School District Report Card
Graduations are complete and grades are in. The summer break is well under way. Now that students have their final report card, it’s time to give a report card to the school district administration and school board.
For the first time in recent memory, the Board of Education established their goals for the school year. Below are the goals established at the Board’s meeting on November 7, 2012. Take this opportunity to provide your feedback on how successful the Board was in achieving its goals.
When grading, provide examples or commentary to support your assessment. If there are areas for improvement, make suggestions to correct.
I look forward to your report card.
Goal 1:
The Board of Education will provide a comprehensive, responsive, accessible curriculum that advances the aspirations and the high standards we set for our students.
Goal 2:
The Board of Education will continue to hire and support a dedicated, knowledgeable, and diverse staff.
Goal 3:
The Board of Education will improve communication and further strive to engage all members of the New Rochelle community.
Goal 4:
In partnership with the community, the Board of Education will continue to explore new budgeting ideas, adopt fiscally responsible policies, and improve clarity of the budgeting process.
New Rochelle School Board needs Summer School!
I have to agree with Bob on several items. Yes, a vast majority of teachers and staff in New Rochelle are dedicated and knowledgeable. But at the same time, for all those that are, many are not dedicated and knowledgeable. They are just there for the pay check. This is prevalent in many private sector businesses as well. The difference is that there is more accountability to their bosses, board of directors and stock holders. The New Rochelle School Board is not like that. Bob has shown that several times here on Talk of the Sound.
I agree the level of communication and engagement that members of the New Rochelle community have also shown improvement. It needs to get better and more consistent; we receive information late or with confusing information at time. You have to call for clarification than get someone who has no idea what you are talking about. This year I will keep an eye out and send you any that I see. However, you should you have been getting the same ones.
A Long Island, school district released a summer reading list for its students. The document was riddled with spelling errors. Everyone makes and error these days even with spell check. Just read the Journal News. However in this case, it’s sad that a document being distributed to children would have more than 30 mistakes, particularly when the list was intended to strive for greater learning and is being read by the children we are trying to teach. It definitely sets a bad example, some role models we have.
Regarding this case, a member of the New York State Department of Education’s Board of Regents said,” the mistakes indicated that a stable administration was essential for children to get a good education”. The statement went on further to say, “Hempstead has not had a stable administration for a long time and the kids are suffering.” This also sounds familiar and could be our own Board of Education for The City of New Rochelle.
We need change to move forward. This change must start at the top and filter down. If the New Rochelle School Board and The New Rochelle Board of Education don’t change, it will be difficult to change those that work them and the taxpayers of New Rochelle. So it is up to them and us to make sure we get it right, For the sake of the children first and foremost. Below are my notes from the June 25, 2013 New Rochelle School Board Meeting. II know you were unavailable that night:
School Board Meeting:
6/25/13
I am no stranger to The City of New Rochelle and The City of New Rochelle Board of Ed, I was born and raised here and attended ALMS and NRHS. Due to health related issues I am not always able to attend meetings. I find the ongoing problems too much and feel that I must speak regardless. I have no connection to any other people that speak except for the common thread of wanting answers, my motives are not political. Why are peoples questions not answered? Whether spoken or written it seems they follow the same track to never-never land. Communication is very poor with regard to the schools and board of Ed. I had trouble trying to find out what was the end of school schedule for June. I ask the school and no one knew. After several days of checking the web site, I finally saw the update on 6/5/13. The next day I got a letter dated 5/17 which was mailed on 6/5. This is not the first time for errors like this. We are in the year 2013, why don’t you release the information to sights like Talk of the Sound and other internet media sources they would be an asset to the communication system if used correctly.
The continual waist and poor decision making that put our children at risk and create higher taxes, Taxes that many people can no longer afford.
I revisit the following topics from back in February as I still have no answers. None are able to be given the night of the question nor are responses given later to my knowledge:
I Repeat Questions:
-What are the rules for answers to parent questions if no response can be give during the five minute period?
-Like Citizens to be Heard with the City Council you are given name, address, phone numbers and e-mails, is a response required or do the questions just disappear with the passage of time and avoidance.
Hopefully the new safety policy can cover my past questions:
-What are the policies when an employee is arrested or is discovered to have a criminal background?
-I ask in both cases, before they are hired and after they are hired?
-Who monitors these policies and follows up with the board if something is found?
-What is the policy regarding the employees responsibility to report an arrest to their superior who in turn should be reporting the info back to the board.
-How does this happen if a proper background check is done in the first?
-Who can explain the hiring of people with criminal backgrounds?
In closing I ask the board again, why haven’t the people that asked questions gotten answers? From the way it sound, the same questions go un-answered time and time again. You work for the taxpayers and answer to the taxpayers and their children. Not to answer the questions is a failure of your appointed or hired responsibility.
Jeffrey, members of The New Rochelle School Board, The New Rochelle Board of Education, Taxpayers and Parents I hope some things will change this coming school year. Enjoy your summer.
I cannot really provide
I cannot really provide informed comment on whether the curriculum is comprehensive, responsive, accessible.
The vast majority of teachers and staff in New Rochelle are dedicated and knowledgeable. The demographics data put out by the board a few months ago shows that staff is not racially or ethnically diverse, at least to the extend to the student population. I suspect it is not ideologically diverse.
The level of communication and engagement with “all members of the New Rochelle community” is “Abysmal”l but over five years that is actually an improvement from “Kremlin-like”.
As for exploring new budgeting ideas, adopt fiscally responsible policies, and improve clarity of the budgeting process, I would say that have been some positive steps such as the Citizens Budget Committee but there needs to be follow through especially on transparency.
Somehow the board became infected with the idea that withholding information from the public is sound public policy. So long as this idea remains a fixation of board members it will be slow going in terms of this report card.