Board of Education Meeting Minutes

February 7, 2006

BOARD OF EDUCATION

FEBRUARY 7, 2006

ATTENDANCE: Thomas Vetter, Chairman; Rob Polley; Bruce Kimmel; Jody Bishop-Pullan; Rosa Murray; Richard Fuller; Susan Hamilton; Greg Burnett; Judy Rivas.

STAFF: Dr. Salvatore Corda, Superintendent of Schools.

OTHERS: Bruce Mellion, NFT; Stuart Opdahl.

I. CALL TO ORDER

Mr. Vetter called the meeting to order at 7:47 p.m.

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Mr. Vetter led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Board observed a moment of silence in memory of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

III. SPOTLIGHT

Mr. Fuller read the Spotlight into the record.

IV. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Dr. Corda said, at the last Board meeting, he shared with the Board and the community a plan that they had developed in conjunction with the City in order to address the Capital projects that remain to be done. Essentially this plan was developed as a result of the fact that, given the scope of the work that remains to be done, and the fact that the resources available to do that are limited, they had significant concerns about whether or not the projects would be able to be completed with their original intent. Through this cooperation and collaboration with the City, they developed a plan that was shared with the Board of Education and the Board will be acting on it tonight. They had tried to communicate with the public about the specifics of the plan using a variety of venues, and had received very little feedback about it, except for positive comments from people in the community who feel that this is a way not only to address the needs of the school system, but also to recognize the fact that the resources of the City are limited, and in fact have to be applied in very judicious ways.

Dr. Corda said that when the Board of Education adopted the goals that are used to guide the work that they do, they have spent more attention in a public way than an instructional goal. He wanted to remind everyone that there is also a goal that the Board adopted relative to long-range planning, which not only addresses curricular and inspectional needs, but it also identifies the attention they need to pay to the physical plant. Dr. Corda believes the plan they have recommended to the Board is one that is sound; that it accomplishes the purposes that are necessary for making sure that our buildings receive the attention that they need; and at the same time it recognizes the fact that the City is a complex operation that not only has needs relative to the school system, but also many other responsibilities that the City must meet, and this gives them some flexibility to meet those needs. Dr. Corda strongly urged the Board to adopt the resolution that will come before them this evening.

V. PUBLIC COMMENTS

Mr. Bruce Mellion of the NFT, said that the NFT and NFEA presented input to the Board requesting that Friday, December 22, 2006 should be an early dismissal day prior to the Christmas break in the school calendar. He said there was a unanimous vote taken by the NFT regarding this request. Mr. Mellion also suggested that a methodology should be put in place to determine early dismissals from year to year in order to alleviate the problem.

Mr. & Mrs. Frank and Catherine Nash distributed a letter to the Board and read it into the record. The letter concerned a situation that had developed in their daughter’s kindergarten classroom at Rowayton Elementary School and resulted in the departure of a particular teacher. Mr. Nash stated that there was a perceived violation of ethics, and informed the Board that, as the parent involved, after reviewing the State Code of Professional Responsibility for Teachers, he found no such violations, and indicated the parents were frustrated and the children saddened by the situation. Mrs. Nash was concerned that the administration has not yet told the parents exactly when this teacher will be leaving so they can prepare the children for it. She was concerned that because the children like the teacher very much, they will be confused and bewildered by the change of staff in mid-year.

Ms. Crystal Smith, whose daughter attends Rowayton Elementary School and is in the same kindergarten class as the Nash’s child, also stated her unhappiness with this particular teacher’s dismissal and inquired about the evaluation process that had taken place prior to the teacher’s departure.

Ms. Sharon Cadden told the Board she was very pleased with the plan for the reallocation of funds for improving the schools and commended the Board for their communications to parents and the various groups involved. She thanked the Board for working so well with all concerned.

VI. ACTIONS

A. Consent

1. Approval of personnel actions 2. Approval of budget transfers

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ACTIONS. ** MR. POLLEY SECONDED.

Before voting on the action items, Mr. Kimmel asked if the first item could be removed. Mr. Vetter agreed and stated that Item #1 was removed. He then called for a vote on the remaining item, budget transfers.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

** MR. POLLEY MOTIONED TO APPROVE PERSONNEL ACTIONS. ** MS. HAMILTON SECONDED.

Mr. Kimmel asked what the procedure would be to discuss the personnel action as a separate item. Mr. Vetter said that it would go into executive session and the staff member would have an opportunity to be represented.

** MR. KIMMEL MOTIONED TO DISCUSS THE PERSONNEL ACTIONS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. ** MR. BURNETT SECONDED.

