October, 2008
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BULLETIN BULLETINThe Connecticut Association of Schools The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Affiliated with: National Federation of State High School Associations • National Assoc. of Secondary School Principals • National Middle School Assoc. • National Assoc. of Elementary School Principals VOL. 83 / NO. 1 OCTOBER 2008 DECORATED BRISTOL PRINCIPAL TO LEAD CAS the president of CAS," said Ev upon his CAS Financial Development Committee. appointment. "I hope in some small way to A decorated administrator, Ev has been return the countless benefits I have received recognized for his contributions to public from CAS by serving in this leadership role education at the local, state and regional lev- within the association." els. Bristol Eastern was named a Blue Rib- Ev earned a bachelor's and master's bon School in 2000 and a Vanguard School degree from Central Connecticut State Uni- in 2007. Ev was named High School Princi- versity, a certificate of advanced study from pal of the Year in 2000; and, in 2001, he Southern Connecticut State University, and received the Outstanding Alumni Leadership a doctorate from the University of Connecti- Award from the CCSU Department of Edu- cut. He began his professional career in cational Leadership. Ev was awarded a CAS 1972 as a teacher at Catherine McGee Mid- Letter of Commendation in 1992 and a CAS dle School in Berlin. In 1978 he became Citation, its highest honor, in 1994. Everett Lyons, CAS President assistant principal at Newington High "The board of directors is in excellent School where he worked for seven years hands," says Executive Director Mike Sav- r. V. Everett Lyons, principal of before assuming the position he now holds. age. "Ev's long and rich history with the Bristol Eastern High School, has A dedicated member of CAS-CIAC association has bred a deep understanding of Dtaken office as the 33rd president of since 1986, Ev is currently serving his sec- its inter-workings, a keen awareness of its the Connecticut Association of Schools. A ond "tour of duty" on the CAS Board of mission and purpose, and an abiding respect 37-year veteran educator, Ev has served as Directors. He completed a term as Class L for the importance of its work. Ev has been principal of Bristol Eastern since 1985. "I representative in 2003 and was re-appointed one of the foremost leaders in the associa- feel that it is an honor and privilege to rep- to a new term one year later. He is also chair tion's history and is one of the finest admin- resent my colleagues in educational leader- of the nominating and awards and recogni- istrators in the state of Connecticut." ship throughout Connecticut by serving as tion committees and is a member of the Ev began his two-year term on July 1. NEW HIRES AND CHANGING ROLES IN CENTRAL OFFICE CAS is pleased to announce that of a job share team so that she could spend Stephanie Ford joined the central office staff more time with her growing family. For the in July as the director of marketing. This is past 5 years, Stephanie has worked very a new position created in an effort to expand closely with Bob Ford to develop corporate the association's marketing activities and, in sponsors for CAS-CIAC's many sports tour- turn, generate resources to enhance and pro- naments, banquets, and workshops. mote association programs and services. In The hiring of Stephanie Ford is one of addition to working to develop corporate several recent staffing changes. Following partnerships, Stephanie will serve as the the retirement of Ann Malafronte in June, association's media liaison and will be work- Lou Pear was appointed the new director of ing to improve the association's image and Unified Sports®. Lou was previously serv- name recognition among its members and ing as an assistant executive director for ele- the general public. mentary education. A former physical educa- Stephanie is a graduate of Salve Regina tion teacher and high school soccer coach, Stephanie Ford, Director of Marketing University where she earned a degree in Lou has a rich athletic background which English/Communications. After graduation, will serve him well in his new position. into the program; training all Unified Stephanie worked at John Blair Television in As director of Unified Sports™, Lou is Sports® coaches and volunteers; and provid- New York before settling in Connecticut. responsible for the overall administration ing leadership and direction to the volunteer Once in Connecticut, Stephanie went to and operation of the CIAC/Special Olympics committees that help administer the pro- work for WTXX-TV in Waterbury as an Unified Sports® Program. His responsibili- gram. He will be working alongside assistant account executive before being promoted to ties include coordinating all Unified Sports® directors Bob Deasy and Ken Bragg and local sales manager there. Later, Stephanie events/tournaments; preparing and adminis- Young Athlete Program Coordinator Beth signed on with WTIC-TV, the Fox affiliate, tering the overall budget; working in the area Rasmussen to build on the successes that where she continued her sales career as part of public relations to recruit new schools Ann achieved over the past thirteen years. 