A. OPENING

PRESENT: Edwards, Golas, Hackett*, Huyler, Lok, O'Neill, Rizzo, Robinson, Thresher

ABSENT: None

ALSO
PRESENT: Superintendent of Schools Ouellette, Director of Human Resources Attorney Libby, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Brett, Director of Student Support Services Tait, Business Manager Brooks

ABSENT: None

*8:55 p.m.

Mr. Robinson called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Mr. Robinson led in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Minutes of November 22, 2004

Mr. Robinson asked for a motion on the minutes of November 22, 2004.

MOTION: Rizzo/Edwards s.v. The Board of Education adopts the minutes of the November 22, 2004 meeting. (7/0/1 - Golas)

Mr. Robinson welcomed Patricia Brooks as the new Business Manager, and Mr. David Golas as a Board of Education member.

Mr. Golas stated that he was supposed to return on November 22, 2004 to the Board; however, his wife delivered their first child on November 21! He thanked Susan Holmes for her dedication and service over the past years working on the Board for the students, administrator and taxpayers of Manchester. He commended her for her service. He thanked the Board for the opportunity to work with them, as it works tirelessly to serve the Town of Manchester. He looks forward to working with the Board in the future.

B. PUBLIC COMMENTS
1. Ted Bidwell, 112 Baldwin Road. He spoke about the traffic at Robertson School. He addressed the Board last year regarding the same situation. He stated the barriers that are present, with a chain that is supposed to be up for 30 to 45 minutes has made a big improvement, as the cars do not come out of the Board of Education and cross the crosswalk. However, many times the chain is not up. He stated that he has put the chain up. He feels that if someone has the responsibility and they do not do it, there should be a punishment. If the chain is not up, cars cross the crosswalk when kids are coming out of school. People also drive in the exit driveway. He feels the sign should be painted so it can be read clearly. It is his understanding that the principal or a teacher should be out there to keep track of what is happening in the parking lot. The teachers were asked to park in the back parking lot, but it is an inconvenience. Cars park on both sides of North School Street making it impossible for traffic. He feels if teachers would park in the back, and let the parents park in the lot, all of this trouble would be eliminated. The police department did not put up "no parking" signs in front of the school; however, it has not been done.

2. Dorothy Brindamour. She listened to Mrs. Sweeney's and Mr. Perlman's suggestion on painting the high school walls different colors and thought it was a great idea. By painting the walls different colors and stenciling the numbers on the room doors, it would be great and easier for the students. Additionally, if the students of the workshop could make wooden numbers to either nail or glue to the classroom doors, it would be even nicer. It could also be fun if each hall had a street sign with the name of a popular teacher of that year. It could be a yearly contest. This would be an incentive for the teachers and be some fun for the students, as well as helping them get around the high school easier. Students could do the painting and receive some recognition in the process. It would be nice to have the Student Board Member and a few Board members to oversee the process.

3. Milt Perlman, 3 Sanford Road. He congratulated Mrs. Brooks and Mr. Golas, and all the people who are involved in the Galileo Project. Several years ago, a student stated he was embarrassed to have other students see the condition of the ball field at Manchester High School. He understood how he felt when he walked through the halls of Manchester High School and saw that the room numbers that should have gone up weren't there. Additionally, some of the rooms had a paper with the room number on it taped to the door. He feels that this is done to show there is no money to do anything in the schools. He feels it is unfortunate to the students. It is the taxpayers who pay for the system. He also mentioned the account that was reported in the paper that was set up for Special Education funding. The money was not used and should have gone into the general fund, but never did. He feels that there is overcrowding of Manchester students, and that students from other districts are taking these slots (for Special Education and MRA). He referenced the NEASC report and asked if the principal has control over the building.

4. Bonnie Shutes, 12 Conway Road She was at the previous Board of Directors meeting. She stated that she goes to Big Y and participates in the Education Express Program for Bennet Middle School. She currently has 2250 points. Robertson, Buckley, Bowers, and Manchester High School also participate in this program. She feels this proves that taxpayers are listening to what the Board is saying about the schools. She feels the Board is not thinking about the kids. She feels the Board of Education should get together with the Board of Directors and figure out the problems because this is not education, and all she hears is money, money, money.

