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Tuesday, February 16, 2010

BOE Denies NASA Grievance

This story is based on notes taken by James McDonald and written by Moina Noor.

The BOE rejected tonight by a vote of 6 to 2  a grievance filed by Norwalk's Administrators' union over the hiring of Carol Marinaccio,  the new Director of Elementary Education. There was one abstention.

The incident highlights a growing division on the Board between members elected last year and long-serving Democrats and Republicans. 

During a special meeting held at City Hall, the BOE heard from Tony Ditrio, the President of the Norwalk Association of School Administrators (NASA) and Faye Ruotolo, Norwalk Public Schools Director of Human Resources. William Connan of the law firm Sullivan, Schoen, Campane & Connon, LLC which represents the BOE also spoke.

Mr. Ditrio, who is also a Principal at Kendall Elementary, gave a 45 minute explanation of the grievance starting with a timeline, from his perspective, of the process used by the BOE to fill the position over the past two years that it has been vacant.

According to the NASA grievance the BOE violated its contract with the Administrators’ union because present administrators are supposed to be given a preference for promotions.  According the grievance during the Central Office’s screening process a current employee, with the highest qualification, was eliminated from consideration. the BOE also violated its own Diversity Employment Plan and Commitment to Affirmative Action because the committee that was formed to interview the candidates for the position is not identified in the contract as being part of the process.  (Two Elementary Principals, an Assistant Principal and an Instructional Specialist interviewed candidates for the Director of Elementary School position).

Finally, the grievance states that Ms. Marinaccio was hired without any parent involvement, which the Board had deemed an essential part of the process the last time this position was filled.


Ms. Ruotolo countered that all the necessary central office guidelines in hiring  Ms. Marinaccio had been followed.

A question period followed in which board member Steve Colarossi asked Ms. Ruotolo about the role  of parental involvement in the screening committee.

BOE member Sue Haynie asked Ms. Ruotolo about candidate qualifications and how they played a role in the screening process.

The BOE then went into executive session to consider the arguments put forth by the the union and the administration. Board members Glenn Iaonaconne, Jack Chiarramonte, Susan Hamilton, Jody Bishop Pullan and Heidi Keyes voted against the grievance.  BOE members Steve Colarossi and Sue Haynie voted for the grievance. BOE member Erin Halsey abstained.
Posted by Moina Noor

35 comments:

  1. If the article is right, only the two new people asked any questions?
    Why/how can board of education members never ask questions? Do they think their job is to rubber stamp every single thing the superintendent wants?
    How do you make a decision like they did without probing at least a little?
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  2. Was there any discussion of the qualifications of the candidates, especially of the successful candidate? We have been waiting since December for some information about this.
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  4. Is that your best? It's tough for you to face the truth, isn't it, 5:41? How much better it would have been for you to provide a substantive answer. Maybe there isn't one.
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  5. good morning to 6:01 a.m. I don't know what your angst is about. I didn't feel that it was necessary to write an entire dialog about this. I didn't slam anyone, didn't write anything derogatory, just a simple statement. I am a citizen and a taxpayer and have been in education a long time. My point is it is time to move on, and support the needs of the children of norwalk. I have been to several boe meetings, and have been on committees, and have served on interview committees, and i will say that Ms. Ruotolo handles each committee in a very professional way, and the procedures are clearly followed.
    so I am not trying to anger you or anyone, and I would say that let's move on.
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  6. Guys - time to let it go and move on. All of this energy can be put to much better use.
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  7. 6:22- Move on to what, exactly?
    Rutolo excludes parents from an important hiring decision and you want us to move on?
    What about the deafening silence from Pullan and Rivas-- last year, they were screaming that the diversity hiring plan wasn't followed for Naramake's principal (even though it was) but now, when it's their friend getting the job, it's ok that the diversity plan wasn't followed?
    I thought things were going to change with 4 new people-- things wont because only 2 of them seem to be doing the job they were elected for.
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  8. 8:55 - Thanks for the posting. The taxpayers have a right to accountability, and that requires explaining decisions.
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  9. Halsey obstained. How is that doing her job?? She has always been the more outspoken one of the group and suddenly determines to obstain?? Disgusting.
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  10. This is really disgusting. I didn't vote 4 new people into the boe to have the old crew take siides against them. (for the record, i voted for kassimis not keyes and wished he had won). I thought the new crew would invigorate the old crew, especially the repubs, with a new mindset. Sounds like the old crew repubs are really dems in disguise.

    Enough with politics! If the old crew doesn't change then we will change them.

