E-mail me privately if you would consider bringing your child so that I can communicate with those of you who think you might do this.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Final Advisory Meeting Approaches
Monday is the last advisory meeting - 5:30 at the high school auditorium. Please come if you can. I was thinking perhaps we should all bring our children. This is just a thought but this decision impacts them and while I know the advisory board is empathetic to how this will impact our kids, I would expect we will see administration and a few BOE members (other than Brianna) there as well. They should have to look at our kids faces before making their decision.
E-mail me privately if you would consider bringing your child so that I can communicate with those of you who think you might do this.
E-mail me privately if you would consider bringing your child so that I can communicate with those of you who think you might do this.
Friday, March 4, 2011
From the Alliance for Quality Education
All around the state, we've been working day in and day out to make sure our kids get the college and career options they deserve, not more budget cuts. Thousands of faxes and emails have been sent to Governor Cuomo and events and public actions have been held all over the state to let the Governor know that he needs to protect school children, not millionaires!
Here are three ways for you to get involved:
On February 19th, Campaign for Fiscal Equity plaintiff, New York City Councilman Robert Jackson lead a march of 250 parents and students to the Governor's Mansion in Albany to rally against the $1.5 billion proposed education budget cut. The marchers delivered thousands of handwritten letters demanding the Governor to to restore education funding!
There are just EIGHT days left to submit your video entry to tell the Governor that budget cuts hurt. Win an iPad or $1,000 for your classroom or youth group by following these three easy steps:
- Make a short video addressed to Governor Cuomo that tells him why your school can't afford any more cuts
- Upload the video to YouTube
- Send a link to the YouTube Video to AQEvideocontest@aqeny.org
Education Lobby Day 2011 is just one week from tomorrow. Free buses from all over New York will travel to Albany on March 9th to stand up for our children. Click HERE to reserve your seat to be part of hundreds in attendance saying “Yes” to College and Careers and “No” to devastating cuts to education!
Thank you so much,
Harrison
A New Look at Wednesday's Presentation?
From my take on the flaws pointed out at Wednesday's meeting. It seems that this is what we have to work with (put on your reading glasses the type is small in places)
Thursday, March 3, 2011
CRREO and School of Education cosponsors “Financing Education through Income Taxes” forum
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 2, 2011
Contact: Suzanne Grady
845-257-3245
CRREO and School of Education cosponsors
NEW PALTZ- The Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO), in collaboration with the SUNY New Paltz School of Education and the New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee, is sponsoring a forum on “Financing Education through Income Taxes?” with Assemblyman Kevin Cahill 101st A.D. (Kingston), on Thursday, March 24th in the New Paltz Central School District high school auditorium from 7– 9 p.m.
The Equity in Education Act ( A.447) proposes the elimination of real property taxes for the purposes of funding education. “By doing away with the school real property tax and changing to a more progressive statewide income tax, we will be able to fund our schools equitably, fairly and more affordably for all New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Cahill.
Gerald Benjamin notes, “There are pros and cons to shifting the tax burden of funding education from the local real property tax to a statewide income tax. This forum will include the perspectives of experts who have studied the issue of school funding and have come to varying conclusions about the efficacy of the Equity in Education Act’s model.”
The panel includes: Frank Mauro - Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute; Martin Reid - Deputy Director of Government Relations, NYS School Boards Association; and Gerald Benjamin - CRREO Director and Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement at SUNY New Paltz.
The New Paltz high school is located at 130 South Putt Corners Road. Babysitting will be provided on site in Room 174 by the Duzine-Lenape PTA. For more information, please email tobinflk@newpaltz.edu or call (845) 257-2901.
CRREO was established in 2007 to further engage the university and its people with communities, governments, not-for-profits and businesses across our region. CRREO conducts and publicizes research on regional topics; creates and directs select institutes focusing on specific topics of regional interest; connects and partners with local governments, not-for-profits and businesses to initiate reforms and advocate for best practices; contracts to assess the performance of public and not-for-profit agencies and programs; and works to foster intergovernmental collaboration and community engagement.
The School of Education at SUNY New Paltz offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programs that lead to teacher certification, a Certificate of Advanced Study in education administration and a collaborative doctorate in school leadership and policy development with SUNY Albany. The School of Education is the home of several major grants and has established clinical partnerships with many school districts and BOCES in our region. It also maintains a collaborative program in Teaching English as a Second Language with Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.
The New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee is designed to: inform, educate and advise the Board of Education and community concerning legislative issues and matters affecting public education; provide the community with a practical way to get involved in legislative issues relating to the school district; advocate for the school district on the federal, state, and local levels; review and monitor legislation to determine its impact on the school district; build positive relationships with legislators for the school district; make known the school district’s needs to our elected officials; enlist community support for legislative issues that affect our schools; and inform and make recommendations to the Board of Education accordingly.
Contact: Suzanne Grady
845-257-3245
CRREO and School of Education cosponsors
“Financing Education through Income Taxes” forum
The Equity in Education Act ( A.447) proposes the elimination of real property taxes for the purposes of funding education. “By doing away with the school real property tax and changing to a more progressive statewide income tax, we will be able to fund our schools equitably, fairly and more affordably for all New Yorkers,” said Assemblyman Cahill.
Gerald Benjamin notes, “There are pros and cons to shifting the tax burden of funding education from the local real property tax to a statewide income tax. This forum will include the perspectives of experts who have studied the issue of school funding and have come to varying conclusions about the efficacy of the Equity in Education Act’s model.”