5. Tom Stringfellow, 183 Hillstown Road. As a follow-up to Veterans Day, he recommended a book, December 8, 1941. It is about the fall of the Philippine Islands to Japanese military. He stated that December 10th is Human Rights Day. He recommended an upcoming movie called Hotel Rwanda, based on a true story. He recommended the book, Many Children Left Behind: How the No Child Left Behind Act is Damaging Our Children and Our Schools. It brings out good arguments and ways to improve the system. In USA Today, 12/9/04, there was an article How to Prepare Students for College. In the January 2005 edition of Better Homes & Gardens, there is an article about the myths of winter driving and how to obey traffic rules around schools. He congratulated Devorah Donnell on her selection as the future valedictorian for the Class of 2005.

6. Stephanie Knybel, 138 Bobby Lane. As a parent, she has a concern regarding the weight of backpacks. Her elementary school student's backpack weighed 15 pounds. She wrote a note to the principal and they corrected the problem. She feels that this is a problem with many other students. It has been proven that the weight of the backpacks can hurt the future development of children. She feels that when teachers are looking at books to purchase, they should consider the weight of the book. She also recognized a group of students and some teachers at Manchester High School. Her son was recently diagnosed with cancer. These students are his support group. Thirty students showed up at the hospital to be with him and his teachers are calling regularly, as well as his principals. She can't say enough about the support she was received from the high school as it has been fantastic and she felt the Board should know this. As Bennet PTA President, she stated the Big Y issue did come up at a Board of Directors meeting. She can understand the previous speaker's comments; however, as a PTA President, when she receives the Big Y materials, she presents them at a meeting. If she cannot get someone to chair this activity, they don't participate in the program. For this reason, Bennet is not a member of the program.

7. Bonnie Shutes, 12 Conway Road, She stated that when you shop at Big Y, they will ask what school you would like to sponsor. When you buy groceries, points accumulate for the school you choose. Anyone can participate in this program. She would like to know where the money is going that the taxpayers are paying.

C. STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE'S REPORT

Devorah Donnell stated that she is very proud to be a part of the Manchester High School student body as there are many opportunities provided by the wonderful faculty. The MHS Math Team has again been leading the State by 14 points since the November meeting. They look forward to the next meet in December and maintaining their first place position. Additionally, 31 MHS students of the Classes 2004 and 2005 have been named AP Scholars. Five people qualified as AP Scholars with Distinction, six students who qualified as AP Scholars with Honor, and 20 people qualified as AP Scholars. Also, Eleanor Waxman, who graduated last year, qualified as a National AP Scholar with the highest level of performance on eight AP exams. In athletics, several students have earned All-State honors for this past fall. She named several students who received honors. As the holiday season is approaching, the students seem to be focusing on academics, looking forward to the vacation. She invited the public to attend the Evening of Community Giving, sponsored by the MHS Student Senate. It will be held on December 22, from 6-7:30 pm on the MHS track. It will be a luminary display with caroling by the MHS Roundtable Singers. Profits go to MACC. She wished everyone a wonderful holiday season, and wished strength to Mrs. Knybel and her family, and to the family of Myrane Yapp.

Additionally, she considered randomly selecting a student to come to the Board of Education meetings each month so that the Board can get to know the perspective of various MHS students. She asked for comments from the Board.

Mrs. Lok asked how the student would be selected.

Ms. Donnell responded that they would have Grade Principals randomly selected someone.

Mrs. Lok stated that she liked the idea and thinks any perspective from students would be valued.

Mr. Rizzo asked if there were students at the high school who would like to participate. Ms. Donnell felt that there was. Mr. Rizzo agreed with Mrs. Lok that it was a positive idea.

D. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT
Ms. Ouellette stated that she broke the Superintendent's Report into two sections in order to highlight student projects early in the meeting.

