefferson (3%), 2 are from Kendall (7%), 3 are from Marvin (10%), 2 are from Silvermine (7%), 2 are from Tracey (7%), and 1 is from Wolfpit (3%). Ms. Budrawich explained that fees are based on family income and family size. The full fee is $620 per month. 16 are from very low income households, paying less than $100.00 per month (53%), 4 are low income, paying between $100.00 and $200.00 per month (13%), 6 are above income, paying more than $200.00 per month but not the full fee (20%), and 4 pay the full fee (13%). There are 10 who are young age 3’s (33%), 1 is an older age 3 (3%), 14 of them are young age 4’s (47%), and 5 of them are older age 4’s (17%). 18 of them have no pre-school experience (60%), and 12 of them have some preschool experience (40%). The goal for every child entering kindergarten is to have access to a high quality pre-school experience. The Board has taken significant action to prove that high-quality pre-school makes a significant impact on children entering kindergarten. She said they know they can close the gap by making sure every child has the experience of early language, literacy and social skills that will allow them to be successful in kindergarten. She hoped to bring periodic updates to the Board as they measure the outcome of the children and track them as they proceed through elementary school.

Ms. Peniston presented a broader picture of the Early Childhood Council and the focus of the Early Childhood Plan in Norwalk. She acknowledged Ms. Betsy Bain, Chair of the Norwalk Early Childhood Council. In 2007, they presented to the Board of Education a comprehensive 3 year plan on early childhood that involved a dedicated and diverse group of people who were focused on three goals: early childhood care and education; early childhood health; and working with families, giving them information and support they need. The goal by 2010 is to have 98% of the children have a pre-school experience. Currently they are at 85%. On behalf of the Council, she thanked the City and Mayor Moccia for supporting their work.

She continued, saying that the two primary sources of funding are DSS (Department of Social Services) and Headstart. The goal was to have 40 more slots this year, 60 the year after, and 100 the year after that. She said that they surpassed their goal by 200%, getting 80, when 40 were requested, and getting 81, when 60 were requested.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked if they felt that the State support level was stable and strong. Ms. Budrawich said yes, that the State was committed to staying the course, even during the current difficult economic times. They are not expecting a huge amount of incoming money, but they do not expect cuts in School Readiness funding, and there is continuing conversation regarding possible moderate expansion.

Dr. Corda commended all involved for their hard work and efforts. Mayor Moccia echoed Dr. Corda’s comments.

Dr. Corda mentioned the upcoming budget process and the difficult economic times that are currently being faced, and he said that it would be very important to do everything possible to not create a tax burden on the City residents. He said staffing will need to be increased at the middle school level to address the incoming 6th grade; overcrowding at Rowayton Elementary School will need to be addressed and portables will need to be added.

V. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Please note that these public comments are not verbatim.

Cathy Nash, parent of two 3rd graders at Rowayton Elementary School, is the 2nd year Co-President of the PTA, and wished to reinforce the essential need of two portables at the school for next year. Since the Fall of 2005, the enrollment has risen 21%, an average of 7.9%, from 380 students to the current 460. She said they expect the numbers to increase for next year, with a possible increase from 4 to 5 sections in kindergarten, and 3 to 4 sections for 4th grade. Despite budgetary constraints, overcrowding in the classrooms should not and cannot be tolerated. She asked that the Board commit to placing two more portables, four more classrooms, at the school. They feel the placement of the portables is a necessary step towards meeting the needs of the growing student population, not a permanent solution. She thanked the Board personally and on behalf of the parents of Rowayton School for their consideration and their continued commitment to the children to preserve the extraordinary learning environment the children deserve.

Ms. Lisa Lawrence reiterated Cathy Nash’s point about the space issues at Rowayton Elementary School. They are expecting three more sections next year due to kindergarten being overcrowded and going from 4 to 5 sections, and the third grade needing to go from 3 to 4 sections. She said they hope to continue to grow as a school, and the diversity, success and track record are all helping to help close the achievement gap with the diverse population.

