QUESTIONS FOR THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION NOMINEES


February 3, 2009		2009-R-0098
QUESTIONS FOR THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION NOMINEES

By: Soncia Coleman, Associate Legislative Analyst

● Consists of nine voting members who serve staggered four-year terms, the commissioner of higher education who serves as a nonvoting ex-officio member, and two nonvoting student members who serve one-year terms.

● Recommends the candidate for commissioner of education, who administers the Department of Education.

● Has general supervision and control of the educational interests of the state, including preschool, elementary, and secondary education; special education; and vocational education. The educational interests of the state, as defined by law, are that (1) each student have an equal opportunity to receive a suitable program of educational experiences; (2) each school district finance at a reasonable level at least equal to the state's minimum expenditure requirement an educational program designed to achieve this end; (3) in order to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation, each school district provide educational opportunities for its students to interact with students and teachers from other racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds and may provide such opportunities with students from other communities; and (4) statutory mandates relating to education within the State Board of Education's jurisdiction are implemented.

● Sets state educational policy in collaboration with the governor and the General Assembly.

● Oversees the state technical high schools.

● Authorizes charter and interdistrict magnet schools.

● Adjudicates complaints against local boards of education that fail to implement the state's educational interests.

1. Connecticut's tradition of local control is especially strong in education. How do you see the State Board of Education's role compared to that of local boards of education? How should the state board influence education policy?

2. Connecticut's Mastery Test (CMT) and Academic Performance Test (CAPT) scores highlight a continuing achievement gap between minority and low-income students and white, middle-class students. What steps should the State Board of Education recommend to close this gap, particularly in light of the federal No Child Left Behind Act's requirements?

3. Are there aspects of the State Board of Education's secondary school reform proposal that you believe must be implemented, despite the current economic situation in Connecticut?

4. Do you think standardized test results should be the basis for making decisions about student promotion and graduation? How, if at all, should the results be used to judge teacher performance?

5. The legislature has addressed the issue of bullying in the past. What can the State Board of Education do to support local districts in their efforts to deal with this problem?

6. The case of Avery Doninger has led some to feel that the courts and the legislature need to revisit the issue of students' free speech rights. What is your view on this issue?

7. What education policies should the state adopt to address the shortcomings that employers continually cite in the job readiness of the state's high school graduates?

8. What are some of the more concrete methods the board could employ to encourage more districts to participate in measures to meet its obligations under the most recent Sheff vs. O'Neill settlement agreement?