1. Discovery Center Field Trip Update - Washington School
Ms. Ouellette stated this was a presentation from the Washington Media Arts Magnet School regarding the Discovery Center Field Trip. The Board approved this extended field trip at the October 14 meeting. She invited Ms. Womack, principal of Washington School, Brooke Coffee from the Discovery Center and a few students to make the presentation.

Ms. Womack stated that a month ago, the students experienced an extended camping trip for five days through the Discovery Center at Camp Woodstock. It was a very good learning experience for the students, and the students are present to share their experiences.

Brooke Coffee, Assistant Director at the Discovery Center, stated the program started 11 years ago by Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. They wanted an academic program that focused on diversity for students in Connecticut. 1600 students attended the program in the 2004-2005 year. She gave a brief Powerpoint program, showing the students at the camp. As she went through the program, she described how the program was set up and works. She noted the program promotes students to meet others from different communities, participation in team building activities, as well as being aware of similarities and differences. The program takes place at Camp Woodstock in Woodstock, CT. It is set up as a three-year program for students to follow as they go through the grades. The curriculum is interdisciplinary and some topics are solely dedicated to diversity issues. Each student is challenged and there is a lot of creativity that is used.

Four students addressed the Board and told them about their individual experiences at the camp, what they learned and what has carried over into their everyday life.

Ms. Womack thanked the Board for providing this experience for the children, and stated they would never forget it.

Mr. Robinson thanked them all for the presentation and commented that it great to have feedback so soon after the program.

Mrs. Lok thanked Ms. Womack for arranging the presentation. She stated the Board doesn't always get a chance to hear from the students and she commended the students on their presentations.

2. Capstone Project Update

Ms. Ouellette stated the second presentation is the Galileo Project and the Capstone Project. She stated that seven schools competed in this composition. Students at MHS worked very closely with Mr. Dee from the MHS Physics Department, Mrs. Donnelly from the MHS Math Department, and Mr. Prytko from the MHS Technology Department. She asked Mr. Dee and some MHS students to share their experiences with the Board about the competition.

Mr. Dee thanked the Board for their work. He introduced Karla Rios, a former MHS graduate and the Grad Student in Engineering at UCONN, and four students who were involved in the project. He stated they were victorious in the competition.

Mrs. Huyler asked to hear some favorite highlights from the students. The students explained their various activities involved in the competition. It was to design a contraption that would launch an egg without cracking it. The egg that went the farthest without breaking won the competition. The final distance for the MHS team was approximately 290 feet. They felt the biggest challenge was actually building the launcher.

Mr. Edwards commended them on their achievement.

E. CONSENT CALENDAR
Ms. Ouellette reviewed the items on the Consent Calendar. She thanked Mrs. Morganroth for her years, dedication and service to Manchester Public Schools.

1) Personnel Action

Appointments
Douglas Klotzer to be a Social Worker at Manchester Regional Academy. Mr. Klotzer received his master's degree in School Social Work at the University of Connecticut and resides in Manchester. Approved effective December 8, 2004 (MA Step 3, $43,156, prorated to his date of hire).

Resignations
Judith Morganroth, Language Arts Consultant for Manchester Public Schools has submitted her letter of resignation for retirement purposes, approved for January 31, 2005. Ms. Morganroth has been with Manchester Public Schools since January 5, 1970.

Leave of Absence
Michelle Talaga is approved for a maternity leave of absence effective approximately April 15, 2005 to the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Ms. Talaga has been with Manchester Public Schools since August 25, 1999.

Cristina Rodrigues is approved for a maternity leave of absence effective approximately April 15, 2005 to the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Ms. Rodrigues has been with Manchester Public Schools since August 24, 2001.

Michelle Patrick is approved for a childrearing leave of absence effective November 28, 2004 through January 2, 2005. Ms. Patrick has been with Manchester Public Schools since January 14, 2002.

Jennifer Louis is approved for a childrearing leave of absence effective November 22 through the end of the 2004-2005 school year. Ms. Louis has been with Manchester Public Schools since January 3, 2000.

