NORWALK EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL
KIDS START SMART
SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

ATTENDANCE: Betsy Bain, Chair; Betsy Perry, Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center; Marilyn Lewis, Family and Children’s Agency; Jeanne Harp, parent; Christine Dudek-Ratushnuk, N.H.D; Barbara Fitzpatrick, STAR Rubino Center; Patricia Kierecki, N.C.D.P.; Larry Cross, N.C.H.C.; Marie-Ange Nicoles, Parent Rep – KSS; Joan Parris, Norwalk Community College; Ravitta Paul, Children’s Playhouse; Evelyn Balamaci, CT Dept. of Soc. Serv.; Linda Wilock, Norwalk Dept. of Youth Services; Dr. Sally Grose, Mor. Child. Found; Lynn Sadlon, Family Resource Center/Fox Run; George Hensinger, Nwlk Early Childhood Council; Cathy DeCesare, United Way of Norwalk & Wilton; Adele Gordon, Norwalk Smiles; Curtis Law, Norwalk Hsg. Authority; Ed Musante, Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce; Bea Krawicke, NPS; Marie E. Keogh, Catholic Charities; Mary Oster, Naramake Family Resource Center; Victoria Schilling, Mary Budarich, NPS

STAFF: Barbara Smart

OTHERS: Tracy Brandino, Stepping Stones Museum; Mary Peniston, Norwalk Public Schools; Hugh McKiernan, NPS Dir./El.Ed; David Kennedy, United Way of Norwalk & Wilton; Bob Duff, State Senator; Crissy Davis, Tumblebugs Day School; Marlene DeBellis, Side by Side; Jody Bishop-Pullan, Norwalk Board of Ed.; Mark Nickle, Holt, Wexler & Farnon Group; Toni Boucher, State Representative – Wilton and Norwalk; Rev. Bruce Morris, State Representative – Norwalk; Harriet Feldlaufer, State Department of Education; Deb Adams, State Department of Education, Mayor Richard A. Moccia, City of Norwalk; Dr. Salvatore Corda, Norwalk Superintendent of Schools; Sonia, Graustein Memorial Fund

CALL TO ORDER

Ms. Bain called the meeting to order at 9:42 a.m.

OPENING REMARKS

Ms. Bain thanked everyone who had worked for years on the Early Childhood issues and greeted the new faces around the table. During the past spring, the School Readiness Council recognized and celebrated ten years of school readiness. This Council is the next phase. While the Norwalk Early Childhood Council is brand new, the work that the Council will do is not new and has been carried on for many years by various individuals and groups in the City. The Council recognizes that it has to address the issues in a more comprehensive and coordinated way. While the work has been going on, especially the early childhood issues that were carried by the School Readiness Council, issues of the health for young children and their parents has been handled by the Norwalk Healthy Families Collaborative, and the focus of working with parents has been the work of Norwalk Kids Start Smart. Now all these efforts are being combined under the efforts of the Norwalk Early Childhood Council.

Norwalk has been blessed with partners who have made long term commitments. Many of the faces around the table have been working on these issues for ten years or more. Ms. Bain said that she would not only like to recognize the individuals who served on the Council but also the long-term funders, like United Way and the Graustein Memorial Fund.

Ms. Bain said that to start off the first session of the Council, Ms. Feldlaufer of the State Department of Education has been invited to address the issue of the importance of the work that the Council will do in relation to the school system, the City and the State.

Ms. Bain then invited Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia to come to the podium and address the Council. Mayor Moccia said that Ms. Bain has been so committed to the early childhood community that he was happy to lead the acknowledge Ms. Bain’s role in the effort.

Mayor Moccia said that the purpose of the Council was to bring together parents, schools, community organizations and individuals to collaborate on issues that relate to early childhood. Mayor Moccia said that he originally thought that the most important job he would have in the City would be to take care of roads, reduce crime and the taxes, but he has come to realize that the most important job he has is to make sure Norwalk takes care of the City’s young people. He said that is the commitment of the Early Childhood Council, along with Dr. Corda and Ms. Budrawich at the Board of Education. The importance of early childhood has been recognized also on the State level, as shown by the fact that Bob Duff is present, and also on the on the national level. Early intervention is critical.

