Statement from State Education Commissioner Richard Mills:

Many people are expressing concern about whether school officials who have retired and are collecting a pension should in fact be allowed to return to work under a statutory waiver and also draw a salary.

I am responsible for the administration of this waiver process with respect to retired school educators. Where I need to improve the administration of this law, I will do so.

This practice is allowed under statute in situations where there is a demonstrated need and a lack of alternative candidates who are truly qualified to lead a school district. There are good reasons to provide for exceptions, especially when emergencies arise, such as the sudden loss of a key leader. It is important to be sure the school districts that educate our children are led every day by the best people we can find. It is also important to remember that this provision is used infrequently. Right now, we estimate the waivers represent fewer than two percent of all school administrators statewide.

At the same time, I am concerned that school leaders generally may be criticized without reason when the problems are in fact very limited. We entrust our children to those who lead and teach in our schools. These are some of the most demanding and important positions in our nation, and the excellent people who hold them have dedicated their lives to public service.

However, we know there are problems. For example, the level of compensation in some instances is an issue that warrants further review. But currently the statute does not allow us to consider compensation as a factor.

We must be certain that this provision of law is used only when fully justified, in those situations that truly call for an exceptional remedy.

I have consulted with members of the Board of Regents and the Legislature; Attorney General Andrew Cuomo; State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli; Thomas Rogers, Executive Director of the New York State Council of School Superintendents; Timothy Kremer, Executive Director of the New York State School Boards Association; Marie Wiles, Chair of the District Superintendents, and Maria Neira, Vice President of New York State United Teachers.

I am today taking two actions:

First, effective immediately, I am suspending for 60 days any consideration of new applications for waivers by which retired school leaders can be hired by districts. I am doing this pending a thorough examination of the practice.

Second, I have begun that review to ensure that school districts get the most qualified interim leaders when needed, while at the same time ensuring that compensation under this waiver provision is fair and not excessive. We must weigh the fact that there is a serious shortage of truly qualified candidates for key positions such as superintendents, school business officials, and teachers. We must help districts better prepare and groom new leadership talent. We must ensure districts engage in a diligent search for the best candidates. At the same time, we need to keep compensation reasonable.

The New York State Council of School Superintendents, the New York State School Boards Association, the District Superintendents, and New York State United Teachers have agreed to work with us in crafting a responsible solution. There are several actions we can consider without the need for a change in statute:

• Require stronger evidence that school districts have exhausted the reasonable possibilities to recruit other qualified candidates.
• Require that school districts inform taxpayers when retired administrators are employed and the duration of that appointment.
• More tightly restrict the time period in which the waiver is allowed, and the requirements for renewal.
• Further restrict the situations under which this practice is allowed.

Montrose resident Lauren Sboto received the Alumni Association Academic Achievement Award for having the highest grade point average among graduating seniors in Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications.

Sboto graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in public relations at Quinnipiac’s undergraduate commencement May 18, 2008.

Sboto is a member of Lambda Pi Eta, the honor society of the National Communication Association. She studied in Seville, Spain, for the spring semester of her junior year, tutored in Quinnipiac’s Learning Center and was a member of Quinnipiac University Singers. She is the daughter of Robert and Robin Sboto.

(Courtesy of Frank Campailla/Quinnipiac University.)

A Todd Elementary School teacher is being investigated for alleged improprieties during the administration of the 3-8 state math test, according to school and state education officials.

The teacher has been removed from the classroom and assigned to home pending further review of the matter, according to Briarcliff Schools Superintendent Frances Wills.

Wills said the review will be completed “in the next few weeks,” and definitely before the end of the school year.

When asked whether the improprieties arose during the testing or the scoring, Wills answered: “It was not the scoring, no.”

She declined to comment further.

“It’s a personnel process, meaning I can’t say anything more than that,” Wills said.

A parent told The Journal News that all students were interviewed after some irregularities were found during the scoring. Then the class parents were also called into the school, and told that the teacher had been removed because the kids told them the teacher was giving them the answers, according to the parent.

