Oct-Nov 2019 Advisor

COMMUNICATING

8 CEA ADVISOR OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2019

recalls when she first started representing teachers who faced DCF allegations, existing statutes and the investigatory process itself left her feeling like she had one hand tied behind her back. CEA attorneys were often not given the investigative reports and other relevant information they were entitled to ahead of time. “There was a ‘gotcha’ approach to things,” she says. Take the appeals process. Once a case involving a teacher was substantiated, it would often take DCF 30 to 60 days to provide CEA’s attorney with the investigation report. The problem was that once the case was substantiated, a teacher had only 30 days to file an appeal— usually before the attorney had any information to work with. “We were forced to appeal cases without ever seeing the investigation, which would indicate who was interviewed and what was alleged,” DeLucca says. Inconsistencies. Similar cases handled by DCF investigators in different regions often have very different outcomes—meaning that teachers and those representing them have had no consistent model to follow. Jerriann Mitchell, a building rep with the Fairfield Education Association, says, “As a mandated reporter I wanted to hear firsthand

DCF COMMISSIONER LISTENS, RESPONDS TO TEACHERS

Raised by a mother who spent 30 years in the classroom, DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes refers to herself as a “TK,” or “teacher’s kid.”

“What keeps you up at night?” That’s the question Vannessa Dorantes had for hundreds of teachers, from every corner of the state, who gathered in October for a candid conversation with the commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families. The Q&A session—the first time a DCF commissioner sat down with Connecticut teachers, solicited their input into the DCF process, and came away with several pages of notes—marked the start of a promising new relationship between Connecticut educators and the Department of Children and Families. Recent years have seen a surge in DCF reports, stemming from new statutes, policies, and unwritten practices. The purpose of the meeting between teachers and DCF leaders was to talk openly about those and other concerns and begin figuring out ways to address them. “We’re here and listening, and we’re dedicated to improving our partnership,” said Dorantes, a social worker and 27-year DCF veteran appointed by Governor Ned Lamont in January to head up the agency. “Our hope is that tonight is the beginning of a conversation that ensures the safety of our students while protecting the education process and its practitioners,” said CEA President Jeff Leake. “We hope to find ways to work smarter and more effectively to make change happen.” Navigating the waters Nearly every Connecticut teacher knows that navigating the DCF process— whether as a mandated reporter or the target of a complaint—can be confusing, time-consuming to an extreme, and intimidating. Key issues raised by teachers: Mandated reporting. A 2015 statutory requirement makes it a potential felony for teachers and other mandated reporters to fail to mountain of reports, with teachers— who have a 12-hour window to call in a report to DCF’s Careline— oftentimes spending as long as four hours on hold. Teachers have also been reported for actions misidentified as inappropriate or neglectful—a point that Southington teacher Maria report possible child abuse or neglect. That has resulted in a

Lappas poignantly spoke to. An elementary school art teacher, Lappas notes that the nature of her job involves hands-on guidance—for example, teaching children how to hold and use scissors and other art implements—and that worries her. “It can be crippling,” she admitted. “Let’s just talk about that. Really think about it. Think outside the box. I just need you to know that I am asking a kindergartner for consent to roll up their sleeves, and as I’m doing it, I’m making sure I ask, ‘Am I hurting you? Are you OK? Is it too tight?’ This is everyday language for me. I’m not even tenured, and I’m scared. How do I do my job without fear? If you tell me I can’t guide a child to learn the passion I have for art, why am I a teacher?” “We’re here and listening, and we’re dedicated to improving our partnership.” Vannessa Dorantes, DCF Commissioner “We recognize that people have been afraid,” said Dorantes, adding that very few such cases are accepted for investigation. She also acknowledged that educators fear that if they don’t report something, they could lose their livelihood. “We have to figure out how to calibrate this the right way, because there have been pockets of underreporting and a swell of overreporting of cases that don’t rise to the threshold.” One of DCF’s recalibration efforts has been to both speed up the process of reporting as well as ensure that the agency more accurately screens reports. “We have significantly reduced the wait time on calls to two minutes and two seconds while answering 97 percent of calls prior to hang-up,” Dorantes said, adding that an online reporting system is currently being piloted in some areas. (Until using the online system becomes a requirement for your district, CEA’s Member Legal Services advises teachers to continue calling the Careline.) Procedural delays. While most reports against teachers are

unsubstantiated, the time it takes to complete an investigation is time lost in the classroom—a tremendous detriment not only to the teacher but also to dozens or even hundreds of students. “There are so many cases that are unsubstantiated,” said Hamden Education Association (HEA) Vice President David Abate. “Mandated reporting is important, but you’ve put everyone on eggshells. If DCF is backed up due to overreporting, they’re going to miss the serious cases.” “I’m also concerned about the length of time investigations take,” said HEA President Diane Marinaro. “When a teacher is put on leave for 45 days, it really impacts students. In all my years in Hamden, I’ve never had a case against a teacher substantiated, and it affects students big-time.” ‘Gotcha.’ In a longtime, unwritten practice, DCF investigators refused to tell CEA attorneys what the allegations were against the teachers they represented. That put those educators and their legal counsel at a clear disadvantage. CEA attorney Adrienne DeLucca

Watch a video of the Q&A with DCF Commissioner Vannessa Dorantes and CEA members at cea.org .

from the new commissioner. There has been too much confusion and too much misinformation.” “We can bring about more standardization and consistency around the outcomes of investigations,” said DCF Deputy Commissioner of Operations Michael Williams. “The standard in Hartford has to be the same as the standard in Stamford, so we’re going to make sure we narrow the gap in

CEA members appreciated the opportunity to speak candidly with the new commissioner. Pictured (L-R) are Manchester Education Association President Kate Dias, CEA President Jeff Leake, Southington teacher Maria Lappas, Commissioner Dorantes, and Southington building rep Roseanne Lombardi.