Watervliet Superintendent's Blog

My final blog post … as superintendent of Watervliet City Schools

2012-01-06T14:44:00.001-05:00

I write this final blog post with a sense of pride and a touch of sadness. It is sad to say good-bye to a community that has been a part of my life for the past six years. However, I know that I am leaving the district in the very capable hands of Dr. Lori S. Caplan, who has been a colleague and a friend since we worked together at Hudson High School many years ago. She will continue the work we started several years ago to move the district forward in a positive and productive way, and to inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day.

I want to thank the community for its continued support, most recently with the approval of the $18.9 million facilities project on Dec. 20. This latest project represents the capstone in a series of building improvements initiated in 2007, and allows us to address those remaining facilities needs that we were unable to include before now because of cost constraints.

It has been an honor and a pleasure to work with such dedicated faculty and staff who care deeply about students and are focused on helping all students succeed and be prepared for higher education or today’s competitive workplace as they leave Watervliet High School. Recently, we had three of our faculty members become the first in the district’s history to achieve National Board Certification. Having earned this highest credential in their profession, Watervliet educators Todd Birmingham, Megan Cahill and Michaeleen Backus have achieved “master teacher” status. I congratulate them and encourage more of the district’s teachers to follow this path.

I am extremely proud of all we have accomplished here together during the past six years. And as I prepare to move on to my next chapter, I wish the Watervliet schools, students and community continued success.

Thank you.

Building project vote scheduled for December 20

2011-11-29T14:02:00.006-05:00

On December 20, the Watervliet City School District will present Phase IV of our building renovations initiative for a public vote. We envision this project as the capstone of renovations and improvements to our buildings and facilities.

The results of Phases I through III are evident as you approach our buildings. The most obvious improvements are the new, state-of-the-art classroom additions at Watervliet Elementary School and Watervliet Junior–Senior High School. Our new sports complex—designed to hold almost every indoor sports program in our district as well as a modern fitness center that is open to our community—is also a highly visible sign of our progress.

The combination of state building aid and Quality Construction Bonds would allow us to once again present a tax neutral project to the citizens of Watervliet that further improves and upgrades our facilities. (It is very important to note that we are only allowed to use this funding for capital improvements; it cannot be used for programs or personnel).

The scope of Phase IV can be found on our web site

While I am aware that all of you are very busy this time of year, I encourage you to take a few minutes to stop at your local polling place and vote on Tuesday, December 20. This final phase of our comprehensive building/facilities renovation will be a gift that our community will enjoy far into the future! Polling information

Taking advantage of every opportunity

2011-09-17T10:21:00.002-04:00

We always urge our students to take advantage of the many opportunities we have to offer here in the Watervliet City School District both academic (AP courses, internships, college credit courses and honors classes) and extracurricular (athletics, Odyssey of the Mind, Masterminds, drama, band and our many clubs offerings).

It is important that we as a community and a school district listen to our own advice and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to us.

In June of this year we applied for and were awarded an amazing opportunity that could benefit students and the community for years to come. The district was awarded five million dollars in Quality School Construction Bonds. Very few other districts in the state qualify or were selected as eligible for these bonds. In a nutshell, these bonds — when combined with our State Building Aid rate of 93 percent — will allow the district to perform just over $18 million worth of construction on our two buildings without increasing local taxes. (Many of you may remember three years ago we were awarded similar Quality Zone Academy Bonds that accomplished the same thing).

We should not let this opportunity pass us by.

This month, the BOE will consider putting forth to the voters a proposition that would capitalize on this opportunity and address some of the facilities issues that were not addressed in our last project and make many upgrades to our buildings, grounds and athletic fields. (BOE meeting on September 20 at 7 pm in the WJSHS auditorium).

Some of the initial items under consideration include:

replacing roofs and windows, and renovating classrooms and corridors at Watervliet Elementary School;

renovating classrooms and corridors, and upgrading the auditorium at Watervliet Junior Senior High School; and

constructing an eight-lane running track and a low-maintenance, all-weather artificial turf playing field to accommodate a variety of athletic offerings.

Some may ask, why don’t we use this five million dollars in our regular operating budget to maintain and improve programs and add personnel? Simply put, we can’t. The Quality School Construction Bonds is funding that can strictly be used for improving school facilities. We are not allowed to use state building aid or QSCB for any other purpose.

In the next few weeks you will be hearing much more about this proposal and as with the previous two projects, we will form a facilities task force to ensure that all community members will have a part in the planning of this new opportunity.

New school year filled with optimism, and some new challenges

2011-09-06T16:49:00.005-04:00

The days are getting a bit shorter, the nights a bit cooler, some trees are showing hints of orange and red, and the stores are decorated for Halloween—some have already begun gearing up for Christmas!

The summer has brought many changes to our schools and to education. Our comprehensive building renovations and additions are finally complete and we open our buildings without contractors, construction trucks and the noise and inconvenience that come with a project of this size (for the most part). After four long years, I am confident that the sacrifices we have made have been worth it. Both Watervliet Elementary and Watervliet Junior-Senior High School are now buildings that are more conducive learning environments for our students and facilities the entire school community can be proud of.

The changes in bricks and mortar in our buildings pale in comparison to the changes that are happening within public education.

We face many new challenges this year—from the new evaluation process for teachers and principals to the implementation of the common core learning standards and an ever-increasing level of accountability. New York has enacted a new property tax cap and we anticipate less financial support from the state. This means that we must use our resources wisely and do more with less.

None of these changes alter our mission: To inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day.

As I stated last year, we cannot let these hurdles slow us down or sidetrack our efforts to ensure that our students have everything they need from our school district. We must embrace these new challenges, as arbitrary as they may seem at times, and renew our commitment to students with an even greater sense of urgency than before.

We have overcome many challenges over the past five years; we will overcome these as well. Our students are counting on us!

Education has always been the best hope for a bright future for our children, our communities and our country, and it still is. Welcome back!

Congrats to the Class of 2011!

2011-06-23T14:10:00.001-04:00

As another school year comes to a close, we say goodbye to our graduates and wish them the best as they pursue their future. The members of the Class of 2011 are a unique class in Watervliet’s long history, as they will be the last students to experience many things considered a rite of passage in recent years here in the Watervliet City School District.

Let me illustrate what I mean by talking to you about the future Class of 2017. The students entering 7^th grade this fall will be the first class to go through a completely renovated WJSHS building. And aside from the changes in our building, education itself is changing, and these students will have a very different overall educational experience than our graduating seniors.

The Class of 2017 will never play or watch a game in the old Harry Tucker Gymnasium. They will never eat lunch in the basement cafeteria or use the dusty basement weight room. They will never participate in the annual “march of the desks” or take final exams in the gymnasium. None of these students will ever take January Regents exams.

The class of 2017 will enter the Junior Senior High School prepared for the integration of technology into their classrooms. They will be well versed in the use of PC’s, Macs, Smartboards, Elmos and Senteos. They will have the opportunity to take advantage of the regions’ only middle school nanotechnology curriculum, hopefully gaining a substantive understanding of the future of this amazing new technology and the opportunities it brings.

Unfortunately, if things do not change, the Class of 2017 will also know the devastating effects of the loss of state aid to small city schools and the compounding effect of a tax cap that will strangle our ability to maintain the great programs we have built here in Watervliet.

But, back to this year’s graduating seniors. I wish all of the members of the Class of 2011 the best of luck in their future endeavors. As you head out into the world confident, ready and able to handle whatever comes next for you, I hope you feel that your experiences here at WCSD have prepared you well for the future.

Furthermore, I want to assure the students and parents who are still a part of the WCSD educational community that despite the changes and challenges facing Watervliet, and public education as a whole, we are committed to staying true to our mission of inspiring, educating and challenging every student, every day.

Thank you for your support

2011-05-18T15:40:00.002-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the voters who came out in support of the Watervliet City School District budget last night.

As many of you know, this was a particularly difficult budget year, not only for us here in Watervliet, but for all public schools across the State.

It is times like these where I find an even greater appreciation of the overwhelming support that this community has always shown toward our school district. Over the last six years, our community has supported every budget, building project and initiative that we have put in front of them. This is the true meaning of a community that values education, their children and their future.

Our school district’s ability to overcome this year’s devastating loss in state aid was made possible only through a collaborative “team effort." Every stakeholder associated with our school district had a hand in this success: from the cost saving ideas presented by our bus drivers and the concessions from our teachers; to the voluntary salary freeze of our administrators and the support of our voters. The whole district worked together to help balance this budget. As an educator, I am proud to be the leader of a learning community that is so ready and willing to pull together to do what is best for every student, every day.

Thank you!

WCSD's new gym and our current budget situation are not related!

2011-04-06T12:29:00.007-04:00

I am very concerned that there is a misconception in the community that the construction project that has been underway at WJSHS since fall of 2009 (our new classrooms, cafeteria and gym) are the reason we’re facing a budget crisis right now. This is absolutely not the case, and I want to be sure our community understands that our current budget situation is caused by a deep cut to the operating aid we receive from the state, NOT our renovations.

The aid that WCSD receives to help pay for the building project comes from a completely different pot of money than the “state aid” we refer to when we talk about a revenue source for our budget. As such, NONE of the money used to support the building project has come from our general fund.

