Tag Archives: Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice

[OPINION] Harrington: Staples Athletic Director Must Step Down

Posted on May 14, 2025 | 36 comments

At Monday’s 14-hour Board of Education hearing, members voted 5-1 against overturning superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice’s decision to not renew the contract of boys soccer head coach Russell Oost-Lievense.

Robert Harrington was the only member voting to reinstate the coach, a former Staples captain whose appeal was bolstered by the presence of dozens of players. Harrington writes to “06880”:

1)  The Board of Education failed Westport in the soccer head coach non-renewal hearing. Why did they act like a rubber stamp, and were not concerned with all the withheld evidence and witnesses from our administration?

2) At the tennis coach non-renewal hearing earlier this year, BOE chair Lee Goldstein recused herself. For this soccer hearing, it was first selectman candidate and BOE member Kevin Christie’s turn. Why did Kevin recuse himself, and avoid having to make an important decision? Is that leadership?

3) Staples Principal Thomas Stafford was not in command of any details at the hearing, and represented the Westport Public Schools poorly. Why was he asked to give evidence, yet other valuable witnesses were blocked by Westport Superintendent?

4) I am calling for athletics director VJ Sarullo to immediately step down. When will the drama in the Staples athletics department end?

5) Restoring coaches’ confidence in Westport: What is next for non-renewed soccer coaches?

Robert Harrington

I love being on the Board of Education. But during large parts of a 14-hour testimony on Monday, I felt our community was let down by both our school administration and the actions of the Board of Education.

I am not afraid to vote in a different direction than my fellow board members.

I respect my fellow Board of Education colleagues — but not on this matter. The lack of any questions by the majority of the board toward the administration speaks volumes. Their silence was deafening. The absence of sitting BOE member and nominated Democratic candidate for first selectman Kevin Christie stood out.

I have been a strong supporter of superintendent Scarice on many issues. However,  I was highly disappointed with his decision to block 8+ witnesses from the hearing on Monday. This indicated a clear bias.

There are dozens of emails that board members are being prevented from seeing. What is in them?

There was only a very limited investigation into “the incident” in 2024. The investigation basically only lasted from October 24-29. After this date, no additional information or witnesses were considered.

However, there was no communication or updates to the coaches. The administration was playing the long game, and stretching thing out —  just as they had done with the tennis coach investigation.

I have serious concerns about how this administration conducts investigations. I also saw this in the antisemitic bullying situation with the Goldberg family last year. There seems to be a pattern here. It is my strong view that the very limited investigation into the soccer coaches was an egregious failure of governance and due process.

Furthermore, the performance and lack of clear answers from the three administration witnesses was highly concerning to me. It doesn’t appear that this was concerning to other board members.

An image of “3 stooges” entered my head on my midnight walk home: the superintendent, Staples principal and athletics director. They could barely recall basic facts about the case.

Staples principal Thomas Stafford seemed to recall almost zero details on any of the matters. His testimony was disrespectful to Westport, the players, and certainly the coaches. Was this the best evidence that was on offer for Westport? Are they taking you seriously?

From left: principal Stafford Thomas, athletic director VJ Sarullo and superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, at Monday’s hearing. 

I truly believe athletic director, VJ Sarullo should lose his job. He is overseeing a sports department that is bungling from one crisis to another. Soaring legal costs. A non-renewal case for a long standing tennis coach that was rightly thrown out, as the paperwork wasn’t correctly done.

A community of sportsmen and women and parents that seems to be turning against him. A tone-deaf approach to abolishing the 60+ year tradition of the Bock “S” award. The list is building. Numerous coaches have reached out to me since the hearing on Monday.

Athletic director VJ Sarullo replaced the traditional block “S” with a generic plaque this year.

Monday’s hearing was an embarrassment to Westport Public Schools and our town. There are more hearings on the way – and probably more legal challenges too.

No wonder our athletic director can longer afford to keep a 60-year+ old Block “S” tradition alive, with all these legal bills building up on his watch.

Let me summarize the lack of evidence and transparency in this hearing from your school district:

The Administration objected to 8 witnesses — including the former athletics director (who was trashed by the Superintendent during the hearing, with zero right to respond). They also did not permit the assistant suprintendent for human resources and coaches in other sports programs at Staples to testify, who could provide insight into training and policies.

The Administration prevented us (and you) from seeing dozens of emails. We will never know what is in them.

When I asked our attorney the weekend before the hearing about this exclusion of evidence, it was suggested I might need to recuse myself, and risk being responsible for a “7-fold increase” in legal costs for BOE.

No one that was a witness to either the 2022 or 2024 incidents was called as a witness by our administration. 

Students who were direct witnesses in 2024 came forward to be interviewed by our administration. This was rejected. 

Many current players supported coach Russell Oost-Lievense at Monday’s hearing. 