2) Appropriation for Education Special Projects - $48,000
Out-of-Town Magnet School Transportation Grant, funded
By the State Department of Education

3) Appropriation for Education Special Projects - $5,000
CREC Sister School Grant - Washington Media Arts Magnet School
Funded by a State Interdistrict Cooperative Grant through CREC

4) Approval of Revised Board of Education Meeting Calendar

5) Extended Field Trip Request - Illing Middle School
French Club - Quebec City - May 18-May 20, 2005

6) Extended Field Trip Request - Manchester High School
Student Activities State Leadership Conference
Trip to Wesleyan, March 18-19, 2005

7) Extended Field Trip Request - Manchester High School
Student Activities National Lead Conference
Trip to Providence, RI, April 1-April 3, 2005

8) Authorization of Signature Form - Nutrition Services

9) Approval of Student Activity Account Resolutions

10) Permission to Apply for Education Special Projects - $50,000
State funds for Technology Infrastructure, funded by the CT State
Department of Education

Mr. Robinson asked for a motion on the Consent Calendar.

MOTION: Rizzo/Huyler s.v. The Board of Education all of the items listed on the Consent Calendar. (8/0/0)

Mrs. O'Neill wished Mrs. Morganroth a great retirement and thanked her for being such a great teacher to the Manchester Public School system.

F. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT

1. Board of Education Meetings - Posting Timelines
Ms. Ouellette stated that it was asked of her to review a timeline for posting and forwarding Board of Education agendas and minutes. She reviewed some of the procedures and practices that are in place, and some of the new initiatives she has requested. All Board of Education Regular, Special and Committee Meeting notices are sent to the Superintendent's Office for posting in the Town Clerk's office at least 24 hours before the meeting is to be held. All meeting notices are sent in writing to the Town Clerk as soon as the meeting is scheduled. In order to speed the process up and to give the public ample amount of time to see the posting, especially when a meeting is called last minute, all future meeting notices will be faxed to the Town Clerk, as well as a hard copy following in the mail. Agenda and minutes from previous Board meetings are posted on the Board of Education website and mailed to Board members and the public. Minutes that have been approved by the Board are posted to the website the day after the meeting and are sent out to the public with the next agenda. The agenda is posted to the Board of Education website the same day the agenda is delivered to the Board members. There may be a delay in time when information is added to the agenda or revisions are made. Some of the initiatives that she has requested to the website include formal presentations Dr. Mistretta has provided, as well as the impact study information previously presented. Budget presentations and any upcoming formal Superintendent presentations will also be added to the website. She stated to the public that steps have been taken to make sure notices reach the Town Clerk's office in a timely fashion by either fax or mail.

Mrs. Huyler thanked the superintendent for getting to this request is such a timely fashion as open communication with the public is extremely important.

2. Manchester Impact Study Update

Ms. Ouellette stated that the Board approved at the last meeting for the Superintendent to move forward to review consultant applications and look into software programs for the impact studies. She reviewed that she had taken Dr. Mistretta's report and consolidated many of the questions and topics of concern and provided the available resources that Manchester currently has and some of the resources needed to conduct the impact studies. It is her recommendation that the process needs to begin immediately to keep to an aggressive timeline. She asked Mrs. Brooks to begin drafting a Request for Proposals to be advertised later in the week for interested consultants.

Mr. Rizzo asked what the consultants would look into.

Ms. Ouellette stated that some significant impact study topics had been outlined: least restrictive environment, the compliance of the No Child Left Behind mandates, and racial imbalance options. With these, there were questions in order to move forward with a spring referendum. There is some transportation software that the district might need to purchase, as well as finding some sources of revenue.

Mr. Rizzo asked how much time a consultant would need to look at these items and report back to the Board,

Ms. Ouellette stated that as soon as the bids come in, she and Mrs. Brooks would review this. She is very hopeful that by the end of February, everything will be complete, with a report and a presentation delivered to the Board in order to begin discussions regarding a spring referendum.

