Board of Education Meeting Minutes Draft Part I

June 2, 2009

ATTENDANCE: Rosa Murray, Chair; Jody Bishop-Pullan, Vice Chair; Jack Chiaramonte, Secretary; Glenn Iannaccone, Susan Hamilton, Amy Jimenez, Greg Burnett, Migdalia Rivas, Shirley Mosby, Mayor Richard A. Moccia

STAFF: Dr. Salvatore Corda, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Dan Cook, Chief Financial Officer

CALL TO ORDER

Ms. Murray called the meeting to order at 8:15 p.m.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

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

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO ADD ITEM TO THE ACTION ITEM 6B– FOR THE NORWALK BOARD OF EDUCATION TO AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATION TO PURCHASE TWO PORTABLES FOR ROWAYTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND ONE PORTABLE FOR NARAMAKE ELEMENTARY.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan said that the Finance Committee had thoroughly reviewed the information and that additional information had been disclosed at the most recent meeting, which would impact having the classrooms in place for the opening of school.

** MS. JIMENEZ SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

SPOTLIGHT ON NORWALK PUBLIC SCHOOLS

M. Chiaramonte presented the report to the Board. Mr. Weiss, and Mrs. Faungo Fresci came forward and were presented with certificates for their Scholar Team Award. Ms. Hilliard and Ms. Clemens from Ponus Ridge were then congratulated by the Board for their work that was published in a statewide magazine titled Connecticut Student Writers.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Dr. Corda said that there were two points that he wished to make. First there were many people who had written to express their feelings to the Board of Education. He thanked everyone for that because it said how committed the residents were to education.

Dr. Corda then said to the young people that in their classes they would hear about government and that this was the role that the people play and this was democracy in action.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Ms. Murray said that she would like to thank the public for transition from one meeting location to the new one so quickly. The meeting was scheduled for the Common Council Chambers, but there was a last minute room change.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan said that each speaker would have three minutes and that the Board would be listening but not responding.

Ms. Patricia Gray who lives in New Canaan and teaches the dance classes at West Rocks, came forward, introduced herself and said that she had spoken before. She said that children needed something to be passionate about and the students who are passionate are the ones that don’t get involved in negative behavior. Students who are engaged are more productive at both home and school and this is what everyone wants.

Ms. Gina Arena of 37 Dairy Farm Road came forward and urged the Board to continue to fund the hockey team. She said that in a million dollar budget, they should be able to find $37,000 for the program. She then went on to speak about Academically Talented Program. She said that it was covered by IDEA legislation and not to deny those students their educational rights.

Ms. Arena then said that Naramake needed the portable classroom for its incoming students.

Mr. Steven Colarossi came forward and said that he was the outgoing president of the Naramake PTO. He said that studies have shown that windowless classrooms have negative impacts on the students. He suggested that the Board create a policy that would not allow interior classrooms. Mr. Colossi then went on to speak about the suggestion regarding moving the Family Resource Center (FRC) program to another school and said this would not be viable. He said that FRC was integrated into the entire school community.

Ms. Lisa Lenskold of 14 Folwell Road in Norwalk came forward and said that she was a Swim Team supporter and a constituent. She then addressed the issue of the Naramake portable, which should have been ordered by May 15th, in order to have it ready for school. Using the Naramake music room as a classroom would not work because having music on a cart or in gym would not be acceptable. She then asked that they authorize the Administration to purchase the portable classroom. Ms. Lenskold then said that her daughter had been part of the Zeus Swim Team and that the Board should not cut the program that was enjoyed by so many.

Mr. Dan Lucia, a Naramake teacher who lives in Huntington came forward. He then said that even with the outside classrooms, the teachers often have to open windows to have fresh air in the room. He said that interior rooms were not conducive to learning. Naramake had a portable a few years ago and that it worked out. He asked the Board to install the portable for the school.

