Trip to Albany

On November 20^th Dave, Lynn and I attended the Education for Action Summit, presented by the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) in Albany. Our day began in a large auditorium to “Kick-off the No More Excuses Campaign” with hundreds of other attendees. The auditorium was crowded with people who had arrived from all over New York State to advocate for our students. Many high school students were also present to participate in the day’s events. The moderators were Zakiyah Ansari, AQE’s Advocacy Director and Angelica Rivera, parent advocate with Citizen Action of New York and AQE. Both women spoke passionately about the struggles that New York students are currently facing in terms of their education, including the shortage of resources, the inequity in school funding and the lack of engagement from state leaders to make the public education of students in New York a priority.

Senators Kevin Parker and Cecilia Tkaczyk and Assembly Members Barbara Russell, Addie J. Russell and Karim Camara attended the Kick-off and they all spoke about the importance of funding NYS public schools and why they will be focusing their efforts on education this year. My favorite speaker was Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell who told the audience a story about growing up in a home with five siblings. Every year, for her family’s Thanksgiving feast, they would bake a pumpkin pie and  all the kids would argue and fight over the biggest piece of the pie. The lesson her parents taught her was it that it doesn’t matter who is oldest, who helped bake the pie, or who was the best behaved at dinner - they all would get the same size slice because everyone in the family is equal. She expressed the importance and value of this lesson for her work as a legislator, “Everyone deserve the same size slice of the pie, no matter what the circumstance. It is the governments responsibility to be equitable in how they are distributing funds to our schools.”

Two high school students also spoke at the event.  One was from a school in NYC and the other was from a school in the North Country. Each student presented their view of their high school experience and they were vastly different. The student from the city compared his school to a jail complete with metal detectors and guards who greet the students by yelling, ‘Get in line, take off your coat and open up your backpack!’ “How can we start our day feeling good about coming to school when it starts like this?,” he said, and then he painted a bleak picture of crowded classrooms, lack of books and materials and teachers who were unable to do their job because they have inadequate resources.

The student from the North Country expressed his experience, which was vastly different from the first high school student. He felt safe and supported in his school, the environment was conducive to learning and he thought his teachers were excellent, but his school district could not afford to have extra-curricular activities or offer many AP courses for high school students. This student was worried about his chances of getting into a good college because he would be competing with other students from across the state that have had more educational opportunities. Although these student’s presentations were different they both ended with, “I want to be educated, teach me!”

The last presenter was Billy Easton, the leader of AQE. He presented the 2014 Legislative Priorities, No More Excuses: Educate Every Student Campaign. The main priorities for this year are:

1. Calling for $1.9 billion in School Aid

• $1 billion in new classroom operating aid distributed equitably (foundation aid)
• $225 million for full-day pre-K
• $110 million for college-ready community schools
• $300 million for curriculum restoration and improvement
• $20 million for supports and interventions to build a positive school climate
• $250 million in expense-based aid

     2. More teaching, less testing

     3. Raise NYC's millionaires' tax to pay for quality full-day pre-k for all NYC 4 years olds and
         after- school programs for all middle school students.

Mr. Easton stressed the importance of advocating now before the January State of the Union address. Attendees all received postcards to fill out that were addressed to our governor, who this campaign is primarily focused on. Every person who attended the kick-off filled out a card by completing this sentence, “In order for our students to excel in college and careers, they need…” (list the programs, classes, extra-curriculars, etc. that are vital to your student’s education).  We brought home a stack of postcards and AQE said we could request more to distribute to parents in our district and region.

Mr. Easton also urged participants to come back to Albany on January 14^th and to each bring five friends with them because January 14^th is statewide action day in Albany and they want to show huge public support for quality public education. This will be the final big action before the Governor releases his Executive budget. Another date to save is March 12^th for the statewide budget rally in Albany- Parade for Public Education and Lobby day in Albany.

After lunch we were able to choose a workshop to attend. The following workshops were offered:

•      Organizing your community- learn to organize to build a bigger, stronger movement in your community.
•      Recruiting Legislative Champions- learn to organize and lead lobby visits as well as engage elected representatives in the New More Excuses campaign.
•      Youth Track- students from across the state will share their experiences and learn how to fight for their education.

      Dave and I attended the Recruiting Legislative Champions workshop, which was excellent. We learned a great deal and are excited to pass on our experience and information to our district's Advocacy Committee and to our Regional Advocacy Committee, Fair Funding for Our Schools.

Lynn was invited to participate in a meeting with Governor Cuomo’s education staff, which included Deputy Secretary for Education, DeShawn Wright, as a representative of Fair Funding for our Schools. While Dave and I attended our workshop Lynn met with the lobbying team to plan out their visit.

Next, we participated in the March to the Capital for “No More Excuses Speak-Out.” Approximately 400 people signed a giant diploma and wore graduation caps as we marched to the Million Dollar Staircase chanting, “2, 4, 6, 8- We want our kids to graduate!” The day closed with the “No More Excuses Speak-out” and featured the Legislators who were present in the morning. After the speak out we marched to the War Room and delivered the diploma to the governor’s office which was entitled, “Educate Every Student.” 

After the Speak-Out the crowds left and the government building became very quiet. Twenty plus advocates from across the state stayed to meet with the Governor’s Education staff. Representatives had a chance to speak about the education climate in their home district or region. Lynn said that every report that was given was worse than the previous speaker. Her statement focused on the bleak situation in Hudson Valley school districts: school closings and their affect on the community, the dismantling of programs, laying off valued teachers and in some cases cutting kindergarten. Especially heart wrenching were reports from the inner city school districts where one representative spoke about her school having a library in it without a single book. She said, “How can our students pass these state tests that you are requiring without having books for students to read and learn from.” These stories were dramatic reminders of the inadequacy of funding for education, and a reminder of the need for urgency in out fight for fair funding. ALL representatives agreed on and demanded equity and adequacy in education and expressed the consequences of doing nothing.