The administration admitted that a 2022 coach evaluation was not produced — or they don’t have it. (The notice of non-renewal from our administration did not explicitly refer to an incident in 2022. However, it formed a large part of the administration’s oral testimony)

The Administration would nor or did not make available a report into their own independent investigation of the 2022 situation for the hearing. It never presented the report to the coach back in 2022.

– The Administration would not or did not make available the Department of Children and Family Services report from 2022 that found no wrongdoing by the head coach. 

– The Administration reported a misleading call to DCF about a “physical” interaction between a student and (a different soccer coach) in 2024, and knew this not to be the case. Despite this exaggerated report, DCF declined to investigate and notified the administration the same day.

No coaches’ handbook exists in Westport Public Schools. Fortunately. we were told, “We are working on it.”

To be clear: there was no suggestion that head coach Russell Oost-Lievense was physical towards a child. He was not.

Additionally, there was also no suggestion that the head coach had any verbal integrations or disagreements was a student athlete in 2024. He is accused of not reporting a verbal disagreement between another coach and a student.

Both coaches at the hearing said the other coach and student “hugged it out” and resolved their disagreement shortly afterwards, and both apologized to the their teammates.

Furthermore, whilst suspended on full-pay the head coach attended an end-of- season banquet not hosted by the school, nor at the school, and not a school event. He received multiple invitations from booster clubs, players and parents.

He has also asked for clarity, and ultimately left a message to the athletic director informing him that he would be attending the banquet.

The athletic director did not respond or communicate with the head coach about this. Furthermore, neither the superintendent, Staples principal or athletic director attended the banquet, despite the total lack of clarity within the Boys Soccer program. Maybe it wasn’t important to them?

I am glad and proud that head coach Russell Oost-Lievense attended the end of season banquet.

No one in my family plays soccer, and I have never met any of the Staples soccer coaches who were non-renewed in late 2024, until Monday. I was impressed by the head coach and the bond he has formed with his team.

Most of them sat there for 14 hours on Monday. It was a real community. I was proud as a father, and as a board member.

Head coach Russell Oost-Lievense (standing, 3rd from left), with players during a break in Monday’s hearing.

I heard his impactful testimony about how he stood up against bullying on the team in 2022. He immediately reported a truly serious matter back in 2022 to our administration, and they seemingly did nothing.

The compassion and vulnerability from the coach was plain for all to see. He is clearly there 24/7 for these kids, in a role that probably pays $7,000 per a year. He is a full-time teacher in Darien public schools, and has been employed for many years with no issues from that district.

I would be proud for any of my children to have been taught and/or coached by him.

I am deeply concerned with the way this administration and Board of Education have treated this coach.

I know they made the argument on Monday that the program was better off without him. I disagree. The sad statement from me as a sitting Board of Education member is actually the coach maybe better off without Westport or Westport Public Schools.

I have never been more proud than to stand separately from the board, and the embarrassment of a case that the administration made and I witnessed on Monday.

Head coach Russell Oost-Lievense should be reinstated. Staples athletic director, VJ Sarullo should do the right thing, and immediately step down.

(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Email 06880blog@gmail.com for details.)

36 Comments

Posted in Education, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , ,

[OPINION] Staples Students Learn Real Life Lesson About Power

Posted on May 14, 2025 | 19 comments

“06880” founder and executive editor Dan Woog writes:

I told the 50 or so Staples High School students who gathered in Town Hall on Monday morning that they would get a far better education about the real world that day than if they were sitting in class.

I did not know that 14 hours later, that lesson would be how heartless the world can be.

And how little some adults care about them, compared to their own desire for power.

Staples students — boys and girls soccer players, and many others — came early for Monday’s hearing.

Staples boys soccer coach Russell Oost-Lievense’s appeal to the Board of Education, to overturn superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice’s decision to not renew his contract, had all the makings of a TV drama.

There was procedural jousting between attorneys over the admissability of evidence; witness testimony and cross-examination that was at turns riveting and rambling; and a raw, emotional explanation by Oost-Lievense about why — after all he’s been through — he still wanted to lead Staples soccer.

Discussing his work as a special education teacher, his own journey through Westport schools with a learning disability, and his father’s death during his junior year, he described his love for the soccer program, and his desire to give back.

The dozens of athletes in the front rows, there to support him, sat riveted. They’d been sitting for 8 hours already. They’d heard back-and-forth about a verbal argument at a preseason retreat they’d attended.

And they’d heard a discussion about an investigation into it, during which not one of them had been questioned.

They watched as administrators sat smugly on their side of the stage, and Board members sat stone-faced, even during the most powerful testimony.

Staples principal Stafford Thomas, athletic director VJ Sarullo, and superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice.

“I think their minds are made up already,” one player said.

“No, they’re supposed to listen to everything, and be impartial,” a teammate countered.

