Meet the Candidates, Part II

In addition to the three-way contest for two seats on the Canaan (Falls Village) Board of Education that oversees the Kellogg School [see October 24 posting], two fine women--the incumbent Maggie Ruotolo and Gale Toensing--are vying to represent Falls Village on the Region 1 Board of Education, which is responsible for Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Here are their responses to questions posed by the Falls Village Blog.

Margaret R. Ruotolo
Occupation: Retired Educator
Education: BS, Early Childhood Education' MA, Education
Volunteer Activities:
Current: Region One Board of Education, Falls Village Representative - Secretary - Member of Policy, Personnel and Long-Range Planning
Committees and Ag Ed Council; Zoning Board of Appeals member; Republican Town Committee member; Justice of the Peace
Past: Lee Kellogg Board of Education member for 17 years; Falls Village Recreation Commission chairperson

What makes HVRHS an excellent school?
Within an atmosphere of professionalism and personal attention, Housatonic has offered its students comprehensive and challenging programs for over 60 years. The school is fortunate to have the support of taxpayers in the six-town region who view their school with pride. The school is a learning center for our students providing for their academic and social needs. The staff is committed and caring and works with our students on a more personal basis that creates a comfortable environment when students seek advice or require extra help with academic and/or personal problems. The school offers a wide range of courses and activities and students have been recognized for their outstanding accomplishments. For example, our Envirothon team recently placed first in an international competition and the Ag-Ed program was cited by a state evaluation team as “second to none in the state”. Other recognitions have been awarded in the areas of academics, music, art, drama and /or sports. Our students are fortunate to have so many opportunities to provide growth as they prepare for their aspirations.

What are the high school's weaknesses?
While I support comprehensive programs to serve a diverse student population and to meet the needs and interests of our students, the per pupil cost at Housatonic is high. There is a need to routinely revise and publish curriculum that meets the needs of our students and will provide them with skills appropriate for the 21st century. I believe we need to improve parental involvement and communication. We have to improve educational opportunities for the academic, general and review levels of instruction.

How can those weaknesses be addressed?
Housatonic was recently evaluated by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and received a published report of their findings. The staff and the Board have already begun to use the recommendations from this report to affect positive change that addresses each of the above concerns. Dr. Gretchen Foster formulated a NEAS&C Response Committee made up of faculty members. They will chair seven sub committees to study the mission statement, curriculum, instruction, assessment, leadership, school resources and community resources. If reelected, I will serve on the curriculum committee. It will be our job to insure that curriculum is written for all departments in a consistent format. The Board is in the process of creating a long range plan apart from but interwoven with the high school’s response committees. It is our goal to use the NEAS & C report to identify strengths and weaknesses, collect data from both the response committees and from taxpayers by holding meetings in each town, analyze all information and then develop and implement actions plans to address challenging trends and issues within our school. This project should help us to plan for decreased enrollment, create a justified spending plan, update curriculum to accommodate changes in job skills and give all students an equal opportunity for improving their academic knowledge and test scores and to improve communication with stakeholders by involving them in the decision-making process.

Why are you the best person to represent Falls Village on the Region 1 Board of Ed?
I am the incumbent who would like to continue my service on the Region One Board of Education. My main goal is to improve student learning. Working on the beginning stages of the long range plan has proven to be an exciting process which I would like to complete. My past board experience and my professional training enhances my understanding of board issues. I support a comprehensive program for the students and fiscal responsibility for the taxpayers. My voting record documents my position. I will continue to listen, be flexible, and to accept the challenge of change. I will make every effort to work with all stakeholders of this school community as we offer the best of tradition at Housatonic and develop the highest educational practices. My participation in civic activities in Falls Village over the past 24 years is a model for students and encourages active citizenship.