Mr. Polley asked if this meant they were tabling this item tonight pending the outcome of the executive session. Mr. Vetter said he wasn’t sure that it could be moved into executive session and thought that it would have to be discussed prior to the meeting. He said the actions could be tabled tonight. He questioned Dr. Corda as to whether they could discuss this in executive session tonight. Dr. Corda said that it could be moved into executive session and then when the Board reconvenes they would be able to vote on the personnel matter. But if the issue is a particular item, he didn’t know if that could be separated so the Board could act on the others and then come back and discuss the particular item. Mr. Polley asked if they hold up on the personnel item to be discussed in executive session, we may then come out of executive session tonight and act on it? Dr. Corda said that would be correct.

Mr. Fuller said that if they don’t take action tonight then the matter is left up to the superintendent. Dr. Corda said he was at somewhat of a loss because he didn’t know what the particular item is that might be discussed, so he didn’t know what the outcome might be. He said if it was an appointment it could certainly have an impact if the Board doesn’t act on it, because we need to advise an individual and there could be implications associated with that. If it is a request to leave, the same issues apply because they need to be able to notify the individual. Ms. Bishop-Pullan said there is a motion to go into executive session; suppose they vote not to do that. Mr. Kimmel said then the discussion would be wide open and public.

Dr. Corda said, just to clarify, if it is a personnel matter that the Board wishes to discuss, then it has to be moved into executive session. The individual about whom the discussion will be occurring has to be advised that the Board will be discussing it in executive session, because that individual has rights that would enable the person to say they don’t want a discussion in executive session, or they choose to have it to be in public. Dr. Corda was unsure whether the individual could be at executive session unless the Board was to decide so, but the individual would have the option to say they didn’t want a discussion in executive session. He believed that if the Board is going to move an item into executive session, they don’t have to table it to be discussed at the next public meeting of the Board where they can go into executive session about that matter. Mr. Vetter said it was the staff member’s option to have the discussion in public or not. Discussion followed as to whether or not the item would be moved to executive session.

Mr. Kimmel stated that he felt if the item was going to be discussed between the Board members, the employee should have a chance to appear before the Board and answer any questions and be allowed to make a statement. Mr. Polley asked how this would be handled because there was a question of time involved as the employee had already given a departure date which would conflict with the next scheduled meeting dates. Further discussion followed.

Mr. Vetter said there was a motion on the floor to move the entire personnel action, unless it is modified, to executive session. Perhaps that could be done and they could vote on some of it after; they could discuss it and then perhaps vote on the entire package or some of it, but they have the right to vote after executive session. Mr. Vetter said the personnel actions are on the agenda for a vote tonight. If Mr. Kimmel would be amenable to a modification along these lines, the entire item would go into executive session. After their discussion they reserve the right to vote on it as an entire package or an individual item. Dr. Corda was adamant that if they were going to discuss an action against a staff member then they would have to notify the staff member. If they were going to discuss something in executive session, unless they separate it and identify whom the individual is, everything is on hold.

** MR. KIMMEL WITHDREW HIS MOTION TO TAKE THE PERSONNEL ACTIONS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND MOVED TO SEPARATE THE RESIGNATION OF RUSSELL McCALLUM FROM ROWAYTON KINDERGARTEN AND THEN TABLE THE REQUEST OF RESIGNATION OF MR. McCALLUM. ** MS. RIVAS SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED WITH 2 OPPOSED (MS. MURRAY, MS. HAMILTON) AND 3 ABSTAINING (MR. POLLEY, MR. FULLER, MR. VETTER)

Mr. Vetter said they now had the balance of the personnel actions.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO APPROVE THE BALANCE OF THE PERSONNEL ACTIONS. ** MR. POLLEY SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

In order to clarify things, Dr. Corda asked, they are tabling the acceptance of a resignation that an individual has submitted for purposes of discussion by the Board? Mr. Kimmel said, which means we will invite the person. Dr. Corda said if your wish is to discuss this in executive session, then what we need to do is advise the individual that this is going to be discussed in executive session. Mr. Fuller said the individual has all the right, if he’s submitted a resignation and didn’t ask for a hearing through the channels that were available to him; this should come from the individual’s concern. He already made the decision to resign.