When the project was voted on in March of 2008, district administrators knew that the district would be able to take advantage of an all-time-high level of state building aid and a limited-time opportunity for EXCEL funding. These two funding sources combined to reduce the taxpayer impact to less than one percent, which equaled approximately $24 a year for the next 15 years adding up to a total of $360.

However, our district’s selection as one of six school districts in New York State to receive Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZAB) will save Watervliet taxpayers an estimated $3.7 million in interest payments, reducing the tax impact on homeowners to zero.

I have also heard that people in the community are saying that we have gone above the original cost of the project and that is why our budget is in its current condition. Let me stress that with any bond or annual budget that the voters approve, the Board of Education can only spend up to the specific amount approved in the vote. By law, the district can not and HAS NOT spent any more on this project than the $21.7 million approved by voters in March of 2008.

I just want to be sure that people understand that we lost almost 10% of the aid we rely on from the state. That is the reason we are facing cuts and lay-offs... NOT our new facilities.

FIRST IN INVESTING AND SECOND IN PERFORMANCE

2011-03-24T11:36:00.001-04:00

Over the last few months there has been a great deal of mud slung at public education. I realize that an institution as large and long standing as public education is an easy target in many ways.

But there is one piece of information being stated by Governor Cuomo that bothers me more than any other. This is the claim that New York public Schools are "first in spending and thirty fourth in performance."

There is an old saying that states “if you say a lie often enough, it becomes the truth."

The Governor’s claim is based on faulty data and frankly, it’s untrue.

Below is an excerpt from a recent blog posting by Bob Lowry of the New York State Council of School Superintendents that quite convincingly contradicts Governor Cuomo’s claim.

“The claim that we are 34th in performance is based on a Census Bureau report finding that that in 2007, New York ranked 34th in the percentage of adults over age 25 with at least a high school diploma.

So the measure looks at the educational attainment of people who would have last been in school more than 10 years ago, in some cases decades before that, and in some cases people who attended school in other states or nations, or may not have attended school at all.

At best, the measure is like evaluating Governor Cuomo based on something that happened in George Pataki’s next to last term as Governor.

More generally, reality is more complicated than any one measure can convey.

New York is hugely diverse, in ways good and bad. One recent report concluded that we have the widest disparities in spending between high and low poverty districts.

New York is also home to some of the absolute best public schools in the nation. For example, nearly a third of the 300 national semi-finalists in the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search attend public high schools In New York State.

Education Week, the national newspaper of record in education, found New York to be a leader in several areas in its most recent annual “Quality Counts” report:

Percentage of students passing Advanced Placement classes – 3rd
Overall education policy and performance – 2nd
Raising graduation rates – 4th
Closing gap between low income and other students in 4th grade reading results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) – 1st
Closing gap in 8th grade mathematics on the NAEP – 1st”

I applaud Mr. Lowry on his recent blog and in an attempt to flip this lie on its head, I assert that New York State’s public schools are not first in spending and thirty fourth in performance, but rather we are --- FIRST IN INVESTING AND SECOND IN PERFORMANCE.

The attack on public education makes me remember a somewhat similar situation that happened with the space race back in the 60’s. The USSR beat the US into space and it was a big disappointment for many Americans. However, President Kennedy (and the country) did not cut the NASA budget or demonize the organization. He inspired them with a new vision and the pledge of support from the highest office in the land. Governor Cuomo, I suggest you learn from our late President.

I’d like to call on our Governor to take pride in New York’s public schools and our students and commit to the pursuit of being FIRST in the nation in performance. This is a goal we can all stand behind and work toward.

We want to be part of the solution!

2011-03-09T14:53:00.005-05:00

A wise person once said, “You are either part of the solution or you are part of problem." In the spirit of this quote, the 47 superintendents in the Capital Region BOCES and Questar III BOCES have developed a legislative position paper.

The paper outlines ideas and changes that our state leaders should consider in what I hope will become a joint effort between public schools and the state to implement meaningful, long term reform in public education. Educators and state leaders need to participate in a meaningful dialogue on the issues and challenges facing public eduction in New York State instead of being at odds and viewing each other as adversaries in a battle in which there won't necessarily be a clear winner. The only certainty in a fight like the one going on right now over school funding is that in the end, our students are the ones who will lose.

Please click here to view the paper, and feel free to comment if you have thoughts or ideas that add to this important dialogue.

We already have a tax cap!

2011-01-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

It seems you can’t turn on the TV, open a newspaper or your favorite internet news site without hearing or reading about tax caps on public schools and local government budgets.

The proposals for these tax caps vary from 2 percent to 4 percent with a great deal of intricate, complicated and confusing legislative language that most of us cannot even come close to understanding.

In my albeit humble opinion, the tax cap talk (as it pertains to school districts) is political propaganda, preying on citizens who are being led to believe that they have no control over how much money their school district spends.

This is completely false.

School districts already have a tax cap; it is called a budget vote. The third Tuesday of every May, school districts in New York State place the decision on how much they will spend in the hands of the residents of that district. In fact, school district budgets are the most democratic of any government spending State, local or national.

Do you get to vote on the State budget?

Do you get to vote on your City or County budget?

No.

The only budgets that are placed in the hands of the voters are those of our schools. And every resident over the age of 18 has the right and the responsibility to vote on their school’s budget.

Last year 94 percent of school district budgets in New York State were approved by voters. This fact illustrates widespread voter approval of the way schools are spending money.

The key term in that sentence is “voter approval.” It is important to note that voter turnout for budget votes is very low. Some opponents of schools might say that this is because holding school budget votes in May is a trick and that the votes should be held in November. To that I say, “Fine!” If we do our job and put out a responsible budget that balances the needs of our students with our community’s values and ability to pay, it makes no difference to me when the budget is voted upon. In fact I wish more people would get involved.

While I have resigned myself to the fact that we will have some type of tax cap in the coming years, I think it is important for our citizens to realize that they already have a say in how much or how little schools spend.

A new year brings opportunity

2010-12-21T14:38:00.003-05:00

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

As we approach 2011 most of us sit back and reflect on the year past, ways that we could have done things differently. We also take some time to look forward to next year and develop resolutions on how we can improve. I particularly like the quote above and how it equates the coming of the new year with opportunity. As an educator, I’m always on the look out for opportunities to improve the work that we do for our students.

At 2010’s close, our district has decided to, once again survey our community, faculty and staff to hear how you feel we are progressing toward our mission of inspiring, educating and challenging every student, every day. We will use the results of the survey to help develop our resolutions as a district for 2011.

The surveys have been available on our web site and I thank the many of you who have participated. Over the holiday break, we will be compiling these surveys and analyzing the data/information that your responses give us. We will use this data to develop our resolutions (results will inform our policies and practices and allow us to make adjustments in areas where we need improvement.)

Conducting this survey is a great opportunity for us to “take the pulse” of the entire Watervliet City School District community. I will be sharing what we learn with the Board of Education at our January meeting and with all of you via this blog and our school ’s web site.

Thank you again for working with us as we take advantage of the opportunities that 2011 brings. I look forward to reading your survey responses and continuing to make our mission a reality in 2011! Keep an eye on this blog for updates on our progress toward our New Year’s Resolutions.
Happy Holidays to all!

Sometimes, the students say it best

2010-11-16T12:28:00.004-05:00

We are well into our new school year and this is a time when I would usually blog about our opening day and how many great things are going on in our schools. But instead I thought I would let the recent editorial from our Junior- Senior High School newspaper, The Watervliet Chronicle, speak for me.

“The attendance rate is up. Disciplinary referrals are down. Students are smiling. Teachers are smiling. Principals are smiling. Wait, now I know something weird is going on!

Change is all around us. Most obvious is the construction project. But does anyone else notice the change in attitude? Are we all just in a better mood this year? All of a sudden it seems like much of the drama that we faced last year has been washed away. After asking several students about this phenomenon, I’ve come to a few conclusions:

First, many are excited about the new “stuff” we have this year. And that excitement will continue with the opening of the new gym this winter.
Secondly, and probably more importantly, many students want to be successful. Sure, there are some who are apathetic or who spend their time counting the minutes until the bell rings, but most of the students I asked said that they have made their education a priority.

I encourage all students to make school success a goal. One of the biggest obstacles we face is believing we can do well. If you are struggling in a class, ask for help. Your teachers want you to be successful. Just think of how much easier it will be to walk into this building every morning if you know that you will do your very best.”

I think that our student editor said it best. I look forward to continuing this momentum throughout the entire school year!

A challenge from “Coward’s Corner”

2010-09-13T11:14:00.004-04:00

On September 9, 2010 a comment published in the Troy Record’s Sound Off column (also known around town as the “Coward’s Corner”) stated that the Watervliet City School District emphasizes athletics over academics. The anonymous critic went on to challenge me to name “just one academic area where students have excelled, " and added, “we don’t mean the watered down exams put out by the state education department.”

Anyone who knows me knows I enjoy a good challenge, and while I don’t make it a habit of replying to critics who are too cowardly to attach their name to their criticism, I feel that I must respond to this “challenge” on behalf of the students, faculty and staff of the Watervliet City School District.

Our academic achievement is measured by both the State and Federal Education Departments using the results of these “watered down" exams. But there is a lot of other data and information I can use to illustrate our positive growth in my five years with the district.