The panel includes: Frank Mauro - Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute; Martin Reid - Deputy Director of Government Relations, NYS School Boards Association; and Gerald Benjamin - CRREO Director and Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement at SUNY New Paltz.
The New Paltz high school is located at 130 South Putt Corners Road. Babysitting will be provided on site in Room 174 by the Duzine-Lenape PTA. For more information, please email tobinflk@newpaltz.edu or call (845) 257-2901.
CRREO was established in 2007 to further engage the university and its people with communities, governments, not-for-profits and businesses across our region. CRREO conducts and publicizes research on regional topics; creates and directs select institutes focusing on specific topics of regional interest; connects and partners with local governments, not-for-profits and businesses to initiate reforms and advocate for best practices; contracts to assess the performance of public and not-for-profit agencies and programs; and works to foster intergovernmental collaboration and community engagement.
The School of Education at SUNY New Paltz offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programs that lead to teacher certification, a Certificate of Advanced Study in education administration and a collaborative doctorate in school leadership and policy development with SUNY Albany. The School of Education is the home of several major grants and has established clinical partnerships with many school districts and BOCES in our region. It also maintains a collaborative program in Teaching English as a Second Language with Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey.
The New Paltz Central School District Board Legislative Action Committee is designed to: inform, educate and advise the Board of Education and community concerning legislative issues and matters affecting public education; provide the community with a practical way to get involved in legislative issues relating to the school district; advocate for the school district on the federal, state, and local levels; review and monitor legislation to determine its impact on the school district; build positive relationships with legislators for the school district; make known the school district’s needs to our elected officials; enlist community support for legislative issues that affect our schools; and inform and make recommendations to the Board of Education accordingly.
Last Night's Meeting & Now What
Last night's meeting was pretty much as predicted:
This is crazy as we are yet to see data that has been fact checked, that has not been sent back due to often hugely erroneous errors. It is hard to image that the advisory committee could feel comfortable saying much of anything on Monday but we will see. They are most certainly doing their best working through this process.
Here is a hint Rosario - FACT CHECK before giving the new data, before making it public. I would like to believe you are not intentionally creating barriers to this process but I find it amazing that you keep publicizing poorly formulated information.
Now what?
If a building closes it will not be rented or sold - it will sit and rot. PICTURE THAT
Houses near this building will lose value - PICTURE THAT
If we close a school we will have 100 to 120 more kids filling the two remaining, leading to increased problems in building wear and tear, safety, special programs - PICTURE THAT
If we close a building, it appears we will not save more than $250,000, likely closer to $200,000 - about the cost of one administrator (including fringe). If the economy recovers and we need to hire back the administrator, we could - but it would be hugely problematic to move back onto a school - PICTURE THAT
Got the picture? Let the BOE know that closing a school would be a poor decision that we simply can't accept.
- They showed transportation data, the flaws were pointed out and it was determined it was currently not useful without revisions to be done for Monday.
- They showed a cost-savings analysis for closing a school, the flaws were pointed out and it was determined it was currently not useful without revisions to be done for Monday.
- They showed a count of available classrooms with an idea of how many kids would be in each classroom given different enrollments, the flaws were pointed out and it was determined it was currently not useful without revisions to be done for Monday.
This is crazy as we are yet to see data that has been fact checked, that has not been sent back due to often hugely erroneous errors. It is hard to image that the advisory committee could feel comfortable saying much of anything on Monday but we will see. They are most certainly doing their best working through this process.
Here is a hint Rosario - FACT CHECK before giving the new data, before making it public. I would like to believe you are not intentionally creating barriers to this process but I find it amazing that you keep publicizing poorly formulated information.
Now what?
If a building closes it will not be rented or sold - it will sit and rot. PICTURE THAT
Houses near this building will lose value - PICTURE THAT
If we close a school we will have 100 to 120 more kids filling the two remaining, leading to increased problems in building wear and tear, safety, special programs - PICTURE THAT
If we close a building, it appears we will not save more than $250,000, likely closer to $200,000 - about the cost of one administrator (including fringe). If the economy recovers and we need to hire back the administrator, we could - but it would be hugely problematic to move back onto a school - PICTURE THAT
Got the picture? Let the BOE know that closing a school would be a poor decision that we simply can't accept.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
For Tonight's (3/2) Advisory Meeting
Tonight expect to see data related to transportation costs plus information on renting or selling the empty buildings and a revised cost analysis. My comments are based on the latest information. It is possible (likely) Rosario is addressing some of these issues and will have something to present tonight - allowing us just a few seconds to process.
Things to consider:
1. The preliminary data that was provided to advisory board was a bit confusing as it was presented that by adding the 5th grade back into the elementary schools, somehow we would need 11 fewer buses.
Things to consider:
1. The preliminary data that was provided to advisory board was a bit confusing as it was presented that by adding the 5th grade back into the elementary schools, somehow we would need 11 fewer buses.
- If this is based on an improved transportation model why can't that more efficient model be applied to the k-4 scenario as well?
- If this is just a data error, what other data errors are there?
- What impact will 100 more kids have on: emergency evacuation, cafeteria, scheduling, assemblies, wear and tear on the building?
- Are the Kingston vacant buildings the same potential rent for comparison?
- What is the potential to rent to district based businesses (who would not be in Kingston) such as Brookside for universal pre-k, senior groups, and others who seek to be on this side of the County.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Cuomo Proposes Superintendent Salary Cap
Cuomo's bill would make superintendents subject to the cap once their current contract expires.
Currently, 31 percent of superintendents make over $179,000. Jean-Claude Brizard's salary last year was more than $248,000.
for the full story click here
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