One never wants to put things into dollars and cents when it comes to people’s lives, but Mayor Moccia assured those present that every dollar invested in early childhood is one less dollar that has to be spent on remedial health issues. Intervention is much less expensive than apprehension, and detention. It’s hard to realize, especially when speaking of three, four or five year olds, but Ms. Wilock from Youth Services could verify that this is where it begins.

Mayor Moccia said that he could not express his thanks for everything that all the organizations that take care of Norwalk’s young people. He said that he appreciated the opportunity to address the group.

Ms. Bain said that she would like to also mention that there were many invited guests who have been supporters, encouragers and partners in this effort. Ms. Bain then recognized Senator Bob Duff, Mr. David Kennedy, the President and CEO of the United Way of Wilton and Norwalk; Norwalk School Superintendent Sal Corda; Ms. Jody Bishop-Pullan, of the Norwalk Board of Education; Ms. Deb Adams from the State Department of Education; Ms. Harriet Feldlaufer, the Deputy Bureau Chief of Early Childhood Education for the State of Connecticut; Mr. Mark Nichols, Holt, Wexler and Farnon Group; and Sonia from the Graustein Memorial Fund.

Ms. Bain then introduced Dr. Corda, the Norwalk Superintendent of Schools. He said that after looking around the room, there was very little that he could say that the group already did not know. However, Dr. Corda said that he was delighted that members of the press were present. He then stated, “The Early Childhood Council is an integral part of the success and well being of the City of Norwalk.”

Dr. Corda said that apart from thanking all those present for the work that they do, would be to create a greater sense of urgency than is already felt about the work that has to be done. The Norwalk Schools are in a process of self-evaluation, as a result of the performance on CMTs and CAPs under the No Child Left Behind legislation. A visiting team from Cambridge Education will then assess the self-evaluations. Essentially, the team will assist the District in becoming better at what the District already does.

The work that the schools does in regards to making sure that the students meet the educational standards that they need to, begins with the kindergarten students. From the opening day of school for the kindergarten students, the issues that the schools address with respect to making sure that every one of the students performs at high levels can be identified in kindergarten. Norwalk’s children do not arrive at the school door from an equal playing field. Some of the children have had highly supportive environments, while others have not. There are students who arrive at the school who have left another country in their recent past.

The Hispanic student population makes up approximately 34% of the total student population. Six years ago, it was 26% of the student population.

The opportunity and influence that this Council will exert on the young children being able to enter school better prepared cannot be calculated. It’s not about the number of slots, or increasing the capacity, or the quality of the programs, but the impact of that effective, comprehensive, systemic early childhood education has on a student’s well being which cannot be calculated. That is the work that the Council does so well. This resulted in a Plan for the City of Norwalk to address the needs of Early Childhood Education. It is an outstanding piece of work and speaks volumes to the commitment and dedication that the Council has to be able to present this plan to the community outside of Norwalk. We have a plan, now we need the resources to do it.

Dr. Corda said that he was delighted that Mr. Duff was present, because Dr. Corda knew that Mr. Duff understood, as do the other legislators in the City of Norwalk. If Norwalk is going to flourish needs to be one where the business community understands the needs of the City, where the business community continues to provide the tremendous support in meeting the needs of our young people. The District will be working on developing a more cohesive and more coordinated effort. The Council’s job will be to continue the tasks that have to be done, the challenges that have to be faced, and most importantly, how the resources are mobilized.

Dr. Corda said that this meeting was a celebration of past accomplishments, but also a challenge to take the work to the next step. The plan is in place. Now it is just making sure that everyone is well organized, committed to action and finding the resources that will enable this to happen.

Ms. Bain then greeted Mr. McKiernan, Rev. Morris, and Larry Cross before she introduced Ms. Harriet Feldlaufer, from State Department of Education.

Ms. Feldlaufer greeted everyone and stated that she had good news to report to the group. Early Childhood has become a priority all around. The Governor and the Legislature has made an unprecedented commitment and investment in early care and education for this biannual budget. The new investments are aimed at moving Connecticut toward having access for all three and four year old children to attend pre-school through State funded programs. For the fiscal year 08 Early Care Education Fund in DSS and DF combined is about 17% more than FY07. Ms. Feldlaufer said that although this was not enough funding, there would be more to come in FY09.

