challenging students through civil discourse
Interested in joining?
Schools new to CDA compete for free during their first season!
For returning schools, dues are $250 per year.
Active Roster
| Academy of Aerospace and Engineering(Windsor, CT) | Fairfield College Preparatory School(Fairfield, CT) | Lakeview High School(Litchfield, CT) | Seymour High School(Seymour, CT) |
| Academy of Information Technology & Engineering(Stamford, CT) | Fairfield Warde High School(Fairfield, CT) | Lauralton Hall(Milford, CT) | Shepaug Valley High School(Washington, CT) |
| Amity Regional High School(Woodbridge, CT) | Farmington High School(Farmington, CT) | Loomis Chaffee School(Windsor, CT) | Simsbury High School(Simsbury, CT) |
| Bethel High School(Bethel, CT) | Fitch High School(Groton, CT) | Manchester High School(Manchester, CT) | South Windsor High School(South Windsor, CT) |
| Blind Brook High School(Rye Brook, NY) | Glastonbury High School(Glastonbury, CT) | Marine Science Magnet High School(Groton, CT) | St. Joseph's High School(Trumbull, CT) |
| Brien McMahon High School(Norwalk, CT) | Greenwich Country Day(Greenwich, CT) | Mercy High School(Middletown, CT) | St. Paul Catholic High School(Bristol, CT) |
| Brunswick School(Greenwich, CT) | Greenwich High School(Greenwich, CT) | Naugatuck High School(Naugatuck, CT) | Stamford High School(Stamford, CT) |
| Bullard Havens Technical High School(Bridgeport, CT) | Guilford High School(Guilford, CT) | New Canaan High School(New Canaan, CT) | Staples High School(Westport, CT) |
| Center for Global Studies(Norwalk, CT) | Hall High School(West Hartford, CT) | New Haven Urban Debate League(New Haven, CT) | Waterford High School(Waterford, CT) |
| Coginchaug Regional High School(Durham, CT) | Hamden Hall Country Day School(Hamden, CT) | Newtown High School(Newtown, CT) | Westfield/Watkinson(Hartford, CT) |
| Daniel Hand High School(Madison, CT) | Harding High School(Bridgeport, CT) | Plainfield High School(Plainfield, CT) | Westhill High School(Stamford, CT) |
| Darien High School(Darien, CT) | Joel Barlow High School(Redding, CT) | Pomperaug High School(Southbury, CT) | Weston High School(Weston, CT) |
| E.O. Smith High School(Storrs, CT) | King School(Stamford, CT) | Ridgefield High School(Ridgefield, CT) | Wilton High School(Wilton, CT) |
Active Roster
| Academy of Aerospace and Engineering(Windsor, CT) | Lakeview High School(Litchfield, CT) |
| Academy of Information Technology & Engineering(Stamford, CT) | Lauralton Hall(Milford, CT) |
| Amity Regional High School(Woodbridge, CT) | Loomis Chaffee School(Windsor, CT) |
| Bethel High School(Bethel, CT) | Manchester High School(Manchester, CT) |
| Blind Brook High School(Rye Brook, NY) | Marine Science Magnet High School(Groton, CT) |
| Brien McMahon High School(Norwalk, CT) | Mercy High School(Middletown, CT) |
| Brunswick School(Greenwich, CT) | Naugatuck High School(Naugatuck, CT) |
| Bullard Havens Technical High School(Bridgeport, CT) | New Canaan High School(New Canaan, CT) |
| Center for Global Studies(Norwalk, CT) | New Haven Urban Debate League(New Haven, CT) |
| Coginchaug Regional High School(Durham, CT) | Newtown High School(Newtown, CT) |
| Daniel Hand High School(Madison, CT) | Plainfield High School(Plainfield, CT) |
| Darien High School(Darien, CT) | Pomperaug High School(Southbury, CT) |
| E.O. Smith High School(Storrs, CT) | Ridgefield High School(Ridgefield, CT) |
| Fairfield College Preparatory School(Fairfield, CT) | Seymour High School(Seymour, CT) |
| Fairfield Warde High School(Fairfield, CT) | Shepaug Valley High School(Washington, CT) |
| Farmington High School(Farmington, CT) | Simsbury High School(Simsbury, CT) |
| Fitch High School(Groton, CT) | South Windsor High School(South Windsor, CT) |
| Glastonbury High School(Glastonbury, CT) | St. Joseph's High School(Trumbull, CT) |
| Greenwich Country Day(Greenwich, CT) | St. Paul Catholic High School(Bristol, CT) |
| Greenwich High School(Greenwich, CT) | Stamford High School(Stamford, CT) |
| Guilford High School(Guilford, CT) | Staples High School(Westport, CT) |
| Hall High School(West Hartford, CT) | Waterford High School(Waterford, CT) |
| Hamden Hall Country Day School(Hamden, CT) | Westfield/Watkinson(Hartford, CT) |
| Harding High School(Bridgeport, CT) | Westhill High School(Stamford, CT) |
| Joel Barlow High School(Redding, CT) | Weston High School(Weston, CT) |
| King School(Stamford, CT) | Wilton High School(Wilton, CT) |
2026-27 Executive Board
Rick Pecka
executive Director
Robert E. Fitch High School
Rick Pecka has coached debate in the CDA since 2017, first at Oxford High School from 2017-2021, and now at Robert E. Fitch High School in Groton since 2022. He has taught English language arts since 2014 and has also taught journalism at Fitch, Oxford, and Crosby High School in Waterbury, serving as adviser to each school’s newspaper.
Michael Krupnikoff
Associate Executive Director
Bethel High School
Michael Krupnikoff got his start with APDA debate at Bucknell University. He started in CDA as a parent judge and then served as assistant coach for Joel Barlow before starting his own team at Bethel High School in 2018. He teaches math at Bethel High School and also coaches the Math Team.
Barbara Blossom
Greenwich Country Day School
Barbara Blossom began her CDA tenure as an Assistant Coach for Bethel High School before starting the debate program at Greenwich Country Day School during the 2025-26 season. In 2026, she was elected to the Executive Board.
John Harrison
King School
John Harrison has been coaching in the CDA since 2023, representing King School in Stamford, Connecticut. Prior to coaching at King, John coached debate at Scarsdale High School. Along with coaching debate, John teaches history, economics and American government at the King School.
Tim Lewis
Blind Brook High School
Tim Lewis has been coaching in the CDA since 2019, representing Blind Brook High School. Prior to coaching at Blind Brook, he coached for the Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School for the New York City Urban Debate League, and for the National High School Debate League of China. He also coaches the middle school debate team, and teaches a variety of classes in the social studies department.
Claude Morest
Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
Claude Morest started the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering’s (AITE) Debate Team in 2006 and has been its only coach since then.
Randy Smith
Joel Barlow High School
Randy Smith has coached debate at Joel Barlow High School, serving Easton and Redding, since 2003 and has served on the CDA executive board since 2009. A former CDA competitor from 1989 to 1993, he was the state champion policy debate speaker in 1991. He also serves as Barlow’s Director of Independent Learning and director of the school rock band.
Interested in joining the CDA? Need more information? Contact us below to learn more.
“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.”
― Joseph Joubert
The CDA is an approved activity organized under the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS). CAS provides CDA with a variety of support services, including collecting dues, supervising finances and giving guidance on policy matters.