District Pupil Services Director Michael Regan Resigns

By John Voket

Newtown’s Pupil Personnel Services Director Michael Regan has tendered his resignation, apparently to take on an executive position at Cooperative Educational Services (CES), a Trumbull-based school support agency that is under the executive leadership of Newtown’s former schools superintendent Evan Pitkoff.

After receiving word about the resignation on April 6, Board of Education Chair Debbie Leidlein confirmed to The Bee that Dr Regan’s resignation had been received by the district and his last day will be June 30.

Ms Leidlein said Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson reported to her and the board that Dr Regan is slated to take over as director of special services at CES.

Dr Regan is also reportedly poised to take over as president of the board of the Connecticut Council of Administrators of Special Education, according to that agency’s website. The council develops policies, advises on and approves the annual budget and assumes such other responsibilities as are appropriate.

The CES website states that the agency is one of six regional educational service centers (RESCs) and a member of the RESC Alliance. The CES goal is to provide programs and services to meet the demands of Fairfield County school districts and communities.

About a year ago, Dr Regan became embroiled in a controversy after State Representatives DebraLee Hovey and Chris Lyddy co-signed a letter to the state Department of Education “requesting a formal investigation of the Newtown Special Education Department and school system based on the inordinate number of complaints registered with our offices.”

Referring to Dr Regan, Rep Hovey observed that based on the complaints, he has a “chilling effect on the progress of the PPT [Planning and Placement Team] and its outcome.”

“There appears to be a perception that [Dr Regan] has veto power over team decisions. Whether this is fact or perception, again, means that perception is somewhat a reality, so it needs to be addressed,” Rep Hovey wrote.

On June 30, 2011, the district received notice from the Bureau of Special Education reporting 15 families had made formal statements to the office after the bureau’s initial finding that there was an absence of evidence to support a systemwide investigation of the Newtown district.

In July 2011, Acting State Education Commissioner and Newtown resident George Coleman reassured Reps Hovey and Lyddy that his office had not ruled out some type of intervention with the Newtown school district’s special education administration, according to the lawmakers.

The two lawmakers said that after meeting with Dr Coleman and other state officials, an initial determination of insufficient cause to suspect systemic or widespread noncompliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) does not mean the state has ruled out becoming involved in some type of intervention on behalf of local parents and students.

The Newtown Board of Education named Dr Regan as director of pupil personnel services in May 2003. He was previously the director of pupil services in Regional School District 17 in Higganum, which at the time served a population of 2,500 students.

At the time of his hiring in Newtown, it was reported that he had worked with former superintendent Pitkoff previously when Dr Pitkoff was a principal in New Britain.

Dr Regan was a bilingual school psychologist at the time. He has a doctorate and master of philosophy degree from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. He received from Southern Connecticut State University a master of science in school psychology, a sixth year professional certificate in school psychology, and an education leadership certificate.

He received his bachelor of arts in Spanish and a minor in music from Central Connecticut State University.

When he was hired to the Newtown district, Dr Regan’s professional affiliations included the American Psychological Association, International Neuropsychological Society, National Association of School Psychologists, Connecticut Association of School Psychologists, and American Psychological Association of School Psychologists.

Former first selectman Herb Rosenthal recalled that when Dr Regan was hired he was “very energetic,” and was motivated to find ways the district could better identify excess costs related to the district’s Special Education Department while working to provide the level of services required by students.

School district records list the pupil services director salary this year at $139,488.