As the night wore on, and the Board of Education retreated upstairs into executive session, the teenagers remained. They ate pizza. They chatted with Oost-Lievense and freshman coach Chris O’Dell.

They waited for word — after testimony, they and many others in the room believed, that showed Scarice’s decision to be “arbitrary and capricious” — that the coach who loved them, and who they loved back, would return to the program they and he adored.

At 11:15 the verdict came, with stunning finality. Five BOE members voted to uphold Scarice’s non-renewal recommendation. Only Robert Harrington voted against it.

At 11 p.m., dozens of Staples students waited for the Board of Education decision. Many left during the day for a class or two, or sports practice, then returned. All watched the proceedings closely. (Photos/Dan Woog)

The Staples players got a lesson in how the world works, for sure.

The world is not fair. It’s not always what they want. It can be arbitrary and capricious.

And so they — and Oost-Lievense’s many supporters, and other Westporters involved with all sports — wonder what’s next.

Why, for example, would any man or woman want to coach in a school district that does not support its coaches — that, in fact, casts them aside with little regard for their longtime contributions, personal reputations and heartfelt emotions?

Why would any coach not fear that an accusation of bad judgment could lead to non-renewal, without even a suggestion of working together to find a solution?

But why, on the other hand, would some coaches fear any discipline at all, knowing that in some programs, serious lapses of judgment lead to no sanctions whatsoever?

Why would any educator want to work in a district that seems so callous? Oost-Lievense testified that in Darien, where he is a special education teacher, supervisors cared deeply about how he was feeling, throughout his ordeal.

No one in Westport ever asked.

And why, in a district that so often pats itself on the back for its achievements in the classroom and beyond, is there such disregard for the very reason any school exists: the young people in it?

On Monday morning, I thought the many teenagers in the Town Hall auditorium would get a lesson in justice, fairness and compassion.

On Monday night, they got that lesson. They learned that some people care more about power than about those very human bedrock values.

19 Comments

Posted in Education, Local politics, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , ,

As Board Of Ed Listens, Speakers Favor Staples Smartphone Ban

Posted on May 7, 2025 | 5 comments

Students don’t know their classmates’ names, because they seldom look up from their phones.

Those phones offer addictive dopamine rushes.

And when students go tech-free, it’s like they’re different people.

Those were some of the sentiments expressed last night, at a special Board of Education meeting. The session, at Coleytown Middle School, was held to hear residents’ thoughts on a proposed smartphone ban at Staples High.

Right now, phones are not supposed to be used during class. The proposal, from superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, could involve “pouches,” like those at Wilton High. They are locked at the beginning of the school day, and unlocked at the end.

Students handing in phones, to be locked in pouches. (Photo/Allan Jung for Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

The overwhelming majority of speakers favored some sort of ban.

And the vast majority of speakers were adults. Very few students attended.

Moderator Velma Heller — a retired teacher and administrator, and former Representative Town Meeting (RTM) moderator — began by asking attendees if they support a “bell to bell” phone-free high school.

Larry Perlstein, whose daughter is a junior, does not.

Larry Perlstein (Photo/Katherine Phelps)

“Today’s world is all about devices,” he said. “You can’t survive without it. Kids need to learn how to use it appropriately.” He would, however, support a “phased-in” ban.

But Perlstein proved to be an outlier.

Victoria Marcus has elementary age children. She also teaches high school in Bridgeport. She’s the one whose students don’t know classmates’ names, and said, “bell to bell is my time with students.”

Barrie Rosen — mother of a 7th grader — fully supports the ban, beginning next year. “We have heard from Wilton that it is beneficial,” she said. “It is time for action.”

Susanne Hall Armstrong, who has a junior at Staples, supports the ban. Her older children do too, she said, citing the potential for greater social interactions.

John Schwartz — who called phones “addictive,” with their dopamine rush — said that his daughter’s grades improved when he took her phone away.

Staples High math teacher Maggie Gomez recounted a conversation with a freshman. He looked up from a lunch table, and saw all his friends on phones.

“The ban will only do your children good,” Gomez said.

Some parents cited concerns about the proposed ban. One said that using pouches to lock phones is not a good use of teachers’ time.

Noting that teenagers often find ways around rules, he said, “My kids are going to have a device in the building. Period.”

He added, “as parents, we expect to be able to reach our kids.”

Tracey Brenner, the mother of elementary schoolers, countered, “A phone is not a safety device. It is a parental safety device.”

Nathaniel Martin, whose son is an 8th grader, urged the Board of Education to analyze the history of phone use. “We need excellent evidence as to why they should have phones,” he said.

Board of Ed members listened to all sides. They’ll render a decision later.

As the meeting ended, parents texted their spouses to say they’d be home soon.

Their children were already home, studying.

And perhaps on their phones.

