BOE Makes Parent Advisory Committee the ‘Real Deal’

At last week’s , BOE Chairman Frank Carrano announced the Board’s intent to formalize the Parent Advisory Committee from an ad-hoc group to a standing committee.

Created a couple of years ago, the Parent Advisory Committee was formed to bring parents and administrators together in an informal setting to start a working dialogue on subjects of concern. Though the committee was not an official BOE committee prior to last week’s meeting, the meetings were always open to the public and held at .

A self-proclaimed “concerned parent” Gerald Araneo who has a daughter in fifth grade at WIS, started attending the meetings last fall and reported that the elementary school math program Investigations, as well as the frequency of teachers posting homework to the school website, were two of the hottest topics at the meetings. This school year, there has been some resolution to these issues, stated Araneo, who added, "perhaps they were listening to us." Araneo said he only regrets that the progress took as long as it did.

He said he that there were four meetings last year – three of which he attended – and he hopes this year, with the more formal style, there will be more opportunities to get together. The charter of the new committee states that the committee will meet at least five times a year but there’s been no firm answer on the exact frequency. Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez’s assistant Aura Wilson said the board will discuss the committee set-up at the next , Oct. 19, 7 p.m.

Branford resident and parent of a student, Robin Comey, secretary of the committee, spoke at the recent BOE meeting stating her support for the BOE reconstitution of the parent advisory committee. She has been on the committee since 2010 and noted at the BOE meeting that committee meetings helped parents “learn a lot from the board,” and also allowed the board to see the vantage points of parents. Carrano thanked Comey for her dedication.

At past committee meetings, Hernandez, Assistant Superintendent Mary Peraro, Carraro and a some BOE members (John Prins, Joanne Borrus) normally attend from an administration side. With the new reconstitution of the committee, it will be mandatory that that two parents from each school (one representing the PTA and one selected from the general school membership), three board members, the board chair and the superintendent attend.

The charter states, “These meetings enable the board, superintendent, and parents to discuss matters which affect the instruction of our students as well as the overall operations of our schools. Furthermore, these meetings provide an identifiable channel for communication within the school district.”

The next meeting will be Wednesday, Oct. 26 at WIS faculty lounge at 7 p.m.