October 2, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Meeting

Rationale: 
 

Rationale: 
1. BEHS Student Recognitions - National Merit Scholarship Corporation
National Merit Scholarship Corporation has just announced its award winners and one BEHS student received a Letter of Commendation.  It is Madison Sutkaitis who earned a Letter of Commendation for Outstanding Performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. 

See the attached listing for student names and recognition.

Rationale: 
The Board of Education should vote to approve any Regular or Special meeting minutes. 

Rationale:  The Board of Education should vote to approve any Regular or Special meeting minutes.

Rationale: 

Finance/ Operations	Policy	School, Family & Community Partnership	School Safety	Student Achievement & Outcomes	Labor Relations (Ad-Hoc)
Eric Carlson, Chair	Jill Fitzsimons-Bula, Chair	Maria Simmons, Chair	Lorianne Osenkowski, Chair	Jill Fitzsimons-Bula, Chair	Eric Carlson, Chair
Russell Anderson	Maria Simmons	Jill Fitzsimons-Bula	Russell Anderson	Kristen Giantonio	Dante Tagariello
Dante Tagariello	Lorianne Osenkowski	Jennifer Van Gorder	Maria Simmons	Maria Simmons	Maria Simmons
Alternates:
Jill Fitzsimons-Bula	Dante Tagariello	Kristen Giantonio	Eric Carlson	Lorianne Osenkowski

Rationale: 
Student representatives from Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern will share activities, surveys, suggestions, and topics of interest in their respective schools.*

Bristol Central                                         Bristol Eastern
Ameilia Brown - Junior                             Paige Ansah - Junior                     

Rationale: 
Chair Pons will update the Board and the public on topics related to the Board of Education.

Rationale: 

Iris White will report/update the Board on the following topics:

1. School Safety Update
2. Superintendent Goals

Rationale: 
Caron, Robin - STAF - Grade 1 - effective June 30, 2024
Cassin, Catherine - BoE - Supervisor of Pupil Personnel Services - effective June 30, 2025
Ciralli, Vicki - CHMS - Math Interventionist - effective July 1, 2025
Kilray, Mark - BEHS - Special Education Teacher - effective January 25, 2025
Schaefer, Maureen - MTV - Grade 4 Teacher - effective January 2, 2025

Rationale: 
Dolce, Julia - GH - Grade 5 Teacher effective September 30, 2024
Knopf, Brittany - CHMS - Special Education Teacher effective September 17, 2024
Sweeney, Heather - BCHS - Business Teacher effective October 21, 2024

Rationale: 
Browne, Celia - WB - Grade 8 Team Leader

Rationale: 
Costa, Art - Adult Ed - Technology Coordinator
Palmero, Carolyn - BEHS - .5 Drama Choreographer (Spring Semester)

Rationale: 
Baker, Lorenzo - BEHS - Freshman Class Co-Advisor
Davis, Crystal - BEHS - Freshman Class Co-Advisor *
D’Agostino, Silvio - BEHS - .5 Drama Choreographer (Spring semester)
DiFusco, Kimberly - BEHS - .5 Band Auxiliary (Fall semester)
Nelson, David - WB and GH - Special Elem/MS Performing Groups, Choral
Russman, Christel - BCHS - Technology Coordinator

Rationale: 
Germain, Eileen - CHMS - Math Curriculum Coordinator
Rubbo, Cary - WB - Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator

Rationale: 
McGrail, Gale - WB - Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator
Mullany, Courtney - CHMS - Math Curriculum Coordinator

Rationale: 
Blancq, Shelly - BAIMS - Gr. 6-8 Science Teacher effective March 12, 2024 through end of 24-25 school year

Rationale: 

Alliance District Increasing Educator Diversity (IED) Grant funds are designed to be used to cover costs associated with minority candidates (1) enrollment in a residency program, (2) teacher certification process, (3) hiring after successful program completion, or (4) retention as certified employees.  Bristol Public Schools has allocated this grant funding to support Next Generation Teacher Fellowships, Tutoring Support for Capitol Region Education Council Teacher Residency Program students to successfully complete certification assessments, supplies for recruitment events, diversity and equity books for educators, professional and leadership development for principals on working with and supporting a diverse staff, Ed Rising Program Membership, and Membership to the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Supervisors.  Annually BPS submits a grant proposal to the SDE aligned to the goals of our Alliance District Plan and Office of Talent Management.

