August 15, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Bethel Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  A motion must be made at a BOE meeting to approve the application to be eligible for the CABE Board of Distinction Award.  Attached is a sample of CABE's application.

Rationale:  Annually, the Board of Education adopts goals for the coming school year.  

2024-2025 BOE Goals - draft

Rationale: 

• Letter from CABE to BOE Chair regarding Board's continued membership

Rationale:  (Please note:  The Board welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes.  Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them.  The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.)

Rationale: 

• 2024PA-00045-R00HB-05437-PA - AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATION MANDATE RELIEF, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, AND DISCONNECTED YOUTH -Please read sections 13 & 14.  There is a change in state law, in Section 13, regarding in-school suspension.  I do not think we frequently do, but there is a new provision that an in-school suspension can not be more than 5 consecutive days.   Also, Section 14 has new requirements for special ed and elementary (Pre K-2) regarding out-of-school suspension.
• AP School Five-Year Summary 2024

Rationale:  Monthly Data  -  We include in the BOE agenda the monthly data as requested by the BOE.  Data entry begins in Sept.

Rationale:  2024 CABE/CAPSS Convention Early Registration is Open.  If you would like to attend, please let Sue Pare know which registration package you would like and she will register everyone as a group.  Early Registration discount ends on August 23rd.

Rationale:  This policy has not been renewed since 2005 and is in the 4000 series.  The policy is fine as written, but I am not sure why it is necessary?  It just reflects that we will follow state law (Teacher's Retirement) and local pensions (Town of Bethel).   It could be deleted.  

• Policy 4117.1 Retirement

Rationale:  This policy is being reviewed as part of the 4000 series.   In reviewing our existing policy and the recommended policy from Shipman and Goodwin, we are recommending use of theirs.   The primary difference is that, Coaches as certified employees, have certain legal rights after three years of continuous employment.  

• Policy 4115.3 Coaches Evaluation 

Rationale:  This policy is being reviewed for two reasons: (1) as part of  our series 4000 policy review; and (2) changes in legislation regarding Educator and Leader Evaluation.  The legislative changes are summarized in these guidelines and model plan provided by the State Department of Education.  The actual plans (Educator and Leader), which will be presented to the Board of Education in August, is the regulations for this policy.    Committees (Educator & Leader), co-facilitated by Dr. Brooks and Dr. Sipala worked this Spring to revise our existing plans to meet the new guidelines.  This policy is merely a guiding statement to the actual plans. 

• Policy 4115 Certified Evaluation  

Rationale:  It has come up several times in the past several years that Bethel residents, who either attend private schools or other public schools, request to participate in extra-curricular programs.  Allowing children who do not attend the Bethel Public Schools participate in extra curricular programs is problematic for a whole host of reasons:

• Liability - Because such students do not attend our schools, there is increased liability, as they are not our students.
• Discipline & Academics - We would have no authority to discipline the students if something were to happen. In addition, BOE policy requires certain academic standards be met.  We would not have access to those records.  
• Equity & Financial Exposure - If we were to allow any student to attend, then we would need to allow all.  This means that if a student with a disability or that required additional support, we could be financially responsible.  

Policy 6145 - Co-Curricular and Interscholastic Programs
Regulation - Co-Curricular and Interscholastic Programs

 

Rationale:  This policy is being reviewed as part of the 4000 series.   There is only one minor suggested edit, to call out the Department of Children and Families as an agency.   

• Policy 4117.5 Professional Staff Termination of Employment 

Rationale:  This policy is being reviewed as part of the 4000 series.  This policy addresses the academic freedoms associated with staff members. The policy emphasizes the need to be unbiased, factual, demonstrate tolerance for multiple perspectives and not to judge other's perspectives.

Policy 4118.21 Academic Freedom and Regulation

Rationale:  This policy is part of the 4000 series review.   In researching the information, there were several dates that were not compliant with the law/outdated.  Those errors were included as suggestions in Google Drive.


Policy 4117.4 Suspension/Non-Renewal

Rationale:  New Hires and Resignations 2024-2025