Since our anonymous critic stated that we overemphasize athletics, I will start there. Research has shown that there is a definitive link between participation in extra-curricular activities, graduation rate and student achievement. Here in Watervliet, we require that our student-athletes be held to a higher standard and that academics are a top priority. This is evident in our athletic code of conduct and the academic requirements for participation in extra-curricular activities. Due to these requirements we saw ten of our varsity athletic teams recognized as scholar athlete teams by the New York State High School Athletics Association in both 2008-2009 and 2009-2010. ( To earn the award, a certain number of athletes on each team must average 90 or better in the classroom during a particular season.)

That piece of information alone could answer the challenge set forth by our anonymous critic however, there is a lot more for us to be proud of here at WCSD so I will continue.

The most rigorous diploma awarded in New York State is the Advanced Regents Diploma. This requires students to not only pass seven Regents Exams, but also to complete seven Regents courses during the student’s high school career. In 2006, only 3% of our graduates received this diploma. In 2010, 37% of our graduates received this level of diploma.

Another area that I would like to highlight is the increase in the number of students who are attending four-year colleges and universities. In 2006, only 18% of our graduates attended four year schools compared to 42% of the class of 2010. I’d say this is growth that our district should be very proud of.

As for our critic’s feelings about the “watered down New York State Tests,” we here at the Watervliet City School District (as most other school districts) use multiple assessments to measure our students’ growth. One example of this is the Watervliet Elementary School’s use of the Terra Nova Test, which was first implemented as part of our Reading First program. In 2005, only 33% of our students scored at the proficient level. In 2010, this percentage has more than doubled to 67%.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our art and music programs. Our anonymous critic would simply have to attend one of our Grey or Garnet Band concerts, hear a performance by Delta Force or view our elementary school art show to see that our students also excel in the visual and performing arts. Last year, Watervliet had 20 students involved in the Colonial Council Music festival, including five from the elementary chorus, seven from the middle school band and eight from the high school band.

One last item that the sound off caller mentioned was, “we are building that new sports building.” The gymnasium is only a small part of a larger, comprehensive facilities overhaul that includes new state-of-the-art classroom additions to our academic areas at Watervliet Elementary and Watervliet Junior Senior High School as well as updates to existing rooms and the installation of new, energy efficient heating, cooling, electrical and ventilation systems.

I could go on and discuss many more areas where our students are experiencing sustained improvement and excelling, but instead I would like to invite the cowardly critic to stop in personally for a more thorough explanation of how we are living our mission: to inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day here in the Watervliet City School District.

Yet another reason to be nimble!

2010-08-12T12:08:00.004-04:00

In April of 2009 I wrote of our need as educators to be nimble. The recent adjustment in cut scores for the 3-8 tests by the State Education Department is a perfect example of why we need to be exactly that, nimble – quick, light in movement; moving with ease; agile and active.

State officials recently announced that they were increasing the scoring targets (or “cut scores”) on the exams after research showed that a large percentage of New York’s students were not adequately prepared for college. This announcement came months after the exams were completed this past spring. (For background, check out a previous watervlietcityschools.org article on this topic)

For years, all school districts in New York State have been preparing students for state tests using the curriculum adopted by New York State in the belief that these standards were not only rigorous but among the highest in the nation. We now know, by looking at the scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests (the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas) and feedback from colleges and universities that this is not the case. Changes must be implemented NOW. We cannot wait while yet another group of students receives a curriculum that does not meet their needs. We must be nimble!

No one would say that the manner in which this news and the new cut scores were “forced upon us” is ideal, but the data speaks for itself. We could foolishly expend our energy complaining about how “unfair” this is but I think our time and resources will be more well spent attacking the task at hand. Other industries are faced with changing paradigms on a regular basis, their options are change and learn to operate in the new environment – BE NIMBLE - or die (go out of business.)

Education must learn from these industries.

Here in Watervliet, the change in cut scores, the adoption of new standards and curriculum will not change our mission. We are here to inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day regardless of the challenges we are faced with.

We will be nimble and our students will be prepared to be successful, happy and productive individuals when they leave our schools.

Lazy summer? Not so much!

2010-07-08T11:31:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe another school year has come and gone. Summer break provides a valuable opportunity for our students and staff to relax and recharge their batteries in preparation for another school year. But as we roll into the hazy, lazy days of summer, it is important to know that our work in educating the students of Watervliet continues. Upcoming summer days will be anything but lazy here at the Watervliet City School District.

As you can see if you ever travel by our Jr.-Sr. High School building, our comprehensive capital project is moving right along. By the end of the summer we will have a great deal of this project completed. Our students will enter the new wing at the Junior – Senior High School in September and will participate in Physical Education in our new gymnasium in January 2011. We project the new cafeteria will be ready for September of 2011. You can learn more about the project and see a slide show of our progress on our website.

What many community members don’t know is that there’s a beehive of activity that takes place every summer that’s not as visible. Every year we offer summer school for all students UPK through 12th grade as well as offering a transition program and summer enrichment activities for students of various ages and grades. Over 300 students participate in this program which is run entirely by our own administrators, teachers and staff.

The summer months are also filled with a great deal of professional development, academic planning and preparation for our next school year. Throughout July and August most of our teaching staff will be on campus at one time or another continuing to work on our curriculum alignment initiative and taking part in other professional development opportunities.

As an educator, I recognize the importance of rest and relaxation, but I am also committed to keeping our district and everyone in it focused on our mission of educating every student and every day. Around here, that includes summer days too.

Let's finish stong!

2010-06-02T12:08:00.000-04:00

Summer is just around the corner and the warm and sunny weather we have been experiencing lately makes it feel like it is already here. As an educator, I worry that it is too easy to let the long days, warm nights and sunshine fool us into thinking summer vacation has already started. It’s important for all of us to remember that it’s only June and school is still in session. In fact, we are approaching the most important part of our academic year.

While even I am prone to summer dreaming right now, it is very important for us all – parents, teachers and students – to remain focused on the academic work at hand and press hard toward the finish line. For Junior-Senior High School students this means bearing down on these last few lessons and exam reviews and studying hard for upcoming Regents and final exams. At the Elementary School level, students should be concentrating on learning the lessons that will ensure they are ready to move on to the next grade level.

Now is not the time for us to let up on our commitment to our mission. There will be plenty of time for rest, relaxation and fun during the long summer break. Now is the time to work even harder and close the year on a high academic note. There is no substitute for “in-class” time with our highly qualified and dedicated teaching staff. I hope students will take advantage of the time left of this school year, because every second counts.

Thanks for your support!

2010-05-21T07:51:00.001-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came out and supported our school budget this past Tuesday, May 18^th.

In my time here at Watervliet, we have always worked very hard to ensure that we do not place too heavy a burden on our tax payers. This is more important today, during these hard economic times, than ever.

As I have stated throughout the budget process, it is our job to propose a budget that balances the needs of our students with our communities’ values and ability to pay. I believe that we have done that this year and that the support of the community in passing the budget confirms this.

Thanks to your support, our students will see no cuts in program or personnel here at Watervliet. All extracurricular activities and clubs will remain and our class sizes will continue to be appropriate. We are confident in the programs and people we currently have in place and their ability to stay true to our mission to inspire educate and challenge every student, every day!

Thank you again for your support.

Setting the record straight on Watervliet softball!

2010-05-12T14:09:00.002-04:00

On Monday May 3rd a Times Union article titled "No Losers on a Losing Team" highlighted the Watervliet City School District's softball team and two of our senior captains in particular. While I am sure the piece was intended to be a "feel good story" about an underdog program, there are several inaccuracies in the article that I feel need to be addressed.

The article states that our softball team "has no field to call home." The team has always had a home field here on our district property and has only been displaced for the 2010 season while their brand new field is being constructed as part of a comprehensive capital project that was approved by our voters two years ago.

The article also goes on to state that the annual budget for the softball program is a mere $200. This is a grossly incorrect statement, as $200 doesn't even cover 5% of the coach's salary. In fact, the budget for our softball program in 2010 is $21,000.

The funding of our sports teams has nothing to do with their win/loss record as the article implies. This is why I also take issue with the statement that there was ever any discussion of softball being dropped here in Watervliet. In the five years that I have been Superintendent this has never been suggested and our commitment to this program and our students is evident by the fact that a new field is being constructed to ensure the future of this team.

I do however agree with the title of the article. There are no losers on any of our athletic teams, regardless of record. In fact, there are no losers among the over 1500 students who walk through the doors of our schools in the Watervliet City School District every day.

It's school budget time again!

2010-04-12T11:09:00.000-04:00

Every year at this time the conversation around school districts turns to the school district budget. Most of you have probably read the newspaper or watched the evening news and know that schools in New York State, and around the country, are feeling the impact of this historic economic crisis.

The Watervliet City School District is not immune to this crisis but we are fortunate to be in a far better fiscal position than many of the districts in New York State and our neighboring school districts.

As I have stated many times in the past, over the last four years our district has emerged from our own fiscal crisis. In many ways, facing that crisis has prepared us for what is upon us today. Solid leadership from our Board of Education and conservative and cautious business practices adopted by this administration have placed us in a position to continue to stay true to our mission of “Every Student, Every Day!” without layoffs, elimination of programs or a substantial tax increase.

