On April 24th, the State’s investigation into the complaint that Fairfield changed its Algebra 1 textbook without Board of Education (BOE) approval concluded that the “Fairfield Board failed to vote on the change of textbook for Algebra I classes, as required by C.G.S. Section 10-229.”
On June 5th, the CT Commissioner of Education presented these findings, along with his recommendation that the State BOE order a formal inquiry. The State Board of Education determined that there is sufficient cause to order a formal inquiry into the complaint that the Fairfield School System violated state law by using an Algebra 1 textbook without the approval, through a two-third vote, of the Fairfield Board of Education.
A textbook committee recently evaluated the textbook and chose not to recommend its use to the Fairfield Board of Education. The textbook's use began in August 2012 in all 8th and 9th grade Algebra 1 classes impacting approximately 800 students in Fairfield. The textbook will continue to be used by students through the remainder of this school year.
According to a recent article in the CT Post, Superintendent Dr. David Title states that the textbook was being field-tested and was ultimately determined to be “not very parent friendly.”
On June 5th, Commissioner Stephan Pryor commented that he prefers to "mediate the situation by sitting down with the parties before it comes to the acrimonious state."
Laura Anastasio, a staff attorney for the CT State Department of Education , stated this was an "extreme situation." She has not seen anything like it in the ten years she has been there, as "they rarely receive 10-4b complaints." She continued by stating, "It is a very formal process and is specific to very serious statutory violations."
She addressed the fact that numerous complaints are made to her office on a daily basis but that 99.9 percent are resolved with a simple phone call to the local school superintendent. "Very often, once a superintendent receives a phone call from us [State Department of Education], they [the district] are very receptive to remedy the situation," stated Attorney Anastasio. However, in this case, Fairfield Superintendent Dr. Title, Central Office staff, and the Fairfield Board of Education were adamant in their position that a vote was not required for the textbook.
In her recommendation to the State Board of Education, Attorney Anastasio stated that the statute does not offer exemptions for a pilot, and as such the Fairfield School District did replace the Algebra 1 textbook for an entire year.
There will be a hearing within 30 days from the date of the decision, June 5th. The hearing will most likely take place in Fairfield area with three State Board members, a representative from the Connecticut Attorney General's Office, and perhaps Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor.
According to Attorney Anastasio, the objective of the hearing is to bring the Fairfield District into compliance and to keep it from violating the statute again; potentially, a clarification of the statutory definition of what a textbook change means; and with guidance from the AG office, to decide if remediation is a possibility, in this case remedial instruction to students impacted this year by the change in textbook.
Click here for the NBC CT News Coverage
The Fairfield School District changed an algebra 1 textbook for eighth and ninth graders without proper board approval.
