Overview

Talk Tuesdays are information sharing sessions that provide district and school staff an opportunity to support each other and their work to improve student attendance and engagement. Virtual sessions are a quick way to stay in touch with a network of support. One hour sessions are held every other Tuesday and engage state agency, district and school staff in an open dialogue around student attendance and engagement. Meetings are open to all working to improve engagement and attendance – school, district and community members.

The objectives of Talk Tuesdays are to:1) stay up-to-date on state policies, practices, events and issues; 2) share successes and lessons learned, 3) trouble-shoot common concerns and 4) provide overall support to each other.  Participants help identify the topics for future meetings, present problems of practice, and spend time together expanding our knowledge and capacity to engage students in school.

Register for 2025-26 Talk Tuesdays: Coming soon! Watch for August Summer Series.

Talk Tuesday Sessions 2024-25

• Attendance Works: Strengthening the Summer Bridge to Support Increased Attendance and Engagement, May 27, 2025, Emma Herdean, Ed.D., Senior Fellow, Attendance Works, and Elliott Attisha, DO FAAP, Senior Fellow for Health, Attendance Works. Watch recording
• School-Based Mentoring Initiative: Needs Assessment Findings, May 13, 2025, 
  Jo Hawke, Associate Director and Lead Researcher & Evaluator, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership; and
  • Leveraging Tiered Intervention Through MTSS: Meeting the Needs of All Learners, Angelo Saba III, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Ruth W. Rose, Principal, Daisy Ingraham Elementary School, Westbrook Public Schools; and 
  • Improving Student Attendance In Special Populations, Robert Swan, Director of Pupil Services, East Haven Public Schools and Nathaniel Testroet, Assistant Principal and Attendance Team Chair, Joseph Melillo Middle School, East Haven Public Schools. 

  Building Relationships / Collaboration and Strategy Exchange, April 29, 2025, Sandra Romero, Family and Community Engagement Manager, Waterbury Public Schools and Various Facilitators - Collaboration and Strategy Exchange. Watch Recording

• Reporting Information about Students in PSIS who are Disengaged; Requirements for and Withdrawal of Students from Public School to Adult Education (17 and 18 year olds), Kari Sullivan Custer, CSDE; and Strategies for Attendance Incentives that Work (Low Cost / High Impact), April 1, 2025, Kenneth Joseph, Booker T. Washington Charter School and Erica Treannie, Bristol Public Schools, Slides | Watch Recording
• Strategies for Attendance Incentives that Work (Low Cost / High Impact), March 18, 2025, Kristina Ciotto, Student Services, New London Public Schools and Latasha Easterling-Turnquest, Chief of Family Partnership & Student Engagement, Manchester Public Schools-Welcome Center, Slides | Watch Recording

• LEAP Program at The Bridge at ACES: Addressing Student Absenteeism & Engagement in an Alternative Education Setting, March 4, 2025, Dr. Lisa Simone, Director of ACES Youth Justice and Education Services, ACES; Cynthia Ratchelous, ACES LEAP Coordinator, Shannelle Hanson, The Bridge LEAP Coordinator, Slides | Watch Recording

• Connecting to: Community Mental Health Resources and CONNECT IV, February 4, 2025, Sarah White, Project Coordinator, Child Health Development Institute (CHDI), Lisa Palazzo, Region 4 Network Care, Carelon Behavioral Health, Meredith Tukey, Director of Mental Health, Student Wellness and Family Engagement, Killingly Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

• Home Visiting (LEAP) - Naugatuck Public Schools, January 21, 2025, Francisco Baires, LEAP Coordinator, CREC (Capitol Region Education Council), Nuchette Black-Burke, CT Home Visit Hub (HV), CREC (Capitol Region Education Council), Nicole Jeanetti, Assistant Director of Special Services, Naugatuck Public Schools, Angela Griffin, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, Naugatuck Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

• Comprehensive Mental Health and Wellness at Norwalk Public Schools, January 7, 2025, Dr. Kimberly Traverso, Education Consultant, CSDE, Robert Pennington - Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Norwalk Public Schools, Dr. Robin Gredinger - Social Worker in Residence, Norwalk Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

• The Impact on Belonging, December 10, 2024, Dr. Maribel Olivero, Director of Equity and Languages, CSDE, Amanda Pickett, Consultant, CSDE, Dr. Tayarisha Batchelor, Director of Equity and Access, Simsbury Public Schools, Tasonn Haynes, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Avon Public Schools, Natalie Simpson, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, Farmington Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording 

• Shifting Mindsets Around Attendance & Engagement, November 12, 2024, Caroline Calhoun, Professional Learning and Attendance Specialist & LEAP Coordinator, EdAdvance, and Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, Chief, Office of Youth, Family & Community Engagement, New Haven Public Schools. Slides | Watch Recording

• Special Edition Talk Tuesday on School Health and Attendance with CT Department of Public Health (DPH), October 29, 2024, Chlo-Anne Bobrowski, MSN RN, Education Manager, CSDE, Kathy Kudish, Deepa Mavani, Lynn Sosa, and Kristin Soto, DPH, and Suzanne Lavasseur, MSN, APRN, CPNP, Supervisor of Health Services, Westport Public Schools Slides | Watch recording

• Attendance & Engagement : CT Department of Children and Families (DCF) – Careline, October 15, 2024, Lisa Daymonde, DCF Careline Director, and Vanessa Hudson, DCF Careline Program Supervisor  Slides | Watch Recording

• College & Career Accelerator (CCA), October 1, 2024, Dan Cocchiola, Director of Career Pathways, (Ed Advance); and Jennifer Preuss, Director of Curriculum and Instruction (Thomaston Public Schools) Slides |  Watch recording

• Multilingual and English Language Learner Families, September 17, 2024, Dr. Elizabeth Radday, Director of Research and Innovation (Ed Advance); Joanne Creedon, Director of ELL and Bilingual Services (Torrington Public Schools); Sue Fergusson, Assistant Superintendent (Torrington Public Schools); and Jenny Garcia, District Parent Educator & Bilingual Community/Family Liaison (Torrington Public Schools) Slides | Watch recording

• Attendance & Engagement 101: Data Monitoring, August 20, 2024, Briana Hennessy, EdSight, ETLs, Data Integration, Reporting-public and Secure (CSDE), Kendra Shakir, PSIS Manager (CSDE), Kara Wanzer, Administrator for Data, Research and Assessment (Danbury Public Schools), Kelly Truchsess, Assistant Superintendent (Danbury Public Schools) Slides |Watch recording
• Attendance & Engagement 101: Back to Basics, August 13, 2024, Caroline Calhoun, Professional Learning and Attendance Specialist & LEAP Coordinator (EdAdvance,) and Emily McClain, SRBI/Assessment Coordinator, (Hamden Public Schools) Slides | Watch recording