[Youth-list] ConnectEd information service for parents

[JMRab at aol.com]

Of note: Early Childhood Education Cabinet staff are  examining this to 
understand its relevance to the Goal Two "Fine by Nine"  Framework Implementation 
Team. Dr. Fran Rabinowitz, SDE Associated Commission,  and Elaine Zimmerman, 
Commission on Children, are team leaders on this Goal.  I've asked Joyce Staples 
of SDE to take the lead on providing more  information about this project and 
these grant funds. If you have information to  share with Joy, you can reach 
her at -- _joyce.staples at ct.gov_ (mailto:joyce.staples at ct.gov) 
 JMG
 
     (http://www.nhregister.com/site/News.cfm?brd=1281)       01/22/2007  
Schools  to keep parents in touch   Elizabeth  Benton , Register Staff 
ANSONIA — Soon parents won’t have to  check the news for snow delays or rely 
on their children for  important school announcements. 
City schools will install a  communications system called ConnectEd that will 
enable school  administrators to automatically call or e-mail parents, 
teachers, or  city officials regarding emergencies or other relevant school news.  
The system is paid for this year by a state grant targeting  school districts 
with higher percentages of low income  students. 

The system costs about $3.30 per student,  plus a set-up fee of $400 per 
building. This first year, the system  will cost between $10,000 to $12,000, said 
Superintendent of Schools  Edward Favolise. Next year, the cost should drop to 
around $8,000 or  $9,000. That cost has been tentatively placed in next year’
s budget,  he said, although it is not yet certain that money will be 
available  after the budget is finalized. 

The district is checking to  make sure all the numbers in its database are 
correct for each  student, and is looking to have the system up and running in 
two to  three weeks, Favolise said. 

"We would use it mostly for  delays, cancellations and early dismissals from 
school," Favolise  said. The system could also be used for emergency 
lockdowns, and can  be tailored to notify parents of students at only the affected  
school, he said. In the event of a bus delay or accident, parents of  students on 
that bus could be selectively notified, he said.  

The system can also be used to survey the school population  via telephone, 
asking parents to either press one or two to agree or  disagree with a 
question, he said. 

"One of our major  objectives was to increase communications, and do 
community  outreach. This is an ideal way of increasing communication and  dialogue 
with the community and parents," Favolise  said.

Board of Education President John Lawlor noted that the  automated system can 
be more effective than the traditional method  of handing fliers out to 
students. 

"Sometimes the paper  communications don’t work. They’re lost, or for some 
reason they  don’t make it home. "

This gives us an opportunity to at  least make sure a call or an e-mail is 
placed to those parents that  have been identified to receive some type of 
information," he said.  

Seymour began using the ConnectEd system in 2005, and has  notified parents 
automatically of lockdown situations, weather  delays and even budget votes.

Rick Belden, business manager  for the Seymour schools said the response to 
ConnectEd has been  "overwhelmingly favorable."

On a recent survey on the  district’s Web site, 90 percent of respondents 
indicated they liked  the service, Belden said.

Since Seymour first began using  ConnectEd, the schools have gradually begun 
expanding their use of  the system. 

At first central office staff had sole control  of the technology and used it 
primarily for emergency notification  purposes and major meetings, Belden 
said.

This year, building  administrators can use the system to notify specific 
classes  regarding field trips or other news, he said. 

Belden said  the district is looking to add bus and sports teams’ schedules 
into  the system so that more specific sets of parents can be notified.  

 
____________________________________
Elizabeth Benton can be reached at 734-2813 or _ebenton at nhregister.com_ 
(mailto: ebenton at nhregister.com)   .  

 (http://adserver1.journalregister.com/adclick.php?n=aaeab65f)  
(http://bannerads.zwire.com/bannerads/redirect.cfm?ADLOCATION=1&PAG=791&BRD=1281)  ©New 
Haven Register 2007 
 
Janice M. Gruendel, Ph.D.
Governor's Senior Advisor on Early  Childhood
Co-Chair, CT Early Childhood Education Cabinet
Senior Youth  Consultant
United Way of CT & Office for Workforce  Competitiveness
Home office: 203-481-9940
Blackberry: 203-824-4766
Mail  to: 28 Juniper Point
Branford, CT 06405

"...I hope  you never fear those mountains in the distance, Never settle for 
the path of  least resistance..And when you get a chance to sit it out or 
dance, I hope you  dance..." Lee Ann Womack. I Hope You'll Dance
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