Overall, we came away with a lot of information and ideas for advancing advocacy efforts in our region. We agreed that the day brought on a feeling of sadness for us because of the level of despair some of our neighbors are feeling throughout the State. However, it made us want to do more and we left feeling energized by all of the organization and activity of the advocacy groups from throughout the state. Dave captured the moment by saying, “Maybe a groundswell is happening and something might change.”

To stay current on regional advocacy events check in at: Fair Funding for Our Students

Submitted by: Shannon, Dave and Lynn

Common Core Cliff Notes

Common Core Cliff Notes:

I don’t believe there has been a more confusing or chaotic time in public education than the past few years- at least in New York! It becomes difficult for those of us who are not professional educators to navigate the challenges coming at us in the midst of all this change, so here is my cheat sheet:

Common Core:

A set of National Education standards adopted by 45 states, not a curriculum but a set of expectations. 

This came from the CCSS website:

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort that established a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12th grade in English language arts and mathematics.  The standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit bearing entry courses in two or four year college programs or enter the workforce. The standards provide a clear understanding of the expectations in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics in school.

The nation’s governors and education commissioners, through their representative organizations the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) led the development of the Common Core State Standards and continue to lead the initiative. Teachers, parents, school administrators and experts from across the country together with state leaders provided input into the development of the standards.

APPR

Annual Professional Performance Review- the framework within which teachers and administrators are evaluated.

RTTT

Race to the Top- a federal grant for which New York State applied. Acceptance of the grant required that certain initiatives be in place to be eligible. The short list is that states who won RTTT grants were awarded points for satisfying certain educational policies, such as performance-based standards (often referred to as an Annual professional performance review- APPR) for teachers and principals, complying with the Common Core standards, lifting caps on charter schools, turning around the lowest-performing schools, and building data systems.

This is how RTTT has been operationalized in New York State via the Regents Reform Agenda:

1.  Implementing Common Core standards and developing curriculum and assessments aligned to these standards to prepare students for success in college and the workplace

2.  Building instructional data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practice in real time.

3.  Recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals.

4.  Turning around the lowest-achieving schools.

Complaints have been made about the developmental appropriateness of the standards in the early years- I have heard many teachers, on the other hand, tend to agree that the standards themselves support higher order thinking skills and shift from a broad coverage of content to a narrower but deeper understanding of material at each grade level. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Most of the pushback to these changes comes from the pace at which they are being implemented, which is certainly ahead of the states ability to provide support to local districts. All districts have had to provide (and pay for) Common Core training for their staff as well as training on the new APPR model- also paid for by each district. In Warwick, these initiatives have cost us approximately $600,000 over the past two years.

For districts that chose to rely on the State developed modules to deliver curriculum aligned to the common core, the past year has been frustrating to say the least. The modules that the state developed to support the Common Core Standards have been months behind in their rollout, in some cases modules were published in the spring for material that had already covered in the previous fall. Here in Warwick our teachers selected our own common core aligned resources and materials which are not dependent on the state’s supporting materials.  However, teachers are using the modules as supplemental resources.

In addition, the state decided to test students against the common core standards before there had been time to fully integrate them into curriculum, hence the drop in last years test scores across the state. This has created enormous frustration for students and teachers, so parents and educators have been voicing their concerns across the state. However, the increase in testing is actually connected more to APPR  than the Common Core Standards themselves. Implementation of the new APPR plan requires additional testing in order to evaluate teachers and administrators. It’s important to recognize what the three components are (Common Core Standards, APPR and RTTT) on their own and how they are tied together for student outcomes.

For an excellent outline of these issues read the New York Council of School Superintendents report on State Education policy.

Submitted by Lynn Lillian

Balancing Assessment

Last night’s work session featured a presentation by our new Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instructional Services, Dr. David Leach and our Director of Instructional Services, Dr. Kathleen Affigne. I couldn’t possibly summarize their presentation and do it justice and luckily I don’t have to. It will be available on our district website shortly.

Their presentation as a whole addressed the different types of assessments (formative vs. summative) and the meaning, purpose and goal of these assessments.

With regard to the Common Core, Dr. Leach said that WVCSD has chosen not to use the modules provided by NYS exclusively. Instead our district has, over the past few years, asked teachers to take a look at them and is finding out what modules are appropriate.

Dr. Affigne referred to “double-dipping” with the assessments, using a mandated test for our own purposes rather than administering an additional test. Both Dr. Leach and Dr. Affigne agreed that the goal is to streamline our assessments and focus our attention on instruction. Dr. Leach pointed out that our district's standards and goals are well above that of the common core. He was insistent that as we continue to build on instruction, the tests should and will become an after-thought.

The Board then had to the opportunity to ask questions of our speakers. This is but a glimpse:

Q: Are there consequences to a student that refuses the NYS Assessments year after year?
A: Dr. Affigne concentrated on the benefits of the tests and the consequence being depriving the student of the opportunity to benefit from them. She also said that of the assessments from grade 3 – 8, the eighth grade assessment is the last time that students are tested on a subjects as a whole. Once they enter high school, it’s not all of math, but specifics such as algebra, geometry, trig, etc. Dr. Affigne said that the eighth grade assessment is a great tool to determine where a student is on their path to college readiness and preparedness.

