On Board Online • NYSSBA News • February 11, 2008

Is your school district doing something distinctive or noteworthy that could help other school boards and superintendents govern their districts more effectively, efficiently, and economically? If so, NYSSBA invites you to share your knowledge and expertise with your counterparts throughout the state at NYSSBA’s 89th Annual Convention.

Seminars will be conducted on Friday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008, at the Sheraton Hotel & Towers in New York City.

On Board Online • Top Stories • February 11, 2008

With presidential front-runners seemingly established, what type of education policy can school board members expect from the next President of the United States?

On “Super Tuesday,” U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama all secured enough of their parties’ delegates to be considered the leading candidates. In alphabetical order, here is a summary of each candidate’s platforms and public statements on education, with emphasis on some of the issues of greatest concern to school boards: reauthorization of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), school vouchers, funding for special education and teacher recruitment.

On Board Online • Top Stories • February 11, 2008

In his annual executive budget proposal, Spitzer called for redeploying 200 state troopers to help with law enforcement efforts, including Operation IMPACT, a crime-prevention program targeting 17 counties that report 80 percent of the crime outside of New York City. To staff this program, the governor said troopers would have to be moved from “existing lower-priority posts,” i.e., school districts and racinos.

Currently, 92 state troopers work in 118 school districts as school resource officers (SROs). Troopers have been assigned to almost every type of district the state offers, including suburban districts such as Shenendehowa, rural districts like Hammondsport and cities like Newburgh.

On Board Online • Commentary • February 11, 2008

Although many people think things never change in Albany, this year’s  dynamics are unique, if not unprecedented. Several factors will likely shape outcomes in the state capitol:

• Election year. All 211 members of the Legislature are up for re-election in November, with control of the state Senate up for grabs. Republicans now hold a one-seat majority in the Senate. What’s at stake? Democrats could control both houses and the governor’s office.
• Presidential politics. A strong showing by either party’s candidate, Republican or Democrat, on the national ticket could have a coattail effect for candidates here at home.
• Local property tax revolt. A recent poll by the Siena Research Institute showed 72 percent of state residents – and close to 80 percent of upstate residents – support a property tax cap. Momentum continues to build, with state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (a former legislator and school board member) closely monitoring school districts’ financial affairs and tax levies.

On Board Online • Opinion • February 11, 2008

Needing a break from a particularly challenging day in the district office I wandered into a school cafeteria more than a decade ago. I sat down with a randomly chosen group of students – second graders, it turned out. They were welcoming and full of questions about me. As lunchtime ended, they invited me to join them again.

On Board Online • Washington Update • February 11, 2008

The federal agency that administers Medicaid has adopted a rule that will eliminate reimbursement to schools for transportation between home and school for Medicaid-eligible students with disabilities. 

This rule is based on a finding by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that such services are “not necessary for the proper and efficient administration of the Medicaid state plan.” The elimination of Federal Financial Participation (FFP) for transportation could cost school districts nationally up to $635 million in the first year and $3.6 billion over five years.

On Board Online • Washington Update • February 11, 2008

In his State of the Union address on Jan. 28, President George W. Bush called on Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in 2008. The National School Board Association (NSBA) is echoing that call, but also pointing a finger at the Bush administration.

“After six years of working to implement the law in their districts, school board members are all too familiar with the law’s flaws and its need for immediate substantive changes,” NSBA Executive Director Anne Bryant said in a statement. “NSBA believes that it will take leadership not just from Congress, but also the administration, in order to achieve the much-needed changes to the law.

On Board Online • Resources • February 11, 2008

I’ve yet to meet a school board member who says he or she had enough time to read all they would like about the latest thinking in public education. So here is a summary of some articles from recent issues in education magazines. Notably, Wayne-Finger Lake BOCES and the Ossining school district in Westchester County are among the districts featured in these national publications. Full text of all of the articles is available online. 

On Board Online • Around the State • February 11, 2008

Pantaleno has worked in his Long Island district for 30 years. He said the most significant change in education during his tenure was the Children’s Mental Health Act of 2006.

On Board Online • Around the State • February 11, 2008

On Board asked Tony Pantaleno, the 2007 School Psychologist of the Year, what school boards should know about the mental health of students. His answer: