Middletown Federation of Teachers Endorses BOE Candidate Sheila Daniels (R)

Candidate for Board of Education Sheila Daniels (R) was recently endorsed by both the Middletown Federation of Teacher. Read her bio at:  http://www.middletowninsider.com/2013/09/candidate-bio-sheila-daniels-r-board-of.html 

Incumbent  BOE candidate Daniels joins candidate Brian Kaskel (R) as an endorsed candidate. Updates with other endorsed candidates to follow.

*Candidates Franca Biales, Vinnie Loffredo also endorsed

Candidate Bio: Sheila Daniels (R) Board of Education

Middletown Insider blog is accepting bios from all  municipal candidates. See criteria: http://www.middletowninsider.com/2013/08/request-for-candidate-bios-for-all.html
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Candidate Bio for Incumbent candidate for the Board of Education:

Sheila Daniels (R)

·

·  Full name, 

           Sheila C. Daniels 

·  Education (colleges/degrees)

             I have a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Central Connecticut State University.

·  Work

             I work as an educational grant assistant here in Middletown.

·  Why do you want to hold public office in Middletown?

           Growing up in a politically involved and civic minded family and marrying into the same, I followed the example set by my parents and extended members of my family and my husband's family. I aspired to be on the Board of Education as my aunt was when I was in high school. My passion for education and the overall well-being of young people also contribute to my desire to serve Middletown on the Board of Education. Currently the  Vice Chair and in my 8th year on the Board of Education, I am very pleased with the positive direction the Board has taken in the past two years and look forward to continuing to work with my fellow Board members and collaborate with the current administration and staff in their efforts to support the students and families of Middletown. 

·  What experience do you bring to the table?

           As stated above, I am the Vice Chair of the BOE, currently in my 8th year and bring that experience to the table. I am a former member of the Communications and  Naming committees and currently a member of the following committees: Executive, Policy, Curriculum and Negotiations. I am the BOE representative to the District Data Team, the District Climate Committee, Middletown High School, Wesley School, the Middletown School Readiness Council, Opportunity Knocks and belong to the Middlesex Coalition for Children. 

My background includes holding a bachelor's degree in education and working in the field. That work includes my current position and previously working in both private and public schools as a paraprofessional, substitute, long-term substitute, and teacher. I was also a child care provider and offered field trips to our family farm. I belonged and served as an officer on PTA/PTO organizations and the MSA throughout my daughters' educational journeys. Prior to and while serving on the Board, I have worked with 4 superintendents and their assistants, several mayors, other politicians, many teachers, school staff members, students and their families, as well as people in the community.

·  What do you think the town's most pressing issue is?

           Middletown's most pressing issue is one that challenges nearly every city and town in the state - being able to serve the citizens under very tight budget constraints. We must consider the entire city from the educational needs of our youth to the needs of the elderly and everyone in between.

·  What do you love most about Middletown?

           What I like most about Middletown is its central location and diversity in landscape and    population. ·  

                What do you like to do for fun?

          I enjoy spending time with family and friends, antiquing, reading, and traveling.

http://www.middletownctgop.com/

BOE Boogey: A Brief Summary of the Meeting

Brief summary of last night's Board of Education regular meeting.

 There was a presentation regarding reducing the number of special education students who are out placed. The gentlemen said that the average across the state is 5% whereas in Middletown the average number of special education students of the total special education population is 12%.  There was discussion of goals; the BOE would to send a consistent message throughout the system with a unified set of goals in 4 key areas.  These goals will appear in every classroom, the website and correspondence and presented at the teacher orientation in August.  

An item on the agenda caused a bit of discussion and that was the Memorandum of Understanding between the BOE/City and the Teamsters' Union.  There was confusion about how this MOU came about with Dt. Nocera first saying it was a result of the global settlement agreement between the City and the Teamsters; however, Dr. Charles did correct that and say it was result of negotiations with the Teamsters regarding their loss of a position by the outsourcing of the cafeteria services.  Dr. Charles stated that this MOU which basically trades the Director of Transportation position for the Manager of Food Services position (the Director of Transportation position has been vacant for several years and the previous administration had claimed that it was no longer necessary with the duties given to the Director of Facilities.  The Director of Facilities has retired and the duties now are being handled by BOE Administrators).  The thought is that by hiring a new director it will free up the administrators to do more education related duties.Board members Ryan Kennedy and Ted Razcka both disagreed with this saying that now was not the time to hire another person at that level of pay, may be with benefits 6 figures, when they are laying off teachers.  Kennedy expressed concern that the contract with the outside company for cafe services may not work out and be terminated in a year or so but once you hire a director you'll have them conceivably for 25 years or so.  The Administrators now handling the transportation duties stated that it was no longer working well, they were being taken from truly educational duties; that by dividing the duties all over the place was not a good plan, not a safe plan.  BOE member Sheila Daniels stated that being able to go forward with the hiring of the outside company for cafe services would enable them to hire a company with nutritional background so that now the children with have " healthy" meals.

At the end of the meeting, Board member Ed McKeon made a statement directed to the Common Council members regarding the upcoming vote on the city's budget.  He stated that no one can call themselves a supporter of education if they make those kinds of cuts that he is hearing.  He said that the BOE has worked diligently to get out of the hole; worked hard to give the city has asked for.  Even though they had done what was asked of them they don't seem to be getting anything from the other side.  He stated that we are on the brink of very hard times.  Layoff could be as many as 25 or 30; these are not scare tactics but the budget proposed by the BOE was cut to the bone already.  He felt that it would be unconscionable and unfair it the BOE funding is cut.