Ms. Nancy Fuzesi of 3 Castle Court, who is a social worker at Columbus School the addressed the Board. She said that there had been a number of presentations about Columbus and the situation with the assistants. She then listed the various points and encouraged the Board to listen to their hearts and consider what it would be like to lose hours or medical benefits. At Columbus, they teach the students empathy and the Board needs to model this. She then urged the Board to walk in the shoes of the assistants and listen to their hearts.

Mr. Dylan Byrne, the captain of the Variety Hockey Team with his team members came forward and greeted the Board. He said that he saw that Norwalk High School build a new wing recently but they didn’t fix other problems. He said that he had asked the coach if the team could wear their jerseys, but was told it was too difficult to go get the jerseys. He then asked what that answer conveys to the students about their team.

Another player then said that the hockey team actually represented the entire City and they play because that is what they love to do.

Mr. Jerry Byrne, of 42 Lockwood Lane, came forward and identified himself as Mr. Byrne’s father. He said that he was involved in hockey. He said that the town had entered into a verbal agreement with a developer for a sports arena, but the hockey team was being cut. He then challenged the Board about this. Mayor Moccia pointed out that the Ryan Park Sports Arena idea had been strongly opposed. Mr. Byrne then asked if the news articles were lies. He said that he felt that while the Board had congratulated the swim team leaders, but they were cutting the swim team and this made the Board look like it did not know what it was doing.

Mr. Steven Avitabile of 15 Lloyd Rd, came forward and said that he thinks highly of the Board and the City. He said that there were differences, but usually they are worked out. Mr. Avitabile said that he had watched the hockey team and that while they may have lost all their games, no one can buy that kind of heart. If there was this much money for a sports complex, then there has to be a way to keep the hockey team.

Ms. Mary Conlon, a resident of Norwalk and Tracey School assistant principal then addressed the Board. She said that the school and the neighborhood has changed and so have the responsibilities of the assistant principal. All of the Norwalk Schools need to have onsite assistant principals to meet the increasing demands of discipline, new programs, NCLB requirements and teacher evaluations, along with the preparation for the CMT exams. Previously there was an abundance parental involvement at Tracey, but now there is not enough. The Assistant Principal provides a weekly email letter, along with many other tasks. The Assistant Principals perform key and vital functions at all the schools.

Mr. Michael Mercuir, a Columbus student, came forward and said that Columbus Magnet School was called a magnet school because it was supposed to attract students. Two teachers in the classroom is part of the entire curriculum at the school. He then said that he did not want to lose one of his teachers.

Ms. Carla Montiero, a teacher at Tracey and Norwalk resident came forward and said that she did not see how the schools could run with part time assistant principals. She came from Stamford, where they had full time assistant principals. When the position changed from part time to full time, the impact was immediately felt because the administration was working as a team. Ms. Montiero then listed a number of areas where the Assistant Principal was a strong benefit for the faculty and the students. All the new programs, legislations, and evaluations that are being required will increase the responsibilities of all the school administration.

Ms Monica Mercuir, a student at Columbus came forward and spoke about the assistant teachers at Columbus. She said that she wanted to write a letter to City Hall and then listed a number of various areas where her assistant teacher had made a difference. She then thanked everyone for listening.

Ms. Nancy Wargo, of 10 Cavray Road, Norwalk came forward and said that she was the president of the Zeus Aquatic Club and that she was present to speak about swimming in general . Drowning happens in a shoreline community and that swimming was a life sport. She added that Norwalk had just lost a resident in a drowning accident recently. Norwalk Swim Team is necessary and the swim program was started by Ms. Spinola and Ms. Philcox Voss over fifty years ago. She then said that the Zeus Aquatic Club had voted to donate a solar cover for the pool in order to cut the cost by $50,000. She said that if there were a few free weekends, the group could run swim meets that would help raise funds.

Mr. Lou Bonsanque of 25 Honeysuckle Drive came forward and said that he was present to make two simple points about the assistant principals. The CMT’s data at Wolfpit show over the last three years that the gap between the Hispanic and free lunch students was closing. Mr. Weiss makes sure that the students have the tools to take the test and they are prepared.

