By Timothy G. Kremer
Executive Director, New York State School Boards Association

FOR RELEASE: May 17, 2013

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Voters across the state will go to the polls next Tuesday to vote on their school district budgets and elect school board members.

Voting day marks the culmination of a budget process that included months of public input and careful analysis.

School boards have listened to their communities and worked diligently to craft budgets that provide the best educational opportunities possible at the price taxpayers can afford.

May 15, 2013

• END OF SESSION LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
• FINISHING STRONG FOR YOUR DISTRICT
• LINK TO:
  • No New Mandates Webpage
• 2013 Post Budget Legislative Priorities
• MAKE A TRIP TO ALBANY PART OF YOUR BOARD’S SERVICE

FOR RELEASE:  May 13, 2013

CONTACT: Al Marlin
(518) 783-3723 or (518) 527-6933 cell
On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

An overwhelming majority of school board members are optimistic that their budgets will pass on May 21, according to a recent poll by the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

Ninety-three percent of respondents to the poll said they expect their budgets to pass on the first vote. Only 7 percent did not think their budget would pass the first time around.

 “School board members and their leadership teams have devoted countless hours listening to their communities and crafting budgets that balance the needs of students and taxpayers,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer.

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By Cathy Woodruff
Senior writer

While Hey, You Never Know.® makes a catchy slogan for the New York State Lottery, it also could be a mantra for school budget planners.

Just ask officials in the Green Island and Panama school districts, which are confronting fiscal curve balls that could bean taxpayers.

In the Albany County village of Green Island, a financial wild card was dealt when one lucky resident won a $28.7 million share of a Mega Millions jackpot in 2011. Superintendent Michael Mugits notes that the before-tax lottery prize is equivalent to two-thirds of the total annual income now on record for the Albany County district, $42 million.

Mugits is concerned the winnings could distort the measure the state uses to assess the wealth of the district, causing formula-driven aid to plummet.

Mugits sees a situation rife with irony, given the state lottery’s mandate to help fund education and the district’s potential unlucky results from one resident’s good fortune.

“It will have a significant impact, although we have not realized it yet,” he said.

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By Thomas J. Nespeca
NYSSBA President

In just a few short weeks, students will get their final report cards for the school year. 

But if you’re a school board member or administrator, your report card comes about one month earlier when the public votes on the school budget and elects school board members for next year.

Just like our students, we all hope to get an “A” in every subject on our report cards. A failing grade from voters on our budgets could have some pretty severe consequences. More specifically, we could be forced to impose a no-growth, zero percent tax levy increase for next year. That would most certainly mean harmful cuts in many districts.

But I’m confident that the overwhelming majority of school boards and administrators will get a “thumbs up” from their communities on budget day. You’ve spent months listening to your communities, examining different budget scenarios, and crafting a thoughtful spending plan that provides students in your district with the best possible educational program at a price taxpayers can afford.

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By Jamie McPherson

Leadership Development manager

The results of the May 21 election could have profound effects on your school board. Whenever the membership of the board changes, the dynamics of the group will, most likely, change with it – and not for the better.

It’s normal. Until new board members become acclimated to their role and the board adjusts to a new dynamic, overall performance of the group suffers. How long that lasts depends on many factors but can easily be managed through a proper orientation program.

The most common method of orientating new members is far from ideal. That process generally involves one meeting with the board president and superintendent. The new member is brought on a tour of the district, introduced to administrators and staff, then handed a stack of reading materials including the district’s policy manual. Beyond the state’s mandated training, new members are expected to learn their position while on the job.

This kind of orientation will not speed the process of helping the entire board regain its ability to function at a high level. And it wastes an opportunity to erase preconceptions and integrate the new board member as a full-fledged, vital part of the governance team.

NYSSBA recommends that the board, not the superintendent, assume the responsibility of designing, coordinating and conducting the orientation process. This will create a visible commitment to the boards own performance and allow for greater accountability. It’s an opportunity for veteran board members to reflect on the process they have – and the process they want to have.

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By Barry J. Entwistle
Director of Leadership Development

When I served on a school board, I remember the first time I heard someone suggest holding a “retreat.” It sounded intriguing, particularly because our board was experiencing growing tension and conflict. Under the state’s Open Meetings Law, I learned, school boards are permitted to meet privately to discuss purely organizational matters that do not involve transacting public business.

The retreat started out a bit awkward but the facilitator the district hired quickly put everyone at ease. He focused on helping us  gain a better understanding of one another and what makes us so passionate and sometimes opinionated on certain issues. We were also able to clear up miscommunications and identify ways to improve our routines to govern more effectively.

NYSSBA recommends every school governance team (the board and superintendent) hold a retreat at least once a year. It is relatively easy to come up with reasons why you shouldn’t have a board retreat, ranging from finding mutual dates to resistance among some board members. But a small investment of time in targeted board training can pay big dividends. An example might include improved meeting management and other board operating efficiencies. There are always better ways of doing business but it is not always easy to see alternative solutions without the help of a skilled outside facilitator. As with all forms of board development, costs are relatively trivial, especially in light of the potential to make dramatic improvements in functioning.

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By David A. Little
Director of Governmental Relations

Has your board ever considered making its own lobbying trip to the state Capitol? If so, NYSSBA can help.  Each year NYSSBA organizes a statewide lobby day in March, and we’ll help you organize your own lobby day on request.

NYSSBA staff can help you arrange meetings with your elected representatives, governor’s representatives and State Education Department staff.  We will work with you to create an outline of the issues you want to cover and provide you with the background information that will help you have productive meetings.  We can provide you with legislative history, voting records on your issues and the opposing arguments you may face.  NYSSBA headquarters is conveniently located a short drive from the Capitol and can serve as a place to hang your hat, have lunch and receive an up to the minute briefing on legislative events.

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By Gayle Simidian
Research Analyst

When reporters from The New York Times looked into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), they found something rather shocking: 11 percent of school children – including one in five high school boys – have been diagnosed with the disorder, which can interfere with learning.

The number of ADHD diagnoses has shot up 16 percent since 2007, according to an article that appeared on the front page of the March 31, 2013 issue of The New York Times. The newspaper used data from a government study of children’s health that included 76,000 phone interviews. The research was funded by a bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/slaits/nsch.htm.

For perspective, On Board spoke with psychologist Steven Kurtz, senior director of the ADHD and Disruptive Behaviors/Disorders Center at the ChildMind Institute (www.childmind.org), an organization dedicated to transforming child mental health through clinical care, research and advocacy. According to the Institute, Kurtz is “one of the nation’s leading clinicians in the treatment of children’s behavioral problems and disorders, particularly attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the social anxiety disorder selective mutism (SM).”

On Board Online • May 13, 2013

By Pilar Sokol
Deputy General Counsel

A school paraprofessional admits that she slapped a student in the face because he refused three times to accompany her to the cafeteria. Another does not challenge a finding that she hit on the head a student who did not do his work properly.

Under such circumstances, would a school district have to defend the resulting lawsuits filed against both employees?  The answer is yes, according to the New York Court of Appeals in Matter of Sagal-Cotler v. Bd. of Educ. of the City School Dist. of the City of New York. 

The case arose in New York City, where  provisions of the state Education Law and General Municipal Law applicable to New York City schools seemed to preclude such an obligation. But those provisions do not affect a school employee’s rights under other provisions of state law to have legal defense to be provided by their employer, if that would be consistent with  other provisions of state law. The Court of Appeals found separate provisions of the state Education Law gave the paraprofessionals the right to a defense.