With regard to the district, Dr. Bryant clarified that the district would not lose funding if testing participation were to fall below 95% as claimed in the media. However, the district would be named, as “needs improvement” and would then be given the opportunity to defend itself. Dr. Bryant stressed that we would then be spending time and effort on defending our status to NYS rather than focusing on instruction.

Dr. Leach then also spoke about the possibility of Chromebooks. Keith Parsons asked about the cost of added technology and there was discussion of the inevitability of new technology and getting ahead of mandates.

Bob Howe brought up the fact that Rochester is being allowed to extend the school day and Dr. Bryant elaborated that they were being given this opportunity because it is a district in need of improvement. There is  a certain amount of aid available for such districts.

The floor was opened up to the one person from the community in attendance, Laura Nokland. Though she had many notes and questions, she opted to email them rather than extend the evening.

Both Dr. Leach and Dr. Affigne have a wealth of knowledge and were able to, as Lynn Lillian said,  “paint a very broad swath” over a wide range of information. They have agreed to work on a visual representation of the assessments, that are administered in our district, and the details that  parents need to know, such as length, purpose, management, etc. This will be very useful to parents in navigating the changes that have happened due to new curriculum and testing. It will be made available on the website when it is complete. Dr. Leach asked for patience in waiting for this as it will take time to create something that is accurate and helpful.

The Board also discussed the possibility and merits of a Board resolution with regard to high stakes testing. This will be discussed further at the next work session.

This blog is but a summary, so please watch the video and view the presentation once they are posted on the district website. Our next work session will be about Strength of School next Monday, October 29th at 7PM in the Dorothy C. Wilson Center.

Submitted by Eilleen Gagliano

Thoughts on Testing

When we created this blog, the goal was to allow you to get to know us better as fellow community members and parents with the same interests and concerns that you have. Many of us felt that to get to know the nine of us as an entity rather than individuals was a disservice. In keeping with this intention, I write today's blog to maintain this open platform.

To those who know me, my personal view on testing is not a secret. In fact, you don't have to know me well to know that I despise the number of hours that our children spend testing, particularly in the spring. I, like many of you, am not an expert on the subject, but find myself constantly researching and contacting our school administrators for answers to questions and a clearer understanding of the tests administered to our children.

The problem that has surfaced along with the media focus on testing in public schools is the misinformation that accompanies it. Parents are unable to answer questions like, "What is the difference between a state and local assessment? Do any of the assessments count towards my child's grade? What is our district's personal goal with each assessment? What assessments would our teachers like to eliminate? Which assessments do colleges care about and why? Who grades each of the assessments? Who administers each assessment? How can you get a list of proposed assessments for the entire year? How far in advance are the assessments scheduled?

If you seek a better understanding of assessments in our district, you should attend Monday evening's work session this Monday, October 21 at 7:00 pm in the Dorothy C. Wilson center.

Submitted by Eilleen Gagliano

Notes from October 7th BOE meeting

Notes from the October 7^th BOE meeting

Tonight’s Art Moment was performed by the Chamber Strings ensemble, which is made up of high school students and their talented teacher, Ms. Keely Blaikner. The group played two songs from their ‘On the Go’ repertoire. The Chamber Strings ensemble plays their ‘On the Go’ music often out in our community, any donations they receive for playing they use towards fundraising efforts. If you would like to hire these talented students for an event you can email Keely at: kblaikner@wvcsd.org. They were wonderful!

Commendations: Congratulations to All!

Semifinalist in the 2014 National Merit School Program
Kyle Roeloffs


Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program
Andrew Brown, Thomas Hamling, Emily Mears, Evan Rzeznik, Hannah Tucker, and Kathleen McKenna


2013-14 Scholar for Excellence in Academic Achievement – National Hispanic Recognition Program, The College Board
Kayla Madden


Selected to Represent the Warwick Valley High School at the 2013 NYSSMA Conference All-State in Rochester, NY on December 5-8, 2013
Peter Moore, Jared Silbernagel, Travis Silbernagel, Maya Ramos, Morgan Kriegel, Faith Wilkens, Nick Ruggeri


The High School received a commemorative plaque for being recognized as a New York State "Reward School."


The school liaison report focused on school transitions per the Board’s request. Principal, Roger Longfield from Sanfordville Elementary had two fourth grade students, Mackenzie and John, report on their transition to SES. Principal Sandy Wood from Park Avenue Elementary selected the following student representatives; Laura (4^th grade), Jake (4^th grade), Ashley (4^th grade), James (3^rd grade), Nicholas (4^th grade). All of the children reported they were nervous and sad when they found out they would be going to a new school, but they all agreed that their parents helped them to feel better along with all of their new friends, their teachers and principals. They have been excited to try new things and see some of their old friends. They all feel happy now.


The middle school principal, Cindy Leandro, had two students who are sisters, Rhianna (5^th grade) and Angela (7^th grade) speak about the middle school. They reported that the students were very excited to see all the classrooms ready and decorated at the start of school, all the 5^th graders thought their classrooms looked beautiful. The students like the feeling of independence they get at middle school, they can choose where to sit at lunch and they like to switch classes for Social Studies and Science. They also liked the PBIS tours were they learned about positive attitudes and they are excited about winning tickets as rewards when they display good behavior. The 7^th graders love to use their lockers and they also had a great time at the pep rally! It was a great way for all the students to come together and celebrate the beginning of a new school year.


Dr. Bryant did comment that going forward efforts will be made to include 5^th grade students who remain at Sanfordville in any events that are scheduled for the 5^th grade students at the middle school.


The Board recognizes that it has been an adjustment for many students, parents, teachers and staff in transitioning children to their new schools. We would like to thank all of you and our Principals and PTA groups for all of the hard work they are doing to make all the students feel at home.