Secondly, the new state mandate is trying to identify students who are struggling early on and to help the students live up to their full potential. Mr. Weiss, the assistant principal at Wolfpit, is also an intrinsic part of this. Any of the costs will be far outweighed by the social costs of not having an assistant principal.

Ms. Susan Brown, of 3 Spar Road, came forward to speak about the hockey team and the swim team. She was an NHS graduate and did not want to see the teams cut. Her son plays hockey and that the extra curriculum activities set Norwalk apart as a community. It is all about the kids.

Ms. Angela Araujp , a Strawberry Hill resident, came forward and said that her three children have wide range of interests. They all participate in after school activities, such as football, lacrosse and wrestling. She said that she did not want to hear that they couldn’t study because there were no classrooms. She then asked that Naramake portables be provided.

Ms. Leslie Lawrence of 18 Range Road in Norwalk came forward and said that she was the co-president of the Rowayton PTA. She said that she had worked closely with the assistant principal at Rowayton and felt that the assistant principal had a deep understanding of the students. Understandings like this help the CMT scores improve. The assistant principal helps with the evaluations, acts as the manager of the faculty and often implements new programs. Ms. Lawrence then listed a number of programs that the assistant principal had introduced and which had helped the literacy and reading scores improve at Rowayton.

Ms. Shannon Tchkotova of 2 Old Field Road, the incoming Rowayton PTA president then came forward. She said that she was concerned about the administrators at Rowayton and by eliminating two Assistant Principals would harm the schools and destroy the progress that has been made by those schools in the recent years. She then listed a number of benefits that the Rowayton assistant principal brought to the school, such as grant writing, program implementation and this has had a last effect on the school. There is a first class learning environment and is operating at full capacity. There is no Title One funding at Rowayton. The Rowayton Assistant Principal is not disposable, she is vital to the school.

Ms. Jody Cunningham of 108 Witch Lane, said that she had students at Rowayton before the Assistant Principal arrived. The atmosphere at the school changed when the AP arrived and this has had a significant impact on the CMT scores. As the school continues to grow and the principal has increased responsibilities, it is necessary to have an Assistant Principal.

Ms. Pat Vanachi, of 15 Park Road, the co-president of Rowayton School PTA, came forward. Cutting staff at an elementary school should be the last thing considered. She then said that the growth at the school has been a burden on the staff and teachers who are already stretched thin. Rowayton gets less than other schools in district and provides numerous services to the students. There are 114 students that would qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch, but Rowayton does not get any Title One funding. She then asked why this was. These funds create a large disparity in the funding. The academically talented program needs to be considered because the children who have special needs receive services, but the Academically talented children do not have the same type of services available to them.

Ms. Trish Buffardi of 52 West Rocks Road came forward to read a letter from Denise Moses who could not be present tonight. Ms. Moses then said that the BOE had made two critical mistakes, one being the reduction of the Academically Talented program and this was abuse to the children who need these program. The second error is cutting the assistant principal positions. The number of pressures have increased and there are not enough hours in the day. The assistant principal would not be able to have any deep commitment to the school. That’s one less point of contact and one less administrator. The test scores need to rise and this is how it happens. The cuts needs to be in Central Office and not in the classroom.

Mr. Dan Cowan of18 Miranda Lane came forward to speak about the role of the assistant principal in the schools. When he brought his daughter into the system, both the principal and assistant principal welcomed both him and his daughter. He pointed out that the principals and assistant principals were there for the school clean up day but the increase work load will hamper their participation in the school events.

Mr. Nick Holbert from the Hockey Team came forward and said that some of the Board members had insulted him by looking down or adjusting their ties or not looking at the speaker. He said that he felt that the Board does not care about the hockey team.

Another member of the Hockey Team said that despite the record, it doesn’t show the heart that the team has. He then recounted the various games and how the team worked together despite the losses.