Gale Courey Toensing
Occuplation: Journalist
Education: Master of Fine Arts in Writing, Vermont College, Norwich University
Volunteer Activities: Like all Falls Village moms, when my son attended Kellogg School I volunteered there all the time, and I've been a volunteer EMT with our town's ambulance service for the past six years. But from 1994 until January 2007, when I covered Falls Village as a reporter for the Waterbury Republican American newspaper for almost a dozen years, and then for The Corner Report. I couldn't serve on any town boards or commissions, because it would have been a conflict of interest. During that time, however, I also covered the Region 1 Board of Education and observed the work of three superintendents, three principals, seven board chairmen, and a shifting cast of board members. I wrote hundreds of stories about academics, administrators, board members, budgets, contracts, events, Freedom of Information issues, negotiations, students, teachers and more. Those years gave me unique insights and an institutional knowledge about the Region 1 Board of Education and the workings of the high school that few other people have.

What makes HVRHS an excellent school?
We have several measures -- most recently the New England Association of Schools and Colleges report and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test results -- that show Housy to be a good school. But I believe we can go even beyond excellence to make it an outstanding school, and I think we have many of the elements to do so. At the core of the learning experience is what happens between students and teachers, and we are fortunate to have excellent students and teachers at Housy. (I include the principal in the category of teacher because I see the role of the principal as "principal teacher" or educational leader -- with additional administrative duties). Surrounding and supporting our students and teachers are parents and a community that believes public education is one of the foundational elements of a democratic society and is willing to finance it generously, currently to the tune of almost $17,000 per pupil. We also have a hard working administrative team, and a fine facility in which learning can take place.

What are the high school's weaknesses?
There has been a lack of focus on academic performance, particularly the lackluster performance on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT). The New England Association of Schools and Colleges found structural interference in the principal's authority, low morale, a disconnect between the school's mission statement and educational implementation of the mission, a lack of "ownership" of the school, and other weaknesses.

How can those weaknesses be addressed?
Through accountability, better learning and instruction, and communication.
Accountability: The board of education's role is to set policy that will provide the best possible learning and instruction for our students, and present budgets that will support those policies. The board is ultimately accountable for what goes on at the school. For my town, specifically, in addition to the by-law requirement to report to the Kellogg Board, I plan to keep the finance and selectmen boards ahead of the curve on budget information. For example, Falls Village is facing a big student increase next year and again two years from now at the high school. The boards need to know that as far ahead as possible for their planning. I also plan to post monthly reports from the Region 1 Board of Education meetings on the town's website. Also, in an effort to engage parents and community members more with the high school, I will hold meetings as often as they want to discuss what's happening at the high school. For the region In general, I really believe the tax-paying public has a right to know how its money is being spent and how and why decisions are made on the board. I believe more than ever in transparent government. And I think the most important question the board needs to ask before making every single decision is: How does this enhance teaching and learning for our students?
Better learning & teaching: The latest CAPT results showed an average of 48.9 percent of Housy sophomores failing to meet state goals in math, reading, science and writing. Our best students excel and we have extensive services for kids with special learning needs, but we need to hone in on how we can enhance learning for the so-called "average" students. That will require research, and some fearlessly honest, open discussion and debate, and it should involve the entire school community, including teachers.
Communication: I think communication is the key to meeting all challenges -- including accountability and improved teaching and instruction. The board has been criticized -- most recently by the Lakeville Journal -- for not communicating with the public. There is a perceived lack of effort on the board's part to engage the public, and a perception that it is reactive rather than proactive. I think this should and can be changed, and the tool for change is communication. I have a number of concrete suggestions that I'll raise at the appropriate time. One of the things I suggested to the superintendent when she was hired a few years ago was the need for strategic planning. That project is getting underway now. Strategic planning is not only a way to define and analyze issues and recommend solutions or improvements, it's also a great energizing process that engages people, gets them talking, thinking, and acting. In the early 1990's there was a massive strategic planning effort that involved probably more than 100 community people, and it rippled out. That plan needs to be pulled off the shelf, dusted off, and reviewed before proceeding. What were its goals and recommendations? How much of it has been achieved? How have needs changed? But, in fact, strategic planning should not be a project that occurs every couple of decades -- it should an ongoing process, and that's something I will encourage.

Why are you the best candidate to represent Falls Village on the Region 1 Board of Ed?
Because I have the knowledge, energy, and passion to bring new ideas and challenges to the board. Because from my years as a reporter, I know what the hard questions are and I have the courage to ask them. Because I'm willing to take calculated risks rather than rest with the status quo in order to become excellent, which is my overarching goal for the students, teachers, administrators and the board.