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.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Let's finish stong!
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.
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.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thanks for your support!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came out and supported our school budget this past Tuesday, May 18th.
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.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Setting the record straight on Watervliet softball!
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
Monday, April 12, 2010
It's school budget time again!
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.
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.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Lowering standards is a slippery slope
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.
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.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
WCSD is ready to Race to the Top
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:
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.”
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.
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.”
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