Our budget mission is always to balance the ever-expanding educational needs of our students with our community’s values and their ability to pay. This year, much like last year, our budget goals are to maintain all current academic and extra curricular programs, maintain all current faculty and staff and continue to keep our class sizes as small as possible. We plan to achieve this goal without burdening our local taxpayers with a large tax increase in these difficult economic times.

In my five years as Superintendent, we have added many new programs, implemented many initiatives and expanded our student offerings. This year, it is financially prudent to limit new initiatives to those that we deem absolutely paramount to improving academic achievement.

We greatly appreciate the support that the citizens of Watervliet have shown our district over the last few years; soundly approving four school budgets in four years and overwhelmingly approving the two, much needed capital projects that have been placed before you. This year, the district will, once again, propose a sound, responsible and balanced budget that will continue to meet the needs of the students of the Watervliet City School District.

More information on our budget process is available on the district’s website. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our school’s budget.

Lowering standards is a slippery slope

2010-03-18T10:00:00.002-04:00

My last blog entry was about “racing to the top” and praised our state’s high academic standards and increased accountability for schools. I think it’s ironic, and rather unfortunate, that today’s entry has to talk about the possibility of our state moving backwards in what we require of our students.

As we all know, New York State is currently experiencing the greatest economic crisis in our history. The State deficit is projected to grow to over 9 billion dollars in some experts’ estimation. Most people are aware of how this financial crisis affects individual school budgets. But sadly, the newest possible victim of the state’s dire financial straits is the high educational standards and expectations that have long been the hallmark of New York State.

The state is proposing the elimination of 13 of 17 Regents Examinations, tests given to high school students at the end of each course of study to determine their competency in the subject. The elimination of these tests will save the State in the area of 14 million dollars. This is a substantial amount of money but I’m worried… is there a greater cost to this type of move?

Is the money saved worth lowering our expectations and discarding the high rigor of education in New York State? Will this move send students out of our high schools into the “flat world” of the 21st century unprepared to be productive and successful adults? Will we doom our students to entering post secondary education without the knowledge needed to gain a degree or certificate?

These are the questions that need to be answered before we short-circuit our standards and expectations. New York State has long been a national flag bearer for high standards and academic rigor in our public schools. Our standards are arguably the most comprehensive and rigorous in the country.

Here in Watervliet, our faculty, staff and administration have dedicated ourselves to the standards put forth by the State Education Department. These standards are the basis of our curriculum development and alignment and at the root of our school improvement process; a process that has improved our students' academic achievement and removed our district from School In Need of Improvement designation.

Eliminating Regents exams is a slippery slope that will erode these standards and have a negative impact on the quality of education here in Watervliet and in the entire state.

WCSD is ready to Race to the Top

2010-01-07T10:31:00.001-05:00

You may have heard about a new pool of money that the Obama administration has made available for education funding. “Race to the Top” funding is structured as a competitive U.S. Education Department grant that is open to State Education Departments across the country. New York State is eligible to receive up to $700 Million in funds which would allow us to accelerate our combined efforts to improve education across the state.

To qualify for Race to the Top funding, states are required to advance reforms in four specific areas:

Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college, the workplace and the global economy;
Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

This is great news for us here at Watervliet City Schools, as these goals are right on target with what our administrative team has been working towards during my time with the district. I am very pleased to see our new Commissioner, David M. Steiner and the State Education Department take this strong and decisive step toward fulfilling our promise to the young people of New York State.

New York is addressing the Race to the Top challenge through a cohesive plan that leverages and aligns our state resources and practices to improve education outcomes for all our students and close gaps in achievement. This application submitted to the United States Education Department is truly in line with the Mission Statement of the Watervliet City School District. High expectations are the cornerstone of our program and the Race to the Top proposal truly sets the expectations of our schools very high.

Some might think that school districts would shy away from this proposal and run from the level of accountability and the height of expectations that the Race to the Top proposal sets. We in Watervliet will not. In fact, I say “bring it on!” and I do so with the full support of the Watervliet Teachers’ Association and our Board of Education. We all fully embrace this challenge and thank Commissioner Steiner for his efforts and his confidence that we in the local school districts can win this “Race to The Top.”

Happy Holidays to all!

2009-12-23T14:23:00.001-05:00

As we approach the holiday break and the end of another calendar year, we also approach the half way point in our school calendar. I have spent much of the time this school year discussing student achievement and academic issues, which are at the core of our district mission statement.

But another part of our mission is community support. Both of our school buildings have been doing a great deal in our community this year and this holiday season.

At WJSHS, the Character Education program has been working to feed the hungry: In the past, Character Ed. Has worked at the Equinox Shelter to assist with Thanksgiving dinners. Community service in this area has expanded to include assisting with the St. Patrick's Soup kitchen every Monday evening, the St .Patrick's Food Pantry for Thanksgiving, and one trip per month to the Regional Food Bank in Latham to prepare shipments of food to numerous local food pantries. They also expanded their work with the City of Watervliet to include assistance with the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony and the flower planting through the housing authority.

WES students and staff give back through the Giving Tree which benefits families in need. Staff and community members purchase needed items to brighten the holiday for families that are struggling. In addition, the WES food drive collected well over 1000 pounds of food which was donated to the Watervliet St. Patrick's food drive.

The WHS Student Council conducted a food drive as well, which collected over 260 items and $370 in cash contributions.

Through efforts such as these throughout the year, the students and staff of the Watervliet City School District show a spirit of giving and commitment to the people of the community in which they live.

I am very proud and quite pleased that we are able to live up to this piece of our mission.

Happy Holidays to all.

I LOVE THIS SCHOOL!

2009-11-13T09:19:00.004-05:00

As many of you have probably seen, our new playgrounds are just about ready for our WES students. The play areas have been completely renovated and are brand new, safe and most importantly of all - full of exciting and challenging new equipment.

Earlier this week I visited our students playing on the new kindergarten playground and they were very excited to finally be able to swing on the swings and climb on the monkey bars, (even though it was a little chilly out) after several weeks of watching the construction through their classroom windows. It was great to see their smiling faces as they tried out the new equipment.

Yesterday, as I watched students using the new equipment on the other playground behind the school, I was excited by what I saw, but I was most impressed by what I heard. A student was running from one new piece of equipment to another screaming, “I LOVE THIS SCHOOL!” Normally, we educators are supposed to frown at screaming, but I think I can make an exception this one time!

I would like to thank Kate Smith and all of the members of our Playground Committee - Shannon Quinlivan, Kelly Webster, Don Stevens, Toni DeFilippo, Katrina Davis, Kelly Gilchrist, Stacey Clermont and Ben Roberts - for all of the hard work that they have done to make these new playgrounds a reality. I know our students appreciate it.

There are still a few more details and other renovations (including our new softball fields) that remain at WES, but we are in the final stretch (which I know will make Mrs. O’Brien very happy!)

The comprehensive capital improvement of our schools and facilities is ongoing and the main focus will now move to the WJSHS campus. It is the work of groups like the playground committee and our facilities task force that make these projects fully inclusive and true community endeavors.

As soon as the final touches are completed at WES we will be holding a ribbon cutting and public tours. We want everyone in the community to echo the sentiments of the excited student that I watched yesterday in saying, “WE LOVE THIS SCHOOL!”

Please watch our web site and WVLT for information about this event.

Appreciating our unsung heroes

2009-10-20T18:32:00.004-04:00

Two separate groups of unsung heroes are being celebrated at Watervliet City Schools. This week is both Bus Driver Appreciation Week and Board of Education Appreciation Week. Both of these groups are integral to the day-to-day operations and the overall vision and mission of our school district.

Bus Driver Appreciation Week

Our school bus drivers are very important members of our team here in Watervliet. While by New York State definition, the majority of our students live within walking distance to our schools, the Board of Education chooses every year to put safety first and offer a generous transportation program to our elementary school students. This program includes our three buses and district employed bus drivers (Dave Capitula, Mike Motkowicz, Mike Carroll) and several contract buses from Star and Strand and Folmsbee Transportation Company. Every one of these drivers happily takes on the responsibility for delivering our students safely to and from school every day. They also transport our students to special programs, field trips and sporting events. These men and women provide an important service to our students and community. This is sometimes a thankless job and I would like to thank them personally for all that they do. You can read more about our celebration on the district's website.

Board of Education Appreciation Week

The Board of Education of the Watervliet City School District is made up of five elected volunteers who truly are committed to the continued success of our school district: Mark Scully, President; Christine Chartrand, Vice President; Jennifer Donovan; Frank McGrouty; and Virginia Mullaney. Many people do not realize the time and effort that is put in by these people. Many also do not realize that there is no pay or benefits provided for School Board Members. They are true volunteers. Knowing that they are serving the children of our school district and the occasional, while be it too seldom, “thank yous” are all the compensation they receive. Happily for us, that is all they need.

We are very lucky here in Watervliet to have a BOE that is as committed, interested and dedicated to our schools as these folks are As you watch our test scores rise, our graduation rate climb and our new facilities come to life, you should know that it is your neighbor, the school board member, who had the vision and fortitude to bring these initiatives to reality. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to work with the WCSD BOE and thank them for guiding our school district to fulfillment of our mission of inspiring, educating and challenging every student, every day.

So, I ask you - next time you see your child’s bus driver or one of the members of our board of education, please remember to thank them for all they do for our students.

We're off the list!