2 CAS Bulletin LEGAL MAILBAG ct news & notes By Attorney Thomas B. Mooney, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut O The Connecticut State Department Editor’s Note: Legal Mailbag is a regular feature in the CAS of Education (CSDE) is collecting BULLETIN. We invite readers to submit short, law-related information on the professional devel- questions of practical concern to school administrators. Each opment needs of paraprofessionals in month we will select questions and publish answers. While order to better coordinate training at the these answers cannot be considered formal legal advice, they state level. The results of this survey may be of help to you and your colleagues. We may edit your will be used only within the Connecti- questions, and we will not identify the authors. Please submit cut Department of Education for pro- your questions to: <[email protected]> gram planning and development pur- poses. We encourage you, your school Dear Mailbag: We do our best here, Dear Better: The teacher should administrators, teachers and paraprofes- Q. but sometimes that is not good enough. A. read the recent ruling of the United sionals to complete the survey at: Some of our students are barely literate, even States Supreme Court in Garcetti v. Ceballos www.sdecali.net. The survey should take fewer than five minutes. Your though they are in our high school. The prob- (2006). There, the Court clarified that public name and contact information is only lem lies not with us, but rather with parents who employees may not make First Amendment requested to enable CSDE to follow up do not take an interest in their children's educa- claims regarding statements they make while on your responses. tion. My concern is that some hotshot lawyer they are performing their public duties. Since may get involved and bring a class action teaching is largely speech, this ruling is of spe- against our school district, claiming malpractice cial importance to school officials. In brief, the Neag School of Education or something. More litigation is the last thing we Court ruled twenty years ago that teachers and Seeks Nominations need. Should I be worried, and what should we other public employees are protected in their The Neag School of Education at the do to avoid such a lawsuit? speech if (1) the speech relates to a matter of University of Connecticut is accepting - Sitting Duck public concern, and (2) the importance of the nominations for the following alumni speech outweighs any disruptive impact of the awards: Dear Sitting: While you are right to speech. In Garcetti, the Court clarified that this g Outstanding School Administrator A. be concerned for your students who are protection does not apply to speech arising in - A principal, assistant principal, central not learning, that concern need not be fueled by the course of one's job. Therefore, it is clear office administrator or director fear of litigation. Malpractice is well-established that school officials can direct teachers to g Outstanding Higher Education in various settings, but the courts have ruled refrain from political activity in the classroom. Professional - Faculty member or that such claims may not be made against administrator at a college/university teachers and administrators. The concept of Dear Mailbag: My head is spin- g Outstanding School Superintendent malpractice is based on the fact that there are Q. ning. Where, oh where, do we stand - Leader of a public or private school standards of care, for doctors and lawyers for on in-school suspension? system example, and that a failure to meet those stan- - Getting Dizzy g Outstanding School Educator - Pre- dards is negligence. However, the expectations K through 12th grade teacher, including for educators are not so well-defined. Moreover, Dear Dizzy: In 2007, the suspension support service educators if a doctor forgets to remove a sponge after A. statute was amended to provide that, g Outstanding Kinesiology Profes- surgery, any harm will be causally connected. commencing January 1, 2009, all suspensions sional - An educator, researcher, or By contrast, a student's poor achievement can should be in-school suspensions unless the health/fitness advocate be caused by any number of factors, including student being suspended "poses such a dan- g Outstanding Physical Therapy Pro- lack of parent involvement or student motivation. ger to persons or property or such a disruption fessional - A physical therapist leader in Accordingly, when asked to hold school officials to the educational process that the student education, research or clinical practice liable when students do not achieve, the courts shall be excluded from school during the sus- g Outstanding Professional - A pro- have rejected such claims as against public poli- pension." The latest is that this new presump- fessional working within the public or private sector cy.