Board of Education

Board of Ed Debates COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies at Emotionally Charged Meeting

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Saying they hope COVID-19 infection rates continue to go down after a post-holiday peak, district officials last week proposed a series of changes to mitigation strategies that could take effect after winter break. Starting Feb. 28, school cafeterias could return to full capacity during lunch if the COVID trends continue to move in a good direction, while classrooms could have more flexible seating arrangements and New Canaan Public Schools could start hosting in-person school events and meetings again, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi said during the Jan. 24 Board of Education meeting, held in the Wagner Room at New Canaan High School. While a requirement to wear masks is in place at least through Feb.

Board of Education

Board of Ed Candidates Debate Curriculum Development 

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Candidates for the Board of Education this week debated whether changes should be made to the process through which curriculum long has been developed and approved for New Canaan Public Schools. As it is, a team of educators led by the superintendent—known as the Curriculum Leadership Council or “CLC”—draft, continuously review, update and approve curriculum so that New Canaan’s schools are meeting educational standards set by agencies such as the Connecticut Department of Education. The Board of Ed receives regular presentations on curriculum—a practice that has slowed amid the COVID-19 pandemic—and in cases of large-scale changes to those standards, the school board dedicates even more time at its meetings to corresponding decisions such as new classes or updates to the district’s goals and objectives. While Republican candidates for the Board of Ed said they’re not advocating for public meetings of the CLC (such as through appointment of a school board member to it), they called during Tuesday night’s League of Women Voters debate for the ability to weigh in on its development earlier and with greater detail and frequency than the elected body currently does. “I think that what we are pushing for is more oversight, more balanced thoughtful oversight at periodic stages,” GOP candidate Dan Bennett said during the debate, held at Town Hall.

Board of Education

Podcast: Board of Ed Candidate Penny Rashin 

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This week on 0684-Radi0, our free podcast (subscribe here in the iTunes Store), we talk to Board of Education incumbent Penny Rashin. The Democrat is one of eight total candidates seeking a four-year term on the school board Nov. 2. There are five four-year seats up for election. There also is a contested two-person race for a two-year Board of Ed term. 

Here are recent episodes of 0684-Radi0:

Amy Murphy Carroll

Committee Member: Moynihan Group Looking To Site New Police Station on School Grounds

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NewCanaanite · Missing section, Police Department Building Committee Meeting—Aug. 12, 2021
A group of town workers meeting out of the public eye is expected to propose building a new police station somewhere on New Canaan Public Schools grounds, according to a member of a separate committee that also is working on options for a future police facility. The volunteer Police Department Building Committee has met publicly since last December to study renovation or rebuilding options for a new facility at the current South Avenue site. At the same time, a group of town employees at First Selectman Kevin Moynihan’s behest has been reviewing alternate locations for a future police station in New Canaan. Under state sunshine laws, groups of employees are not required to hold public meetings, and it’s in recent months the secrecy surrounding their findings has emerged as a source of frustration for some Committee members.

Election 2021

Election 2021: Contested Races Set for Board of Ed, Constable [TABLE]

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New Canaan Democrats on Monday night nominated six total candidates for the Board of Education, setting up a wide field for contested races in the Nov. 2 election. In unanimously endorsing five candidates for four-year terms on the school board and one candidate for a two-year term, the Democrats are seeking to pick up multiple Board of Education seats. 

Addressing fellow party members during the Democratic Town Committee’s endorsement meeting, the Board of Ed candidates made a point of saying that the elected body should be mission-focused rather than political, and they praised the New Canaan Public Schools administration for leading the high-performing district through the pandemic. Incumbent Board of Ed member Penny Rashin, who is seeking re-election, called Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi “the top superintendent in Connecticut,” saying he and “his incredible administrative team” helped ensure that New Canaan students “spent more time learning in the classroom than any other district in Connecticut.”

“It’s just one example of their foresight, talent, creativity and dedication to our students,” Rashin said during the endorsement meeting, held via videoconference. She added that during her time, “we have been an open, supportive and inclusive school district and Board.”

“And one of the things I think we would say is that 98% of the time we kept politics out of Board of Ed decisions,” she added.