(Reporting by “06880” intern Katherine Phelps)

5 Comments

Posted in Education, technology, Teenagers

Tagged , ,

[OPINION] Staples Teacher Supports Cellphone Ban

Posted on April 9, 2025 | 28 comments

This morning’s “06880” Opinion piece from the Staples High School PTA executive board — opposing superintendent of school Thomas Scarice’s proposed full ban on cellphones in Westport Public Schools — drew plenty of public comments, on all sides of the issue.

It also drew a private email, from a longtime Staples teacher. The teacher used their name but requested anonymity, due to district regulations about posting on social media. The teacher writes:

There is most certainly a problem at Staples with cell phones. That parents are relying on students saying that there is not a problem is laughable.

I urge any parent to have an honest conversation with a Staples teacher. You would hear the exact opposite.

Students are completely  addicted to their phones.  As a teacher who strictly enforces the putting of phones in the holder for all classes (grades 9-12), I can say without a doubt that every single day I encounter resistance from students, even though my stance and policy on phones has not changed since the first day of school, or within the last 5 years.

Every week I confiscate phones, bring them down to the assistant principals’ office, email/call home, and follow up with the admin after class.

Cell phone holder.

The reason many teachers do not enforce the phone holders is that it is exhausting. No matter how consistent teachers are with their phone policies, the students are extremely resistant (and unfortunately somewhat rude) to giving them up, even during a class.

Having taught at Staples for over 20 years, I can say that phones have no positive impact on the school day.

I understand that students and parents feel that students will have difficulty navigating their schedules. Students are unaware of their schedules precisely due to the Saturn app. Before Saturn, my students always knew their schedules.  They either had them printed out or they had them memorized over time. There was never an issue with students not knowing where they were going.

If students could use phones responsibly we would not be here. But every day students are sneaking phones, leaving class under the guise of having to use the bathroom and then scrolling through social media. I see it every single day here at Staples.

Phones are specifically designed to be addictive. Our students are being asked to monitor their use against a device that is using their own brains to work against what is best for them.

Every notification excites — and distracts — students.

I implore all parents to support the superintendent’s proposed ban on phones at Staples. Your children are not benefiting at all by having access to their phones throughout the school day.

We are doing a disservice to them. I deeply hope the community will come together to realize what is best for these students.

 

 

 

 

28 Comments

Posted in Staples HS, technology

Tagged ,

Dr. Anna Mahon: Westport’s New Assistant Superintendent For Teaching

Posted on March 21, 2025 | 2 comments

Last night, the Board of Education confirmed the appointment of Dr. Anna Mahon as assistant superintendent for teaching and learning.

The Brookfield educator — and former Olympic athlete — joins the Westport Public Schools on July 1. She replaces Dr. Anthony Buono, who is retiring.

In announcing her selection last night, superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice cited a “rigorous” interview process. He said Dr. Mahon impressed staff, parents, BOE members and administrators with her experience, passion, commitment to students,  clarity of thought and communication skills.

A press release from the Westport Public Schools says: 

Dr. Mahon brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in education to the Westport Public Schools.

She currently serves as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and human resources with the Brookfield Public Schools.

Dr. Anna Mahon

Prior to this role, which she assumed in August 2022, Dr. Mahon had a long and accomplished tenure at Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge. She began as an English teacher in 2000, advanced to English Department chair in 2007, was promoted to associate principal in 2010, and served as principal from 2015 to 2022. Dr. Mahon has also taught high school English in Darien and Stamford.

She recently completed a term as a member with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. She has also served on the National Merit Scholarship Corporation advisory board and the Executive Board for the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) board of control.

Additionally, Dr. Mahon is an adjunct professor in the doctoral Program in educational leadership at the University of Bridgeport.

Dr. Mahon holds a bachelor of arts degree in English and psychology from the University of Vermont. She earned a master of arts in teaching secondary English from Boston University.

She continued her studies with a sixth year degree in educational leadership from Southern Connecticut State University and a doctor of education in educational leadership and internatiolnal educational studies from the University of Bridgeport.

Beyond her contributions to education, Dr. Mahon is also a former Olympic athlete. She competed with the US track and field team in the 4-kilogram hammer throw at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

She later served as an assistant coach for Yale University’s men’s and women’s track and field teams (2004 to 2012).

Her experiences as both an elite athlete and coach have further shaped her leadership skills and dedication to excellence. Colleagues who have worked with Dr. Mahon speak highly of her leadership skills.

Scarice said, “It is rare to find a candidate with the depth and range of leadership experience and expertise that Anna brings. She brings a long track record of success as a leader from the building level and central office level. In addition to her expertise and experience, Anna brings an extraordinary moral compass to her work. This was noted throughout the search process and across the reference checks.”

