Board approves SIG-funded instructional coaches and consultant contracts for school improvement

The New Britain Board of Education on Sept. 2 approved two grant-funded instructional coach positions and several consultant contracts aimed at accelerating student growth in underperforming schools.

The board approved a motion to add two math instructional coaches for Chamberlain and Slade funded by a School Improvement Grant (SIG). The superintendent said the hires will come with letters clarifying that the positions are grant-funded and may be temporary; he also noted that employees retain seniority rights under the collective-bargaining agreement even when paid from grant funds. "Just because you're in a grant funded position doesn't mean automatically you lose your job when the funding goes away. There is still seniority rights under the contract," the superintendent said.

Nut graf: The measures are intended to build teacher capacity and reduce student backslide by providing modeling, coaching cycles and targeted interventions. Board members questioned whether the grants were the appropriate vehicle and whether the district's state grant rules limit how funds may be used.

The board also approved contracts funded by SIG or Perkins to bring external providers into the district, including: - EdAdvance (contract described on agenda) for an instructional coach to support writing labs and modeling/coaching cycles for grades 3–5; the superintendent said finding part-time district employees to meet the need across buildings was impractical. - Bridge of Gap Educational Consulting for professional development coaching and structural planning to accelerate student growth. - Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) to support authentic project-based learning (funded through Perkins), and related Perkins-funded consulting for Pulaski.

The superintendent and staff said a consultant model was chosen in part because the positions are temporary and because contracting can avoid longer-term unemployment or contractual obligations associated with district hires. "A consultant is the better solution because they're — we don't have the extra burden of contractual rights or unemployment if they have to be laid off," the superintendent said.

Board members probed how the grant-funded positions would be sustained after grant expiration and asked whether teachers had requested coaching versus other supports such as behavioral specialists. The superintendent said the SIG application is vetted by the state, which distinguishes allowable uses and would likely reject proposals that merely supplant existing staff budgets.

Ending: The board approved the coach positions and consultant agreements by voice vote and asked staff to monitor outcomes and return with data on impact and sustainability.