Ms. Margaret Bustell said she and her husband have 3 children and live in Norwalk. Their youngest child has autism and is one of the children working with Spectrum Kids through the Norwalk School district. She said that recent allegations have come to light regarding the credentials of the Executive Director, Stacy Lore, as well as services that were not provided. The story has had a large amount of coverage in the press, yet to date there has been no response from the school administrative office, other than “We are looking into it”. She asked why, and where was the outrage from school administrators and the Board of Education. She said she was glad that Dr. Corda mentioned this issue in his opening remarks. She wished to respond to his statement that the school filling the FOI requests was untrue. She said they merely requested the credentials of Stacy Lore that were collected up front, prior to her being allowed in the schools to work with our children. The earlier statement that the school is working to obtain the documents requested can only be interpreted to mean that the school doesn’t have any credentials for Stacy Lore on file including a resume. It is simply outrageous and is a serious concern. She asked them how they would feel if it was their child. She urged the Board to act immediately to resolve this situation, she officially requested that this issue be placed on the next school board agenda, and she urged the Board to ask Dr. Corda to release any and all documents regarding this case. She invited Dr. Corda and his staff to meet directly with the families involved to review the results of their findings, Dr. Lore’s lack of credentials, and proof of fraudulent billing. She said her son, Henry, 3 ½ years of age, has been harmed by this fake therapist, and is unable to communicate with his mother. She said that he is unable to ask for help, so she wished to speak for help on his behalf.

Mr. Mike Bustell, Henry Bustell’s dad, said that Norwalk is a small school district, and on August 28, Dr. Corda received an email from his wife, Margaret Bustell, stating that Dr. Lore is a fraud that was not certified and is not a Doctor. He said that Dr. Corda did not respond and nothing happened. On September 3rd, the article broke in the newspapers. He said the children need a program offered by real Doctors, not frauds, at an important time in their lives so they can transition out and be mainstreamed. He felt it was incomprehensible, he asked that they request the file, and he asked for an apology if in fact they were wrong, and to stop dragging their feet.

Ms. Maeve Bustell, Henry Bustell’s sister, said her family has been completely turned upside down by this whole issue. She wished that it could be resolved. She understands that it will take a long time to resolve the damage done to her brother and other children. She said it was unfair that Stacy Lore lied about the credentials, and somehow is still given permission to work with special needs children. Therapy by someone who is not qualified to do so is much worse than no therapy at all. She said she loves Henry and wants to talk to him and tell him jokes, but she can’t because he doesn’t talk. Maybe he could talk if he had the proper care. She asked them to do the right thing for her brother and all the children affected by this.

Ms. Kim Graham said her son Nathan was diagnosed with autism at 21 months old. He was in a birth to three program and in November of 2007, Nathan transitioned into the Norwalk school system with Dr. Stacy Lore and her agency, Spectrum Kids. Ms. Graham was encouraged by the program that seemed impressive, with a school shadow and a home component. It was clear that Dr. Lore was in over her head, administering the makeshift ABA program with her untrained staff. The inconsistent and unmanaged therapy did more harm than good, creating a robotic and inflexible child. The staff complained of no pay, no training, and no management. In March of 2008, significant absences were documented, and she urged the Board to change agencies. In April of 2008, she sent to Dr. Lore and the PPT Manager a list of 10 points of concern and 59 documented hours of missed therapy and consultation time. The next two months were painful as they tried to resolve the situation, and Dr. Lore viciously sabotaged Ms. Graham’s character with school staff. Ms. Graham ended a lucrative paycheck for Dr. Lore at $150 per hour. Nathan’s regression was now severe. On May 13, 2008 Dr. Lore ordered all therapists to discontinue therapy for Nathan. His hands were crushed in the front door of the school in the presence of a Spectrum Kids staff member. A change of agency took place on June 1, 2008. A year of her son’s life has been lost. She is still owed over 100 hours of therapy and consultation time. Dr. Lore billed for these hours and was paid in full. According to her IEP minutes, the Norwalk Public School system said it is Ms. Graham’s responsibility to contact Dr. Lore regarding the money she was paid by the school system. Ms. Graham said this is in violation of the IEP contract, and she asked the Board to look into this and give the hours to her son. Her FOI request to the Board for Dr. Lore’s credentials, sent on August 5, remains unanswered. Criminal background checks and due diligence for credentials should be conducted for all school staff. She found that Dr. Lore is not a licensed therapist, nor had she attended NYU, through an internet search and a phone call. Ms. Graham has a taped PPT meeting where Dr. Lore claimed she has a Doctorate of Psychology. She offered to share it with the Board. She said that two other agencies that have worked with the Norwalk Public School system did not hold any licensing or certification in the State of Connecticut.