    Ask the questions! Do your jobs! Stop rubber stamping!
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  11. It's interesting that some people here have asked questions but have not gotten appropriate answers. Others here have been critical of them for continuing to ask the questions. If they were reasonable questions to ask in the first place, there is no reason to stop asking just because people don't want to answer.
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  12. As always, let me offer my own personal comments on this matter.
    First, I think that this grievance highlighted what could be a great opportunity for a community discussion on the role that parents and teachers should play on interview committees.
    Secondly, although I do not always agree with my colleagues, I cannot allow them to be personally attacked. They are all dedicated to our children-- I think we just differ in the approach we should take in achieving our common goal. I know how lousy it is when I am the brunt of vindictive personal attacks (and I have a particularly thick-skin), and I don't think it's fair (or helpful in these discussions) when the same tactics are used against others.
    Third, and this is in particular response to 12:06, I welcome the opportunity to answer questions from the public (whether by email, phone or in person) and will gladly meet with any group of concerned citizens to at least provide my own personal sense of what we can do to improve education for all of our city's children.
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  13. Mr. Colarossi - I have admired your courage for some time, and I am pleased to learn that you have, as you put it, "a particularly thick skin" because I know it can be a lonely battle. More important, though, is your willingness (perhaps even eagerness) to answer questions from the public. Board members have not often had that attitude.
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  14. The real truth is that the union (TDitrio) has two new Board members in his back pocket. SC and TD are often seen with their heads together. This certainly gives the appearance of how Ditrio still has power. Let's hear the new Board member(s) respond to that.
    Also, yes, I second the motion to get the background of Carol M. What's the big secret? Why can't the parents be told what her background is?
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  15. Fay Ruotolo continues to make bad decisions that are hurting our school system. Why do the taxpayers have to fund her obscene salary when she is incapable of doing her job. This would not be tolerated in the corporate world. Other people in Norwalk are losing their jobs and trying to pay their bills. If she is not supported by the teachers or administrators then what purpose does she serve? In corporate America she would just be fired. In Norwalk she gets a raise?
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  16. I think it might be a good idea for Board members to organize a "listening tour" in different sections of Norwalk. Essentially, these meetings would be community forums at which members of the public could ask whatever is on their minds.

    I know that a number of Board members, perhaps even the majority, would be hesitant to do this. A few might even try to tangle up such a proposal by bringing in legal counsel or someone from CABE.

    However, there is no state law or local rule that prohibits members of the Board from answering questions and providing the public with information.(Isn't it remarkable that such a sentence has to be written?)The spirit and very core of FOI is that elected officials should do everything possible to keep the public informed.
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  17. Hello? Anyone there??????
    Can anyone explain why we are not getting information on the Director of Elementary Ed?
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  18. Imagine how good things would be if we had both Bruce Kimmel and Steve Colarossi on the board of education, two people who know that the board is supposed to represent, serve and communicate with the people. I hope the new interim will be able to provide better guidance to the board because no one else has succeeded so far.
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  19. Bruce Kimmel???? are you kidding me? didn't he resign from the board because he wasn't getting his way?
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  20. 8:43 AM, I do not agree at all!
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  21. Dear 12:57 PM,

    For the record: It is no secret that I had significant differences with members of the BOE. However, I resigned in February 2009 because of personal and family health issues, which included major surgery and long rehabs for both of my shoulders. It had become physically impossible for me to continue attending Board meetings.
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  22. Although Mr. Kimmel has more than adequately defended himself, I do think it's important that we recognize that his principled positions and his passion for education were a great benefit to all of our children and to us as taxpayers.
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  23. It's a shame that Mr. Kimmel felt compelled to defend himself because a blogger took an unsubstantiated shot at him. Bruce Kimmel was very much disliked by many people, but only because he was on the board to represent Norwalk's students and taxpayers, not the special interests. It surely made him unpopular with board members who had done little to distinguish themselves (in a positive way, at least) for years.
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  24. There was a comment made here that Fay Ruotolo and Migdalia Rivas don't have problems with the process being adhered to when one of their friends gets the job. I'd like to know what qualifies you to state that Fay Ruotolo and Migdalia Rivas are friends with the new Director of Elementary Ed. That is simply not true. They are cordial as any business people should be but they have absolutely NO contact outside of the workplace. This blog is trash. Anyone who wants to be a gossip or a fear-mongerer says anything they want and the community accepts it as gospel truth. Get a life people!
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  25. Excuse my error please. I said Ruotolo and Rivas and the comment was actually made that alleged Pullan and Rivas were friends of the new DEE. I stand corrected on the 2 names, but my comment is still true that there is no friendship.
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  26. 1:23 - I very much doubt that anyone believes that the two board members you mentioned are really friends of the new director of elementary education, and I suspect that whoever posted that was exaggerating for effect.
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  27. Mr. Colarassi,
    You stated that you are willing to answer questions. Please answer the question that was posed to you regarding the car used for the Naramake after school program. You never did answer that one. All you have to do is say it doesn't exist. Please answer one way or the other. Please put it to rest.
    Thank you.
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  28. 4:29 - That question was answered a very long time ago. Because I wasn't very much interested in the topic, I don't recall enough of it to attempt to paraphrase it.
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  29. Hey, 3:47 a.m., which sore loser are you? After all, you know that you tried to make the same silly claim in November after you (or your team) lost the election.
    He answered those questions-- and what does the FRC have to do with the NASA grievance and all the hiring games that it uncovered?
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  30. 4:29 - You are attacking the wrong poster. I am the 3:47 a.m. poster, and I didn't raise the topic of the Family Resource Center; the poster before me did. I was merely responding to the question, which, I agree, is off-thread.

