BOE approves new report cards for kindergarten

WINSTED — In a unanimous decision, the Board of Education decided at its Feb. 7 meeting to require kindergarten teachers to give parents report cards every 45 days.According to documentation provided by the school district, report cards are currently being issued twice a school year in kindergarten, in the winter and spring semesters.The new report card process would coincide with the grade-marking process in the district’s other grades.The change was recommended by Superintendent of Schools Thomas Danehy.“Kindergarten teachers do not recommend this, but I do,” Danehy told the board. “There are reasons why we have to do this. If a student was recommended for retention, the way our marking system currently is, parents would not have a formal document with details. I know teachers don’t like this idea, but I can’t support the way the marking system currently is because it’s too widespread.”Batcheller School kindergarten teacher Marianne Burbank was in the audience, and she asked to speak to the board as they deliberated on Danehy’s recommendation.The board decided not to recognize her.Board member Christine Royer supported Danehy’s recommendation.“Making sure we have communication with parents to ensure that their children are progressing keeps the avenue of communication open,” Royer said. Royer then addressed Burbank, even though she was not allowed to speak.“I know what you are about to say concerning assessments, and I know it takes forever,” Royer said. “It must be difficult for the teachers to teach with all the assessments you need to do. But in other districts everybody has email, and they have parents who do not work and dozens of volunteers in the classroom. People are hands on in those districts. We don’t have hands-on parents in this district. For 97 percent of parents in the community, report cards are the one piece of information that they need to get.”Board member Mimi Valyo also supported Danehy’s recommendation, but sympathized with Burbank.“I understand the stresses that teachers are under,” Valyo said. “Especially when they have to prepare 45 report cards, but they do it. It’s a lot of work, but there’s value in it that makes it worthwhile.”After the board voted for the change, Burbank walked out of the meeting.“I can’t speak against the superintendent, so I have no comment,” she said in the hallway of Town Hall.

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