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