    However, to answer your questions:
    1) I am not sore
    2) I am not a loser
    3) I have never run for political office
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  31. The question about the car was never answered. You are wrong. I am responding to Mr. Colarossi's statement that he would answer all questions.

    I am not sore, not a loser and I have never run for poltical office either. I simply have that question in my head every time I see Mr. Colarossi's name. I would like an answer. I am not claiming that it is true. I just want to know that it is not true. What's the big deal about that?
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  32. A few quick points to the "anonymous" poster from 6:35 just so that we can all return to a healthy discussion about the extent to which the public should be involved in interviewing candidates for top administrative jobs in our public schools. As intriguing a discussion as we could all have over the relative merits of used station wagons in the conduct of parent-educator visits to at-risk families, I'd hope that we could return to the topic of this thread (which is also important).
    First, Anonymous, the questions for which you seek answers have been responded to here and on YourCt.com . But, I do admire your stick-to-itiveness, even if you have an agenda different from many of us.
    Secondly, it is good to know that only one question pops into your head when you see my name-- the fact you equate me with a used station wagon with faux wood panels should make me feel slighted, but having many happy childhood memories of family travel in just such a vehicle, I will take your association as an homage to my roots.
    Third, I do welcome questions from the public about the issues that are before the Board of Education. Is there a concern that all private foundations working with our schools will be forced to purchase an old station wagon with faux wood panels? Is there a grant that the Naramake FRC is seeking from the Board of Education for which its prior ownership of a station wagon would disqualify it? If so, I would have to disqualify myself from such votes.
    Fourth, to the best of my knowledge, I do believe that a used station wagon was purchased before I joined the FRC's board. I think, as has been posted on the blogs since you started your inquisition, a vehicle was sought because of the need for home visits and other reasons for which transportation was needed. Having not been on the FRC board at that time, however, I can't speak from any personal knowledge about that decision. I do think that anyone’s or any group’s ownership of a motor vehicle is a matter of public record that you can view on the city’s tax department website.
    Finally, I really am all for responding to questions-- heck, I've even responded to anonymous emails. But, I guess I should have been a little more specific that I welcomed questions about matters before the Board of Education upon which I might be asked to vote. Kind of reminds me of the time I told my daughters that I would take them anywhere they wanted for dinner (thinking that they'd choose Jordans or Outback or another local restaurant), but instead they said they wanted gelato in Rome!
    In all seriousness, feel free (anonymous and others) to direct any other questions to me at stevecolarossi@yahoo.com .
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  33. Thank you for answering the question. That's all I wanted to hear.
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  34. Just in reading the article, the hiring process sounded fishy. I hadn't even known the position was open.

    Marinaccio is a very nice and knowledgable person, however, I have to agree w/ the lone two votes from Sue Haynie and Steve Colarrasi. It seems like the same old nonsense w/ the BOE and I hope others are either gearing up for a run or are taking note of how such issues are being handled.

    I would like to add that I appreciate that Sue doesn't always engage in the back and forth in this arena and the times I have seen her post any where were quick and to the point. It keeps her, in my eyes, professional and above the political and emotional fray.

    Bruce Kimmel, please consider another run!

    Thank you, Ms. Haynie and Mr. Colorassi for being willing to stand alone.
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  35. Because most Norwalk board members over the years have had no experience as educators, they have often needed "guidance" about district issues, using that guidance to help them make decisions. Unfortunately, they have usually gotten it from central office administrators who have a self-serving perspective, leading to some highly questionable decisions about hiring, budget and more. In order to "sell" their ideas to board members, some of the central office people have shamelessly courted at least some of them behind the scenes, cozying up to those who are most receptive to them. I don't know if the board members are sophisticated enough to recognize if they are being used, but some of their votes suggest that they are not.

    I applaud the thinking and the courage of the very few new board members who question the status quo and who think for themselves. I hope that the next election produces more such board members.

    Unfortunately, there are only a couple of board members who think and act this way, and so I am still greatly concerned about the decisions that the board has yet to make. The top two are the selection of the next superintendent and the budget reconciliation. I don't trust most of the board to think intelligently for either decision, but I hope they prove me wrong.
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