2 Comments

Posted in Education

Tagged , ,

Scarice Update: Smartphones, No Place For Hate, AI

Posted on February 8, 2025 | 15 comments

Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice says:

As we get ready to hunker down for the Saturday night snow, I’d like to share some district updates:

Smartphone/Wearable Technology Update

As I shared in my update to the community last month, we will continue to take the time to learn, listen and thoughtfully plan as the school community considers my recommendation to restrict access to smartphones and wearable technology during the school day across all grade levels.

This approach is solidly in place for grades K-8. We have maintained the current system at Staples High School, which allows limited access during non-instructional periods, as we evaluate our next steps and consider interventions that fully restrict access during the school day.

Last week over 300 parents attended an outstanding community session on the topic of social media, smartphones, and other related issues in a keynote presentation/Q & A by Max Stossel. The feedback was incredibly positive.

When I learned that Wilton High School was implementing a full smartphone ban, I decided to slow our process down so that we can learn from our peers’ experience.

Today I would like to recap the efforts taken so far, what is on the horizon, and what I anticipate as culminating steps.

Efforts taken so far:

  • Last June I provided the Board of Education with my recommendation and supporting rationale
  • In September, I worked to personally engage all Staples faculty in small groups to gather their input and feedback. While some opinions varied, a strong majority supported moving toward greater restrictions on smartphone use, including a full ban during the school day.
  • Staples High School hosted filmmaker and primary care physician Dr. Delaney Ruston in grade level student assemblies, along with a parent evening event.
  • Last week, the district hosted former social media strategist Max Stossel at both middle schools for grade level assemblies and an evening parent event.
  • A comprehensive research review has been conducted to accurately identify the latest findings on the impact of smartphones and wearable technology on student learning and well-being. This will be part of any final presentation and action steps.

Next Steps:

  • In November, Wilton High School implemented a full smartphone ban. Their experience has provided us with an opportunity to learn before finalizing any changes in our district. Our site visit is February 13. A team of Staples faculty and administrators will attend, along with a parent representative and 2 reporters from the Staples student newspaper, Inklings.
  • A town hall event for parent input/feedback, as well as one for students will be held after the site visit.

Culminating Steps:

  • Following the site visit and town hall events, I will bring this topic back to the Board of Education to share my recommendations for next steps.  I suspect this will be in the early spring.

Stay tuned as we continue this deliberate process to ensure we make the best decisions regarding the presence of smartphones and wearable technology in our schools.

No Place For Hate Gallery on District Website: 

The district is committed to implementing the No Place for Hate program. We have developed a microsite on our website with the overview. In addition, we have added a photo gallery.  You can stay up to date on the activities by following the postings on the microsite.

AI Pilot:  

In December I recommended to the Board of Education that the district pursue a bold strategic vision to position the Westport Public Schools as a national leader in public education’s artificial intelligence revolution. I will return to the Board of Education in the spring with a clear strategic plan to these ends.

In the interim, I am enthused to share that Westport has been selected as one of 7 districts to participate in an AI Pilot through the State Department of Education.

This pilot will occur in March, April and early May in the 6th grade at Bedford Middle School (language arts, math,sScience and social studies), and across a small number of science electives at Staples.

Parents of students in this pilot will receive additional information before the pilot begins. The curriculum units will not change, but the use of the tool SchoolAI will be employed by faculty. This tool has been approved by the state Department of Education and aligns with the Connecticut Data Privacy Act.

Results of the pilot will be shared widely, and help inform long term efforts in the district. This pilot will serve as one effort to consider the role of AI in our schools. Much, much more to come on this topic in the coming months.

 

(“06880” regularly covers Westport schools: achievements, trends, issues and more. If you appreciate our hyper-local coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

15 Comments

Posted in Education, Staples HS, technology

Tagged , , ,

Coaches’ Saga: BOE, Administrators Should Re-examine, Re-set Policies And Procedures

Posted on February 6, 2025 | 14 comments

The large crowd gathered Friday in the Town Hall auditorium had plenty of questions.

Would they be able to speak in support of Kris Hrisovulos, the multi-state champion-winning Staples High School boys tennis coach, as he appealed the non-renewal of his contract by Westport administrators?

What would the Board of Education — the group hearing Hrisovulos’ appeal — think about the reasons given for non-renewal?

Would some of the underlying elements of the case — a complaint by a parent not made through the usual chain of command, for example — be discussed openly?

Staples tennis players were among the large crowd at Friday’s Town Hall hearing. 

None of those questions were answered.

After more than 2 hours of debate, the board reached a consensus. The appeal hearing ended, because Hrisovulos had not been given timely, proper and legal notice that his contract was not being renewed.

What the hearing did reveal, however — through questions that were raised, and others that were not, yet loomed unasked over the proceedings — was a number of flaws in Athletic Department policies and procedures.