In January of 2007, the State Board of Education adopted a five-year comprehensive plan for elementary, secondary and adult education. The document is called the “A Secure Education for Connecticut’s Twenty First Century Learners”. It is commitment; it is the State Board of Education’s goals and commitments for the next five years. There are only three priorities in it.

The first priority is Early Childhood Education, including high quality preschool education for all students. The Board outlined its plans to meet the goals for this priority, which includes new funding to support high quality preschool education for children living in high needs communities, including Norwalk. This will also include revising State Statutes to increase funding for school construction and childcare facilities for preschool education. There will also be expansion of early childhood education teacher preparation programs, along with alternate forms for obtaining requisite credentials and certificates.

Other good news was that shortly after this plan was released, the State Board of Education approved a new Bureau of Early Childhood Education at the State Department of Education. Ms. Feldlaufer said that she was serving as interim Bureau Chief for that office. This was to ensure that there was a focus on the Board’s priorities and to fully realize the objectives in the plan. This will also spotlight the importance of pre-school education in a pre-school to adult education statewide system.

Now it is time to build local capacity for early childhood education and family support services. Our children will not be ready if our communities are not ready. Ready communities must have a solid action plan and an infrastructure to implement and monitor the plan. Norwalk has developed a solid plan that is thoughtful, and demonstrates the local community commitment to achieve the goals and outcomes articulated in the plan. Ms. Feldlaufer then reviewed the components of the plan with the Council. Ms. Feldlaufer said that Norwalk was well on its way and all eyes were watching. She then wished everyone the best in this endeavor and said that the State Department of Education will be supporting this Council in any way that it can.

Ms. Bain then greeted Representative Toni Boucher, who had just joined the meeting and then opened the meeting to questions for the State Representatives and also to allow the State legislators present to comment.

State Senator Bob Duff then greeted the group and thanked everyone for attending. Mr. Duff said that he had been a substitute teacher and had since found that politics was much easier than teaching. He also welcomed the members of the Department of Education for coming to the meeting.

Mr. Duff said that he was thankful for all the work that was being done, particularly in collaboration and bringing people together for the best results. For a long time, people were trying to do what was right, but were not working together. Norwalk is very far ahead of where other towns in Connecticut are. There are other communities doing Norwalk-type things, but Mr. Duff said that he did not believe that any other community could touch what Norwalk has already started. Mr. Duff said that a number of legislators had mentioned to him how impressed they were with Norwalk’s plan, particularly the collaboration, the accountability and the blueprint for action over the next few years. Mr. Duff said that he agreed with Dr. Corda when he said that when children enter kindergarten, frequently it determines how they will perform through the rest of the years. It is important to make sure all children enter in on an equal playing field when they come to kindergarten. The work that is being done by the Council is extremely important.

Mr. Duff said that he would like to shout from the rooftops about how important this inaugural meeting means to Norwalk. He wants all the parents and all the business in the community to know how important this is, to underscore what this will mean to the future of Norwalk’s children. He then asked that the Council take the same enthusiasm they have right now and continue that going forward. Mr. Duff said that he knew he could speak for Rev. Morris, Ms. Boucher and the rest of the Norwalk legislative delegation in pledging support to the Council in any way possible.

State Representative Boucher said that she wished to express how pleased she was that Ms. Bain was leading the group. Anytime there are pockets of excellence, it is important to recognize it. She also mentioned that it was good to be at Norwalk Community College because Bill Schwabb was the gentleman that first drew her into making her an advocate of Norwalk Community College. She also informed the group that the College was in the top 1% nationally of all community colleges.

Ms. Boucher said that the only reason that she had become involved in politics was because of education. There has been a growing realization over the years about the importance about how we learn as individuals. Research indicates that nearly 80% of what a child learns is learned before they enter kindergarten. What the Council will be working on is very significant because the greatest learning curve is occurring during that period of time. When things go wrong during that time, it is very hard to correct. As we get older, we are just building on what has occurred in the past.

This area of education has to become more professionalized, paid better, and certification education and training provided. Ms. Boucher said that it would be important to budget for the best return on the investment. She said that she believes that this is the area where society will get the best return on the investment. Ms. Boucher said that she supports elevating the entire stature of this profession. It will provide the next great revolution in education.

Ms. Bain then opened the floor for comments. Dr. Corda said that he was delighted to hear that the State had created a new office for Early Childhood Education. He then informed Ms. Feldlaufer that Ms. Budrawich was not available for any of the State jobs as she was currently employed by Norwalk and would remain so.

