The four scenarios that administration has proposed for the Board of Education's review at tomorrow night's meeting all re-instated the core teachers throughout the district. That seems like a good plan, but look again. Did you know that that means that there will be 24-27 students in every classroom at the elementary school from grades 3 to 6? Grade 3 will have 26 or 27 students if class sizes remain the same. This is on the revised class size projections dated 3/30/12. On the other hand, from 8th grade through the high school, the class size numbers will be in the teens and low twenties. Is class management an issue from Grade 8 on? Do our younger students have better behavior?
It has always been my opinion that the number of teachers the district should have depends on the number of students, and where those teachers are is dependent on where the students are. Higher class sizes should be in the high school and lower class sizes should be in the elementary classes. Simply restoring all of the core teacher positions makes no sense. The teachers won't be where they need to be. In the past, this usually meant that the Board of Education was asked to add staff for the elementary school in August, after the budget vote and at the same time as they decide to assess the taxpayers the maximum amount allowed for a tax rate. Just my opinion.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Tax Cap Ramifications
All four spending plan scenarios that administration at Potsdam Central proposed to the District's Finance Committee included a 2.9% increase to the tax levy, exceeding the 2% which the Business Manager has said is allowed. This means that at least 60% of the voters must approve the spending plan in May. What happens if the budget is not approved by voters? I read through a document that is posted on the school's website regarding the tax cap and found this information. It is quoted verbatim because I think it is very well written:
If a proposed budget is defeated by voters, a school district—as in the past—has the option of putting the same or a revised budget up for a revote, or adopting a contingent budget. If a proposed budget is defeated twice by voters, a district must adopt a contingent budget. Certain existing contingent budget requirements remain in effect that prohibit spending in specific areas including community use of buildings, certain salary increases and new equipment purchases.
More significantly, under the new law, a district that adopts a contingent budget may not increase its current tax levy by any amount—which would impose, in effect, a zero percent cap. As of this writing, it is unclear if exemptions will apply.
To read the rest of the Tax Cap Questions and Answers, go to Understanding New York's Property Tax Levy Cap
I still don't understand why it is believed that the public will support exceeding the tax cap. Have there been assurances by large special interest employee groups directly associated with the school district that they will get the vote out? Maybe the five Board of Education members who were not at the Finance Committee meeting have a plan that has not yet been shared. The Finance Committee is recommending a spending plan with most of the cuts added back. This is unlikely to be the choice of administration which seemed to be prepared to cut at least one million dollars from the budget.
The final act is planned for Monday, April 16th. On that day, the Finance Committee's budget calendar states that a spending plan will be adopted. By law, the Board has until Friday, the 20th to adopt its plan. It will be an interesting outcome.
If a proposed budget is defeated by voters, a school district—as in the past—has the option of putting the same or a revised budget up for a revote, or adopting a contingent budget. If a proposed budget is defeated twice by voters, a district must adopt a contingent budget. Certain existing contingent budget requirements remain in effect that prohibit spending in specific areas including community use of buildings, certain salary increases and new equipment purchases.
More significantly, under the new law, a district that adopts a contingent budget may not increase its current tax levy by any amount—which would impose, in effect, a zero percent cap. As of this writing, it is unclear if exemptions will apply.
To read the rest of the Tax Cap Questions and Answers, go to Understanding New York's Property Tax Levy Cap
I still don't understand why it is believed that the public will support exceeding the tax cap. Have there been assurances by large special interest employee groups directly associated with the school district that they will get the vote out? Maybe the five Board of Education members who were not at the Finance Committee meeting have a plan that has not yet been shared. The Finance Committee is recommending a spending plan with most of the cuts added back. This is unlikely to be the choice of administration which seemed to be prepared to cut at least one million dollars from the budget.
The final act is planned for Monday, April 16th. On that day, the Finance Committee's budget calendar states that a spending plan will be adopted. By law, the Board has until Friday, the 20th to adopt its plan. It will be an interesting outcome.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Khan Academy: A Paradigm Shift in Education?