They include:

  • Evaluation of coaches by superiors.
  • Expectations of, and training provided to, coaches.
  • Support given to coaches by administrators.
  • Expectations of parents regarding the role of interscholastic athletics, and the coaches of those sports.
  • Handling of complaints made by parents, particularly those that go outside the defined chain of command (coach first, then athletic director, principal, and finally superintendent).
  • Process for timely, thorough investigations, including input from student-athletes.
  • Communication with, and respect shown to, student-athletes and their parents.
  • Transparent discussions of conflicts of interest.

One positive consequence of Hrisovulos’ long and expensive battle to retain his job as tennis coach is this: Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice, Staples principal Stafford Thomas and athletic director VJ Sarullo have an opportunity now to refocus their relationships with coaches, athletes and parents.

They can re-examine policies regarding the hiring, supervision and evaluation of coaches. They can re-set expectations of when, where and how parents can make complaints known — and how to react once a complaint is made.

They can acknowledge the excellent work being done by so many coaches, in so many ways, for such low pay. They can celebrate coaches’ accomplishments, on and off the field and court — and help them improve in areas where it’s needed.

That’s what a team does.

And that’s how they win: together.

 

14 Comments

Posted in Categories, Education, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , , , ,

Unsung Heroes #368

Posted on January 29, 2025 | 18 comments

On Monday, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice issued a statement affirming the right of Westport youngsters to attend public school here regardless of their immigration status.

Citing legal counsel, he added that ICE agents cannot enter the inside of schools here without a valid wrrant, consent from school officials, or an extreme emergency.

“Our priority remains providing a safe learning enviornment for every student,” the superintendent concluded.

That’s an astonishingly low bar for heroism.

But at a time when the state of Oklahoma has moved to request proof of citizenship or immigration status from families when they enroll their children in public schools — and on the heels of an email from an “06880” reader whose daughter teaches 2nd grade in South Carolina, describing the fear her primarily Hispanic students have for themselves and their families — we will honor a stand for compassion and humanity wherever we can fine it.

18 Comments

Posted in Education, Politics, Unsung Heroes

Tagged , ,

[OPINION] Staples Coaches Deserve Support, Not Dismissal

Posted on January 13, 2025 | 36 comments

Westporters are justifiably proud of the Staples High School sports program.

Teams win championships, and represent their community well. Strong coaching staffs teach skills and sportsmanship, and impact their student-athletes positively by teaching life lessons on and off the fields and courts.

But in recent months, several Staples High School athletic coaches have been told their contracts will not be renewed, after complaints from a very small number of parents. At least one resigned, also after parental pressure.

A much larger group of parents is concerned about the current Staples athletics environment. This weekend, they circulated a letter. 

In just 2 days it was signed by over 225 parents, other community leaders, and former student-athletes. 

Their goal is to fix a flawed system. They want to make currently opaque policies about the supervision and renewal decisions of coaches more transparent; ensure that a small group of parents do not have undue power over coaching decisions, and see that administrators and the Board of Education give coaches the tools to succeed, not terminate them without providing important feedback or support. 

The letter signers offer solutions to fix the problem. They say:

Last week’s “06880” piece (“Parents, Coaches, and the State of Staples Sports”) is not unique to Westport.

But Superintendent of Schools Tom Scarice and our Board of Education have a unique opportunity to fix this problem here, in a way that sets a standard for towns across the state and beyond.

As people with a stake in getting this right — including former Staples student-athletes, and parents of Staples student-athletes past, present and future — we urge Mr. Scarice and the board to fix it, for the sake of our town, our dedicated coaches, and most importantly, our kids.

Dan Woog laid out the problem well: a broken system where high school coaches can be pressured to make coaching decisions, and even forced out of a job, by a small group of unhappy parents. A broken system where a long-tenured and highly successful coach beloved by most of his or her players can lose his or her job based on a single amorphous allegation of “lapse in judgment,” despite never having been trained or given constructive feedback on the issue at hand, and despite there being no clear policy in place that the coach was supposed to have followed.

The only common through-line we can see is that the coaches unfortunate enough to have been caught up in this are coaches who have been relentlessly targeted by a small group of unhappy parents.

We do not write this letter to shut parents up. Every one of us — every parent of any athlete in history, we’d bet — has been unhappy with their kids’ coaches at one time or another. Sometimes it is justified; sometimes not.

We respect the rights of individuals concerned about any child’s welfare to raise their concerns appropriately. But here’s the key: This town needs to put clear policies in place to ensure parental concerns are handled in a way that is consistent, transparent, timely, and fair, not just to the unhappy parents and kids, but to the rest of the kids on the team and to the coaches.

No one should accept a position, especially a coaching position, in Westport schools unless it is clear to them what is expected of them to excel, and what policies and best practices they are expected to follow, including how to deal with concerned (and potentially intrusive) parents.

Those policies are not in place in Westport today, and that has left all our coaches exposed to being suspended or “non-renewed” as a result of parental complaints for alleged conduct violations not covered in any policy. Coaches are being blindsided, having received no constructive or critical feedback on performance during the season or the previous seasons. Other employees are resigning or capitulating to parental pressure to keep their jobs.