Ms. Jennifer Phelps has two young boys and is a neighbor of the Bostell’s. She said her brother, who has autism, did not have programs available to him but her parents searched for the proper program, which she remembers took most of her entire life. She said she is very proud of him now, he is 40 years old and has had a full-time job for 20 years. He drives his own car and is almost independent. She said that the early intervention at age 2, 3 and 4 was the key to him talking at age 5.

Mr. Ken Roberts said that the allegations regarding Spectrum Kids are troublesome and if there is any validity to them, it’s devastating. He said that if this agency fell through the cracks, he wondered who else has fallen through the cracks. He said that in order to effectively protect their children, background checks and security checks have to be conducted. He felt the perception is that the Board is not aggressively pursuing the situation. He urged the Board to aggressively review all personnel at all levels so that nothing like this will happen again.

Ms. Karen Roberts has a 3 year old special needs son. She and her family moved from Manhattan to Norwalk for a better environment and are neighbors of the Bostell’s. She said as a taxpayer, she demands that the school system perform background checks and verify credentials before any educator is placed in the important role of teaching their children.

Ms. Jodi Rich of Wilton said she is the parent of two autistic children. She has first hand knowledge of how important early intervention is for the child by therapists certified by the Behavioral Analysts Certification Board. The rate of autism continues to rise, at 1 in 150, and 1 in 96 for boys. She said she and the other warrior parents hold the Boards of school districts accountable and they won’t stop until they see improvements. She asked Dr. Corda to resolve this situation quickly so that the window of opportunity doesn’t close on these children. Her 8 year old daughter lost her diagnosis at age 7, after many years of programs, services, etc.

Mr. Krishna is a parent of a special needs 4 year old child who doesn’t speak. He suggested that the schools could reach out to the parents for help. He said there was no communication from Spectrum Kids for three weeks; all the services stopped but there was no explanation. He felt that a phone call should have been placed to him. He also felt if they all worked together, they would be successful.

Ms. Joanna Cooper said she has spoken to the Board in prior years. She has an autistic son who is in good place now, but it hasn’t been without tremendous efforts, a tremendous amount of money, and a legal challenge against the school system. She is a certified teacher and serves on the State Advisory Council, among other affiliations. She said the ABA is very difficult because the State of Connecticut doesn’t certify for ABA. She felt that Norwalk does a good job providing OT, PT, Speech, and other services, but they need to improve on the behavior piece. She offered to speak to anyone on autism if they needed to.

Ms. Supraja said she is a victim of Spectrum Kids. She said her child joined the public schools at age 3 and had only one delay. For one full year, he regressed and developed more delays. She suggested the schools have an advocate. The right people can do the job. She urged them to look into the matter, and stressed how urgent it is.

Bruce Mellion said he had attended the Policy meeting on bullying prior to the Board meeting, and he thanked everyone for their hard work. He hoped that the policy will be amended.

He said the presentation on the pre-k program was encouraging and positive, and he commended everyone on working hard to make a difference to close the achievement gap.