The possibility of a paradigm shift in education is catching the attention of many. Khan Academy is a not-for-profit educational website that some believe may transform how students learn. http://www.khanacademy.org/
Sal Khan, who has 3 degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, developed the website. He originally posted lessons on You Tube for his young cousin and others soon found the lessons to be effective. The Gates Foundation and Google financed, with $15 million, the development of software to change how math is taught in schools. In essence, students (on their own time) watch a 15-minute video on an educational concept and then go to school to have the teacher work as a coach rather than operating in a traditional mode as lecturer as students go over the assigned problems. According to Khan, at school there would be less lecturing and more interaction with students. Teachers would have the software to monitor the individual progress of students as they work on problems in the classroom. Students who grasp the concepts move on to further academic challenges while those having difficulty get one-on-one help from the teacher. Teaching in this manner is touted as taking the passivity out of the classroom. Over the last year and a half, there have been 41 million visits to the website from the US; 1.7 million from India; and 1.4 million from Australia. Those working for Khan Academy are constantly altering the teaching videos to get at how students learn best. They are also measuring whether or not this new approach to teaching is producing results. Textbooks are out and technology is in. Some say that Khan Academy may be the most effective way to integrate technology into the classroom.
It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for this new approach to educating students. Will it produce a transformative change in education? Khan Academy's mission, to have a free world class education for all, is certainly a noble goal.
Sal Khan, who has 3 degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, developed the website. He originally posted lessons on You Tube for his young cousin and others soon found the lessons to be effective. The Gates Foundation and Google financed, with $15 million, the development of software to change how math is taught in schools. In essence, students (on their own time) watch a 15-minute video on an educational concept and then go to school to have the teacher work as a coach rather than operating in a traditional mode as lecturer as students go over the assigned problems. According to Khan, at school there would be less lecturing and more interaction with students. Teachers would have the software to monitor the individual progress of students as they work on problems in the classroom. Students who grasp the concepts move on to further academic challenges while those having difficulty get one-on-one help from the teacher. Teaching in this manner is touted as taking the passivity out of the classroom. Over the last year and a half, there have been 41 million visits to the website from the US; 1.7 million from India; and 1.4 million from Australia. Those working for Khan Academy are constantly altering the teaching videos to get at how students learn best. They are also measuring whether or not this new approach to teaching is producing results. Textbooks are out and technology is in. Some say that Khan Academy may be the most effective way to integrate technology into the classroom.
It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for this new approach to educating students. Will it produce a transformative change in education? Khan Academy's mission, to have a free world class education for all, is certainly a noble goal.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Tax Cap Logic at the PCSD
Yesterday I was contacted by a community member and he made the following argument about the need to stay within the tax cap limit.
The Superintendent of Schools has been quoted as saying that the PCSD, though labeled by NYS as an average needs district, is really a high needs district (i.e. poor) that is improperly labeled due to out-of-date data being used to made such determinations.
If Mr. Brady is correct, then isn't Potsdam exactly the type of community that needs the Superintendent and BOE to stay within the confines of the tax cap in order to protect its tax burdened poor?
I thought it was a good argument.
Former long-time BOE member Mary Carroll told me she recently spoke to current Board VP, Chris Cowen. She argued that the BOE should stay within the tax cap because many people cannot afford a 2.9% increase. He told her (in defense of exceeding the tax cap) that many people cannot afford a 1% increase.
Hmmm...doesn't Mr. Cowen's retort support Mrs. Carroll's argument? If so, why is the BOE examining budget options that all exceed the tax cap?
Finally, later this year the BOE will be asking the public to vote on a capital project. Does it make sense to tax the public beyond the tax cap in May and then go back to the well a few short months later for more money? If the public becomes irate that the PCSD looks to be the only school district in the county opting to exceed the tax cap, the BOE risks a failed budget and a failed capital project vote.
Members of the BOE might be well-advised to strategize a bit more.
