HAMDEN – The Connecticut RESC Alliance honored LEARN Executive Director Dr. Eileen Howley on Wednesday for her many years of service as one of the state’s top educators.
The RESC Alliance – composed of the six Regional Educational Service Centers (RESCs) that support public schools and communities throughout Connecticut – met for a mini-convocation at ACES headquarters. The event brought together educators, administrators, and specialists for a broad discussion about regionalism and how RESCs continue working to meet regional education needs.
Howley is retiring in June. Since December 2012, she has been executive director of LEARN, a RESC serving dozens of towns and public school districts in the southeastern region of Connecticut and operator of seven interdistrict magnet schools. She is the longest serving executive director serving on the RESC Alliance.
Before delving into the agenda, Howley’s colleagues recognized her for her years of service, not just to LEARN, but to the state as a whole. She has served in a number of capacities, including as a Bureau Chief for Curriculum and Instruction for Connecticut State Department of Education, assistant superintendent in West Hartford and Farmington, interim superintendent in Farmington, and a staff developer at ACES. She is most well-known for helping develop the BEST program for new and mentor teachers, and for her commitment to developing high-quality educators.
After honoring Howley and recognizing other retirees, the mini-convocation broke into groups to discuss voluntary regionalism vs. mandatory regionalization, topics that have created a stir at the State Capitol. Groups identified ways that towns are already voluntarily cutting costs through shared regional services, such as health care consortiums and sports collaboratives, as well as through collaborations in areas like transportation, special education and technology, where future savings can be realized.