The high school students reported that getting into college today is difficult, stress and pressure build when filling out applications, so specific skills are being taught and used so that students can help each other out. Students are collaborating with each other and are developing confidence in preparing for college. The students also reported that they felt that homecoming was a success this year. They had fun decorating hallways, having spirit day(s), participating in the powder puff ball game and of course enjoying the BIG game, which Warwick won! 

All schools will be receiving anti-bullying posters to display. The posters have an anti-bullying pledge written on them for kids to say and follow.


Dr. Bryant will be hosting a breakfast for our new high school students who have recently come to Warwick high school from Greenwood Lake. The purpose of the breakfast is to talk with the students about their recent transition to our high school.


Dr. Bryant recommended to the Board that they waive the $15 dollar school fee for Odyssey of the Mind teams and US First Lego League teams. Both clubs will be able to use classroom space afterschool to practice for their competitions.


Dr. Bryant and Lynn Lillian reported on the recent 'Fair Funding for Our Schools' regional advocacy event. They thanked Maureen Westphal, Louise Hutchinson and NYSSBA members of Orange County for helping to plan and organize this large event.  The evening was a success, good conversations about the demand for fair funding have been started throughout our region. You can follow us on FB at Fair Funding for Our Schools and twitter @fairEDfundingNY


Tim Holmes, Assistant Superintendent gave the board an update on facilities and capital projects. Projects in Phase 2 are complete or will be completed by the end of this week. They include: fire alarms, HS door replacement, HS roof, district network, the Energy Performance Contract, replacement of HS boiler, power management, water conservation; co-generation unit, Park Ave and SES security, weatherization and emergency management system. Phase 3 plans include: SES roof repairs, district office roof, HS curtain wall, pool-filter change out, and Park Ave. tennis court.


Reports from the Board:
Audit Committee: The 2012-2013 Independent Audit Report was approved. Board members who are on the audit committee met with the external auditor and they reported he is doing a great job and all of our books are in order.


Facilities: There has been interest from a few different groups in renting out portions of Kings Elementary School. The committee is evaluating building usage and fees.


Advocacy Committee: The next advocacy event will be on November 13, from 7-9pm at OU BOCES in Goshen. The purpose is to help other school boards and community members start advocacy groups in their own school districts, the featured guest speaker will be Chad Raddock from the Alliance for Quality Education.


Warwick Valley Community Coalition: Next meeting is scheduled for October 24^th, at the Warwick Valley Community Center.


Warwick Foundation for Excellence in Learning: The first fundraiser for WVCSD is this Friday, October 11th at Jester's Comedy Club in Chester. For more information visit: A Night Of Comedy with Bobby Collins


Wellness Committee: John Connolly is putting together a presentation on the danger of concussions, 'How to prevent further damage and how to help your child recover.'


AG Liaison: A meeting was catered by the FFA at Pennings Farm for the AG team. Steve Pennings spoke with FFA students about his farm. Another meeting is scheduled for this month, date and time TBA. The focus will be on finding internships for FFA students who are looking to work in the field of agriculture.


Student Member: Gianna reported the following: sophomore and junior classes are preparing to take PSATs, a committee is working on creating a Haunted Hallway fundraising event, the high school will hold a Blood Drive next week on October 15th and October 26^th will be the ‘Drive for Your School Fundraiser’ at Leo Kaytes Ford.


October 28th – November 1st, 2013 will be recognized as School Board Recognition Week.


October 21st – 29th will be Red Ribbon Week at all schools. The elementary schools will make a pledge to remain drug free and the students will see a video assembly. Terrence Fox, a former Warwick high school student will come in for the day to do assemblies for the middle school and high school students. There will be a door decorating contest at the middle school with prizes and the high school will be making a float with a giant Red Ribbon on it, the float will feature a positive message about health and drug and alcohol prevention.


The board accepted a donation of a used Concept 2 indoor rowing machine from Frank Petrucci.


Shannon Hockswender asked if the PIE grades could be studied for reconfiguration due to the large number of 5^th grade students who moved out of their 4/5 PIE class to be with their fellow classmates in middle school. Dr. Leach will look into the possibility of adding a PIE 5/6 classroom to the middle school for next year.


The Girls Varsity Volleyball Team will attend the 2013 Horseheads Classic in Horseheads, NY on Saturday, October 19^th. Good luck girls!!


The board accepted a check in the amount of $5,000 dollars for the “Be the Change for Kids” Award for the WVCSD’s Partners in Education program. Congratulations to PIE!


The board approved the 2013 -2014 APPR plan.


WVCSD will seek a waiver from the Commissioner of Education in regards to implementing the data repository (In-Bloom) and “Data Dashboard.” We currently assume cost of a student data management system/portals and cannot assume the cost of adding a second one. There are also concerns about where the data will go from the suggested In-Bloom data repository.


Comments from residents:
A resident would like the board to consider waiving a pool fee.
A resident would like the board to concentrate on keeping the Music and Art programs in place as they approach the school budget season. The resident also asked the board to reconsider holding the home coming parade in the village next year.


Submitted by Shannon Hockswender

Education Commissioner's Roundtable

I had the opportunity to attend an Education Commissioner’s Roundtable on September 24th, the second one that was held this month by the New York State School Board’s Association (NYSSBA). A second roundtable meeting was held because there were so many school board members from across the state who wanted access to Dr. King, the Education Commissioner, which was thought to be a reflection of the anger and angst that is so prevalent among school board members these days.