The Superintendent of Schools has been quoted as saying that the PCSD, though labeled by NYS as an average needs district, is really a high needs district (i.e. poor) that is improperly labeled due to out-of-date data being used to made such determinations.
If Mr. Brady is correct, then isn't Potsdam exactly the type of community that needs the Superintendent and BOE to stay within the confines of the tax cap in order to protect its tax burdened poor?
I thought it was a good argument.
Former long-time BOE member Mary Carroll told me she recently spoke to current Board VP, Chris Cowen. She argued that the BOE should stay within the tax cap because many people cannot afford a 2.9% increase. He told her (in defense of exceeding the tax cap) that many people cannot afford a 1% increase.
Hmmm...doesn't Mr. Cowen's retort support Mrs. Carroll's argument? If so, why is the BOE examining budget options that all exceed the tax cap?
Finally, later this year the BOE will be asking the public to vote on a capital project. Does it make sense to tax the public beyond the tax cap in May and then go back to the well a few short months later for more money? If the public becomes irate that the PCSD looks to be the only school district in the county opting to exceed the tax cap, the BOE risks a failed budget and a failed capital project vote.
Members of the BOE might be well-advised to strategize a bit more.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Four Scenarios
At the Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday night, School Board members were presented with four possible scenarios of add backs to the 2012-13 spending plan, all four of which had as a revenue source a 2.9% increase to the tax levy. This level of increase exceeds the state mandated cap of 2%. I find this very curious. At the meeting, Superintendent Brady made a point of sharing with the audience that it was likely that the only school district in the county which was planning to exceed the cap is Potsdam. It is very out of character for our administration to recommend that the district go out on a limb like this, especially when he did not have a secure majority for this position at last week's school board meeting. To exceed the cap, 60% of the voters must approve the spending plan in May .
There has been much discussion about the tax cap and the way that it is calculated. If you recall, some weeks ago, our administrators believed that the cap would be 3.1 percent. After some consultations with advisors and people in Albany, that cap was lowered because of a bus purchase made with 2010-11 funds, but actually paid for in the 2011-12 budget year. Is it possible that, with some negotiation, the cap could go back up?
Time is running out for you to express your opinion before the vote. All of the people who have attended the meetings have advocated for reinstatement of various positions and programs. No one at the meetings has told the administration and Board Members to hold the tax levy increase at the cap (except maybe me, of course).
It is anticipated that the Board of Education will approve the spending plan on Monday, April 16th, the day that students and school staff return from Spring Break. This is an odd day for a meeting and is required because every school district in the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES must meet on the same day in April to approve the BOCES Administrative budget and election of Board members. I wonder why this day was picked to approve Potsdam's spending plan, too...................
There has been much discussion about the tax cap and the way that it is calculated. If you recall, some weeks ago, our administrators believed that the cap would be 3.1 percent. After some consultations with advisors and people in Albany, that cap was lowered because of a bus purchase made with 2010-11 funds, but actually paid for in the 2011-12 budget year. Is it possible that, with some negotiation, the cap could go back up?
Time is running out for you to express your opinion before the vote. All of the people who have attended the meetings have advocated for reinstatement of various positions and programs. No one at the meetings has told the administration and Board Members to hold the tax levy increase at the cap (except maybe me, of course).
It is anticipated that the Board of Education will approve the spending plan on Monday, April 16th, the day that students and school staff return from Spring Break. This is an odd day for a meeting and is required because every school district in the St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES must meet on the same day in April to approve the BOCES Administrative budget and election of Board members. I wonder why this day was picked to approve Potsdam's spending plan, too...................
Monday, April 2, 2012
Needless Suffering
In February, administration presented a tentative 2012-13 spending plan that put forward a deficit of $1.4 million dollars and would lay off about two dozen staff members, from custodians to teachers. All of these staff members heard the words about their layoff prior to the public announcement and began the process of re-ordering their lives. Understandably, they expected the worst. Some had new babies and wondered about health insurance; others felt they had to put their houses on the market. Needless to say, all suffered emotionally. Now it appears as if many, if not all, will retain their positions. Based upon media coverage of the school district's financial situation, it looks like the Board of Education members have said keep as many positions as possible. Why did anyone believe that all of this upset was necessary?