Mr. Lou Salbury from the Hockey Team said that he had played for two years and that the team had given him a chance to come together as a team .

Another team member said that he was a freshman and that he had looked forward to playing for Norwalk. Taking the team away from the students would be an insult.

Mr. Anthony Arena said that he had been playing since he was five and that he had looked forward to playing for his town. If the team is cancelled they will not have a chance to improve

Ms. Marian Edvardson of 19 Starlight Drive, said that there was a memo from West Rocks had gone out earlier in the day about a student who was approached by a man who demanded that the student get into his vehicle. This is not the time to cut staff because it concerns safety. She then said that she was speaking on behalf of the students at Wolfpit because it was important to keep the assistant principals at the schools. Now is not the time to jeopardize the staff of the schools. The value the assistant principals adds can not be compromised.

Ms. Redniss came forward and read a letter from Ms. Maria Robertson of 11 Pink Cloud Court in Norwalk of Norwalk which focused on the Assistance Principals. She said that having Assistant principals as part time would affect the CMT scores.

Ms. Redniss said that she felt that it was wonderful that the hockey team had come together and had players from both high schools.

Mr. Tony Santa Maria came forward and said that he had two students at Brien McMahon High School. He then spoke about the Assistant Principal at Brien McMahon High School. He then asked what the student would do if the team was taken away.

Ms. Susan Stroffolino came forward to address the Board about the assistant teachers at Columbus School. Ms. Stroffolino then quickly recited the contents of the information packets for all the Board member as another staff member distributed. She said that the teachers teach at Columbus because it is their preferred teaching. Ms. Stroffolino then said that the Bank Street Curriculum requires special training and that the staff is consistent in the approach to learning. When there are absences, the other teachers step in and cover for her so there are no substitute teachers in the school.

Ms. Claire Marabella, of Norwalk, came forward and said that she has been at Columbus since it opened in 1980. Ms. Mirabella then listed a number of training courses that the staff takes and many of their responsibilities. By reducing the classroom assistant’s hours, the greatest impact will be on the students and the hands on approach will falter. The part time staff will be expected to do a full time job in part time hours. Soon Columbus will celebrate their 30th anniversary. She then thanked the Board in advance for not reducing the hours for Columbus magnet as suggested in the proposed reconciliation.

Ms. Dana Gorman of 6 Algonquin Road came forward and said that she felt that cutting the Assistant Principal position would be harmful. The principal would be buried in paperwork and the students would never see her. The evaluation process is extensive and is done twice a year. The AP does half of these evaluations. They know the names of each and every student, greet them at the door and give out praise or encouragement. The AP make sure that the struggling families have food on the table, transportation to meetings and many other items that the families need. Having two people that are available to the families is invaluable.

Ms. Kerry O’Neill, of 10 Silver River Court came forward to speak in favor of support of the assistant principal positions. This position is critical to the school growth plan and that school improvement plans. The staff needs the assistant principal for support and very valuable to the instructional process. She then requested that the Board insure the assistant principals continued as full time employees.

Mr. Bruce Mellion, the NFT president then came forward and gave a document to some Board members. He said that it listed a number of items to be considered when the reconciliation was done. He then said that there was an update for the Dean of Student positions. Brien McMahon has the data from the beginning, but Norwalk had two different people in the position. Mr. Mellion then listed all the figures that were involved with this.

Ms. Tina Ferrigno of 8 Osborne Avenue, came forward and said that her son was present at the meeting earlier and told his mother that it looked like the Board members didn’t care. She then said that changing 30 hours a week to 27.5 hours a week is a major issue. Aides at other schools may not understand this either. She then said that she was a teacher now because she fell in love with the job while she was an assistant teacher at Columbus. If the full time assistant was not present for the full day, then the teacher can’t possibly get all the extra programs done. She then listed a number of things that Columbus offered to the students.