Dr. Corda then asked what the method would be to request State funds in order to increase capacity and what the time frame was. Ms. Feldlaufer said that the timeframe was now. She then reviewed the various sources for the funding with Dr. Corda and the group. Ms. Feldlaufer said that the State was busy building the infrastructure for this program.

An announcement was made about an Educational Grant Access meeting that would be on August 18th in Hartford.

RECESS

Ms. Bain announced a recess at 10:22 a.m. The meeting reconvened at 10:26 a.m.

AGENDA

I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE SRC MEETING ON JUNE 13, 2007

** MS. SADLON MOVED THE MINUTES OF THE SRC MEETING ON JUNE 30, 2007.
** DR. GROSE SECONDED.

The following corrections were noted:

Page 1, under ATTENDANCE: please add the following:

“Marilyn Lewis, Family and Children’s Agency; Christine Dudek-Ratushnuk, N.H.D; Betsy Perry, Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center; and Marlene DeBellis, Side by Side”

** THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED PASSED UNANMOUSLY.

II. DISCUSSION/APPROVAL

a. Committee Structure

Ms, Bain said that the committee structured had been modeled around the School Readiness Council format. All the Committees should be focused on the same goals. Ms. Bain also said that she wanted the materials sent out before each meeting.

Ms. Bain then reviewed the details of the Committee structure with the group. A discussion then followed about this. Ms. Bain pointed out that if the committees were able to develop an action outline by October, it could be submitted to the Steering Committee for the November agenda.

Ms. Budrawich commented that it was important for every member of the Council to participate. Ms. Peniston also pointed out that this would be a good way for establishing a network with the parents.

** MS. WILOCK MOVED TO APPROVE THE NORWALK EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL COMMITTEE STRUCTURE.
** MS. LEWIS SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

b. Bylaws

The discussion then moved to page three of the document. Ms. Bain reminded everyone that there would be a meeting every other month. The bylaws were drafted with simplicity in mind. The discussion then moved to determining who would be responsible for appointing the chair of each committee. It was decided that the bylaws would be revised to state that the Council Chair may appoint a committee and also may appoint a chair.

The discussion then moved on to the particular wording of the bylaws, particularly the purpose statement.

Ms. Bain then suggested that the Council members submit their revision suggestions to Ms. Wilock or Ms. Smart.

c. 2007 Budget

Ms. Peniston then distributed copies of the 2007-2008 budget. Ms. Peniston pointed out that there were grants that had been applied for by the School Readiness Council and that should be taken over by the Norwalk Early Childhood Council. This happens because of different calendar timeframes. Some grants are on a fiscal year and others are on a calendar year format. She also reported that one of the grants had a deadline of September 30, 2007. With the Council’s permission, Ms. Peniston will write the grant application. This was agreeable to all.

The discussion then moved the to Early Childhood Plan page 21-23, which was also reflected in the handouts. Ms. Peniston reviewed the budget figures with the Council and asked the Council members if the layout of the information was acceptable. The layout was acceptable to all.

d. Graustein 2008-2009 Memorial Fund Grant Proposal

The application for the GMF will be focused on two things this year. The first is funding to add a staff member to the program. The second is a Parent as Teachers program. Graustein is supportive of this program. The Grant request will be for $50,000, which will be split between the staff needs and the Parents program.

** MR. MUSANTE MOVED TO APPROVE THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE TO SIGN THE 2008-2009 GRAUSTEIN MEMORAL FUND GRANT APPLICATION PROPOSAL.
** MR. LAW SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

e. Increased SRC Funding and slot allotment

Ms. Wilock reported that the funding has been increased to $2,920,278.00 this year. She then reviewed the details for the new providers requirements and how the allotment of slots was done with the Council.
III. OTHER

A discussion then followed about the temporary decision of the State Cabinet regarding the fact that there is no Quality Rating system currently in place. The issue is not just about capacity, but also about quality. Unfortunately, the State will not accept programs that are already in place and are accredited. The State is requiring the programs to have an ECERS evaluation.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, Ms. Bain adjourned the meeting at 11:36 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sharon L. Soltes
Telesco Secretarial Service

