April 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education POLICY Committee Meeting
| Agenda |
|---|
|
1. First Reading
|
|
1.A. Policy - Restorative Practices Response
Rationale:
This policy was required effective July 1, 2025 by CGS Section 10-222jj, requiring each Board of Education to adopt a restorative practices response policy to be implemented by incidents of challenging behavior or student conflict that is non violent and does not constitute a crime. The policy requires the administration to develop a continuum of strategies to prevent, identify and respond to challenging behaviors. The policy was reviewed by our Social Emotional Learning Collaborative and District Climate Committee.
|
|
1.B. Policy/Regulation 5131.911 - Connecticut School Climate
Rationale:
All school districts in the State of Connecticut are required to repeal their existing Bullying Prevention and Intervention policy, which will be replaced by the Connecticut School Climate Policy. The BOE has looked at the policy, but the new Shipman School Climate regulation has recently been released. Please note, there is a new definition of bullying and a new term, challenging behavior, has been introduced. We are also required to use a universal challenging behavior form, across the State. The policy was reviewed by our Social Emotional Learning Collaborative and District Climate Committee.
|
|
1.C. Policy/Regulation 6141.3273, 4118.53/4218.53 - Generative AI
Rationale:
The district AI Community of Practice met and reviewed this new policy from CABE. It was cross-referenced with the model language from Shipman and Goodwin. The policy reflects appropriate uses of generative AI and consequences for inappropriate use.
|
|
1.D. Policy/Regulation 4118.5/4218.5 - Employee Responsible Use of the District's Computer Systems and Electronic Communications
Rationale:
EMPLOYEE RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE DISTRICT’S COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS Policy
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REGARDING STUDENT RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE DISTRICT'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND INTERNET SAFETY Policy
Policies for revision with marked revisions are from Shipman and feedback from AI Community of Practice. Please note that these policies were revised last year by the Board; however, a month after we revised them Shipman updated the language to include AI. It is appropriate to bring them back to the Board committee for review. Both sets reflect the appropriate use of technology. The first set of policy and regulation reflect employees, and the second, is students. |
|
1.E. Policy/Regulation 6141.321 - Student Responsible Use of the District's Computer Systems and Internet Safety
Rationale:
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REGARDING STUDENT RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE DISTRICT'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND INTERNET SAFETY Policy ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS REGARDING STUDENT RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE DISTRICT'S COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND INTERNET SAFETY Regulation
Policies for revision with marked revisions are from Shipman and feedback from AI Community of Practice. Please note that these policies were revised last year by the Board; however, a month after we revised them Shipman updated the language to include AI. It is appropriate to bring them back to the Board committee for review. Both sets reflect appropriate use of technology. The first set of policy and regulation reflect employees, the second, students. |
|
2. Second Reading
|
|
2.A. Policy/ Regulation 4118.51 - Employee Use of Social Media
Speaker(s):
Christine Carver
Rationale:
In the December 2024 Shipman Policy update, they indicated that they updated the policy to clarify various uses of employees' social media and those uses that are subject to different consideration under the first amendment. They also revised the policy in response to Lindke v. Freed (2024) in which a public employee might post something that is deemed "mixed use".
Policy 4118.51 Regulation 4118.51 |
|
2.B. Policy 4152.6 - Family Medical Leave
Speaker(s):
Christine Carver
Rationale:
This policy needed to be revised due to Section 18 of Public Act 24-41, requiring Boards of Education to provide benefits equal to those provided by the federal FMLA to non-certified employees who have been employed by the Board for at least 12 months and worked at least 950 hours for the Board for the previous 12 months. The policy also made edits to clarify that the employees' available accrued sick leave runs concurrently with unpaid FMLA leave. Given the thoroughness of the Shipman Model Policy, we are deleting the regulation.
Policy 4152.6 Family Medical Leave |
|
2.C. Policy/Regulation 2232 - Retention and Disposition of Records and Information
Speaker(s):
Christine Carver
Rationale:
This policy was recommended for revision based on new guidance from the Connecticut State Library, Office of Public Records Administrator. It no longer permits public agencies to maintain internal digitization policies in lieu of seeking disposal authorization.
Policy 2232 Regulation 2232 |
|
2.D. Policy 5145.42 Policy Regarding Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 Prohibition of Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment
Speaker(s):
Christine Carver
Rationale:
The US Department of Education recently issued the 2024 Title IX Final Rule on sex discrimination. It brings the Title IX policy back to the 2020 version. This was originally approved by the Board of Education on December 17, 2020.
Policy 5145.42 Regulation 5145.2 Appendix |
|
3. Policies for future review/discussion
|
|
4. Public Comment
(Please note: The Board welcomes Public Comment and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes. Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them. The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.) |
|
5. Adjourn
|