Ms. Allison Foley, 18 Fordham Road, came forward and said that Dr. Moore had mentioned the fact that people were losing faith. Ms. Foley said that she understood this and did feel this way. At a PPT yesterday, she was there for three hours as was the principal. While this meeting was going on, the assistant principal was running the school. She then said that her thirteen year old son was looking forward to playing hockey for Norwalk, and that her family would be impacted on many levels by the cuts that were recommended in the reconciliation.

Dr. Lynn Moore, 18 Fox Run Road, the principal of West Rocks came forward. She thanked the Finance Board for their work. She said that the budget document did not contain enough information to make decisions regarding the various departments. She said that she had spoken previously about the clerical positions at West Rocks and the dance program. After spending $50,000 for a specialized studio, it did not make sense to cut the program after such a major investment was made in the school.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked if there was anyone else present who wished to speak.

Mr. Joe Vellus, a counselor from West Rocks Middle School, came forward and said that the assistant for the counseling office was critical. The assistant often stays beyond the hours dictated by the contract. This assistant is always ready to translate for the staff and the parents when needed. Each year, for the past 11 years, the Central Office has assigned more and more responsibilities to the counseling office and the staff has tried to compensate. He then asked that the position not be eliminated.

Mr. Mirabile of Strawberry Avenue, came forward asked that the Naramake school portable be approved because it is important to have the students in a classroom.

Mr. Chiarmonte said that he was concerned about the comments that were made about the Board of Education not caring. He reminded everyone that the Board members don’t get paid for this and the reason that they were present for the meeting was because they care.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked if there was anyone else present who wished to speak. No one else came forward. This concluded the public comment portion of the meeting.

ACTIONS

A. CONSENT

1. Approval of personnel actions

** MS. HAMILTON MOVED TO APPROVE THE FOLLOWING PERSONNEL ACTIONS:

RESIGNATION – EFF. 08/31/09

SCHMIEDEL-ROSSOMANDO, JANE – NARAMAKE – GRADE 5

REQUEST FOR MINI-CHILD REARING LEAVE – EFF. 08-31/09-01/20/2010

STEPHENSON, KATIE – JEFFERSON – GRADE 2

TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT – TENURED TEACHER – EFF. 06/02/09

DIACO, VINCENT – NATHAN HALE MS – PHYSICAL EDUCATION.

** MS. RIVAS SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED WITH EIGHT IN FAVOR (MURRAY, BISHOP-PULLAN, CHIARAMONTE, IANNACCONE, HAMILTON, JIMENEZ, BURNETT, AND RIVAS) AND ONE ABSTENTION (MOSBY).

B. Approval of minutes (May 19, 2009)

** MR. IANNACCONE MOVED THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 19, 2009 MEETING. ** MS. RIVAS SECONDED. ** THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 19, 2009 MEETING AS SUBMITTED PASSED WITH EIGHT IN FAVOR (MURRAY, BISHOP-PULLAN, CHIARAMONTE, IANNACCONE, HAMILTON, JIMENEZ, BURNETT, AND RIVAS) AND ONE ABSTENTION (MOSBY).

C. Approval of policies

1. Policy #0521 Equal Employment Opportunity

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:

RESOLVED, UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE POLICY #0521 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY.

** MR. BURNETT SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

2. Policy #6121 Equal Educational Opportunity

** MS. RIVAS MOVED TO THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION:

RESOLVED, UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, THAT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVE POLICY #6121 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY.

** MR. BURNETT SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

** MS. JIMENEZ MOVED TO APPROVE THE ADDITIONAL ACTION ITEM 6B – FOR THE NORWALK BOARD OF EDUCATION TO AUTHORIZE THE ADMINISTRATION TO PURCHASE TWO PORTABLES FOR ROWAYTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND ONE PORTABLE FOR NARAMAKE ELEMENTARY.

** MR. IANNACCONE SECONDED. ** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

INFORMATION AND REPORTS

SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM BIDS

Dr. Corda then said that the original contract with Whitson’s would have continued for the five years span of the contract. However Federal government had required the District to go out for a bid, which the District did.