2009-10-06T13:17:00.002-04:00

I frequently blog about our need to raise the bar for our students and ourselves. One the ways to do this is to take a long look at our practices and determine what is working and what needs to be improved. Our School Improvement Team has spent the last two years doing this and it has definitely paid high dividends.

We have seen great results from this work.

First and foremost, as per the most recent accountability list issued by the state education department, we have been removed from New York State’s list of "Schools Needing Improvement."

Watervliet City School District students in grades 3-8 demonstrated significant progress on the New York state math exam this year, with 15 percent more achieving the two highest levels over previous years.

District-wide, 86 percent achieved Level 3 or Level 4 on the test administered in March, up from 71 percent in 2007-08, according to results the State Education Department released June 1. Measured over two years, the district has seen a 33 percent increase in the number of students scoring at the top two levels.

The most significant gains this year were in grade seven, where 41 percent more students scored Level 3 or Level 4.

Every grade posted achievement gains and met the state benchmark, with significant gains at each grade level. Additionally, students in all subgroups made strong progress in 2009 as the district continues its efforts to eliminate the achievement gap.

The strong gains in math followed similar results district-wide on this year’s English language arts exam. Overall, 69 percent of the district’s students in grades 3-8 achieved proficiency in ELA this year, a 9 percent gain over 2008 and a 20 percent increase over 2007.

The most significant ELA gains this year were again seen in grade seven, where 20 percent more students scored Level 3 or Level 4.

Every grade posted ELA achievement gains and met the state benchmark, with significant gains at each grade level. Additionally, students in all subgroups made strong progress in 2009.

Just because we have been removed from the list of school’s needing improvement, the work of our School Improvement team will not stop. It is my firm belief that all schools should be working to be better at all times. So this year we will be looking even more deeply at our academic program and our practices.

To do this, we need to ask ourselves three essential questions: What are we teaching, why are we teaching it and how will we know our students have learned and mastered the material. Asking ourselves these questions on a daily basis, along with our more formalized school improvement initiatives, will allow us to continue our forward momentum and fulfill the mission of the Watervliet City School District.

I have never looked forward to a school year as much as I am looking forward to this one!

2009-09-09T13:13:00.003-04:00

Welcome back!

It is with great excitement that I welcome everyone, students and staff alike, back to school this fall. The progress that we have made as a district in recent years and the prospect of what lies ahead is so exciting and inspiring that I can say without hesitation that I have never looked forward to a school year as much as I do this year.

The mission of the Watervliet City School District is to inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day. And our staff is truly living up to this mission. Our school improvement team and sub-committees have provided us with new and more effective ways to ensure that our students are learning what they need. We made great strides in aligning our curriculum to ensure we are in line with New York State Standards. And as a result, we have seen unprecedented improvement in student performance.

I am very pleased and proud to announce that last year, our students achieved the annual yearly progress goal, as set by the State Education Department, on every test, in every grade level and in every sub group. We have been removed from the School In Need of Improvement list for the 2009-2010 school year.

Now we must continue to improve. Our goal is to not only be proficient but to achieve mastery. We must continue our forward momentum, raise the bar and challenge our students to even greater feats. As educators, our expectations of our students must be limitless and we must back these expectations with support and a commitment that just as we are asking for their best, we will give them our best each and every day.

Setting higher expectations for our students

2009-07-29T14:50:00.001-04:00

It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since I watched the class of 2009 walk across the stage here at Watervliet Junior Senior High School.

As I read the names of each graduate as they crossed the stage, I could not help but think of our district’s mission and our community’s shared value of high expectations.

Each of the students who graduated in June met these high expectations and I have confidence that they will go out into the world and become highly successful individuals.

But even as we handed out diplomas that night the world moved forward, and the expectations of the class of 2009 were no longer high enough to meet the needs of a world that is changing and advancing at a rate that we can’t even begin to comprehend.

It is with this in mind that I turn my attention to setting new, higher expectations for our students, faculty and administration. Not too long ago a high school diploma was all someone needed to be ready for a fulfilling and prosperous career and life. This is no longer the case. Research shows us that post-secondary education is now the key to success in life. College and/or technical school is a necessity and the same old high school expectations will not prepare our students for the challenges they will meet at these institutions. We must set the expectation that every student who enters our school district, regardless of when they enter, will graduate on time and with an ADVANCED REGENTS DIPLOMA. An advanced Regents Diploma requires that students meet more rigorous standards than a regular Regents Diploma. Next year’s freshman (students entering WHS in fall 2009) will need to pass 8 Regents exams to qualify for an Advanced Diploma as opposed to passing five exams to obtain a regular Regents Diploma.

The most recent school report published by the Capital Region Business Review ranks our school district 76 out of 85. While there can be many excuses and “yeah buts” used to rationalize this ranking, the truth is the methodology used to calculate this score is logical and actually a valid measure of school success with students. The overall score is a weighted tabulation that takes into account data from five categories: scores on state tests in ELA/Reading, social studies, science and math; and the total number of students who graduated with either Regents Diplomas or Advanced Regents Diplomas. After much analysis of this report, it is clear that despite impressive gains in our NYS assessments, the number of students graduating on time and with advanced Regents diplomas (the sign of a truly rigorous high school curriculum) is an area of weakness that we must address.

I find this ranking unacceptable and have begun conversations with our administrators and board of education to address this area of weakness immediately. Our job as educators, is to set the bar high for our students. To that end, it is my intention to present the BOE with a proposal to adopt graduation requirements that mirror those of the NYS advanced regents diploma as our district requirements for graduation.

Our graduates deserve to leave us prepared not just to survive in the world but to excel. With Board of Education, faculty, community and student support I am confident that our students will meet this new expectation handily.

The end of the year is also the end of an era...

2009-06-09T15:08:00.004-04:00

As an administrator, the end of another school year is always a time of reflection for me. I think back on all the things that went well over the past year and look ahead to the things I would like to work on improving next year. For all of us, it is a time to say goodbye to many people who have been important parts of our lives here at the Watervliet City School District. WHS seniors will cross the stage on June 26th and graduate, thus closing this chapter of their K-12 lives. We are so very proud of their achievements and wish them only the best as they move on to college or careers – whatever they have planned for the next stage of their lives. (Of course saying goodbye to our senior class requires a blog posting all of its own, so stay tuned!)

What I would really like to talk about today is saying goodbye to staff. Commencement is the most public of our goodbyes, but there are always the goodbyes that do not have the pomp and circumstance of a graduation ceremony. This is the time of year we also say goodbye to colleagues and friends from our instructional staff. This year Watervliet is losing two very committed educators, Mrs. Kathy Terpening and Mrs. Carolyn Proctor. Between the two of them, these educators have more than sixty years of service to the students of Watervliet.

Mrs. Proctor has served as a Teacher Assistant in the district for more than thirty years. During her time here she has always been someone who went above and beyond the contractual responsibilities of her position to help our students. Mrs. Proctor has been known to spend hours after school tutoring students in whatever subject necessary. Her own background and abilities aided her in being a tireless supporter of our students for whom English is a second language. Mrs. Proctor has been a true asset to our district and will be greatly missed by staff and students alike.

I first came to know and respect Mrs. Kathy Terpening through her role as Union President. As many of you know, the relationship between a union president and superintendent can sometimes be filled with conflict and, in the worst cases, contempt. This was not the case with Mrs. Terpening and I. I found Mrs. Terpening to be both honest and ethical as a union president. The more I have gotten to know her, I’ve realized she brings these qualities to everything else that she does. Over the years countless people have come to me to compliment Mrs. Terpening on what a great teacher she is and what a positive influence she has had on her students and her colleagues. As we start the process of looking for a teacher to occupy Mrs. Terpening’s classroom (I will not say replace Mrs. Terpening, because that could never happen!) I can’t help but feel that whomever we choose will have very big shoes to fill.

We wish both of these fine educators a long and happy retirement. You will both be missed.

Thanks for your support!

2009-05-20T12:40:00.002-04:00

Once again, our community has overwhelmingly approved our school district budget. The faith and trust that our community has shown our schools and our mission is truly inspiring. This district could not succeed in our work to inspire educate and challenge every student, every day without them.
I would like to personally thank this community for its unwavering support. Since I came to this district 4 years ago, our voters have approved each of our annual
budgets, two capital projects totaling more than 30 million dollars and a transportation proposition that allowed us to acquire three brand new school buses.

We're 7 and 0, and that's a nice place to be!

The Great Flip Flop Debate

2009-05-12T11:18:00.004-04:00

Every year as the weather gets warmer our district’s dress code becomes a matter of debate with students and some parents.

The Board of Education has adopted a dress code for the Watervliet City School District that requires students to dress in attire that meets our health and safety standards and does not interfere with the learning process. There are a few very specific items that are cited in this policy (tube tops, bandanas, hats, clothing that promotes violence, drugs or alcohol) but there are items that are not mentioned that the policy leaves up to the discretion of building-level administrators (principals and assistant principals).

It is the job of our building administrators to determine if student dress violates the policy in terms of health, safety and appropriateness. While they dutifully perform this function, I can tell you with certainty that they do not enjoy it. Our District's Mission is to inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day - not to be the fashion police.