The grant will be submitted to the CSDE this month for review and approval.

Rationale:   

Members of the public are invited to comment to the Board on any topic related to school business. Items requiring consideration by the Board must be approved as an agenda item by a 2/3ds vote of the Board members present.  Such items may be referred for further study and not necessarily acted upon at this meeting.

Anyone wishing to address the Board should adhere to the following procedures:

Before a Remote Meeting - Submitted Public Comment must be received by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

1. Send your comments to: susaneverett@bristolk12.org
2. Be sure to put PUBLIC COMMENT - BOE in the subject line.
3. Include your name and address.
4. Direct your comments to the Board Chair.
5. Your comments will be distributed to all Board Members and placed on file.
6. All comments should be written in an appropriate manner, comments regarding personnel or confidential student information shall not be discussed under public comment.
7. Any comments not adhering to the guidelines will not be read at the meeting.

During a Meeting

1. Everyone is requested to address the Chair for recognition.
2. Each speaker must state his/her name and address.
3. All speakers must observe rules of common etiquette.  Personalities are not to be injected. Anyone violating this rule will be denied the floor. Unless waived by the Chairperson or a majority of the Board,
4. Each speaker shall limit his/her remarks to three (3) minutes.
5. A speaker will not be recognized for a second time on the same topic.
6. The public may speak as agenda topics come up for discussion or information.  Anyone digressing from the topic will be ruled out of order.
7. Written statements and materials may be made available, in advance of comments, for distribution to Board members.
8. Speakers shall state their positions on the subject being discussed.
9. Board members will not respond directly to comments during the Board meeting. The Superintendent will direct the question to the appropriate staff member for follow-up.

Rationale: 

The CT State Board of Education adopted new CT Educator and Leader Evaluation and Support Models in February 2024 aligned with the non-negotiables for leader and educator evaluation as described in the CT Guidelines for Educator and Leader Evaluation 2023.  Bristol convened an Evaluation Steering Committee who met biweekly from September 2023 through to July 2024 to reimagine the Educator Evaluation system in Bristol consistent with the approved guidelines.  Bristol Public Schools seeks to adapt the Model for Educator Evaluation and Support and adopt the Leader Evaluation and Support Model as it was designed.

This is the second reading. No questions were sent in the intervening month.  Recommend approval.

Rationale: 
The state requires the full Board of Education to approve the project as complete. The Finance and Operations Committee acting as the Building Committee accepted this project as complete at the September 11, 2024 meeting.

Rationale: 

Freshman Academy Curriculum presented to the Student Achievement Committee on 9/18/24.

Freshman Academy is an introductory course for ninth-grade students that is designed to support students with the transition from middle school to high school. In this course, students will learn strategies and skills to help them be successful in high school. The Freshman Academy aims to ensure that all students feel connected to the school community, receive academic and social support through a structured approach, and are well-prepared for a successful high school experience. This comprehensive, team-based model allows staff to implement targeted intervention strategies, plan learning experiences, and effectively communicate progress and concerns with students' families.
 

Rationale: 

This is the second reading of The Power of Free Expression in America (Second Edition). Bristol Public Schools recently developed the curriculum to offer Media, Freedom and Power as a dual enrollment opportunity in partnership with SCSU. This is the first reading of The Power of Free Expression in America (2019), which is a required textbook for that course. 

Rationale: 
The Board will discuss any new business proper to come before the Board.

Rationale: 

Commissioners will report to the Board on any groups/organizations in which they serve as Board of Education Liaisons and information pertinent to the Board.

Rationale: 
The Board will vote to convene into executive session for the purpose of:

1.  Discussion concerning records of collective bargaining strategy with respect to negotiations with Local 3551 and a proposed successor contract (proposed for executive session).

2. Discussion concerning the Superintendent’s performance goals (proposed for executive session).

Rationale:  The Board of Education will reconvene into public session to take votes on any items discussed in the Executive Session.

Rationale: 
There being no other business to come before the Board, the meeting should be adjourned.