KIDS START SMART
SEPTEMBER 12, 2007

ATTENDANCE: Betsy Bain, Chair; Betsy Perry, Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center; Marilyn Lewis, Family and Children’s Agency; Jeanne Harp, parent; Christine Dudek-Ratushnuk, N.H.D; Barbara Fitzpatrick, STAR Rubino Center; Patricia Kierecki, N.C.D.P.; Larry Cross, N.C.H.C.; Marie-Ange Nicoles, Parent Rep – KSS; Joan Parris, Norwalk Community College; Ravitta Paul, Children’s Playhouse; Evelyn Balamaci, CT Dept. of Soc. Serv.; Linda Wilock, Norwalk Dept. of Youth Services; Dr. Sally Grose, Mor. Child. Found; Lynn Sadlon, Family Resource Center/Fox Run; George Hensinger, Nwlk Early Childhood Council; Cathy DeCesare, United Way of Norwalk & Wilton; Adele Gordon, Norwalk Smiles; Curtis Law, Norwalk Hsg. Authority; Ed Musante, Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce; Bea Krawicke, NPS; Marie E. Keogh, Catholic Charities; Mary Oster, Naramake Family Resource Center; Victoria Schilling, Mary Budarich, NPS

STAFF: Barbara Smart

OTHERS: Tracy Brandino, Stepping Stones Museum; Mary Peniston, Norwalk Public Schools; Hugh McKiernan, NPS Dir./El.Ed; David Kennedy, United Way of Norwalk & Wilton; Bob Duff, State Senator; Crissy Davis, Tumblebugs Day School; Marlene DeBellis, Side by Side; Jody Bishop-Pullan, Norwalk Board of Ed.; Mark Nickle, Holt, Wexler & Farnon Group; Toni Boucher, State Representative – Wilton and Norwalk; Rev. Bruce Morris, State Representative – Norwalk; Harriet Feldlaufer, State Department of Education; Deb Adams, State Department of Education, Mayor Richard A. Moccia, City of Norwalk; Dr. Salvatore Corda, Norwalk Superintendent of Schools; Sonia, Graustein Memorial Fund

CALL TO ORDER

Ms. Bain called the meeting to order at 9:42 a.m.

OPENING REMARKS

Ms. Bain thanked everyone who had worked for years on the Early Childhood issues and greeted the new faces around the table. During the past spring, the School Readiness Council recognized and celebrated ten years of school readiness. This Council is the next phase. While the Norwalk Early Childhood Council is brand new, the work that the Council will do is not new and has been carried on for many years by various individuals and groups in the City. The Council recognizes that it has to address the issues in a more comprehensive and coordinated way. While the work has been going on, especially the early childhood issues that were carried by the School Readiness Council, issues of the health for young children and their parents has been handled by the Norwalk Healthy Families Collaborative, and the focus of working with parents has been the work of Norwalk Kids Start Smart. Now all these efforts are being combined under the efforts of the Norwalk Early Childhood Council.

Norwalk has been blessed with partners who have made long term commitments. Many of the faces around the table have been working on these issues for ten years or more. Ms. Bain said that she would not only like to recognize the individuals who served on the Council but also the long-term funders, like United Way and the Graustein Memorial Fund.

Ms. Bain said that to start off the first session of the Council, Ms. Feldlaufer of the State Department of Education has been invited to address the issue of the importance of the work that the Council will do in relation to the school system, the City and the State.

Ms. Bain then invited Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia to come to the podium and address the Council. Mayor Moccia said that Ms. Bain has been so committed to the early childhood community that he was happy to lead the acknowledge Ms. Bain’s role in the effort.

Mayor Moccia said that the purpose of the Council was to bring together parents, schools, community organizations and individuals to collaborate on issues that relate to early childhood. Mayor Moccia said that he originally thought that the most important job he would have in the City would be to take care of roads, reduce crime and the taxes, but he has come to realize that the most important job he has is to make sure Norwalk takes care of the City’s young people. He said that is the commitment of the Early Childhood Council, along with Dr. Corda and Ms. Budrawich at the Board of Education. The importance of early childhood has been recognized also on the State level, as shown by the fact that Bob Duff is present, and also on the on the national level. Early intervention is critical.