The number one issue that comes up throughout the spring is the wearing of flip flops to school. No one will debate the fact that flip flops are a staple in most people's summer wardrobe (I have a pair myself), but this footwear is neither safe nor appropriate for school. Flip flops do not provide appropriate support for every day activities such as playground recess, physical education class or even just navigating our stairs and hallways. How many of us have thrown a flip flop just walking normally? I know I have. The foam sole provides little protection should a student step on something sharp accidentally and in the case of an emergency situation such as a fire drill they do not promote the ability to move quickly.

Lastly, flip flops are not appropriate for school in general. We must prepare our students for the expectations of the real world, and I know of no employer who would look kindly on their employee showing up to work in flip flops(unless your career choice is lifeguard or salesperson at Hollister).

I ask that parents understand the reasoning behind our stand on flip flops and discourage your children from wearing them to school. As a rule of thumb, we ask that you send your student with safe, multi–purpose shoes to school every day. Shoes with the proper support (heel and sole support) that are consistent with what is appropriate for the atmosphere that is our school building.

I thank you for your help with this matter. We would much rather spend our time in productive discussions surrounding the best way to inspire, challenge and educate our students rather than debating the merits of the ever-popular flip flop.

Education needs to be nimble

2009-04-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

There is an old saying that changes in education are evolutionary not revolutionary.
There is a great deal of truth to this saying. In today’s world we in education must change this

We must become nimble.

Nimble is defined as quick and light in movement; moving with ease; agile and active.

Do not confuse being nimble with being reactionary or rash. Being nimble means we must have the ability to move quickly, efficiently and effectively to meet the challenges that face education.

As I reflect on our budget development process, I realize how difficult it is for a school district to be nimble. We are planning our spending and programs for next year based on old knowledge, old data and old assumptions. As all of you know, technology that is purchased today is out of date quickly, sometimes even before we purchase it. New best practices in the classroom emerge on a daily basis. It would take a crystal ball to know exactly what new and improved technology and knowledge will be available to us come September, yet we formulate schedules and budgets that reflect what we have done in the past.

Schools face the specter of being under-funded and over-regulated in these very hard times. This adds to our plodding nature and makes becoming nimble seem nearly impossible. The call for greater and greater accountability stifles our desire to take risks of any kind.

But we can’t let these factors become excuses.

To overcome these challenges and become nimble we must build flexibility and calculated risk taking into our budgets, schedules, lesson plans and policies. We must put in place processes to review our actions quickly and, based on current data, take corrective action in a moments notice. We must be quick and light in movement, agile and active.

Throughout the spring our district will be working to align and update our curriculum to ensure rigor and relevance. During this process we will be able to build in opportunities for risk taking, language that allows for the flexibility and emphasis on research and innovation in the class room.

It is steps like these that will put us closer to one of my main goals - helping Watervliet become a nimble school district.

Keeping on mission!

2009-03-31T10:42:00.001-04:00

Our mission is to inspire educate and challenge every student, every day. And here in the Watervliet City School District we are living this mission.

I am proud to inform you that in the 2007 – 2008 school year our students met our annual yearly progress goals in every category, in every sub group and at every level. It is the hard work and commitment of our faculty and staff that has made this achievement possible.

While it is important that we take time to celebrate this achievement, we can not rest on our laurels. In an environment of continuous improvement we must ensure that this upward momentum continues.

A key way to do this is to ensure that we have a rigorous and relevant curriculum that is not only aligned with the New York State learning standards, but is aligned with our mission.

Recently, I was at a meeting of the leaders of community groups in our city. At the end of the meeting a line formed in front of me. Almost to a person, these community leaders sought our students for one activity, function or another. It gave me great pride to hear the positive comments about our schools, our teachers and most importantly – our students. But with that pride, came a feeling of great responsibility. This community depends on our ability to prepare our students to be the future of their city, the state and our nation.

They depend on us to deliver rigorous, relevant education with curriculum that is aligned with learning standards and prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century.

I want to thank our faculty and staff for they work they do towards fulfilling this challenge, and all that they do for every Watervliet student, every day.

Cannoneers hit the books, and crush the competition

2009-03-11T16:39:00.001-04:00

Our student athletes are getting the job done in the classroom and on the court/field. Earlier this month we were informed that our Girls Bowling, Boys Basketball and Boys Indoor Track teams were named Scholar Athlete Teams by the New York State High School Athletic Association. This follows a fall that saw four other teams also receive this honor; Girls Tennis, Girls Volleyball, Girls Soccer and Varsity Boys Football.

A team must have a combined overall average of 91 or better to qualify as a scholar athlete team.

Not only are Watervliet’s student athletes hitting the books, but they are crushing the competition as well. Section II titles were won in Football, Girl’s Basketball and for the first time ever, wrestling. In fact, our Football and Wrestling teams combined both a sectional championship and a scholar athlete award.

While many argue that athletics have little to do with student achievement, the academic accomplishments of our students clearly show that the two go hand in hand. Cannoneer athletes are held to a high standard and must perform in the classroom or they are not allowed to compete in their chosen sport. Our Athletic Director and all of our coaches share this philosophy and instill this value in each of their team members.

We are very proud that our students have the self discipline and commitment needed to be champions of both academics and athletics.

As an added honor, Varsity Football Coach, Erick Bernard and Wrestling Coach, Dennis Lane were both named Coach of the Year. These two gentlemen happen to be the coaches of our two teams that achieved both a sectional championship and a scholar athlete award. Is this just a coincidence? I think not?

The pressure is on spring coaches and teams. You have big shoes to fill!

Community Budget Forum - February 25, 2009!

2009-02-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt our nation is facing difficult times. The words recession, collapse, and bailout have become standard fare on the pages of newspapers and magazines both locally and across the country. According to experts, the current economic crisis will take years to play out. As a result, our district is going to be facing intense competition for limited resources at the state level.

The Watervliet City School District has been fiscally responsible, managing to work our way out of a $1.3 million budget deficit in left by a gap in funding in the 2005-06 school budget. As of the close of the 2007-08 fiscal year, the District has fully recovered from this deficit. However, it appears that the fiscal crisis at the New York State level will lead to reduced state aid this year, meaning that the district must look for ways to save money without affecting the quality of our educational program, or putting too large a financial burden on our taxpayers.

To that end, I would like to personally invite you to join us for an upcoming Community Forum to brainstorm together how best to plan for the 2009-10 school year budget.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, February 25, at 6:30 pm in the WJSHS Media Center and will feature a brief presentation on the current state of the district followed discussion on several essential questions related to the district’s budgeting process.

In times of economic uncertainty, schools can’t take the same approach as a business dealing with lost revenue, which would be to reduce either the quantity or quality of the product we produce. That’s just not an option in education – regardless of the state’s woes, our core mission is to inspire, educate and challenge every student every day.

While WCSD is lucky enough to be in better financial shape than many other local districts, the Board of Education may have to make some difficult decisions over the coming months, in an attempt to preserve our financial stability moving forward. Your input is very important to us. Navigating these rough waters is not something that the district should do in isolation. It is crucial that we work together as a community to find an appropriate balance. We hope that you will be able to join us for the upcoming Community Forum - I look forward to seeing you on February 25!

Planning for the 2009-10 school budget.. we need your input!

2009-01-16T11:10:00.002-05:00

As we begin the New Year, our district begins to focus on the school budget for 2009-2010. In doing this, we know that we have two main objectives: to provide a world class education to every student, every day, and to do so without over burdening our local taxpayers. This year, this balancing act is made even more difficult by the economic crisis that we face as a state and a nation. The realities of this crisis have our State officials considering some very deep cuts in the aid to education,

Watervliet relies heavily on state education funding to provide our student programs and keep our local taxes as low as possible. Reduction in this aid leaves us with only two choices; remove student programming or increase local taxes. Neither of which is something that we want to do.

These issues are at the center of the budget conversations that we want to have, not only with the school employees and administration, but also with the citizens of Watervliet.

In years past we have had a budget committee made up of school employees, local business owners, parents, and concerned tax payers. We would like to invite anyone who wants to be part of our solution team to join this budget committee. We will be holding a series of meetings over the coming months, the dates of which will be posted on the district’s website. If you would like to be a member of this committee, please contact Bernadette Boardman, Clerk of the Board, at 629-3201. We need to hear the voices of the people of Watervliet to help us make the right choices in this challenging time.

We will not abandon our students, and regardless of the money lost to state aid cuts we will accept and overcome this challenge together. The future of our students and our city is at stake. We must work together to come out of this crisis a stronger community.

Anatomy of a snow day

2008-12-19T09:50:00.002-05:00

I don’t believe in snow days. There I’ve said it. Of course I loved them when I was a kid, but as an educator, I hate to lose a day where we can be teaching students. If a student catches me on a day where bad weather is in the forecast and asks me if we’re going to have a snow day, you can bet my answer is going to be a resounding “NO!”

However, since the upstate New York winter has arrived with a vengeance, we know that some snowy or icy days are on the way. And despite what I would hope, it is inevitable that some inclement weather will eventually affect our school schedule.

So, contrary to what I want all of our students to believe, I probably will have to call the occasional snow day.

The historic ice storm that hit our region on Friday, December 12 is a perfect example of a time when I felt there was a definitive need for an emergency closing of our school. But often, the decision to close school is not that clear cut.

The Wednesday following the storm, December 17, was a bit more complicated. On these types of days there is a great deal that goes into making the decision to close, delay or maintain our regular schedule.

