New Haven Independent

Posted by: mary | August 14, 2007 1:48 PM

Great Appointment.We do need to open up more to parents including them in our spmts and showing them what they can do and learn by helping out in all schools.

Posted by: THREEFIFTHS | August 14, 2007 5:37 PM

We Need A Elect School Board That Is Chosen By The People Not The King Because We Know When The King Controls The People Get Nothing.

Posted by: Gary Doyens | August 14, 2007 9:39 PM

Change the headline:

PARENTS TO BOARD OF EDUCATION: ATTEND YOUR MEETINGS!

It really aggravates me that New Haven has a growing list of failing schools, a 65% graduation rate in high school, an entire thread in this newspaper dedicated to the seduction of low expectations in our schools as administrators celebrate degrees of failure -- and the school board has a problem getting a quorum. One would think that with the above track record, a $1.5 billion school contruction program, tons of cash on hand, monster city debt for all those new monuments to education, and the school year ready to launch, that those who would guide this 20,750 student system could bother to come to a meeting to make sure we're doing the best we can.

Is that asking too much? I think not.

After the NHI investigation into their previosly noted sorry attendance, I guess it was just too much to ask that with a nice, warm sunny day these folks who signed up for this responsibility, could trouble themselves to attend their own meeting.

Thank god for that last minute appontment and Super Mayo functioning as his own board member or there wouldn't have been a meeting at all.

Posted by: concerned in ct | August 15, 2007 7:42 AM

Was the NHI reporter at the same meeting that the NH Reg reporter attended? Apparently, the BOE, at this meeting, voted to LIMIT parents involvement.

Read on...

Board aiming to muzzle parents
Maria Garriga, Register Staff
08/15/2007
-NEW HAVEN -- The Board of Education tentatively approved policy changes Monday that will make it harder for parents to air criticism at board meetings and to make unannounced visits to schools.

One of the revisions bans members of the public from criticizing specific employees of the Board of Education during public board meetings. Another revision authorizes the board chairman to stop any questioning or statements from the public during public portions of the meeting at his or her discretion.

"It seems like they want to make it harder for the public to give their input. I would like to see more of an open forum where parents and community members can be heard and responded to when they ask a question," said Qiana Simmons of New Haven, a parent who attended the board meeting Monday. She is also a leader of Teach Our Children, a group of parent activists in the public schools.

The revisions will be up for final approval at the next board meeting, said Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo, spokeswoman for the public schools. The meeting is at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Board of Education conference room, second floor of the Gateway Center at 54 Meadow St.

The policy change in one section says: "1. Questions and/or comments by the public may be restricted by the board chairperson; 2. The chairperson may, at his/her discretion, curtail public discussion at any time."

The policy also says, "The public is advised that any discussion of specific board employees will not be allowed at meetings and should be addressed to that employee's immediate supervisor."

The policy adds that the chairman or appropriate board member would make every effort to answer questions orally or in writing at a later time, but no timeline is specified.

Parents and board members would also be required to make appointments before classroom visits under the changes in one section.

Board members in attendance were Mayor John DeStefano Jr. who appoints the board and represents the building committee; Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo; acting board President Richard Abbatiello; board member Carlos Torre; and new board member Susan Samuels, who was sworn in at the meeting.

Samuels, a New Haven resident and mother of two, is president of the Parent Teacher Organizations at Katherine Brennan School and New Haven Academy.

To complete the quorum, Patricia McCann-Vissepo was included via phone, Sullivan-DeCarlo said.

Absentees included board Chairman Brian Perkins and members Frances Padilla and Michael Nast.

The board approved the changes as a "first reading" without reading the changes aloud as Abbatiello said it would take too long to read the changes.

"We would be here until the sun comes up," Abbatiello said.

It could not be determined late Tuesday whether the board was reacting to any specific incident. State Department of Education spokesman Tom Murphy said the proposed policies are common in Connecticut, although case law on the issue is not clear.

"The board has the responsibility to conduct the meeting and the individuals have the right to make public comment. That balance is supported by state law. There is recourse for individuals who feel they did not get the right to speak: They can appeal to the Freedom of Information Commission," Murphy said. The policy revision banning comments about specific board employees also makes sense, he said.

"It's protecting the rights of the employees. Parents need to observe the protocol when making complaints," he said. Murphy added that if parents were not to receive satisfactory answers from administrators, they could always write a letter to the Board of Education about specific employees.

Murphy also said that the board's effort to restrict parent access to schools by making them set appointments before they visit is common among school boards because of security concerns.

"Parents do not have the right to drop in to classrooms. The school has a responsibility to give access to parents and they also have a responsibility to make sure the learning process is not interrupted."