New Haven Independent

The Board of Education (BOE) plans to hire Keith J. Stover (pictured) from the Hartford-based power law and lobbying firm of Robinson & Cole. Actually it’s the law firm’s that been retained, at $5,000 per month, not to exceed three months, or the balance of the current legislative session at the Capitol.

Although the BOE has been advertising for an individual full-time liaison to push its agenda, none of the potential candidates who sent in their resumes, according to spokeswoman Catherine Sullivan DeCarlo, possessed the six or more years of experience working with the legislature around issues of public education and budgeting.

“Since there are three months left to the session,” she said in an email, “the decision was made to hire a lobbyist on contract to see us through the session.”

On Monday night, the BOE’s administration and finance committee approved the short-term contract and sent it for full approval by the BOE on March 24, where such things are ususally aproved pro forma. The contract therefore is written formally to begin March 25.

“We hope the price will pay for itself,” said Will Clark, the BOE’s chief operating officer, “with a bill or two passed.”

There’s a lot at stake in the current legislative session. Example: restoration of the Early Reading Success Program, which was cut by close to $3 million for New Haven schools and which has been seen as a key engine for the improvement of CMT reading scores in the lower grades.

“There’s also a bill pertaining to magnet school funding,” added schools construction chief Sue Weisselberg, “There’s another on food service and another on in-school suspensions.”

Weisselberg said that she, Superintendent Reginald Mayo and other BOE officials frequently go to Hartford to keep closer track of legislation that matters to the BOE. “In fact, I’m going up tomorrow,” she said, “because $19 million has just been put back in the Early Reading Success program by the Education Committee.”

The kind of work a lobbyist like Keith J. Stover would do is to make that sure that as the bill moves through the process, the money stays in.

Clark added that while its good BOE staff goes up, there’s no substitute for knowing how the legislature operates. “We’ve been up there in the past and are talking to people we think are the right people, while off in another direction or room, the decisions are being made. Keith will call us if something happens, and we’ll know immediately if the bill went zig, when it should have gone zag. We’re in a season when we need a pro up there.”

A brief online biography of Stover reveals among his other achievements that he “successfully negotiated for the electric companies during the battle over deregulation.”

Is there any concern that going with a large firm, as opposed to a single individual who will give his undiluted time to the BOE, might cut down on lobbying effectiveness? Weisselberg and Clark didn’t think so. “We checked out their firm’s and especially Keith Stover’s other obligations,” said Weisselberg, “and he also lobbies on behalf of the city of Bridgeport. Our priorities and Bridgeport’s,” she said, “don’t compete; they in fact complement each other.”

Committee member Frances Padilla (on the far left in the photo above) said she thought the large firm was better than a single individual. She added a caution: “Lobbyists are good. However, when legislators see them coming, even the good ones, they hold their noses.” Having the lobbyist, she suggested, “is no excuse for not getting to know our delegation very well and working that relationship.”

Weisselberg said the BOE is suspending the search for a full-time lobbyist for the duration of the session.

“This short-term approach,” said Clark, “gives us a chance to put our toe in the water.”