When the weather’s bad, my day starts at about 4 a.m. with a call to our head of maintenance, John Szkopiec. Mr. Szkopiec is always the first one on school grounds during bad weather. He gives me an update on the conditions of our buildings, parking lots and the roads leading to our schools. He also frequently talks with the plow drivers for the City of Watervliet to get a read on the condition of the rest of the roads in the City.

My second call is to our Director of Transportation, Mrs. Yanni. Mrs. Yanni has a report from the transportation companies we contract with on the conditions of the roads and the readiness of the bus fleet. Next, I call the superintendents of our neighboring districts in Cohoes and Green Island. The three of us will review what we have learned so far that morning and discuss any ways that we may be able to assist each other during the weather emergency. In very serious situations, such as the Valentines Day storm in February of 2007 that forced the schools to close for two consecutive days, I will call the Mayor, Fire Chief and Chief of Police to look to coordinate our response and pool resources.

When all of the information is collected, a final determination is made and the notices go out to the media, gets posted on our district website, www.watervlietcityschools.org, and the phone trees begin for faculty and staff. My last step is to contact the Board of Education members informing them of the decision that was made and why.

So, if you ever wonder how I decide to close, delay or remain on our regular schedule, now you know. It doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not kids are wearing their pajamas inside out, or sleeping with a spoon under their pillows, as I have heard many students have started to do as a “night-before-a-snow day” ritual. I rely heavily on the input of others and do what is needed to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Respect and Integrity

2008-11-17T09:55:00.002-05:00

The final of the four shared values and beliefs held by the Watervliet City School District is Respect and Integrity.

A community of learners must be a community of respect. Positive results can’t occur in an atmosphere that lacks respect. As a school district we must be respectful of our students, our community and each other.

This holds true not just for our intentions, but for our actions. We must treat each other with respect on an everyday basis. It is important to remember that please and thank you is not only polite, but it works! Try it.

Most of us think of integrity as being honest and doing what is right, not only for ourselves, but for everyone. However, integrity is much more than that. At its core, it is consistency of actions, values, methods, measures and principles, Cheating on a test, copying homework or using sick time to go shopping are actions that not only break the rules, but show a lack of integrity.

Failing to push ourselves to do our best can be a seen as a lack of integrity as well. In failing to strive to be our best, we are not being honest with ourselves, we’re selling ourselves short and cheating the rest of the community out of our potential contributions.

We cannot allow that to happen.

Every student must be shown the way to act with respect and integrity every day. Not because we say so, but because failing to do this robs both the student and the rest of us of the greatness that each student has inside of them.

Good is the enemy of great

2008-10-28T14:17:00.002-04:00

The third shared value and belief of our district is Continuous Improvement. Good is always the enemy of great. We can never be content to be just good enough; we must always strive to be our best. As educators we must encourage our students and ourselves to continuously improve everything we do, we must aim higher, dream bigger and shoot for the stars.

We cannot look at our school improvement process as a plan to jump over a bar set at a specific height, because the bar keeps rising. We must set both short and long term goals for improvement and put systems in place that provide for constant upward movement.

The current goal of the New York State Department of Education is 100% proficiency of all of our students on all state assessments by 2012. This is an ambitious goal that the Watervliet City School District fully supports and intends to meet. In order to do this we must push to improve every day.

Even when we meet this goal, there will still be a need for continuous improvement. There will always be areas in which we can improve. Aside from 100% proficiency, we are working to see more students graduating on time, more students attending four year colleges and universities, more students making greater contributions to our community and country just to name a few.

As I said before, good is the enemy of great. It’s a little-known fact that a great white shark must always be moving forward or it will die because it is not getting oxygen from water flowing through its gills. I want all of our faculty members and students to “be the shark” and keep their forward momentum going throughout their lives.

2008-10-07T13:51:00.003-04:00

Continuing our discussion on the shared values and beliefs of our school district, I’d like to address the second value:

High Expectations

Expectations for students, parents and staff are clearly defined, understood and communicated. Students, parents and staff are empowered, supported and trained to meet high expectations.

Our expectation is that “every student” will find success here in the Watervliet City School District. We expect that all students will reach a high level of academic achievement and develop into socially well rounded individuals. We also expect that every adult; teachers, staff, parents and community partners understand the expectations that we have of ourselves in accepting the responsibility to provide a high level of support.

While we expect a great deal of our students, we must expect a great deal of ourselves. High expectations must be held and maintained for all. However in order to make this a reality we must also realize that as educators our job is to provide the high level of support that our students need to meet these expectations. A “high expectations” / “high support” learning community gets things done, grows and finds a great deal of success.

A nice example of how Watervliet CSD has a history of rising to meet the challenge of high expectations was the recent induction of over 20 members into the New Watervliet Athletic Hall of Fall. All of the inductees, whether coaches, supporters or athletes, met and exceeded high expectations during their athletic careers and their lives beyond WCSD. And we have had many students throughout the years who have done the same in the classroom.

Expectations alone will not get the job done. Support, understanding, patience and hard work are needed to help us as we rise to meet these high expectations. As our mission statement says we must be ready to do so, “Every day”. High expectations should never take a day off or go on vacation. We expect every member of our school community to “bring their A game” in everything they do.

Shared Values and Beliefs

2008-09-22T13:31:00.002-04:00

Last week I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet with every elementary school student and discuss our new mission statement. During these meetings we discussed the shared values and beliefs of our school district. Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing my personal insights on these shared beliefs, through a series of blog articles. Today, we’ll be discussing the first point:

Success of All Students

All staff members are focused on student success. Students have many avenues and opportunities to learn, achieve and celebrate academic, personal and employment success. All students will leave the Watervliet City School District prepared for college, career and citizenship.

The shared value of success for all students is one that I feel very strongly about. This statement makes it very clear to everyone that our job as a school district is to ensure that every student who attends school at Watervliet and walks across the stage to graduate at the end of their senior year will be prepared for a happy and productive life.

So, what exactly is “happy and productive?” How will we determine if we are successful in this endeavor? We all define success differently but I define it in one word: choices. The staff, teachers, administrators and Board of Education of the Watervliet City School District have fulfilled their mission if every student who graduates from our school has choices.

We want our students to have myriad choices. Students could choose to attend college and will be academically prepared to do so. Students could also choose to attend a vocational school, join the military or enter the job market. We will have done our job if they leave here prepared to excel in the complex world of the twenty first century through their ability to think, problem solve, and work collaboratively and cooperatively.

The key is that our students will not only have all of these options open to them, but they will have the confidence and readiness to make important decisions about their future. Possessing the skills and abilities to choose to do what we want in life is the ultimate success.

Watervliet City Schools has a new mission for 2008-09!

2008-08-15T09:47:00.006-04:00

Welcome Back!

The start of a new school year is always very exciting. Although we’re forced to say goodbye to the hot weather and freedom of summer, we gain the opportunity to see friends that we’ve missed and get back into the swing of things here at school.

While school has been out for the summer, things have been hopping at Watervliet City Schools. Our construction project at Waterlviet Elementary school is on-going and we are beginning the preliminary steps toward the renovations at Watervliet Junior – Senior High School. Although construction projects can be unpredictable and sometimes inconvenient, the pay-off will come when these projects are complete - we will have two newly renovated school buildings to be very proud of. I am pleased to report that the projects are on schedule moving forward as they should.

Also this summer, the Watervliet City School District Board of Education has adopted a new mission statement for the district. This mission statement is the result of a great deal of hard work by our Mission Statement Committee. The committee is made up of teachers, support staff, administrators and community members.

We will spend a lot of time this fall promoting and discussing this new mission statement with our students, staff and community. We hope that the entire school community will support us as we seek to fufill this new vision and mission for our district.

The mission of the Watervliet City School District is to inspire, educate and challenge every student, every day!

Please visit our website to read about the shared beliefs and values that will support this new mission

I hope that the summer was enjoyable and relaxing for everyone and I look forward to spending the next ten months continuing our efforts to achieve excellence for every student, every day!

There's no reason to be bored...

2008-06-12T15:52:00.007-04:00

There are many things you remember that, at the time, seem unimportant. Sometimes you don’t even know that they stick with you, but they do. One of these things for me is the advice that was given to my ninth grade English class on the last day of school by our particularly large and intimidating teacher.

He very simply said, “You have ten weeks off of school, and there is no reason for any of you to find yourselves bored during that time."

He did not elaborate; he left it to us to figure out what he meant. I still think about that teacher and that statement every year when the calendar gets to June.

As a student, I thought he wanted us to do extra homework and keep up our studies over the summer - but as I got older I realized that maybe that is not what he meant. Maybe he meant that we had freedom and free time that we should not waste or take lightly. Maybe he meant that we should be outside playing ball or exploring, hiking or going to museums. Maybe he meant we should spend this time with our families and friends. He purposely left it open to interpretation for us to figure it out. He hit so many New York State learning standards with that one statement it is amazing. (Pretty much every ELA standard... view here)

So, as we head toward the last day of school I want to encourage all of our students to use the next ten weeks wisely. Be sure to go and do something that you have always wanted to do but didn’t have the time. Read a book or two, go to a museum, make a new friend and enjoy yourselves. In the words of my ninth grade English teacher, there is no reason for you to be bored this summer.