No coach should want to work under these conditions.

Mr. Scarice and the Board of Education need to step up and reset. They should suspend all current actions against coaches until proper policies and procedures are adopted, so our coaches know what they’re aiming for — and can have confidence that they are being treated fairly when inevitable parent complaints arise.

We believe they should enact policies that:

  1. Clearly state written expectations for coaches and employees, with specific examples, which every student, parent, coach and teacher should be able to read and clearly understand;
  2. Provide a mechanism, and hold the administration accountable, for updating these expectations and policies as situations arise that are not clearly addressed, so all our coaches can benefit from lessons learned in particular sports;
  3. Prioritize the safety and well-being of the students during the year/season;
  4. Consider the risks and harm done to students where there is a suspension or investigation;
  5. Set expectations for how the administration evaluates and provides constructive feedback to employees — it should be in writing, and it should be timely;
  6. Enforce a consistent and transparent process for responding to (and, if necessary, escalating) student-athlete and parental criticisms or complaints about coaches; this policy should clearly address how to deal with parental complaints about coaching decisions such as starting lineups, playing time, and captaincies; and
  7. Fully spell out the potential consequences for violating the policies.

These policy improvements, needed now, are long overdue.

Sports are a wonderful way to teach our kids critical life lessons, including how to handle disappointment.

Right now, the way we treat long-tenured and dedicated coaches is teaching our kids exactly the wrong lessons: that if a parent can reframe disappointment in coaching decisions as a coach having been “vindictive” (an argument any parent can always try to make), that’s the ticket to getting rid of a coach.

We should instead be teaching our kids how to deal with disappointment, while also modeling a system of constructive feedback and clear expectations that improves our sports programs, while treating everyone — including our coaches — fairly.

Mr. Scarice and the Board of Education owe it to our town, our student-athletes, and every employee to get this right, and set our town up as the best place in the state for coaches to work and student-athletes to compete.

The letter was signed by over 225 parents of current and former student-athletes; former student-athletes, and other community members.

Natalia and Claudio Alarcon-Frias
Rafael and Maria Alfaro
Suzanne and Josh Allen
Eva Amurri
Rahul and Meredith Anand
Eva and Kevin Audit
Nancy Austin and Al Gratix
Stephen Axthelm
Candace Banks
Diana and Pete Barnes
Jen and Ken Barnes
Chris Barnett
Caroline and Craig Barney
Christina Bassler
Peter Bassler
Michael Beebe
Sophie Blondeau
Sam Bowlby
Brandi and David Briggs
Adam Brodsky
Melissa and Grant Byczek
Mafe Cala and Ricardo Ceballos
Ali and Michael Cammeyer
Carolyn and Lee Caney
Aly and Bobby Christoph
Robin and Pierre Chung
Jeff Clachko
Luciano and Leila Cocito
Andrew Colabella
Darrin Cozzolino
Louisa and Peppe D’Amore
Barbara Jean Davis
Jonathan and Erica Davis
Lisa Dearbourne
Karen and Paul DeDomenico
Stephanie and Mac DeVito
Anna and Danny DeVito
Sam and Julie Diederich
Frank DiScala
Jennifer and Tim Dolnier
Joanna, Jack and Drew Douglas
Greg Downes
Cherie Duque
Julia and Anel Dzafic
Cindy and David Eigan
Robin Eisenberger
Jason Epstein
Julia and Collin Felleman
Bettina and David Fiore
Patrick Fontana
Daniela and Mike Forde
Mary Garone
Steve and Nicole Gerber
Joan and Ted Gillman
Stephanie and Steve Girling
Marty and Cathy Gitlin
Deb and Matt Goldfarb
Lynn Gonsor
Ram and Srividya Gorre
Shayna and Andy Green
Zack Gross
Trudie Gubitz
Margaret Armstrong, and Barry and Bruno Guiduli
Kim Gullens
Jacque and Chuck Haberstroh
Robin and Allon Hellman
Karen Hess
Lisa and Jay Hill
Jonathan, Amy and Jackson Hochhauser
Jeff and Amelia Holl
Sam and Lara Jacob
Wendy and Richard Jones
Meredith and David Kamo
Rinat and Victoria Khisyamov
Jean and Mark Kirkham
Matt and Kendall Kremer
Sandra and Greg Krenzer
Marcio and Patricia Krug
Jeffrey Lampert
Dean Landis
Allan and Caroline Landis
Andy and Nicole Laskin
Sal Liccione
Brett and Jennifer Lieberman
Jason Little
Donald Lowman
Alyson Luck
Patty Lynch
Maryanne and Dean Martire
Jennifer and Jimmy McGeehan
Danielle and John McGrath
Kevin McGrath
Patrick and Morgan Mermagen
Alex and Jeremy Metz
Bill Mitchell
Sandro and Eduarda Moreno
Sile Marrinan and Colin Morris
Rich Morse
Merri and Adrian Mueller
Katherine and Austin Murray
Janine and Tony Nashawaty
Steve O’Dell
Liz and Doug Pardon
Meena Pellerin
Rolando and Angelica Perez Elorza
Rick and Kim Perlen
John Petrsoric
Maria Petti
Swapna Podlich
Mackenzie and Thomas Pretty
Lori, Chris and Zach Pulichino
Gustavo and Daniela Reyna
Ana and CJ Rinaldi
Rima Fawaz and Leonel Rodriguez
Brant Root
Caio and Danielle Rossoni
Mark Rubino
Parma Ayodhimani and Bala Sathyanarayanan
Jordan Schur
Karen and Robert Scott
Neal and Michelle Seideman
Beth and Dan Selig
Stefanie and Stephen Shackelford
Ken Shapiro
Courtney and Matt Shiel
Nicole and Isaac Sine
Chandy Smith
Kathryn and Jim St. Andre
Meredith and Jon Stoler
Will and Susan Suarez
Cindi and Nick Sunjka
Joanna and Tom Triscari
Vanessa Valadares
Jeff and Sam Vannart
Ted and Stephanie Vergakis
Kecia and Greg Von der Ahe
Kathy and Colin Walker
Scott and Lisa Waller
Jeff Warshaw
Niccola and Gavin Whitaker
Jim and Lizzie Wolf
Andy and Jessica Wolff
Janet and Howard Zev
Rong and Kevin Zhu