About 30 people from all over the state were seated around a rectangular table. A pre-meeting was held to review questions to ask to Dr. King and many strong concerns were expressed. Participants were encouraged to address concerns to Dr. King in a civil and constructive manner. I asked if the State Education Department took into account the costs of unfunded mandates to school districts. Dr. King’s reply was that those were the concerns for the governor and the legislature, not the State Education Department.

A number of questions were about the emotional impact of the excessive testing now underway in our schools. Dr. King answered, “Children don’t set the tone around assessments, adults do.” Another unresolved issue that school boards across the state will have to discuss is whether of not Superintendents should share teacher’s APPR scores with their school boards. Although it seems necessary when tenure decisions are being made there is a fear that it could be a violation of an individual’s rights.

A board member from Chappaqua asked the last question. He stated that he was from a very wealthy school district that is very high achieving. He went on to say that his Board of Education felt that the Common Core Standards were below their own standards and that the time spent on testing was interfering with their ability to teach. He asked if they could opt out of the entire program. Dr. King’s answer was, “No.”

There were many other topics covered. Most board members seemed to not have a problem with the content of the Common Core Standards, but they were concerned with how it was being implemented in classrooms along with Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) for teachers.

Much time was spent discussing APPR, but the more interesting conversations were held over lunch, where the common assessment of the current actions of the State Education Department and the Governor were examined. The consensus among board members was that our public education system is being destroyed by the lack of leadership in New York State. Not really news to many of us, but eye-opening to hear it from so many people who are watching it at ground level and wondering what we are in for. I am sharing this with all of primarily to remind us all of what we are up against, and who we are up against, in providing a sound basic education for our children.

Submitted by Dave Eaton

The College to Work Readiness Assessment

The question of how we are preparing our children for the future is one that always concerns school board members and school administrators. At the Board of Education's last work session, we heard from representatives from the Council for Aid to Education group. Our district had used an assessment called the College to Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA) to assess our high school students at two different points in time in order to see how they were progressing in certain skill areas throughout high school. We have all heard about the exorbitant amount of testing that the state requires, but this is different. The College to Work Readiness Assessment analyzes our students differently and measures readiness for the future. It is an unique assessment because it measures two of the areas that employers look for most when hiring new employees, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

This assessment was implemented last year and we are proud to say that Warwick is the only public school in New York state who takes part in this testing initiative. Up until last year, the CWRA assessment was only administered by private institutions. By scoring the freshman students and then scoring them again in two years as juniors, we can see how they are progressing and identify weaknesses in their learning. From this test, we can deduce how we are doing as a district, and what we need to focus our curriculum on in order to have more of our students be proficient in the future.

Having students take part in this type of testing is challenging on two fronts. First, it requires 90 minutes of the student's time, and staff is also needed to proctor the test. This is difficult because, due to class scheduling, the test can only be given in the morning. Secondly, because this test is unique, it requires a pivotal shift in thinking from parents and family. Our old way of thinking is to measure facts, just to replicate them on a multiple choice test and get a numerical or letter score. This test measures problem solving and critical thinking skills, which is a different way of measuring our students abilities for the future. It's important for us to understand that we are preparing our youth for jobs and industries that do not even exist yet. Memorizing facts will not help them. They need to learn how to think and think differently in order to succeed. Currently, we are looking into the possibility of offering alternative testing times for students and thinking about how we can illustrate to parents the importance of this type of exam for our students.

In a state run test driven environment, some may question why we are using yet another test. The fact is, this is the best measure of what we are doing here in Warwick. Numerous high caliber universities value this test and more colleges are being added to the list each day. We are trying to be ahead of the curve and this is definitely giving our students an advantage over students who reside in other districts.

The Global Search for Education. If not the SAT, what? is a great article featuring questions and answers about this assessment. Information for students can be found in The Student Guide to the CWRA

Submitted by Keith Parsons

Questions & Answers about Reserve Funds

Quite often, people ask why we don't use our reserve to close the budget gap or for handling current expenses as they arise. Just like in the business world it is standard procedure to keep a dollar amount set aside for emergencies or other unexpected events. A strong fund balance is considered key to keeping a healthy balance sheet. The difference with school systems is that the fund balance is defined and limited by the State, and as with most issues with the State it is not black and white. This is New York State's description of the need for a fund balance:

"Saving for future projects, acquisitions, and other allowable purposes is an important planning consideration for local governments and school districts. Reserve funds provide a mechanism for legally saving money to finance all or part of future infrastructure, equipment, and other requirements. Reserve funds can also provide a degree of financial stability by reducing reliance on indebtedness to finance capital projects and acquisitions. In uncertain economic times, reserve funds can also provide officials with a welcomed budgetary option that can help mitigate the need to cut services or to raise taxes. In good times, money not needed for current purposes can often be set aside in reserves for future use.

In addition to reserve funds, maintaining a reasonable amount of undesignated fund balance within operating funds is another important financial consideration for local governments and school districts. A reasonable level of unreserved, unappropriated fund balance provides a cushion for unforeseen expenditures or revenue shortfalls and helps to ensure that adequate cash flow is available to meet the cost of operations.  Combining a reasonable level of undesignated fund balance with specific legally established reserve funds provides resources for both unanticipated events and other identified or planned needs. Although this guide is primarily focused on planning for specific needs through legal reserve funds, our companion guides Financial Condition Analysis and Understanding the Budgeting Process contain additional information on maintaining and utilizing unreserved fund balances."

