Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Appointment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee forwards Madison Sheikha to Hartford Board of Education after term-correction amendment
Summary
At a Dec. 2 special meeting, the Hartford City Council committee heard Mayor Aruwampalam's nomination of Madison Sheikha, amended the resolution to correct the term expiration to Jan. 1, 2028 for an unexpired seat, and voted to forward the amended nomination to the full council with a favorable recommendation; final action is scheduled for Dec. 8.
Madison Sheikha, a University of Hartford instructor and doctoral student in educational leadership, was introduced Tuesday at a special meeting of the Labor, Education, Workforce and Youth Development Committee and the panel voted to forward Mayor Aruwampalam’s resolution confirming her appointment to the Hartford Board of Education to the full council with a favorable recommendation.
Sheikha told the committee she has lived in Hartford for about five years, holds a master’s in public administration from the University of Connecticut and teaching certification in grades 4–12 for English and literature. "I want to listen and learn as much as I can," she said, describing a listening-first approach to hot-button issues including attendance, standardized test scores and school consolidation.
The committee moved to correct a technical error in the printed resolution before voting. Councilman Alex Thomas proposed amending the resolution to change the term expiration from the printed December 2029 to Jan. 1, 2028, saying Sheikha would be filling the remainder of an unexpired term. Councilman John Gale seconded the amendment. The chair called a voice vote; the amendment was declared passed.
After the amendment, Thomas moved to send the resolution back to the full council "with a favorable recommendation." The motion was seconded and again approved by voice vote. The chair said the amended resolution will be placed on the council agenda and that final action is expected at the Dec. 8 full council meeting.
During discussion, Councilman John Gale thanked Sheikha for stepping forward and warned of the challenges facing Hartford schools, saying the Hartford school system is "somewhere near the bottom, if not the bottom, of, all of our school systems in the state of Connecticut," and referenced a prior court/settlement decision as a major factor the board will need to consider. Councilman Alex Thomas and Councilwoman Rosado offered support and encouragement; Rosado said she was attending but not a voting member for the record.
The committee’s vote was conducted by voice; no roll-call tally was recorded in the committee transcript. The meeting concluded after the committee confirmed scheduling and thanked the nominee for her willingness to serve.
The full council is scheduled to consider the amended resolution at its Dec. 8 meeting.