Mr. Robinson stated that there was to be a joint meeting on the following night between the Board of Education and the Board of Directors. On the agenda, is the presentation of educational issues affecting Manchester schools. The last time they met, there was a suggested timeline to resolve some of these questions within the month of January.

Ms. Ouellette stated that this is a very ambitious timeline, without even reviewing any of the bids from consultants. After speaking with some consultants, it sounds like the end of February would be the soonest to get written feedback. The only way to get it sooner is if the consultant added to their staff, which would drive the cost up.

3. BOE/BOD Retreat Discussion

Ms. Ouellette stated that she was contacted by Mayor Cassano and General Manager Werbner. There is an expression of interest by the Board of Directors to facilitate a retreat with members of the Board of Education. The primary purpose of the retreat would be to discuss working relationships and the roles of the two Boards. With the Board's permission, she would like to begin work with Mr. Werbner to identify a location, time and agenda for the retreat meeting. It was suggested that they possible schedule this the second or third week in January but she is open to suggestions.

Mr. Robinson asked if Board members wished to move forward with the concept of a retreat with the Board of Directors.

Mrs. Lok stated that she would like to move forward with the concept. She believes participation will be important, and she would appreciate hearing some dates to find out availability of members.

Mrs. Huyler also believes the participation issue is very important. She asked what the agenda would include. She asked for the definition of a retreat.

Ms. Ouellette stated the agenda has not been established and she would have to work with Mr. Werbner on that. She stated that the retreat would be a three-hour period of time together outside of Lincoln Center.

Mr. Golas believes that anything that would provoke communication between the two Boards would be beneficial and is absolutely necessary. He stated he would be happy to participate in any way possible.

Mr. Robinson asked for a motion for the Superintendent to proceed.

MOTION: Lok/Huyler s.v. The Board of Education directs the Superintendent of Schools to move forward with plans for a Board of Education/Board of Directors retreat. (8/0/1 - Hackett)

Mr. Edwards stated he would support the motion. He wondered, given the state of affairs, if three hours would be enough. He cautioned everyone that he was not sure a three-hour retreat would make everything all better. He believes it is a healthy start, but the Boards will have to work at respecting each other and their decisions.

Mr. Huyler suggested that a moderator be present at the retreat.

Mr. Robinson asked if Freedom of Information is something to be concerned about at a meeting such as this retreat. He asked if it is permitted under statute.

Mrs. Libby stated that if there is just one Board, there is a provision under the law that talks about the evaluation of Board members and their self-evaluation, which can make it a non-meeting where the public would not be welcome. This is a combined meeting of two Boards, and she is not sure how it would work with both Boards. Very often when retreats are planned, typically the press and the public honor the need for privacy for working. However, it would have to be posted and they will have to consider whether it will be a public meeting or not under the laws. It would have to be looked into further regarding combined Boards.

Mr. Robinson stated he would support the motion as he feels it is something they need to do.

G. OLD BUSINESS

1. Science Graduation Requirements (Revisions) - Policies 5120 and 5127.1
Ms. Ouellette stated that at the November 22 Board of Education meeting, Mrs. Gejda presented the science graduation requirements, Policies 5120 and 5127.1. She stated Mrs. Gejda was present to provide revisions to that policy.

Mrs. Gejda stated that she previously presented the science graduation requirements as they were presented to the Curriculum and Instruction committee. At that time, her understanding that the revision is to the two policies and there will be no further revisions.

Mr. Robinson asked for a motion to adopt the policies as provided.

MOTION: Rizzo/Edwards s.v. The Board of Education adopts the science graduation requirements as presented in Policy 5120 and Policy 5127.1 (9/0/0)

Mr. Rizzo thanked the staff that presented at the Curriculum Committee meeting. He felt they did a very thorough job.

H. COMMITTEE REPORTS
Mr. Robinson stated that before they heard the Committee Reports, he wanted to add the Committee Assignments for the 2004-2005 year to the agenda. A two-thirds vote is required for this addition.