Warwick has been diligent in respecting the rules set by the State. We have also been fiscally prudent in past years so that we still have most of our fund balance in tact. We would only use it as a last resort to forestall financial insolvency, which some schools in NY are approaching. Those school systems in the most dire straits have already used their fund balance and face the prospect of not being able to meet their contractional and financial obligations. Warwick is years away from this, but if the State continues to fail to meet their constitutional obligations to fund all schools fairly it is very conceivable that we would face insolvency. Under the current system of school financing, as one Superintendent has said, "We are all on the same train heading to the end of a cliff. When we go over the cliff depends on how far back from the engine we are located."

If you would like to learn more about reserve funds click on the following link:  Local Government Management Guide- Reserve Funds  or catch up on recent school news by reading the following article about school reserve funds:  School officials say reserve funds will dry up sooner than later

I hope this is helpful. A key point to remember with public funding is that nothing is simple or black and white, which is why we rely on our Assistant Superintendent for Business, Tim Holmes, for his valuable expertise.

Submitted by Dave Eaton

Mark your Calendars for October 2nd!

Over the past few years Public Schools in New York have suffered immeasurably. Schools across New York State have lost programs, AP courses, elementary arts, music and sports programs. In our region alone, our schools have lost $128M in state funding just due to the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA).  

Some districts have fared better than others, managing to hold on to their educational programs and extracurriculars, ours is one of those that has held on so far, but we are all on the same train heading towards a brick wall- those at the front of the train are feeling it worse, but only for now. That brick wall is right around the corner for our students here in Warwick too.

Current funding for public education in New York is abysmal and getting worse, if we don’t do something to change the way that are schools are funded we will lose them. That sounds crazy, but we are watching it happen as what we have to offer our children is eroded every year by funding shortfalls that can only be made up by taking things away from our children.

Sadly, the political will to stand up for our schools is nowhere to be found, our political leaders have abdicated their constitutional responsibility to provide a sound basic education for all of our children.  This is where we come in... the only thing that will affect change is for all of us to demand of our leaders that they fix the educational funding problem in NY!

I've been part of a group consisting of Orange County administrators, school board members and school staff that are planning a regional advocacy event in Middletown for fair and adequate funding for public education. This event will be held on October 2nd, at 7:00 pm in Middletown, NY. 

The Fair Funding for Our Schools event will feature speaker Dr. Rick Timbs, from the Statewide School Finance Consortium, who will illustrate in plain language the crisis in public education funding in New York. He and other speakers will help us understand what the problem is and what we can do about it. It is so important that we all show up and send the message that we are not willing to stand by and allow our educational system to be taken apart piece by piece. 

Formal invitations have been sent out to our regional leaders and politicians, however the most effective way to encourage people to come is through word of mouth. We need help in reaching parents and community members in our designated school districts so that we have a strong turnout.

I hope you will come and share in this important event with your colleagues and friends. Thanks for helping to spread the word, together we can help save public education in NY!

Like us on Facebook:  Fair Funding for our Schools

Follow us on Twitter: fairEDfundingNY (@fairEDfundingNY)

Name of Event: Fair Funding for Our Schools

Date: October 2^nd, 2013

Time: 7:00pm

Location: Twin Tower’s Middle School in Middletown NY (112 Grand Ave.)

Submitted by Lynn Lillian

NYS Center for Rural Schools

Today was the second time in two months that I was able to hear a presentation by John Sipple, the Director of the New York State Center for Rural Schools out of Cornell University.  He shared a set of interactive data tools that his organization has created in partnership with Cornell’s Program on Applied Demographics (PAD).  John walked a few of us through this tool and showed us the wealth of information available.  He demonstrated how to use the data to compare our elementary schools to those most similar to ours across the state. He easily projected and graphed enrollment for Warwick K-12 for next 10 years. We looked at everything from graduation rates to population migration to ELA scores.

Urban areas throughout NYS have had much easier access to this type of demographic information through various organizations and now thanks to Cornell, and the university's commitment to giving back to NYS, rural and suburban districts have access to this robust data as well.  The bonus is that it’s free and available to anyone who wants to go to their website.

Today’s meeting provided another opportunity for me to learn something valuable that will hopefully make me a better board member.  Only one year in and I have gained a better grasp on how public education works in NYS.  From understanding GEA's, APPR, and SLO's, to appreciating why effective teaching, reasonable class sizes and up-to-date learning are all part of a sound basic education, I’ve really come to know why I want to equip our district leaders with the tools to make the best decisions possible.  Today John Sipple provided us with an excellent resource click on the following link to view: New York State Center for Rural Schools. Play around a bit.  Have some fun.  Show your kids unemployment rates broken down by those with only a HS diploma vs. those with a Bachelor’s Degree.  Compare us to your sister’s school in Westchester.  And if you come across something interesting, share it with the rest of us. 

Submitted by Sharon Davis

So Many Ways to Help

A few years ago, I was the on the PTA board at my sons' elementary school. For anyone that has not been on a PTA board, that translates to never being able to step foot in your child's school without being useful in one way or another. It translates into knowing where the largest need is in your child's school and being desperate to meet that need. It translates into being the "go to" person (or 1/5 "go to" people if you're lucky) for any need that arises. "PTA" is practically tattooed on your forehead. It was two years of my life that I gladly donated to the betterment of my children's school. Contrary to what a few may believe, the PTA is not in place to show the kids a good time from September to June. 

While serving, I encountered families in despair for many reasons, so we and all of the community jumped at the chance to help. We brought a number of parents into the school who were apprehensive about participating prior to our connection. We raised money for educational programs in the school and coordinated parent volunteers to enrich the lives of the students.  We assisted the Principal with the integration of about 100 families from another school after redistricting and made new friends along the way. While being a PTA board member was incredibly rewarding, it did consume my life for the duration (and after). So why would I want to sign away three more years on the Board of Education only one year after getting my life back?