After that, the meeting was to move onto communications but it appeared that the recording got stuck and meeting must have ended soon after.

Reader Submitted: "I'm Sorry", Words the BOE Admin Needs to use

Last night at the Board of Education meeting the Council Chambers were packed with parents of children affected by the fall out over the many issues the parents' felt the BOE Administration had mismanaged. Absent was long time BOE elect Ted Raczka, who had been die hard supporter of and now former Superintendent Michael Frechette, who resigned last week. The Unified Youth Theater gave a presentation which brough everyone in the room back to the purpose for the BOE to exist- the benefit of our children, however the mood soon got serious again when the parent of a child with autism, Jane Majewski spoke to the board during public session. Ms. Majewski showed telling photographs of the concrete pond and defunct fountain structure that is in the courtyard of Keigwin School where her son is a student. Majewski was assured that the doors to the courtyard remained locked,however her son was able to access the area where he could have fallen in. Majewski first came forward with her frustrating  plight results in dealing with some of the problems her son was encountering from the Special Education Administrators who directly report to then Superintendent Michael Frechette, earlier in the year when the "scream room" scandal broke at Farm Hill Elementary . Majewski came forward to say that she felt many issues were arising from the fact the DEAL program, which used to be a collective Special Education program housed at Lawrence Elementary for all Middletown children to attend had been disbanded at the direction of Michael Frechette. Since then, many parents have also come forward to report their frustrations with the BOE administration as a whole, especially when dealing with Special Education services. Majewski started an online petition to seek the termination of the three Special Education Administrators who she feels have mismanaged her son's education. The petition has garnered over 200 signatures. 
Last night, in tears, of and quite understandably, Ms. Majewski gave testimony about an incident where her son accessed the area of the concrete pond at Keigwin. She also went on to describe an incident where she says a Datco bus driver used insensitive language inappropriate for a child with autism when her son soiled himself on the bus and was unable to verbally communicate why he could not buckle his seat belt. Our hearts go out to Ms. Majewski for bravery for coming forward. Below is the essay by Jane Majewski submitted to us for publication.
Jane- we got your back!
Sign the petition here!
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 "I'm Sorry"

Words That I finally  heard for the first time from BOE member Shelia Daniels . The sound of those words almost made me to breakdown in tears. It was echoed again moments later by Cheryl McClellan. Words that I have been waiting for since the beginning of becoming vocal about the issues we faced in this school district. Words that had I heard sooner, from anyone, I would not have called for the terminations of our BOE administrators.

The apology came after I presented the BOE with photos and a plea.

I have consistently voiced my concerns about the closing of the DEAL program- on two levels. One, that it was being closed and two that that transition of those kids into icm status was done without parental input.

Had I been asked, I would have offered my time, my expertise,  my physical help and financial resources to help ensure a safe transition of our children into the district schools. For free, I would have told administrators that preschool size furniture for fifth graders would be ineffective. For free, I would have pointed out that a timeout room should not include a circuit breaker box. For free, I would have suggested field trips to transition the kids.  I would have created a simple brochure describing the general needs of our kids for the district schools. For free, I would have donated and hung a coat rack at Keigwin.

When I recently asked Ms. Slade; "why weren't the parents included in the decision to close DEAL and/or the transition of them into the community?" her response was, " we wouldn't include parents in facility decisions; that is an administration role".

Since that is the case; then I feel the administrators need to accept the responsibility of the failed transition.

I would have simply liked to have heard, "I'm sorry".

I AM SORRY

Thats's all.

I am not asking for anything more than a safe environment for my son and his staff. Which brings me to why I write this story.

When I first saw the quad pond garden at Keigwin, I panicked. I know my child enough to know he would find away into that area. I was assured he would not because the doors are securely locked.

Imagine my surprise to receive a phone call and incident report that my son opened an unlocked door from the art room and entered this very area! He was reportedly running around this cement, unleveled cement area with statues and a filthy pond containing dead fish.

The staff hired to work with my son are trained and responsible to restrain him if needed. To be compelled to restrain a child acting out in this area is inconcieveable!

The quad has three walls of windows on multiple levels; open for the school population to view the pond. How inclusive is it to him to be viewed acting inappropriate by peers? How does it effect their perceptions of children with autism?

I contacted Ms Slade and Ms Senges. Ms. Senges quickly investigated. She reported that a janitor allegedly knew the lock was broken for some time but failed to report it to the administration.

Why would he? Keigwin never had a population of "ICM" kids. Shouldn't have he been briefed on what our kids need for safety?

My son is not allowed to go to art until the lock is fixed. Now he is being restricted from learning.

The administrators put a child into a building that continues to restrict his learning and jeopardizes his safety in a serious way. The safety of the staff are also jeopardized! Where is their union leadership? If their union and administration can't keep them safe- no wonder a para recently quit her job instead of mandate reporting.

Ann Perzan and Laurie Slade;
I have to ask you,

Would you want to be a para responsible to restrain a child in this garden?

Would you want your child running around and climbing in it?

Will it take a serious accident for either of you to accept responsibility for not preparing the community to transition DEAL kids into ICM status?

What will it take for one of you to turn to us, our staff, and our son-
And say,

"I'm sorry" ?

by Jane Majewski