The math tests took place late March, and Briarcliff district officials reported the allegations to the state Education Department March 28, according to Wills.

State officials today confirmed they had been alerted to the matter.

”(The State Education Department) has received a written report from the superintendent of the Briarcliff Manor UFSD concerning administration of the 3-8 Mathematics Test at the Todd Elementary School,” said spokesman Tom Dunn. “We have asked BOCES District Superintendent Dr. James Langlois to investigate the alleged improprieties and to report back to the Department.”

I will post updates as I get them.

It was past 11 p.m. at the East Ramapo district office last night and I was sitting around, like everyone else, waiting for the election results. Some people quietly chatted, a few others teamed up on the word jumble. By the time the votes were announced, the school board meeting room had filled with people representing local teachers, candidates, public school parents and the yeshiva community. School board member Suzanne Young-Mercer read off the results to a hushed audience, telling them the budget went down by a 3-to-1 margin. After that, some in the crowd applauded.

While Moshe Hopstein never provided comment to this publication in the run up to the election, he gave me a written statement last night through Aron Wieder. Both were elected to the school board yesterday. Here is Hopstein’s statement:

“I would like to thank all my supporters, friends and family for the incredible support I received from you all. Thank you!

I look forward for the challenge that lays ahead for me in the coming 3 years. My goal is to prove that we can keep and even enhance the quality of the education in the East Ramapo School District, while being cost effective and lowering the tax burden to ALL residents of this fine district.

With the help of G-d we will succeed to the benefit of all residents!!

Thank you again!!”

Wieder also made a statement to the crowd, saying he wanted to thank his family and would focus especially on special education needs as a board member. “I can assure you we will leave no one behind, the children of this entire district and the taxpayers alike,” he said.

Afterwards, I interviewed school board President Nathan Rothschild, visibly tired at the late hour, who said he wanted to thank the hard work of board members David Resnick and Steven Rosenstock, who dropped out of the race last week for what they said were personal reasons. Rothschild retained his seat in an uncontested race last night. “I guess we have to wish the new electees lots of luck. They’re replacing two board members that had an amazing effect on the district.”

The school board meets again tonight at 7:30 to discuss the budget.

Here’s the East Ramapo budget vote story in today’s paper.

Art, education and history come together in a new project in Peekskill, and the Peekskill Education Foundation will celebrate these important connections at a fundraiser on Friday, May 30.

The 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. event will take place at Peekskill’s art museum, the Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art at 1701 Main St.

As the PEF’s spring fundraiser, the gala will feature music, speakers and light refreshments. The cost is $35 per person.

The PEF is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for programs and projects that enrich the educational opportunities and experiences for children within the Peekskill City School District. Mini-grants for special teacher projects, funds for library books, music equipment and money for art and technology are all part of the PEF’s
spending.

Special recognition and congratulations goes out to Christian Inga, an 11th grader at Lakeland High School for his selection by Westchester County to be part of the celebration of Playland’s 80th Anniversary Celebration.

Christian’s mural design will be a permanent mural inside the amusement park. Christian painted the large mural this month  and, along with his teacher Mary Baressi, was honored at the official Opening Day ceremony and celebration on May 10.

(Report and photos courtesy of Lakeland school district.)

Ossining High School is one of two schools in the state of New York to receive the 2008 New York Good Sports Banner from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which recognizes exemplary sportsmanship programs.

“Your school district has developed a model program which is an ongoing process for teaching and highlighting sportsmanship,” wrote association members in notifying the district of this award. “We will encourage all of our member schools to look to your school as an example of what can be done to promote sportsmanship as an outcome for all who are involved with interscholastic athletics.”

The district will receive the award during a banquet Aug. 6, 2008 at the Rye Town Hilton.

(Report courtesy of Maja Tarateta/Ossining school district.)

Locally, the vast majority of school budgets passed last night. The exceptions were in Mount Vernon, Bedford, Haldane and East Ramapo.

Click here for complete results.

Statewide, more than 92 percent of school budgets passed, according to an analysis by the New York State School Boards Association.