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED THAT THE BOARD DISCUSS THIS ACTION AT THE NEXT MEETING AND THAT THE INDIVUAL INVOLVED BE NOTIFIED AND INVITED TO ATTEND. ** MS. RIVAS SECONDED.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked if the Board needed counsel before inviting the individual to the next meeting. Dr. Corda said he will get in touch with counsel and confirm the answer, and that if they are going to discuss it, then the individual needs to be notified. It was his opinion that any employee can decide whether to discuss the situation either publicly or privately. Mr. Fuller questioned whether the individual involved wanted to discuss the matter at all. Mr. Vetter said that council would let the Board know what can or can’t be done. Mr. Polley said he wasn’t sure what happens if the Board doesn’t accept a resignation, and he questioned that if there are some procedural issues that they want to discuss, then maybe this whole activity isn’t even necessary. He said they couldn’t not accept the resignation and force the employee to come to work.

Mr. Kimmel said he was assuming the individual in question would rather be a teacher than resign. He understands that occasionally people act rashly or emotionally. Dr. Corda said this should not be discussed in this venue as they are discussing an employee and it was a procedural issue. The individual has submitted a resignation with an effective date of February 27th. This Board may not be meeting again until March, which is after the resignation date. The individual has met the statutory requirement of 30 days notice. Dr. Corda said he couldn’t be sure of what the implications of that are until he speaks with counsel, and it may be a moot point by then. He doesn’t know that the Board has to act to accept the resignation of an individual if the individual tenders a resignation and has met the requirements of the statute.

Mr. Polley said, after they come out of executive session they have to report something; what do they report? In this particular case, because they cannot discuss the individual, there is nothing to report and no discussion can take place. Dr. Corda said he thinks the item will get tabled procedurally. Ms. Rivas asked since they are not meeting prior to the 27th, could they call a special meeting?

Mr. Fuller said if this issue was a grievance or something similar it would come before the Board through proper process, but the Board is getting involved before any process has begun and they were putting the cart before the horse. If this was an issue of someone being dismissed, everything would take place and would eventually come before the Board and they would have to look at it as a fresh issue. Mr. Fuller said, for us to get involved with it at this level, if it comes back to us, how could we be objective? This is a staff issue; the individual has followed the policy and no grievance has been filed in regards to this issue, so the policy as far as the Board is concerned has been followed. He said he has never seen a procedure that involves staff without any grievance coming to the Board for our discussion; it just doesn’t happen.

Dr. Corda said the Board may not discuss this in executive session this evening. Mr. Fuller said he didn’t think they could discuss it at any time. Ms. Rivas said, in light of what Mr. Polley said, that we really wouldn’t vote to accept a resignation or not, then she would withdraw her seconding of the motion.

** MS. RIVAS WITHDREW HER SECONDING OF MR. KIMMEL’S MOTION.

Mr. Vetter said the issue was done and the Board will move on to the next item on the agenda. B. Approval of Minutes (January 10 and January 17, 2006)

Corrections to the minutes of January 10, 2006 are as follows:

Page 2, top paragraph, change “Ms. Angela Vicenzi” to “Dr. Angela Vicenzi.”

** MR. POLLEY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 10, 2006 AS AMENDED. ** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN SECONDED. ** MOTION APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY

** MR. POLLEY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JANUARY 17, 2006 AS WRITTEN. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED WITH TWO ABSTENTIONS (MS. HAMILTON, MS. RIVAS)

C. Approval of Field Trip(s)

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO APPROVE THE FIELD TRIP(S). ** MS. HAMILTON SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

D. Approve creation of a Science Magnet School at Jefferson Elementary School

** MR. KIMMEL MOVED TO APPROVE THE CREATION OF A SCIENCE MAGNET SCHOOL AT JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

E. Approve calendar for 2006-2007 school year

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR. ** MS. HAMILTON SECONDED.

Mr. Kimmel asked if it was correct that the calendar was for 181 days. Dr. Corda said that was correct. Mr. Kimmel asked how snow days were figured in, for example, if two days were lost in January. Dr. Corda said if you look at the month of June, beginning on June 19th there is a notation of “SD” which means from the 19th to the 29th, if necessary, these days can be used as snow day make-ups. Mr. Kimmel asked what was the last full day of school at the elementary level because the calendar says half days beginning June 13th and he wondered if this was across the board. Dr. Corda said this was also correct. Mr. Kimmel asked if the 13th through the 19th were counted as full days. Dr. Corda explained that students must be in school for a certain amount of time, and these days were counted as full days. Mr. Kimmel asked if the 181 days included the half days in June and eight full days of school days in June. He asked if federal law still mandated that a full school year was 180 days. Dr. Corda said federal law didn’t come into play at all, that State law is what governs the required amount of days for the year, which is 180. Mr. Kimmel brought up the question of federal aid dependant on how many full school days per year. Dr. Corda said he didn’t think federal aid is governed by a minimum number of days, that each state establishes the number of days that each student must be in attendance and it varies from state to state.