Thank you for your support!!

2008-05-21T13:14:00.002-04:00

On May 20, Watervliet City School District residents voted by a margin of 237 to 86 to pass the proposed $21,299,784 budget for the 2008-09 school year. I am pleased that over 73% of the voters felt they could support this budget. I want to thank all of those who came out to vote.

Don't forget to vote on your school budget!

2008-05-20T13:47:00.001-04:00

Our public schools play a vital role in the lives of children and families. School budgets are up for vote today, Tuesday, May 20. I just want to remind you all how important it is to make sure your voice is heard in your district.

I encourage you to be an informed voter. Most districts provide detailed budget newsletters and/or budget information on their school Web sites. Take the time to get the facts. Find out about this year's school budget proposal and the board of education candidates seeking office in the school district where you live. If you don't know where to vote or the times that polls open and close, visit your school Web site or call the district office for details.

Every single vote -- pro or con -- carries an enormous impact. I know we are all extremely busy, but please make time to vote -- and encourage your friends and family members to do the same.

OK, Mr. Superintendent, what do you actually do?

2008-05-08T15:04:00.003-04:00

A lot of people ask me, “OK, Mr. Superintendent, what do you actually do?” The simple answer is that I oversee the running of the entire district from top to bottom.

The more complicated answer is that I hold myself personally responsible for helping our district reach two main goals each school year: increasing academic achievement and managing the costs of providing a quality education to our students — costs that are largely funded by our community’s taxpayers.

I am going to focus on my second goal in this post, since the school budget vote is just around the corner.

The Watervliet Board of Education recently adopted a $21,299,784 proposed budget for the 2008-09 school year. The plan represents a 9 percent increase in spending over the current year’s budget and would result in an estimated 1.5 percent tax rate increase if approved by voters on May 20.

The spending increase is higher than some area districts, due to about $1 million in increased state aid we will receive. Under the New York’s Contract for Excellence (C4E) program, we are required to spend these state revenues in very specific ways as prescribed by the state.

C4E provides an infusion of money to help us support our most important goal as a district: improving student achievement. Programs funded by this money will benefit our students with the greatest educational needs, and serve to strengthen our academic program district wide. To learn more about C4E and what it means for Watervliet, please see the resources listed at the end of this post.

Again, we can only use C4E funds for school improvement initiatives — and the state picks up the tab! That also means that these funds cannot be used to reduce local school taxes. However, we have sought other ways to reduce the impact of the proposed budget on our local taxpayers. Translated into real dollars, the proposed 1.5 percent tax rate increase would mean a tax increase of approximately $28 for the average homeowner in Watervliet and $31 for Mannsville homeowners. Keep in mind: these figures are based on a home assessed at $100,000. Your number may be different depending on your property assessment.

The Empire Center for New York State Policy recently came out with their “2008-09 School Budget Spotlight,” which focuses on proposed tax and spending changes measured on a per-pupil basis for the 634 school districts that have submitted data compiled for the State Education Department’s annual school property tax report cards. The state average in “per-pupil tax levy change” is 4.2 percent. Our “per-pupil tax levy change” is -2.2 percent. Our budget proposal ranks 16^th lowest in the state, meaning that out of the 634 districts that submitted information to State Ed, 618 of them have a larger increase in what their proposed budget will cost taxpayers per student.

I am pleased that the budget proposal includes no cuts to staff or programs and, in fact, adds many new initiatives. Our administrative team has worked very hard to develop a budget that really targets our resources to the students and the areas where we need the most improvement and continues our forward momentum in reading and literacy districtwide. We are also focusing on making improvements to our mathematics curriculum and our special education services.

I hope you will all learn as much about this year's proposed budget as you can before the vote on May 20. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

For more information:

Budget hearing: May 13, 7 pm, Watervliet Jr./ Sr. HS Auditorium

Budget section of watervlietcityschools.org

Contract for Excellence public hearing: May 27, 7 pm, Watervliet Jr./ Sr. HS Media Center

C4E section of watervlietcityschools.org

Watervliet will always be the Garnet and Grey, but our facilities are going green!

2008-04-22T10:45:00.003-04:00

Today is Earth Day and I thought this was great time to talk about the use of environmentally friendly technologies that we are utilizing as part of our construction and renovation projects. Watervliet will always be the Garnet and Grey, but our facilities are going green!

As many of you know, we are doing a great deal of construction and renovation to our schools here in Watervliet. These renovations have been well thought out and meticulously planned to enhance the learning environment for our students. In addition, we’ve also made a conscious effort to be environmentally friendly.

At the Watervliet Elementary School we have included many green systems that will help us conserve energy and shrink our “carbon footprint.”

Dedicated Outdoor Air Supply (DOAS) with Heat Recovery: This green technology delivers 100% fresh, outdoor air in a continuous stream to every area in our elementary school. More than 60% of the energy required to heat this air is recovered through the use of filtered exhaust which saves energy and reduces emissions.

Thermal Energy Storage: Watervliet Elementary School’s new air conditioning system utilizes an ice storage system that reduces demand during peak usage, translating to a 50% reduction in the energy needed to maintain comfortable temperatures in our classrooms. This system also reduces the humidity in the building reducing the risks of mold and dampness.

Chemical-Free Condenser Water Treatment System: Chemical Free water treatment reduces the environmental “foot print” of the school by eliminating toxic water treatment chemicals and utilizing an energy efficient, pulse powered system to treat condensed water. This system also saves water and reduces cost by eliminating the need for system purges or “blow downs.”

These efforts are just the start in making Watervliet City School District a greener district. The use of environmentally friendly systems and materials will also be a focus of the work that will begin this fall at the Jr./Sr. High School.

Keep an eye on our web site’s construction area for more on green technologies in our buildings.

A big day at Watervliet Elementary School

2008-04-07T15:51:00.002-04:00

Today we had some distinguished visitors at Watervliet Elementary School. New York State Commissioner of Health, Richard Daines and Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention toured our school to learn about the many initiatives we have underway here at Watervliet to keep our students healthy. (Story on our website can be found here)

Across the country childhood obesity numbers are on the rise and we are concerned about what this trend could mean for our students. We’re making every effort to work lessons about healthy eating into our elementary curriculum. Our physical education department focuses on not only team sports but also individual sports so we can help instill lifelong physical activity habits in our students. Our students study food science and nutrition to learn about healthy food choices. These initiatives go on all year at WES.

Additionally, we participate in the Seal A Smile program. Seal-a-Smile is an oral health program providing services to elementary school aged children. The program has an oral health classroom education component (read more about their visit to WES here) as well as providing dental screening, fluoride treatment, dental cleaning, individual oral hygiene instructions and follow-up oral health care management services. All participating students receive a tooth brush and toothpaste and other fun surprises.

It was exciting to have visitors of this caliber at our school. Thank you to our students and staff who, as always, were excellent and welcoming hosts. I am pleased that we were chosen for this visit - in many ways our school is the center of our community and we strive to provide as many services to our students and their families as we possibly can. It was nice to have an opportunity to “show-off” some of what we are doing to state and federal policymakers.

A Foundation for Excellence

2008-03-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came out in support of the building project Tuesday night. The Watervliet City School’s Board of Education and I both feel that the result of the vote (582-98: after the count of the absentee ballots) is a clear illustration of how much the community is invested in the continuing improvement of our schools and is a reflection of a true understanding of the importance of education.

I would also like to thank our Facilities Task Force for their time and effort. This task force has devoted considerable time over the past two years to help set our district on the path to renewed, rejuvenated and modern school facilities.

Finally, thanks to the WTA for their unwavering support.

This project was designed to be an investment not just in bricks and mortar, but in our students, the quality of their education and the future of our whole community. When its finished, it will provide 21^st century facilities for the 1400 learners in our district – facilities that every resident of the city of Watervliet can be proud of.

In the next few weeks, we will be submitting our project plans to the state education department for approval and preparing to accept bids from contractors. We will keep everyone up to date on the progress of the project through the construction link of our web site.

Thanks again to all of our supporters!

Watervliet Building Project

2008-02-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

As you may be aware, the Watervliet City School District Board of Education recently approved a resolution for a $21.7 million building proposition that will go to voters in early March. The proposal expands and renovates the Watervliet Jr./Sr. High School and also includes some additional improvements to the Watervliet Elementary School.

This is really a great time to be doing a project of this scope, as our district is eligible for 95.2 percent building aid from the state and we have $700,000 in remaining excel funds available for the project. The tax impact on homeowners is expected to be less than one percent. We hope that all community members will learn as much as they can about this proposal and be sure to come out and vote on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. Here’s how you can learn more about the project:

A newsletter outlining the details of the proposal will be sent to all district residents in late February.
A public meeting will be held give an overview of the project and provide an opportunity for community residents to ask questions will be held Tuesday, February 26 at 7:00 pm in the WJSHS auditorium.
Informational videos will air on WVLT later in February.
Information, including blue prints of the proposed additions and renovations, frequently asked questions and timelines for the project, are available on the district’s website, www.watervlietcityschools.org.

Please keep in mind that in order to vote on the proposed building project and/or the district's budget in May, you need to be registered to vote.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the proposal or about the process leading up to the vote. I can be reached in my office at 629-3201, or you can e-mail me at ppadalin@vliet.neric.org.