MOTION: Edwards/Rizzo s.v. The Board of Education adds the Committee Assignments for the 2004-2005 year to the agenda. (9/0/0)

Mr. Robinson read the proposed assignments:

Buildings and Sites: Mrs. O'Neill and Mr. Edwards, Chair; members Mr. Golas and Mr.
Rizzo
Curriculum and Instruction: Mrs. Hackett, Chair; members Mrs. Lok, Mr. Rizzo and Mr.
Thresher
Community Relations: Mrs. Huyler, Chair; members Mrs. Hackett, Mr. Edwards, and Mr.
Rizzo
Personnel & Finance: Mr. Golas, Chair; members Mr. Rizzo, Mrs. Hackett, and Mr.
Thresher
Transportation & Residency: Mr. Robinson, Chair; members Mrs. O'Neill, Mr. Edwards, and Mr. Thresher

1. Building and Sites Committee

Mr. Edwards stated the Building and Sites Committee met on December 9 at 6:15 pm. Mr. Epstein gave a report on the progress of Bowers and Waddell elementary schools. It was noted that much of the work on these two schools will be code related as well as building safety related, and as such, there won't be a dramatic change in the layout of the schools or their appearance. A brief discussion took place regarding the need for detailed estimates of work prior to the creation of bond referenda. The lessons learned from Bowers and Waddell will be applied to the next two elementary school projects. The Manchester Public Schools administration expressed their desire that Highland Park and Nathan Hale be the next two elementary schools to be renovated, with accessibility issues driving that desire. There was discussion regarding the MRA addition and the Nathan Hale roof replacement. The MRA addition has been bid twice, both bids coming in above the bonded funding available. A draft capital improvement plan was discussed. Planning so far has been extremely detailed and much thought and planning has gone into priorities. This includes analysis of student with special accessibility needs presently in the Manchester Schools and what schools they will be attending. The Board of Education and town staff will map out available funds in detail so that officials can see the funding streams against the needs currently compiled in the capital improvement plan. The meeting was adjourned at 8:00 pm.

2. Curriculum and Instruction Committee

Mrs. Hackett stated the Curriculum and Instruction Committee met on November 29, and took place as a result of a conversation at the previous meeting about the No Child Left Behind Adequate Yearly Progress Letter. This letter informs parents and guardians of Bennet students of the opportunity, subject to space available, for their child to transfer to Illing. That was the focus of the meeting. They made revisions to the letter to try to get it down into shorter form and to get more to the point. Board members received copies of the minutes, which include a copy of the final letter that was sent out to parents. Administration also made a few revisions to the letter. Along with the information letter is the actual Request to Transfer form, as well as a list of important dates relative to possible transfers. The information was also translated into Spanish and sent to parents and guardians of parents identified by Bennet staff. A complete information packet is also available on the Bennet Middle School website.

Mr. Edwards asked if the administration received any requests to transfer yet.

Dr. Brett stated that December 17 is the closing date. She has received some requests, but they are waiting until the closing date to make final determinations.

I. COMMUNICATIONS
Mr. Robinson read the following recommendation letter for Dr. Anne Marie Mistretta into the record:

To Whom It May Concern:
It is with pleasure and deep gratitude that I write this letter of recommendation for Dr. Anne Marie Mistretta. I initially met Dr. Mistretta when I started by service on the Manchester Board of Education in 1999, and worked closely with her until her "retirement" in June 2003. Most recently, I had the good fortune to work with Dr. Mistretta during her term as Interim Superintendent of the Manchester Public Schools. In all of my dealings with Dr. Mistretta, she has proven to be a consummate professional, an exceptionally capable administrator, and a person of uncompromising integrity.

My first experience with Dr. Mistretta was when she served as Manchester's Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. In that position, she distinguished herself as one of the finest grant writers in the State of Connecticut; colleagues for surrounding districts would often comment that grant writers in their districts attempted to replicate her successes. Seasoned educators eagerly sought Dr. Mistretta's advice as an individual who was both an expert in her field and was willing to share her expertise. Her successful work in this area generated millions of dollars in revenue that would otherwise have been unavailable to the students in Manchester.