Good question, I guess the best answer is because there is no finish line when it comes to our children and their education. I can't imagine any parent will reach a time when he can sit back,  check off the criteria for a good education on a list and say, "Great, now I can relax. My child has everything he needs." Our children's needs change each day and the institution that educates them must be changing too. In turn, our duties as parents change too.

That doesn't mean that everyone serves in the same way. We are fortunate enough to be in a district that welcomes parent participation. Yes, the PTA is a great place to start because they are very informed as to where the needs of the schools lie and can point you in the right direction. However, remember that the BOE is made up of people, many of which are parents, that care and want to meet the changing needs of our children and our community. Each member of the BOE would happily help you find where you can participate and assist.

I can't write about the PTA without clearing up a misconception that it is more taxing to be on the BOE than on a PTA board. In some ways, I found the PTA more taxing, though any position of service is what you make of it. The one big difference that I've found as a BOE member is that I am but one out of nine members and none of us is "the board" alone. We have no authority as individuals and can not single-handedly address any issue in this community. We become the Board of Education when we are together and only then can we affect change and progress for our schools. To contact the BOE, simply email communications@wvcsd.org. That email address will reach all of our board members at one time (so much easier than typing in each of our names, only to get an error message because someone's name has two "l"s instead of the traditional spelling) and we all welcome your input.

Submitted by Eilleen Gagliano

Welcome Back!

Every so often in your child's school experience an issue may arise that you would like to have addressed by a school representative. Most of us on the school board have children in our schools now, or did have children enrolled at some point in time so we can relate to these feelings. I know that many teachers express on Back-to-School night a desire to have parents come to them first with any questions or concerns before they go to the building principal, the reason being that the teacher can hopefully answer any questions or concerns first and save you a trip to the principal's office.

In our school board training classes we learned that there is a similar chain-of-command in school district operations. Issues and concerns get moved through the following chain: Teachers - Building Principal - Director/Administrator - Assistant Superintendent - Superintendent - Board of Education. As a board member your responsibility is not the day-to-day running of the school district and you are not allowed to just "pop-in" to a building unannounced and check in on things, that responsibility goes to our superintendent and his assistants. However, we are kept fully informed and updated daily by Dr. Bryant as to any issues or concerns that he is working on and if we have a question for him it is responded to immediately.

We also hear or read concerns from parents regarding all sorts of topics. For instance, this week we have heard concerns regarding the Middle School/High School bus run being late and we have also heard parent concerns regarding the hot temperatures at Park Ave. Elementary School. Both issues are being looked into by the superintendent and his team and we are being kept informed of their status. We will report on them at our next board meeting since that is the time dedicated for such a purpose.

The week before school started we went on a school-wide district tour with Dr. Bryant. We had an hour-long tour in each school building that was led by the building principal. Each principal showed us around, answered our questions and shared things with us about their school that they felt were important. We ate lunch with the transportation department and buildings and grounds crew and were able to thank them for all of their hard work in getting everything ready for opening day. The day before school started we attended all the school faculty meetings with Dr. Bryant and were able to say a personal thank you to all of the principals and their teachers and wish them a good school year.

One of the reasons we wanted to have a Board of Education blog was so that we could have a way to connect with our community when we are not at a board meeting. Your child's education and safety is important to each one of us and we take our responsibility as your elected officials very seriously. Please know that although you may not hear from us on a daily basis, we are kept informed of your concerns and we have a very hard working team of people in WVCSD who are making sure they are addressed as soon as possible!

Submitted by Shannon Hockswender

Notes from September 9th Meeting

Tonight's meeting was transmitted live to the community via video feed. This was the first time the new technology was used and we were all impressed with it! We received positive feedback from many community members who let us know that although the transmitted picture was clear, the sound needed some improvement. We will make sure that the microphones are all on and at the appropriate sound level for the next meeting. If you are wondering how you can tune in from home all you have to do is click on the following link: Board of Education LIVE meetings to watch last night's meeting.

The meeting opened with some commendations, which was a great way to start! Miss Julie Brown, a middle school student, received an award for placing 3rd in the Professor Garfield Foundation Invasive Species Comic Contest. The focus of the project was to study an invasive species and learn about how they can affect an ecosystem. To read more about this contest see the following link: Professor Garfield Foundation Invasive Species Contest and congratulations to Julie!

Our Superintendent congratulated Mr. Linkens, our high school principal, on his school being recognized as a Reward School by the New York State Education Department. Reward Schools are schools that have either made the most academic progress or schools that have the highest achievement in the state. This is a wonderful award to for our district to receive, we are proud of Mr. Linkens, his faculty & staff, and students- thank you for making the high school a great place to learn!

Community member and parent, Rick Peddle, was recognized for his work in coordinating all the new student walkers at Park Avenue Elementary. Over the summer Rick has spent many volunteer hours working with principal Ms. Wood, the Park Ave. PTA, school district administrators and town officials to implement safe walking practices. Parents have created a 'Walking School Bus' for students to join. For more information on the walking school bus or to see how you can help, visit's Rick's facebook page at: Walking School Bus. Rick reported that although the first three days of walking have gone smoothly there are still some issues that need to be addressed. Dr. Bryant will continue to work with the town in monitoring and improving walking paths so that parents can walk their children to school safely.

Dr. Bryant welcomed Dr. David Leach to our district. Dr. Leach will be the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and we are looking forward to working with him. He earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Fordham University and he comes to us from the Ramapo Central School District where he was the Principal of Cherry Lane Elementary School. This year his school has been honored with the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School award, which shows his commitment to the teachers and students in his former district. We can expect great things from Dr. Leach!

