Seymour's 2023 Teacher of the Year honored at ceremony

This is shared from the Seymour Public Schools' Facebook page.

 

Rochelle congratulates Ansonia Public Schools on FAFSA challenge win

Please join me in congratulating Ansonia Public Schools on winning the 2021-2022 FAFSA Challenge by the Connecticut State Department of Education and receiving the Commissioner’s Award! We are so proud of you!

A special thank you to all the students, parents, and school staff who helped increase opportunities for our students. 

In Ansonia, the FAFSA completion rate jumped from 51% to 65.5%! This means more options and opportunities for funding for post-secondary education for our young people—whether it be for a four-year, two-year, or technical program.

Congratulations again on a job well done! 

SPOTLIGHTING LOCAL EXCELLENCE It was an absolute joy to honor Derby's own Nicole Rizzo at a book signing for her first published book and memoir “Running on Thin Ice.” Nicole, we are so proud of you and thankful that you’ve authored such a poignant book that is sure to resonate with many. You’ve created something truly special. The Connecticut Education Association has released its Legislator Report Card for the 2021-22 legislative cycle. The Report Card evaluates legislators' voting records and advocacy to support public education in Connecticut. For this year's cycle, CEA has placed me on its 2022 Honor Roll! The CEA Honor Roll distinction recognizes legislators with the highest report card scores who have demonstrated a commitment to public education, students, and teachers. The bills we passed this session and last session will positively shape our young residents' lives and ensure they can access a high-quality education that's full of opportunity. These bills are a meaningful step forward and advance the work to create a state where every child can receive the support they need to succeed. To learn more about the Legislator Report Card, please click here. This post is taken from an update from Rochelle's office.

Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby to present talk about turtles

DERBY -  The Kellogg Environmental Center will host Turtle Talk from 11 a.m.-noon Aug. 3. 

The program will cover turtle habitat, life history, and more in this family-friendly, informal talk, which will include a live turtle demonstration. 

All ages are welcome to learn about turtle conservation and the things you can do to help endangered species. 

Don’t hide in your shell, come out and join us for some reptilian fun! 

Free admission; registration is recommended.  

For more information and to register, call 203-734-2513.  

The Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. It is operated by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

This is a press release from the Kellogg Environmental Center.

Ansonia Public Schools, Library to co-sponsor Summer Reading Rocks

2nd annual Summer Reading Rocks slated in Ansonia

Gentile, colleagues seek cost-saving report from education department

Request update on special ed improvements passed in 2015

HARTFORD - State Reps. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, and Michael D’Agostino, D-Hamden, recently sent a letter to the state Department of Education requesting a progress report on implementation of cost-saving measures related to special education.

Legislation passed in 2015 directed the department to create a new Individualized Education Program form that is easier for parents and students to understand and implement an online IEP system to be made available to public school districts at no cost. 

IEPs are documents created by the school system for each special education student outlining their educational plans.

The letter states, “We are specifically concerned that the implementation of a digital IEP system allowing districts to share information online with authorized State Department of Education personnel for audit purposes, negating the need for certain site-visits, may never have been implemented.”

The letter requests a progress report specifically on the implementation of Sections 264 to 285 of Public Act 15-5.

“We pushed for the passage of this bill because we knew implementing the new digital IEP form would improve Connecticut’s special education system,” Gentile said. 

“It’s important that we start this cost saving measure as soon as possible and hope that our inquiry to the Department of Education will give us a better understanding as to why certain provisions in the bill have yet to be implemented.”

“We passed these proposals in order to improve the special education system for families and schools while containing costs. IEPs are integral to meeting special education students’ needs, but the lack of a streamlined process can create headaches for everyone involved,” Cook said. “Given the state’s current fiscal situation, it’s particularly concerning that we have not seen the implementation of a digital IEP system. The current system is not cost-efficient for the state or for school districts.”

“The legislation that was signed into law in 2015 sought to strengthen our state’s special education system by putting our students first and ensuring their individual educational needs were met. This bill sought to implement a digital IEP system and develop a new form that was easier for parents and students to understand - at no cost to public schools. Some of these provisions, however, have not yet been implemented. It is vital for us to better understand why these efforts to improve our education system have been stalled so we can identify a way to bring this measure to fruition for the improvement of our children’s schooling,” said D’Agostino.

This is a press release from Gentile's office.