Cheshire Board to revise bylaws after CABE review; members favor regular checkups and biennial full evaluations

At a Cheshire Board of Education policy meeting, Jody Goler of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) urged the board to replace vague "as needed" language in its bylaws with a regular schedule for self-evaluation, recommending annual checkups and a more comprehensive evaluation every two to three years.

The recommendation matters because clearer bylaws would formalize the board's approach to professional development and help the board track progress on board-level goals, members said.

Goler, who reviewed the district's bylaws ahead of the meeting, told the board its documents are generally strong but could be strengthened around Bylaw 9400 (self-evaluation) and Bylaw 9040 (board responsibilities). "Cheshire Board of Education will adhere to a program of regularly scheduled self evaluation in which each member shall participate," Goler said, proposing language that replaces the current "as needed" phrasing.

Board members discussed a practical cadence: Goler advised yearly "checkups" and a deeper review every two to three years. "Doing a full comprehensive evaluation every year is probably a little bit more than you'd want," Goler said. Board member Adam said, "Let's just go with every other year," describing a biennial comprehensive review with annual or workshop-style check-ins as a workable schedule.

Members and Goler recommended using an external facilitator for the comprehensive reviews; the board repeatedly referenced Nick Caruso of CABE as a preferred facilitator. Board members also favored keeping an annual retreat or workshop where a shorter evaluation or "temperature check" could be done as part of routine work.

Policy committee chair Jeff Yoakam said he will draft suggested bylaw language reflecting the discussion and bring it back to the policy committee next month for review. The committee did not take a formal vote on bylaw language during the meeting.

Board members emphasized balancing specificity and flexibility: Goler cautioned against making bylaws so rigid that they prevent the board from adapting to a changing membership or circumstances. The board asked staff to prepare a draft that would remove the ambiguous "as needed" phrasing and include expectations for scheduling, participation and use of an outside facilitator.

The policy committee plans to review a staff draft at its next meeting.