[Full disclosure: I served as the Staples varsity soccer coach from 2003 to 2021. I was an assistant coach for over 20 years before that. — Dan Woog, executive editor, “06880”]

36 Comments

Posted in Education, Sports, Staples HS

Tagged , ,

Scarice: Important Updates On Social Media, Smartphones And Students

Posted on January 8, 2025 | Comments Off on Scarice: Important Updates On Social Media, Smartphones And Students

Superintendent of schools Thomas Scarice says:

Greetings and Happy New Year!

As you settle back into routines following our winter break, I would like to flag an important event for all parents on Wednesday, January 29, at 7 p.m. in the Bedford Middle School Auditorium.

I am excited to invite all parents and families to “Social Media and Your Kids” with Max Stossel, a special event hosted by Westport Together and the Westport Public Schools.

This engaging and insightful conversation will explore the impact of social media on our children’s mental health and well-being, while offering practical strategies for creating healthier digital habits. All families are encouraged to attend this important event to better understand the influence of social media and how we can work together to support our youth.

Max Stossel is an award-winning artist, and the founder of Social Awakening: an organization dedicated to helping young people survive and thrive in the modern world.

Before working in this field, Max was a media strategist with an extensive background in social media.

He ran social media for big brands, and later worked for a social media company. He has spent the past 10 years speaking with over a million students, parents, and educators around the world about social media’s impact on our lives, and creating resources to help manage that impact.

Registration is quick and easy. Click here to register.

In addition to this invitation, I would like to provide an update on the steps the district has taken, and will be taking, to further consider my recommendation to restrict access to smartphones and wearable technology across all grade levels during the school day.

On September 20 I met with all Staples faculty members in small groups to discuss my recommendation and solicit their feedback. My recommendation was widely supported by faculty, provided that the district supply the necessary tech tools for implementation of the curriculum where smartphones and related technology have been used.

On September 22, all Staples students attended grade level assemblies to hear Dr. Delaney Ruston’s presentation discussing the rising addiction to social media in youth.

On the evening of September 23, Dr. Ruston discussed ways that parents can address screen-time issues with their children, in a parent workshop at the BMS auditorium.

In the coming weeks:

    • On January 28 and 29, Max Stossel will lead grade level student assemblies at both middle schools sharing his insights.  I attended Max’s keynote address to New Canaan High School students, and have complete confidence that he will deliver a powerful and engaging message to our middle school students.
    • An opportunity for parents to share their feedback on this recommendation will be scheduled in a “town hall” style setting. A similar event will be scheduled for students.
    • A site visit will be scheduled to Wilton High School for a team of faculty, students and administrators. Wilton High implemented a smartphone ban in early November during the school day, and there is a great deal that we can learn from their experience.

We are moving deliberately through this process so that the school community can learn about the impact of smartphones and wearable technology on student well-being and academic performance. This event with Max Stossel is a vital part of that effort, offering valuable insights and practical strategies to help our community understand the risks and challenges posed by these technologies.

We are committed to making informed, thoughtful decisions that prioritize the health, well-being, and educational success of our students.

I encourage all parents to join us on January 29 as we continue this important journey together.

Comments Off on Scarice: Important Updates On Social Media, Smartphones And Students

Posted in Education, technology

Tagged ,