Dr. Cook then reviewed process for the Executive Summary of the Food Service Management Company Proposals that the committee (Donna Vaccarrella, Bruce Morris, Dr. Dan Cook, Fay Ruotolo, George Giannitti, and Jim Iezzi) had engaged in to determine a recommendation for the school lunch program. The items with a double asterisks following are hard costs. Dr. Cook then reviewed the various items that would be considered “soft”.

Dr. Cook then reviewed items 9-16 listed on the Executive Summary, which had a point value assigned to them. Dr. Cook then explained the formula used for ranking the companies. Whitson’s and Chartwell both had good feedback, and all the vendors were in compliance with the State regulations. Dr. Cook reviewed the particulars on the chart in regards to Item #15 – Menus, Concepts of Service, Commodities, Food Quality and Portion Size.

Dr. Cook then explained that the Committee Recommendation was for Whitson’s Culinary Group and reviewed why the Committee had decided to recommend Whitson’s. Those reasons are:

• Whitson’s promotes a complete healthy meal for every student. • Whitson’s involvement with the Community, Staff and students is always positive. • Whitson’s proposals are realistic in terms of achieving proposal objectives. • After visiting three other districts 10 locations in total the other companies fell short in comparison to Norwalk’s mission of providing our students and staff with health meals at affordable prices.

Mr. Burnett said that there was a great amount of detail in the report, but he would like to see some specific recommendations from Whitson’s about saving money. He said that he would like to know if there were any innovations for savings. Dr. Cook said that the District had discussions with Whitson’s about saving money months before the requirement to go out to bid was announced and that Whitson’s had responded with very favorable prices. Once the RFP had gone out, Dr. Cook said that he was very careful during the bid process regarding the finances with the bidders. Dr. Cook said that Whitson’s had been very open and very responsive to requests and suggestions.

Mr. Giannitti said that he would speak about what Whitson’s was looking to do for the district. He said that when Whitson’s came into the District, they had brought in some equipment, which the District would be paying them back for. Mr. Giannitti said that Whitson’s was forgiving the outstanding debt of $75,000 owed by the District.

The Mayor then asked about the bid process. Dr. Cook then said that the Committee had meticulously followed the State guidelines.

DISCUSSION OF MINUTE TAKING PROCESS AND COST.

Mr. Burnett said that he had asked for the item to be added to the agenda because the minutes have transformed form being minutes to being court transcripts. He asked if the Board needed this level of detail in the minutes. He then said that to date, there had been close to $7,500 in secretarial services. If this level of detail is needed, they should not be called minutes, but referred to as transcripts.

Ms. Rivas said that she felt that there was a cost involved but that the community had no other way to access the minutes. She then asked if the minutes were shortened, how the community would be informed as to what happened during the meeting.

Ms. Mosby said that her concern was who would be determining what would be included in the minutes. As a concerned person, she wants to know what is being said and who is accountable for issues. She said that the cost was peace of mind. She said that it is important to make sure that the community is well informed.

Ms. Hamilton said that she agreed with Mr. Burnett in that the minutes have morphed into more than they were. However, sometime on the website, comments are taken out of context and the public only gets a snippet of what was actually said.

Ms. Rivas said that each meeting is taped and when the minutes are brought forward, they are corrected. It is important to have all the detail for the reconciliation. The Board responds to public comment and if the Board doesn’t hear the public, then the communication is broken.

Mr. Iannaccone asked if the District had gone out to bid to other services. Ms. Murray said that she had asked about this when a secretary was not available at other meetings.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan said that while she had felt that the last set of Financial meetings minutes were too detailed, but also pointed out that now the various Board committees were having the minutes taken.

Ms. Mosby said that she felt that she still had concerns about who would decide on what would go into the minutes.

Mr. Burnett said that he felt that while he felt that there was communication with the public, the minutes were bordering on transcripts. The law requires the opening of the meeting, the action items and their votes Category: Minutes