One never wants to put things into dollars and cents when it comes to people’s lives, but Mayor Moccia assured those present that every dollar invested in early childhood is one less dollar that has to be spent on remedial health issues. Intervention is much less expensive than apprehension, and detention. It’s hard to realize, especially when speaking of three, four or five year olds, but Ms. Wilock from Youth Services could verify that this is where it begins.

Mayor Moccia said that he could not express his thanks for everything that all the organizations that take care of Norwalk’s young people. He said that he appreciated the opportunity to address the group.

Ms. Bain said that she would like to also mention that there were many invited guests who have been supporters, encouragers and partners in this effort. Ms. Bain then recognized Senator Bob Duff, Mr. David Kennedy, the President and CEO of the United Way of Wilton and Norwalk; Norwalk School Superintendent Sal Corda; Ms. Jody Bishop-Pullan, of the Norwalk Board of Education; Ms. Deb Adams from the State Department of Education; Ms. Harriet Feldlaufer, the Deputy Bureau Chief of Early Childhood Education for the State of Connecticut; Mr. Mark Nichols, Holt, Wexler and Farnon Group; and Sonia from the Graustein Memorial Fund.

Ms. Bain then introduced Dr. Corda, the Norwalk Superintendent of Schools. He said that after looking around the room, there was very little that he could say that the group already did not know. However, Dr. Corda said that he was delighted that members of the press were present. He then stated, “The Early Childhood Council is an integral part of the success and well being of the City of Norwalk.”

Dr. Corda said that apart from thanking all those present for the work that they do, would be to create a greater sense of urgency than is already felt about the work that has to be done. The Norwalk Schools are in a process of self-evaluation, as a result of the performance on CMTs and CAPs under the No Child Left Behind legislation. A visiting team from Cambridge Education will then assess the self-evaluations. Essentially, the team will assist the District in becoming better at what the District already does.

The work that the schools does in regards to making sure that the students meet the educational standards that they need to, begins with the kindergarten students. From the opening day of school for the kindergarten students, the issues that the schools address with respect to making sure that every one of the students performs at high levels can be identified in kindergarten. Norwalk’s children do not arrive at the school door from an equal playing field. Some of the children have had highly supportive environments, while others have not. There are students who arrive at the school who have left another country in their recent past.

The Hispanic student population makes up approximately 34% of the total student population. Six years ago, it was 26% of the student population.

The opportunity and influence that this Council will exert on the young children being able to enter school better prepared cannot be calculated. It’s not about the number of slots, or increasing the capacity, or the quality of the programs, but the impact of that effective, comprehensive, systemic early childhood education has on a student’s well being which cannot be calculated. That is the work that the Council does so well. This resulted in a Plan for the City of Norwalk to address the needs of Early Childhood Education. It is an outstanding piece of work and speaks volumes to the commitment and dedication that the Council has to be able to present this plan to the community outside of Norwalk. We have a plan, now we need the resources to do it.

Dr. Corda said that he was delighted that Mr. Duff was present, because Dr. Corda knew that Mr. Duff understood, as do the other legislators in the City of Norwalk. If Norwalk is going to flourish needs to be one where the business community understands the needs of the City, where the business community continues to provide the tremendous support in meeting the needs of our young people. The District will be working on developing a more cohesive and more coordinated effort. The Council’s job will be to continue the tasks that have to be done, the challenges that have to be faced, and most importantly, how the resources are mobilized.

Dr. Corda said that this meeting was a celebration of past accomplishments, but also a challenge to take the work to the next step. The plan is in place. Now it is just making sure that everyone is well organized, committed to action and finding the resources that will enable this to happen.

Ms. Bain then greeted Mr. McKiernan, Rev. Morris, and Larry Cross before she introduced Ms. Harriet Feldlaufer, from State Department of Education.

Ms. Feldlaufer greeted everyone and stated that she had good news to report to the group. Early Childhood has become a priority all around. The Governor and the Legislature has made an unprecedented commitment and investment in early care and education for this biannual budget. The new investments are aimed at moving Connecticut toward having access for all three and four year old children to attend pre-school through State funded programs. For the fiscal year 08 Early Care Education Fund in DSS and DF combined is about 17% more than FY07. Ms. Feldlaufer said that although this was not enough funding, there would be more to come in FY09.

In January of 2007, the State Board of Education adopted a five-year comprehensive plan for elementary, secondary and adult education. The document is called the “A Secure Education for Connecticut’s Twenty First Century Learners”. It is commitment; it is the State Board of Education’s goals and commitments for the next five years. There are only three priorities in it.