He mentioned that number 6 on the agenda was the Closing of the Brien McMahon project, specifically the Center for Global Studies and the main building. He said this $75 million project is the biggest for the City of Norwalk. He strongly recommended that this action be tabled, because it is inappropriate and unacceptable to close it out without any followup to ensure items are completed. They should review all the items with the same due diligence that they used on the Columbus project. He reviewed some of the items, saying that they are on-going construction projects issues that have not been solved in the past two years. He agreed that the majority of the work was done, and it was a beautiful job, but there is more work to do.

VI. ACTIONS

A. Consent

1. Approval of personnel actions

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO APPROVE PERSONNEL ACTIONS.

** MR. CHIARAMONTE SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

B. Approval of minutes (October 7, 2008)

Minutes of October 7, 2008

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER 7, 2008.

** MR. CHIARAMONTE SECONDED.

The corrections to the minutes of October 7, 2008 are:

On page 7, the vote on the trip to Egypt was not unanimous; Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Iannaccone were opposed.

On page 9, under Board Member Announcements, it stated that Mr. Iannaccone mentioned that there was a mentoring program that would continue, and the module would be set up by teachers. It should be corrected to read that the module will be set up by the Task Force.

It was stated that Ms. Murray mentioned she was at a social event and there was discussion about the mentoring program, and that is why she asked for a status report.

** MOTION PASSED WITH SIX (6) VOTES IN FAVOR (CHIARAMONTE, MURRAY, HAMILTON, BURNETT, RIVAS, MOSBY) AND TWO (1) VOTES ABSTAINED (KIMMEL, BISHOP-PULLAN).

C. Approval of Superintendent to execute and deliver HOT Schools contract for Columbus Magnet School

** MR. BURNETT MOVED APPROVAL OF THE SUPERINTENDENT EXECUTING AND DELIVERING HOT SCHOOLS CONTRACT FOR COLUMBUS MAGNET SCHOOL.

** MR. CHIARAMONTE SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Items D & E have been moved from the Action Items to Information and Reports.

D. Approve Brien McMahon High School SDE Project No. 103-0212 and 103-0213 as complete

E. Approve Roton Middle School SDE Project No. 103-0232 as complete

F. Approve date change for November 4, 2008 Board of Education meeting

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR THE DATE CHANGE FOR THE NOVEMBER 4, 2008 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. THE MEETING WILL NOW BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 5, 2008.

** MR. BURNETT SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

G. Approval of budget transfers

** MR. BURNETT MOVED TO APPROVE THE BUDGET TRANSFERS.

** MR. KIMMEL SECONDED.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

VII. INFORMATION AND REPORTS

A. Naramake Family Resource Center

Dr. Henry and Ms. Oster provided some literature regarding the Naramake Family Resource Center. He said the Naramake Resource Program has been at the Naramake School for 10 years and is modeled after the Family Resource model that was developed at the Yale Center for Child Development by Dr. Ziegler. There are seven components to the program. They have been fortunate over the years to have established all the components in the schools, which involve two preschool classes for 40 three and four year olds. The program functions with grant money from the State, approximately $100,000 per year, to support the initiative. He said they also received 22 slots from School Readiness funding to support the pre-school. There is a before and after school program, they offer parent education programs in the evening, parent outreach with home visits, play groups, and they also support young parents.

Dr. Henry explained that the overall cost to run the program is between $325,000 and $350,000 per year. He said they receive approximately $220,000 through grant funding. He explained that salaries are paid for out of the grants and they are also paid for out of the tuition money.

Ms. Rivas asked why they decided to become an incorporation, and if the Board approved it. He explained that it is a not-for-profit organization, and each year they apply for the grant, they apply for it under the name of Naramake Family Resource Center, Inc. Each time it is approved, it is applied for through the agency and Naramake Family Resource Center.

Dr. Henry further explained why they are not-for-profit. He said 10 years ago when he looked at the seven components that needed to be implemented in order to comply with the grant, and the $100,000 that they received, he realized it could not fund all the services, including pre-school. That’s why they looked to School Readiness. They have to charge tuition in order to provide the magnitude of services that they offer. That is why it was done through the 501(C)3.