(Photo: Voters cast their ballots yesterday for the East Ramapo School Board elections at the Ramapo Freshman Center in Spring Valley. Courtesy Peter Carr/The Journal News.)

Read on for more from the NYSSBA.

Polls begin closing for school board and budget elections in the next hour or so; some close as late as 10 p.m.

Keep checking LoHud.com for the latest results, or you can click on the button for school election results over on the right on this page.

The Arts Council of Rockland awarded $14,200 in scholarships last weekend to six graduating high school students who plan to pursue “studies in their art form at a public or private university, college or conservatory located in New York State in the fall of 2008.”

State Sen. Thomas Morahan (R-New City) helped ACOR secure most of the money for the scholarships and private donations made up the difference.

The following students received scholarships:
• Benlin Alexander, a student at Clarkstown South High School, who will be attending Rochester Institute of Technology to study visual arts
• Sarah Brenner, a student at Clarkstown North High School, who will be attending Ithaca College to study theater
• Gabrielle Godino, a student at Clarkstown North High School, who will be attending Pratt Institute to study visual art
• Keryn Kleinman, a student at Clarkstown North High School, who will be attending Purchase College to study music
• Amanda Rossi, a student at Tappan Zee High School, who will attending Manhattan School of Music to study music
• Shelby Yamin, a student at Tappan Zee High School, who will be attending Manhattan School of Music to study music

Congrats to all.

From the Center on Education Policy…

When the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) became law in 2002, states were charged with the controversial goal of bringing all students to “proficiency” within 12 years. This year, halfway to the ambitious 2014 deadline, that challenge is about to become much more difficult for about half of all states, according to a new report from the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Education Policy (CEP).

The report finds that while half of all states (25 states and the District of Columbia) have adopted incremental achievement goals that assume steady progress toward the 100 percent proficient goal, the other half of the states have taken a “backloaded” approach that will soon mean dramatically higher—and potentially unreachable—achievement goals.

Twenty-three states have taken the backloaded approach, generally setting lower expectations for the percentages of students reaching proficiency between 2002 and 2008 in contrast to much steeper expectations later on. The higher goals are now becoming a reality for states, which in some cases will need to increase the percentage of students reaching proficiency on state assessments by 10 points or more each year between now and 2014.

The Ossining schools superintendent and school board president have posted another letter on the district’s Web site today in regard to the plagiarism matter.

Meanwhile, a group of residents is planning to distribute the following flier tomorrow:

Vote YES on the school budget

NO on the school board

Are you embarrassed by the plagiarism of Ossining’s deputy school superintendent and by the district’s initial response (see other side)?

If so, you can send a message to the board. Abstain from voting for the school board. Since there are only three candidates for three seats, it’s symbolic, but symbols matter. So does plagiarism.

Vote to support our students and teachers. But please consider not pulling the levers for the unopposed school board candidates.
—Mary Murphy, Bob Minzesheimer, Jill Lally, Preston Keat and other concerned parents.

The Board of Cooperative Educational Services Lower Hudson Regional Information Center (that’s BOCES LHRIC, if you want to get all acronym-y) give out Pioneer Awards each year to recognize technological excellence. Specifically, “in recognition for innovative use of technology that change teaching and learning.”

This year, Brewster received two: Administrator of the Year and Teacher of the Year. There’s usually just four or five of these awards given (the entire list isn’t up on the LHRIC site yet, so I don’t know all the winners), so that’s pretty impressive.

Here’s an e-mail I just received from the Brewster Central School District (I’ve always loved the name of the street district offices are on: Farm to Market Road) about its awards: Read more of this entry »

The Nyack College and Alliance Theological Seminary held its commencement ceremonies this afternoon at the Westchester County Center.

Following is a list of all the graduates from the Lower Hudson Valley. Here’s a link to the home page for the photo galleries for all local graduations. Here’s a link to the Nyack College graduation gallery.

Good luck to all!

The latest Newsweek list of America’s top high schools is out. Locally, the top 100 include:

• Yonkers High School, 80

• Dobbs Ferry High School, 83

• Rye High School, 85

• Edgemont High School, 90