In other news, we have received the Certificate of Occupancy from the State of NY Education Department for the Little Bear Observatory at Sanfordville Elementary School. Dr. Bryant expressed to the community that our teachers and students will have many wonderful new learning opportunities from having access to such a unique building.

Over the summer a presentation was given to us by the Warwick Valley Community Coalition
on results from a survey they had administered to students on alcohol and drug use. We asked for some information on what curriculum or programs are currently in place for our students in the middle and high school and last night we received a report from Mrs. Leandro, our middle school principal, and Mr. Linkens. Mrs. Leandro reported that our 7th and 8th grade students take a health course that focuses on drug and alcohol prevention and discusses peer pressure. The middle school also has Red Ribbon Week which is a week dedicated to drug awareness. Along with having a SADD group, Mr. Linkens reported that our high school students take a health class focused on drug and alcohol prevention and they host a Road Recovery concert once a year. He mentioned that the high school used to have a counselor who was specifically designated for students that were suffering or needed advice about drug and alcohol related problems. We briefly discussed the possibility of bringing back a counselor to the high school for this purpose.

Yvonne Koulikov, our Instructional Technology Staff Developer, presented an online program called the Foundation for a Drug Free World for our community to consider as a tool for learning. The program offers l7 learning modules that include public service announcements for students to view with their parents. The goal of the Foundation is to empower kids so that they can understand the facts behind saying "No" to drugs. Dr. Bryant suggested that the board consider forming a committee of parents, community members, teachers and/or administrators who could take the modules and determine if this program would be beneficial to our students.

Next, we reported on the Board of Ed. committees. One of the Board's major responsibilities is selecting the next Superintendent. Board president, Dave Eaton, announced that a community focus group is in the process of being formed whose input will help us determine what we are looking for in hiring the next Superintendent. The information that this group gathers will be presented to the board and it will be used for seeking out potential candidates for the board to evaluate. This committee will be composed of parents, community members and district faculty and staff. Other changes due to reorganization were the following, the Policy Committee was dissolved, the Technology committee will now include a STEM and an Appreciative Inquiry component, and the Wellness Committee will be merged with the Warwick Valley Community Coalition.

Dr. Bryant mentioned to the school board that polling places may have to be changed if Kings Elementary School or Pine Island Elementary School were to be rented out to another entity at some point in time. This is important information for us to consider in regards to keeping voter access available to our community.

Board member John Connolly asked Dr. Bryant to consider looking into a way to bring back the Odyssey of Mind Competition. Odyssey of the Mind is an international program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students and aligns with our district vision of promoting 21st century thinking skills.

Board member Keith Parsons asked Dr. Bryant to consider sending out a SNN alert to parents when buses are delayed to ease parents concerns when their child's bus is late. Dr. Bryant agreed with Keith's suggestion and thought that the SNN system would be helpful in these types of situations. As a follow-up today Dr. Bryant reported to board members that buses were delayed yesterday due to students being released later than usual at St. Stephens School. The problem will be addressed today 9/10/13.

A few 'Save the Dates' were announced at the end of the meeting:

• September 16th @ 1:00 pm, DCW Center: BOE work session featuring John Sipple. Associate Professor John Sipple has focused his research interests on the responses of public school districts to changes in state and federal policy. For more information see: The Changing Demography of NY State
• September 23rd @ 7:00 pm, WV High School: Lynn O'Shaughnessy will speak about financing college, for more information see: The College Solution
• September 29th @ 8:30 am (check-in time 7:30 am) at WV High School: Annual "Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk" 3-5 mile sunrise walk to prevent suicide, for more information see: Orange County Out of the Darkness Walk
• October 2nd from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Twin Towers Middle School in Middletown: Important Regional Advocacy Event, Fair Funding for our Schools This event will be hosted by WVCSD, more information to follow.

Submitted by Shannon Hockswender

Just Getting Started

The past couple of months have been enlightening to say the least. Who knew that the people that I had come to know as one entity, "the Board," would turn out to be so very normal. I don't know what I was thinking. Why am I comforted when I hear Lynn complain about laundry? Of course she has laundry! Maybe I was hoping there was a clause that stated BOE members were exempt from the everyday tasks that distract from matters of education. Oh well, wishful thinking!

Recently, we have had the pleasure of meeting our building principals, assistant principals, administrative staff and technology team; we were given a tour of all of our amazing schools and had the opportunity to meet our buildings and grounds crew... all in the same day! My favorite part of that day was touring the middle school and high school. Don't get me wrong, I love our elementary schools but as a mom of an eight-year-old and ten-year-old, I'm pleased to see the facilities and classes that my children will someday call "home." I could have spent the entire day in the Mac-lab alone learning all about the audio/recording technology that is being used. We were able to meet several of the teachers and hear about the projects that their students have worked on and will work on. Mr. Linkens shared every-day joys and challenges at the high school, along with his vision for the future. Mrs. Leandro and Mrs. Maraia answered this middle school mom's many questions and more importantly let me know that their doors are always open as they always have been. 

Thanks to the numerous community events at our elementary schools, I'm no stranger to either of the buildings, but just when I thought I'd seen it all, along come the observatory at Sandfordville and the ever evolving outdoor classroom at Park Ave. Both Mr. Longfield and Ms. Woods proudly showed us the highlights of each building and shared the changes that have taken place over the summer. 

This morning we visited with the staff in all of the buildings as they prepared for the start of what will most definitely be a great year. The excitement was palpable in all of the buildings. We are so fortunate to have all of this talent in one school district. I can't wait to see what the year will bring.

Submitted by Eilleen Gagliano