The first priority is Early Childhood Education, including high quality preschool education for all students. The Board outlined its plans to meet the goals for this priority, which includes new funding to support high quality preschool education for children living in high needs communities, including Norwalk. This will also include revising State Statutes to increase funding for school construction and childcare facilities for preschool education. There will also be expansion of early childhood education teacher preparation programs, along with alternate forms for obtaining requisite credentials and certificates.

Other good news was that shortly after this plan was released, the State Board of Education approved a new Bureau of Early Childhood Education at the State Department of Education. Ms. Feldlaufer said that she was serving as interim Bureau Chief for that office. This was to ensure that there was a focus on the Board’s priorities and to fully realize the objectives in the plan. This will also spotlight the importance of pre-school education in a pre-school to adult education statewide system.

Now it is time to build local capacity for early childhood education and family support services. Our children will not be ready if our communities are not ready. Ready communities must have a solid action plan and an infrastructure to implement and monitor the plan. Norwalk has developed a solid plan that is thoughtful, and demonstrates the local community commitment to achieve the goals and outcomes articulated in the plan. Ms. Feldlaufer then reviewed the components of the plan with the Council. Ms. Feldlaufer said that Norwalk was well on its way and all eyes were watching. She then wished everyone the best in this endeavor and said that the State Department of Education will be supporting this Council in any way that it can.

Ms. Bain then greeted Representative Toni Boucher, who had just joined the meeting and then opened the meeting to questions for the State Representatives and also to allow the State legislators present to comment.

State Senator Bob Duff then greeted the group and thanked everyone for attending. Mr. Duff said that he had been a substitute teacher and had since found that politics was much easier than teaching. He also welcomed the members of the Department of Education for coming to the meeting.

Mr. Duff said that he was thankful for all the work that was being done, particularly in collaboration and bringing people together for the best results. For a long time, people were trying to do what was right, but were not working together. Norwalk is very far ahead of where other towns in Connecticut are. There are other communities doing Norwalk-type things, but Mr. Duff said that he did not believe that any other community could touch what Norwalk has already started. Mr. Duff said that a number of legislators had mentioned to him how impressed they were with Norwalk’s plan, particularly the collaboration, the accountability and the blueprint for action over the next few years. Mr. Duff said that he agreed with Dr. Corda when he said that when children enter kindergarten, frequently it determines how they will perform through the rest of the years. It is important to make sure all children enter in on an equal playing field when they come to kindergarten. The work that is being done by the Council is extremely important.

Mr. Duff said that he would like to shout from the rooftops about how important this inaugural meeting means to Norwalk. He wants all the parents and all the business in the community to know how important this is, to underscore what this will mean to the future of Norwalk’s children. He then asked that the Council take the same enthusiasm they have right now and continue that going forward. Mr. Duff said that he knew he could speak for Rev. Morris, Ms. Boucher and the rest of the Norwalk legislative delegation in pledging support to the Council in any way possible.

State Representative Boucher said that she wished to express how pleased she was that Ms. Bain was leading the group. Anytime there are pockets of excellence, it is important to recognize it. She also mentioned that it was good to be at Norwalk Community College because Bill Schwabb was the gentleman that first drew her into making her an advocate of Norwalk Community College. She also informed the group that the College was in the top 1% nationally of all community colleges.

Ms. Boucher said that the only reason that she had become involved in politics was because of education. There has been a growing realization over the years about the importance about how we learn as individuals. Research indicates that nearly 80% of what a child learns is learned before they enter kindergarten. What the Council will be working on is very significant because the greatest learning curve is occurring during that period of time. When things go wrong during that time, it is very hard to correct. As we get older, we are just building on what has occurred in the past.

This area of education has to become more professionalized, paid better, and certification education and training provided. Ms. Boucher said that it would be important to budget for the best return on the investment. She said that she believes that this is the area where society will get the best return on the investment. Ms. Boucher said that she supports elevating the entire stature of this profession. It will provide the next great revolution in education.

Ms. Bain then opened the floor for comments. Dr. Corda said that he was delighted to hear that the State had created a new office for Early Childhood Education. He then informed Ms. Feldlaufer that Ms. Budrawich was not available for any of the State jobs as she was currently employed by Norwalk and would remain so.