Some discussion continued between Ms. Rivas and Dr. Henry regarding the grants, the approval process, and in-kind contributions.

Dr. Corda explained that there is a resolution that comes before the Board, for the approval of the after-school programs, which are Naramake Family Resource Center, the YMCA, and Achieve. He confirmed that Fox Run is not incorporated. He confirmed that the Board did not approve the incorporation of Naramake Elementary School.

Dr. Henry explained that as a not-for-profit organization, they applied for the grant as a provider, and that is how they have to operate. The Board of Education does not directly administer the program.

Ms. Rivas said she inquired into the salaries, but had not received any response. She said the Board members are held accountable by the public, and she said there is no reporting process in place at the schools for sign-in, etc.

Mayor Moccia suggested that Dr. Henry provide a copy of the most recent tax return and any information he had from the State of Connecticut on the audit.

Ms. Mosby asked about tuition. Dr. Henry said it is based on a sliding scale, and they do provide scholarships.

Ms. Hamilton reminded Dr. Henry that he offered to share with any Board member any information they needed.

Dr. Henry explained for Ms. Rivas that he has Ms. Oster as his Director, who oversees the day-to-day supervision of staff and communicates with parents. He also has a coordinator for the before-school and after-school staff. As CEO, he conducts technical assistance with writing grants, ensuring compliance, ensuring accreditation, etc.

Mr. Kimmel said that he was pleased to hear the information tonight, with issues of accountability aside.

Ms. Murray said that she is concerned and interested in going forward with Dr. Henry’s retirement from Naramake Elementary School in January. She wants to see how they are going to move forward so they make it clear and distinct and eliminate gray areas before his actual retirement. He said the Board of Directors voted to have him remain on the Board as President and CEO of the Naramake Family Resource Center. Dr. Corda confirmed that the District has the insurance certificate for Family Resource Center on file.

B. Update on District Data Team – Inclusion of parents

Dr. Corda said he had shared with the Board the names of the individuals who volunteered to serve on the Committee. They have a representative from elementary, middle and high school. There is significant diversity on the group of teachers and parents. Ms. Rivas said a parent had contacted her, saying she had volunteered but had not been called. Mr. Burnett said he attended the Norwalk High School PTA meeting last night, and they were still looking for volunteers. Dr. Corda said he would send communication out that the selection process is complete. It was suggested that a resolution be prepared in order to vote at the next meeting.

C. Reallocation of existing NHS construction funds for Culinary Arts program

Mr. Burnett reviewed the information provided in the Friday report. He said the bids recently sent out came back fairly high, at about $750,000. The lowest bid received is $400,000 for construction, and $100,000 for equipment, for a total cost of $532,000, which includes an 8% contingency fee. The remaining amount is $308,000, leaving a $224,000 balance in order to move forward on the project. The line items that have been completed but still have remaining funds are what they looked to in order to make up the shortfall. If they reallocate the remaining $145,000 from the ceiling treatment line item, along with the $45,000 from the plaza improvements, that would be $190,000. The remaining amount they would take from the contingency of the project, which is currently at $200,000. The BAC has reviewed this during the last several meetings, and at the last meeting, they had a positive vote to move forward.

Mr. Kimmel said that it was a good proposal but he was concerned about how it got to this point. Some money figures were presented and a discussion took place regarding the history of the project, timing, information, and funding. It was suggested that the Board be made aware of changes so that they can be prepared, instead of feeling that it is put in front of them at the last minute.

D. Approve Brien McMahon High School SDE Project No. 103-0212 and 103-0213 as complete

Mr. Kimmel said that the project was big, but is the punch list complete. Similar to the Columbus project, he asked if the punch list was related to the scope of the project.

Mr. Alan Lo said the project started in 2003 and was completed in 2006. The school has been occupied for two years now, and the long punch list has been completed. The contract is over. The warranty for the building is one year. The reason they came to the Board for approval is because the State requires it prior to issuing the reimbursement. He stated that this was the biggest project in the history of the Category: Minutes