For several years, I served with Dr. Mistretta on the Board's Curriculum and Instruction Committee. As the key administrator in this area, Dr. Mistretta provided consistently thorough and critical analysis of policies and programs. Optimistic and progressive in approach, Dr. Mistretta always insisted on the best, not merely adequate, solutions. She was the impetus behind the block scheduling implementation in the district and was a staunch advocate of world language instruction in the early grades. Without exception, she demanded excellence and held her administrators and faculty accountable.

My closest and most recent dealing with Dr. Mistretta was during her service as Interim Superintendent of Schools during the last six months. Having thought that she had retired for good to the Big Sky Country of Montana, it was with surprise and delight that I learned that Dr. Mistretta was interested in serving the district as its Interim Superintendent, until such time as a permanent superintendent could be appointed. Her record, ability, and deep concern for, and knowledge of, the Manchester Public Schools made her the perfect fit for the position. On behalf of the Board, then, I communicated with her on her cell phone and offered her the position. As she and her husband wound their way afoot through Bryce Canyon, she accepted, not missing a step!

Dr. Mistretta then hiked straight from the "hoodoos" of Bryce Canyon into a district that was suffering from budgetary crises, disjointed relationships with town officials, high levels of personnel turnover, and facing major decisions with respect to facilities upgrades and repairs. With her usual energy, optimism and firm diplomacy, Dr. Mistretta identified the critical issues, prioritized action plans, and went to work. As a direct result of her hiring decisions, the Manchester Public School system now employs some of the finest administrators in the State of Connecticut. Through her tireless efforts, the district passed a referendum, which will provide $35 million to fund the expansion of Manchester High School. She has improved morale and public perceptions, and by all accounts, not only repaired, but also substantially improved the Manchester Public Schools.

We as a town have been extremely fortunate to have had Dr. Anne Marie Mistretta to call our own, albeit for too short a while. It has been an honor to serve with Anne Marie. I will miss her, and I heartily recommend her without reservation.

Very truly yours,

Thomas A.Robinson, Chairman
Manchester Board of Education

Dr. Mistretta stated that she is honored. She enjoyed working for the Town of Manchester in the interim position.

Mrs. O'Neill stated that she received a letter concerning the IOH Pool, time for open swim and therapy classes, as well as the public's access to the pool. She stated she would forward the letter to the Superintendent so that she could look into the situation.

J. PUBLIC COMMENTS

1. Milt Perlman, 3 Sanford Road. He stated that some time ago, he heard there was no money to hire any teachers, and wondered where the money was coming from to hire all the consultants to do all the work. He was glad to see that audience learned a little more at this meeting about the accomplishments of the students of Manchester. He thinks the people like to hear about the accomplishments because it says the something is being done with the money that the taxpayers are providing for education, either through budgets or grants. He would like to continue to see the accomplishments of the students. He would like to see more proof of how the students are doing in math. He feels it is important as the students today are in competition with students from other countries when it comes to jobs. He wished the Board a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

2. Tom Stringfellow, 183 Hillstown Road. He supports the Discovery Center trip updates, and commented that it was a very good presentation. He recommended an article in the fall edition of Teaching Tolerance magazine regarding a student with special needs. He also recommended an article in USA Today, 12/13/04, regarding a special education teacher, Joan Dadon. He recommended an article by Thomas Sergiovanni, Ed.D., Balance Individual Autonomy and Collaboration to Center on Students., and well as a book by Ron Clark, The Essential 11 about how parents, teachers and the community can help children succeed in school. He passed along an article from the Hartford Courant about a middle school in Bristol that is going through a lottery system for students for transferring to another school. He wished everyone a good holiday and wished the best of luck to Dr. Mistretta.

K. ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS
None.

MOTION: Hackett/Edwards s.v. The Board of Education adjourned 9:23 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Margaret Hackett, Secretary