FOR RELEASE:  January 10, 2012

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

The inability to come to an agreement on implementing a new teacher and principal evaluation system illustrates the difficulty going up against the entrenched status quo in New York. 

School board members are prepared to roll up their sleeves and get this done. But they are not prepared to accept a weak and watered-down teacher evaluation system just to bring this matter to a quick close. 

FOR RELEASE:  January 11, 2012

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

The New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) has filed an amicus curiae brief before a New York State appeals court supporting a local school district’s right to warn a teacher about potential misconduct – by placing a “counseling memo” in the teacher’s personnel file – and then file disciplinary charges without first waiting for the teacher to repeat the misconduct.

“School districts should be able to counsel a teacher before having to resort to an expensive and time-consuming formal disciplinary process,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer.

FOR RELEASE:  January, 6, 2012

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for a new education commission aimed at improving student achievement and district accountability has the support of local school board members, according to a recent poll from the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA).

Two-thirds of the 486 respondents to the informal online poll said they support the creation of a statewide commission to recommend reforms in the education accountability system.

“The governor is right to expect the best performance possible from the public school system,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer. “School boards are working hard to raise student performance and improve accountability. That’s why they understand the need to develop legitimate measures of school district performance and use those so we can better prepare students for college and the workforce.”

FOR RELEASE:  January 4, 2012

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

Governor Cuomo and school boards certainly agree on one thing: The future of our state depends on our public schools.

In focusing on results and efficiency, Mr. Cuomo has taken a page from the school board agenda.

Since the fiscal crisis began, school boards have proposed school district efficiencies and innovations through our “Be the Change for Kids” campaign.

FOR RELEASE:  January 3, 2012

CONTACT: David Albert
(518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

On Twitter: @nyschoolboards

In his State of the State message tomorrow, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to announce the creation of a commission to address accountability in New York’s schools.

The governor is right to expect the best performance possible from the public school system.  We hope the commission will:

FOR RELEASE:  December 23, 2011

CONTACT: Eric Randall
 (518) 783-3724

Michael Ellis, president of the Bloomfield School Board, was elected to the New York State School Boards Association’s (NYSSBA) Board of Directors. As Area 2 Director, he represents school boards in Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties. His two-year term begins Jan. 1. Ellis replaces Thomas Nespeca of Webster, who was elected president of NYSSBA for 2012.

FOR RELEASE:  December 14, 2011

CONTACT: David Albert 
 (518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

The state’s new property tax levy cap promises to bring sweeping changes to New York’s public school system – including more school closings, greater sharing of teachers among districts, and a renewed push for consolidations, predicts a new report from the New York State School Boards Association.

The report, entitled The New 3 Rs: Reducing, Restructuring and Redesigning, found that if the tax levy cap been in place during the current school year, 74 percent of school districts surveyed would have had to exceed the cap in order to meet expenses.  That would mean putting forward a budget that requires a 60 percent “supermajority” approval or cutting deeper into school programs.

“School districts and the tax cap are on a collision course,” said NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer, who pointed out that statewide, projected expenses for health insurance and pensions alone would have exceeded the maximum allowable property tax levy increase this year by $103 million.

FOR RELEASE:  December 13, 2011

CONTACT: David Albert 
 (518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

The Regents state aid proposal recognizes school districts’ struggles to deal with the property tax cap and represents a first step in the state budget process.

The Gap Elimination Adjustment is inequitable as applied to school districts.  We support the Regents attempt to remove the Gap Elimination Adjustment from the budget. 

FOR RELEASE:  December 7, 2011

CONTACT: David Albert 
 (518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

When Governor Cuomo took office, he promised bold action to improve New York’s future.

He has delivered on his promise to enact a property tax cap. He has delivered on his promise to restructure state public employee contracts. And he is delivering on his promise to reform the tax system and stimulate the economy.

FOR RELEASE:  December 6, 2011

CONTACT: David Albert 
 (518) 783-3716 or (518) 320-2221 cell

With the Legislature poised to enact changes to the state’s tax code in order to raise more revenue for the ailing state budget, school board members overwhelmingly support these efforts if it means an end to payment delays and state aid cuts, according to a recent poll from the New York State School Boards Association.

But in their haste to make changes to the tax code, lawmakers must not lose sight of the one single issue that means even more to school boards: mandate relief.  Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of school board members responding to NYSSBA’s informal online poll said mandate relief was a greater priority than state aid.