What was the point of getting everyone in an uproar, if not an attempt to convince the Board of Education members and enough members of the community that exceeding the tax cap was the only way to maintain our educational program? It has been a long six weeks but finally it appears that the funding has been found, in excess monies in the current spending plan, in additional state monies, and appropriate use of the reserves and fund balances which were put away for a rainy day.
Three cheers for the Board of Education members who have scrutinized the spending plan so thoroughly! Finally, the students of the district won't have to suffer because of fewer services and programs designed to insure that they get a well rounded education. And the staff, who had been notified that their position was being cut and who suffered needlessly, will be able to get back to the responsibilities of helping their students have a strong finish to the school year. From this side of the table, the uproar was totally unnecessary.
What was the point of getting everyone in an uproar, if not an attempt to convince the Board of Education members and enough members of the community that exceeding the tax cap was the only way to maintain our educational program? It has been a long six weeks but finally it appears that the funding has been found, in excess monies in the current spending plan, in additional state monies, and appropriate use of the reserves and fund balances which were put away for a rainy day.
Three cheers for the Board of Education members who have scrutinized the spending plan so thoroughly! Finally, the students of the district won't have to suffer because of fewer services and programs designed to insure that they get a well rounded education. And the staff, who had been notified that their position was being cut and who suffered needlessly, will be able to get back to the responsibilities of helping their students have a strong finish to the school year. From this side of the table, the uproar was totally unnecessary.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Potsdam BOE - Save Jake Roberts!
For much of the last three years, I have been vocal about the need to support the English Department's mandate to teach students how to write effectively. The weight of teaching writing does land primarily in the hands of English teachers and it is a very time-consuming mandate. By cutting Mr. Roberts' position in the English Department, class sizes will increase for the rest of the department. That means even more essays per teacher and possibly less time for each essay or other writing assignments. After all, there are only so many hours in a day.
For years, Mrs. Chambers has been asked questions about the writing curriculum at the HS but has not had answers to all of our questions. Board members asked, How often are students given writing assignments? Is journal writing required in each grade and assigned weekly? Are requirements consistent from teacher-to-teacher and grade level-to-grade level? Should they be consistent? Is the English faculty given professional development time to coordinate their efforts and plan out, for grades 7-12, the best writing curriculum possible? The BOE was told last year that the HS principal would address the issue this year and report to the BOE.
Most adults know how essential it is to be able to communicate effectively in any profession and in daily life. I believe the HS principal, Superintendent, and the BOE have made a mistake in recommending and supporting laying off Jake Roberts. English Departments have always had a burden not shared by other departments...namely, the countless hours that they devote to grading compositions, essays, journals, research papers, and the like. And let's not forget...assigning writing is very different from teaching writing. These teachers are also obligated to teach writing and then assess it.
Writing is a skill that is required for every academic discipline and English teachers are the ones trained to handle this daunting obligation.
For years, Mrs. Chambers has been asked questions about the writing curriculum at the HS but has not had answers to all of our questions. Board members asked, How often are students given writing assignments? Is journal writing required in each grade and assigned weekly? Are requirements consistent from teacher-to-teacher and grade level-to-grade level? Should they be consistent? Is the English faculty given professional development time to coordinate their efforts and plan out, for grades 7-12, the best writing curriculum possible? The BOE was told last year that the HS principal would address the issue this year and report to the BOE.
Most adults know how essential it is to be able to communicate effectively in any profession and in daily life. I believe the HS principal, Superintendent, and the BOE have made a mistake in recommending and supporting laying off Jake Roberts. English Departments have always had a burden not shared by other departments...namely, the countless hours that they devote to grading compositions, essays, journals, research papers, and the like. And let's not forget...assigning writing is very different from teaching writing. These teachers are also obligated to teach writing and then assess it.
Writing is a skill that is required for every academic discipline and English teachers are the ones trained to handle this daunting obligation.
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