Mr. Fuller said he had a question about the 22nd of December being a half-day. He wanted to know if they could make an amendment to the calendar to make this day a half day. Dr. Corda said they could do this, and if the Board chose to accept an amended calendar, then it was amended, but it doesn’t have to come back again, they can amend it.

** MR. FULLER MOTIONED TO AMEND THE SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR 2006-07 TO MAKE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22ND AN EARLY DISMISSAL BY 90 MINUTES.

The motion was not seconded. Dr. Corda said they could still have a discussion even thought this motion was not going to pass.

Mr. Polley stated that the Board had approved something similar on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving about a year and a half ago and these are fundamentally different issues. He did not think that whatever the day before the start of vacation before Christmas is the same issue although it’s tempting to think of them as the same issue. Although he did support that Wednesday before Thanksgiving being a half-day, there are so many different days that Christmas could fall on, where that is not the case with Thanksgiving. It seems to make sense to examine the issue to see if they can come up with a formula so that it’s more predictable, and he asked that the Board take a look to see if it makes sense to create a formula for that day for the future, but not for this calendar.

Mr. Vetter called for a vote on the 2006-2007 school calendar as originally stated, on the original motion.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

F. Approve YMCA use of Marvin School for summer school

** MR. FULLER MOVED TO APPROVE THE USE OF MARVIN SCHOOL FOR THE YMCA’S SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM. ** MR. BURNETT AND MS. HAMILTON SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED WITH ONE ABSTENTION (MR. POLLEY)

G. Norwalk High - Approval of final plans and professional cost estimate – phase 2 of 2

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE THE FINAL PLANS AND COST ESTIMATE FOR PHASE 2 OF 2 FOR NORWALK HIGH SCHOOL. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED.

Representatives of Gilbane gave a brief overview of the final plans for phase 2 of the project and a summary of the work that will be done.

Mr. Vetter asked when the approximate date of the project going out to bid will be, and was told that after the State authorizes project for approval, which is anticipated for early April, then the bid documents and bid package will be prepared. Bids will go out in early May and they anticipate receiving bids on or about late May, then they will formalize the GNP for the project and present it in late May to early June in order to capture a summer start.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

H. Reallocation of funding from various building projects

** MR. FULLER MOTIONED TO APPROVE THE REALLOCATION OF FUNDING FROM VARIOUS BUILDING PROJECTS. ** MR. KIMMEL SECONDED.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked if this was the same proposal that was presented before the Board. Dr. Corda said that was correct. Ms. Bishop-Pullan asked what happens next after it is approved. Dr. Corda said that for the future projects it would go to the Facilities committee for the same procedures as any other projects.

** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

Mayor Moccia left the meeting at 8:55 p.m.

I. Transportation services for Headstart programs

** MS. MURRAY MOVED TO APPROVE THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

VII. INFORMATION & REPORTS

A. Board Members Announcements

Ms. Hamilton distributed copies of the Cooperative Times newsletter to the Board.

Mr. Fuller invited the Board members to the Carver Community Center Black History Month program and informed them that Board member Mr. Burnett will be a speaker.

Ms. Bishop-Pullan announced that Thursday, February 9 will be the Brien McMahon High School Grand Opening Concert. She said all were invited and welcome to attend.

B. Discussion of need for February 21, 2006 BOE meeting

Mr. Vetter said that he had been informed that there was no need for this meeting to be held. Dr. Corda said that they don’t anticipate any actions for the Board to act on.

** MS. RIVAS MOVED TO ADD FEBRUARY 21, 2006 TO THE SCHEDULE OF BOARD MEETINGS. ** MR. FULLER SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

** MR. FULLER MOVED TO CANCEL THE FEBRUARY 21, 2006 MEETING. ** MR. KIMMEL SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

C. Proposal for professional service related to community procurement of electric power

A brief presentation was given by Mr. Tom Galvin and Mr. Paul Prescott of Source One.

VII. DISCUSSION – PERSONNEL MATTER

Mr. Vetter announced that the Board will recess from the regular meeting and go into Executive Session.

** MS. BISHOP-PULLAN MOVED THAT THE BOARD CLOSE THE REGULAR MEETING AND GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. ** MS. HAMILTON SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The regular meeting was closed at 9:20 p.m.

IX. ADJOURNMENT

** MOVED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING. ** SECONDED. ** MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

The meeting went back to open session at 11pm. Regular meeting was adjourned at 11:15p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Linda J. Hayes Telesco Secretarial Services

Category: Minutes