Educators Laud one Consultant, Vote to Hire Another

The Suffield Board of Education approved one consulting report at its meeting Tuesday night at Suffield Middle School and is looking to hire another consultant as the panel continues its push for school system enhancements.

A draft report, presented by Jeffrey Ziplow of consulting firm BlumShapiro at the April 6 meeting, was unanimously endorsed with applause and thanks by the board. The approximately 80-page document, which covers numerous areas of the school system as well as parts of the town, offers sweeping suggestions for cost savings, procedural enhancements and efficiencies in the community. The panel reviewed the draft and asked questions during its March session.

Despite the kind words and applause, Ziplow said this report is just the beginning.

“As I said last month, if this report sites on a shelf and gathers dust, then I will consider that we failed," Ziplow said.

He pressed the panel for a first meeting date and offered to attend to answer any questions. A timeline for review and implementation of recommendations was set with a first session planned for May 11.

In other business, the board’s sub-committee to investigate issues regarding the treatment of special education students concluded their duties by recommending the hiring of the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) to provide an impartial review of special education programs within the school system.

The sub-committee, consisting of Jeanne Gee, Mary Lou Sanborn and Mary Ellen Tunsky, endorsed the firm as knowledgeable and diligent on the subject. The cost of hiring the firm was estimated at $15,000.

Business Manager Ed Basile noted that a contract of this size usually goes out for bid, however, the panel noted that CREC is best suited for the work and would likely be the only organization able to perform the project. The funds, Basile said, could come from a savings from the BlumShapiro engagement, which did not exhaust its budget.

BlumShapiro was offered the opportunity to study the special education issue but declined citing lack of expertise in that area. Board Chairman Mary Roy will appoint a liaison with the consulting firm whose scope could include a review of the entire special education curriculum, facilities, personnel and more.

CREC is a 35-member state-funded organization that helps public schools provide quality educational services and offers guidance towards that goal. Suffield is a member of CREC. The group has the ability to draw upon the special education experiences of multiple towns to offer a solution to the issues presented.

“We want to get everyone involved and hear from everyone,” Tunsky said. “This shouldn’t be just about the administration and the 12 families who reported to us. We want to hear from people who are satisfied, special education teachers, et cetera, and the best way to do this, we believe, is to hire CREC.”

Board member Lori D’Ostuni especially enjoyed Tuesday’s session as her son, Dan was honored in front of the panel for his achievement as an Eagle Scout. He recently completed two years of diligent work reorganizing the science labs and creating science kits at the elementary school.