Dr. Corda then asked what the method would be to request State funds in order to increase capacity and what the time frame was. Ms. Feldlaufer said that the timeframe was now. She then reviewed the various sources for the funding with Dr. Corda and the group. Ms. Feldlaufer said that the State was busy building the infrastructure for this program.

An announcement was made about an Educational Grant Access meeting that would be on August 18th in Hartford.

RECESS

Ms. Bain announced a recess at 10:22 a.m. The meeting reconvened at 10:26 a.m.

AGENDA

I. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE SRC MEETING ON JUNE 13, 2007

** MS. SADLON MOVED THE MINUTES OF THE SRC MEETING ON JUNE 30, 2007.
** DR. GROSE SECONDED.

The following corrections were noted:

Page 1, under ATTENDANCE: please add the following:

“Marilyn Lewis, Family and Children’s Agency; Christine Dudek-Ratushnuk, N.H.D; Betsy Perry, Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center; and Marlene DeBellis, Side by Side”

** THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES AS CORRECTED PASSED UNANMOUSLY.

II. DISCUSSION/APPROVAL

a. Committee Structure

Ms, Bain said that the committee structured had been modeled around the School Readiness Council format. All the Committees should be focused on the same goals. Ms. Bain also said that she wanted the materials sent out before each meeting.

Ms. Bain then reviewed the details of the Committee structure with the group. A discussion then followed about this. Ms. Bain pointed out that if the committees were able to develop an action outline by October, it could be submitted to the Steering Committee for the November agenda.

Ms. Budrawich commented that it was important for every member of the Council to participate. Ms. Peniston also pointed out that this would be a good way for establishing a network with the parents.

** MS. WILOCK MOVED TO APPROVE THE NORWALK EARLY CHILDHOOD COUNCIL COMMITTEE STRUCTURE.
** MS. LEWIS SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

b. Bylaws

The discussion then moved to page three of the document. Ms. Bain reminded everyone that there would be a meeting every other month. The bylaws were drafted with simplicity in mind. The discussion then moved to determining who would be responsible for appointing the chair of each committee. It was decided that the bylaws would be revised to state that the Council Chair may appoint a committee and also may appoint a chair.

The discussion then moved on to the particular wording of the bylaws, particularly the purpose statement.

Ms. Bain then suggested that the Council members submit their revision suggestions to Ms. Wilock or Ms. Smart.

c. 2007 Budget

Ms. Peniston then distributed copies of the 2007-2008 budget. Ms. Peniston pointed out that there were grants that had been applied for by the School Readiness Council and that should be taken over by the Norwalk Early Childhood Council. This happens because of different calendar timeframes. Some grants are on a fiscal year and others are on a calendar year format. She also reported that one of the grants had a deadline of September 30, 2007. With the Council’s permission, Ms. Peniston will write the grant application. This was agreeable to all.

The discussion then moved the to Early Childhood Plan page 21-23, which was also reflected in the handouts. Ms. Peniston reviewed the budget figures with the Council and asked the Council members if the layout of the information was acceptable. The layout was acceptable to all.

d. Graustein 2008-2009 Memorial Fund Grant Proposal

The application for the GMF will be focused on two things this year. The first is funding to add a staff member to the program. The second is a Parent as Teachers program. Graustein is supportive of this program. The Grant request will be for $50,000, which will be split between the staff needs and the Parents program.

** MR. MUSANTE MOVED TO APPROVE THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE TO SIGN THE 2008-2009 GRAUSTEIN MEMORAL FUND GRANT APPLICATION PROPOSAL.
** MR. LAW SECONDED.
** THE MOTION PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.

e. Increased SRC Funding and slot allotment

Ms. Wilock reported that the funding has been increased to $2,920,278.00 this year. She then reviewed the details for the new providers requirements and how the allotment of slots was done with the Council.
III. OTHER

A discussion then followed about the temporary decision of the State Cabinet regarding the fact that there is no Quality Rating system currently in place. The issue is not just about capacity, but also about quality. Unfortunately, the State will not accept programs that are already in place and are accredited. The State is requiring the programs to have an ECERS evaluation.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, Ms. Bain adjourned the meeting at 11:36 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sharon L. Soltes
Telesco Secretarial Service

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