For the second year in a row, the Westbrook Board of Education was presented with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) Leadership Award. This award was presented during the annual CABE / CAPSS (Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents) Convention held at the Mystic Marriott. “CABE believes that Boards of Education which exhibit the most effective leadership are characterized by their ability to work together as teams.” The CABE Board of Education Leadership Awards are designed to recognize boards which work effectively in this manner. In order to be considered for this award, boards had to fulfill 22 of 30 criteria in four areas; community relations, board operations, policy and board member professional development. A minimum of three criteria in each area had to be met in order to receive the award.
As part of the nomination and application process, the Westbrook Board of Education reflected on their collaborative work to continually grow as community leaders and in service to the children and Town of Westbrook:
“The Westbrook Board of Education is a more effective board of education than it has been in previous years due to its commitment and deliberate attention to professional growth as both individual members of the board and as a cohesive, collaborative governing body. The Board is actively engaged with professional development and highlights the importance of these opportunities every Board of Education meeting as a standing agenda item. This dedicated time in each meeting to share new learning and to promote future professional development opportunities continues to strengthen the collaborative, active growth mindset and the relationships of the Board members to act as an informed and unified governing body in the best interest of students, families, and staff.
The Westbrook Board of Education is a very active Board with the school community. It is a standing agenda item at every board of education meeting to provide members with an opportunity to share recent school events and activities that they have participated in to promote our schools and to encourage membership ongoing participation in our schools. The majority of the Board attend school events and activities on a regular basis, which is valued and appreciated by staff, school leadership, and families. The presence of the Board at school events has created a culture of mutual respect, support, and collaboration. The Board is also highly visible in the community at major Town events, such as the Tree Lighting- providing access to families and a clear commitment to serving as community leaders.”
Dr. Kim Walker, Westbrook Board of Education shared, “I am so proud of the work and ongoing commitment of my board members on behalf of our students and our Westbrook community. Our board works smoothly together as a team that focuses on student achievement for ALL students.”
