The Westport Board of Education today officially announced the search for candidates to fill a vacancy on the board created by the resignation of Marjorie Cion, board chair, which she announced Monday night. (See WestportNow Dec. 1, 2008) 

The successful candidate will serve on the board from the date of appointment until the next election scheduled for November 2009, an announcement said.

Any individual interested in being considered for appointment to the position is required to be a registered Democrat, willing to be interviewed separately by the Democratic Town Committee and the Board of Education prior to appointment, and be available for an interview with the Board of Education during the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 7 or Saturday morning, Jan. 10, the announcement said.

Additionally, the candidate must be available to attend all or part of the board’s all-day budget review session on Friday, Jan. 9 at the Westport Public Library, and be willing to serve and attend Board of Education meetings immediately upon appointment, which will likely take place on Jan. 12.

Citing the need to do what is best for her family, Democrat Marjorie Cion announced her resignation tonight as chair of the Westport Board of Education. She said she would take a position as executive assistant to Superintendent Elliott Landon.
Board of Education Vice Chair James Marpe praises Marjorie Cion after she announced her resignation tonight as board chair. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Cion, a former PTA leader who was first elected in 2005 and took over as chair a year ago, said “the good news” is that “I will continue to be involved with this amazing school system.” She added, ““Nothing, with the exception of being a mother to my five children, has given me more satisfaction than serving on the board and especially as its chair.”

“It is one of most difficult decisions I have ever made, but I am doing it for my family, and I have no doubt it is the right thing to do,” said Cion, whose husband, Richard, died in March 2007.

A law school graduate, Cion has been working in Stamford but said she has found the commute and the time away from her children too much of a burden. She said among other things she looks forward to being able to watch her children compete in late afternoon sports.

Staples cheerleader Julia Backon is on the cover of the November issue of Connecticut Magazine which named Staples the state’s No. 1 public high school. Contributed photoConnecticut Magazine has named Westport’s Staples High School the best high school in the state in its November issue.

The magazine examined the state’s “traditional/regular” public high schools and rated them on the basis of various criteria.

They ranged from the number of students taking advanced placement courses and SAT scores, to percentage of students going on to a two-year or four-year colleges and percentage of professional staff with advanced degrees.

“Our goal was to find the schools with the greatest percentage of motivated students, along with faculty and staff that seemed to do the best job of college preparation,” the magazine said.

By James Lomuscio

Though Westport’s schools superintendent warned parents today of a possible bus drivers’ strike Wednesday morning, a bus company official says contract negotiations are progressing for the 75 drivers serving the Westport area.
Buses lined up at the Dattco school bus depot on Westport’s Post Road East today. A contract affecting 75 Westport drivers expires at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

“There’s no strike set for Wednesday,” said Cliff Gibson, senior vice president of operations for New Britain-based Dattco.“Our contract expires at the end of September, and we have bargaining sessions set for Monday and, if necessary, Tuesday.

“At this time I would say both sides are at the table, and the talks are progressing,” he added.

An e-mail message from Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon to parents, however, gave the impression that a United Food and Commercial Workers Union strike is a strong possibility.

Wendy Sobelman, a special education teacher at Saugatuck Elementary School (SES), has been named Westport Teacher of the Year 2009.

Sobelman, who received a commendation at Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, has worked in Westport schools for 12 of her 16 years of experience.

During that time, she has also been speech and language pathologist, a teacher of the hearing impaired and a reading support teacher. 

In addition to SES, she has also worked in Coleytown, King’s Highway and Long Lots Elementary Schools and Coleytown Middle School. 

Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said today despite increasingly difficult economic times, Westport remains a “huge beacon” for those interested in quality education for their children and predicted continued growth in the town’s school system.
Westport Schools Superintendent Elliott Landon said today Wesport’s school system will continue to grow while difficult economic times will negatively impact other districts in the region. He addressed the Westport Rotary Club. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Describing Westport as an “open-minded and progressive community,” Landon told the weekly meeting of the Westport Rotary Club that as a result it attracts many people moving from New York City looking for quality education for their children.

“I think people have very few places to pick from” and “Westport becomes a huge beacon for people,” he said.

“We are headed not only for stabilization but growth.”

Loren Lane and Sniffen Road area children wait for the school bus to go to Coleytown Elementary School this morning. Students across Westport headed back to school today for the first day of the 2008-09 school year. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Kellie Ryan for WestportNow.com