WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. August 28, 2012 UPDATED August 29 12:50 A.M. E.D.T.UPDATED AUGUST 29, 2012 5:05 P.M. E.D.T. UPDATED AUGUST 30, 2012, 9 A.M.:
The White Plains Board of Education unanimously approved a $48,239,840 bond issue Tuesday evening to be offered to district registered voters for approval October 23, from noon to 9 P.M. at regular School District locations.
9 P.M. E.D.T.Tuesday: School Board takes roll call vote to bond for $48.3 Million. The vote was 6-0 with Peter Bassano not present.The $48.3 Million bond, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business, Fred Seiler, will result in a .72% property tax increase, a $65 a year increase in the debt service.
In addition, the Board hired Magaret Pecunia as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, who will take over the job of Lenora Boehlert, who is retiring.
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New Teacher/Principal Evaluation Procedure to begin this September.
In other action, the Board approved a one-year pilot teacher and administrative annual professional performance review — an bewilderingly complex procedure (to this reporter) — that has been approved by the New York State Department of Education — one of only twenty programs approved statewide. The program was developed by Ms. Boehlert, Kerry Broderick, President of the White Plains Teachers Association and Lois Gordon, President of the administrators union.
Myra Castillo was approved as new Assistant Principal of Church Street School.
The Bond Decision
Prior to the approval of the bond issue, Board Member James Hricay said that the tour of Eastview conducted by Director of Facilities and Operations, Frank Stefanelli, convinced him to go with the approval of the bond, and that the historically low cost of borrowing at this time meant it was a very good time to execute the $48.3 Million reconstruction program since the work would have to be done in five years anyway.
Hricay expressed reservations on the WI-FI portion,saying, “I don’t understand how Wi-Fi is going to fit into the learning plan.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christopher Clouet, said, “Wi-Fi isn’t just e-mails and texting; it’s about accessing periodicals not available to students in print form; research and access to websites; the ability to go to an online lab; accessing workbooks on line instead of distributing hard copies; and long-term, replacing textbooks.”
Jessica O’Donovan, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, said now when data has to be transmitted, laptops have to be plugged into the school system. With the coming of Wi-Fi she noted, she could access from anywhere in the district building system, and with the state going to an online transmission of data, she said Wi-Fi would facilitate that transition.
Frank Stefanelli, Director of Facilities and Operations observed that Wi-Fi would only be more expensive to convert in the future. He added that Wi-Fi-connected school facilities would enable wireless control of systems like heating, lights, air-conditioning, citing how the new HVAC system at Eastview had a wire cut recently and the new unit is not controllable. He also told WPCNRWi-Fi by swifter means of controlling systems would save the district money.
Board member Rose Lovitch observed that her e-mail from residents was supportive of construction, but was skeptical of Wi-Fi. She urged the Superintendent to sell vigorously the educational and practical advantages of Wi-Fi in public appearances. She said she had read in some media that “the school board does what they want to do.” She said the public should know the Board studied the bond decision very carefully and the facilities committee worked very hard on analyzing the needs.
The district authorized the bond to execute $4.1 Million of improvements at Ridgeway( $114,432 for Wi-Fi); $3,434,634.07 at George Washington School ($150,528, Wi-Fi); $2,086,459.63 at Mamaroneck Avenue School ($145,024 Wi-Fi); $500,837.97 at Church Street School ($164,064, Wi-Fi); $146,000 at Post Road School ($96,000, Wi-fi); $6,885,262.04 at Highlands Middle School ($857,856 for Wi-Fi); $5,325,502.29 at White Plains High School ($1,945,410.56 for Wi-Fi); $2,833,828.59 at Rochambeau School ( $408,320 for Wi-Fi).
The largest expenditure is $22,571,947.23 targeted for a redo of Eastview School (including an $18.7 million renovation of the building, and $600,960 for Wi-Fi. It is worth noting that the new Post Road School cost the district $38 Million five years ago, and two football synthetic turf fields, $9 Million five years ago.
In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, the district said “$200,000 will be used to upgrade elementary school playgrounds and (a total of) $4.8 Million will add WiFi capability to the schools.”
Teacher Evaluation Program approved by the state
The Board adopted an Annual Professional Performance Review program, after hearing Dr. Lenora Boelert, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, take the Board through the new complex evaluation system.
Superintendent Clouet noted that the State Education Department had notified White Plains it is one of twenty schools that has had their Professional Performance Review Program approved as a pilot program this year. Clouet voiced the optimism that this would qualify White Plains for state grants in implementing the program, and also qualify it for any increase the district might receive in state aid next year. Clouet said the state called the White Plains pilot progrsm “solid,” and they “praised it.”
Boehlert said the new program will evaluate teachers through classroom observations twice a year through their first nine years with the district. Tenured teachers in their tenth year would only be observed in the classroom once. Teachers would be evaluated on four categories and in any areas where they are judged ineffective, they would be given a Teacher Improvement Program.
New Teachers would be personally observed in classroom action four times in their first year; three times in their second year, and twice in their third (the decision for tenure) year.
If a tenured teacher is judged overall to be ineffective, they would have two chances to appeal, with the Superintendent having the final say as to whether they would be removed via the state 3020A process which is now under review by the state. The number of classroom evaluations by administrators of teachers would about double from 10 a year to 35 a year,Boehlert said.
The program will be presented in detail to teachers in a presentation, Clouet said. (Editor’s note: this is a rough description of the new teacher/principal performance program, and there are many layers to it which will be explained in detail to the teaching corps) Ms. Broderick said this is a PILOT program, and because it is a PILOT program and mandated by the state, it did not have to be presented for a union vote.
A similar program has been devised for Principals of White Plains Schools.
Boehlert told WPCNR that it is most likely that tenured teachers would improve their performance and not ever reach the 3020A stage. As White Plains Teachers Association President, Kerry Broderick observed, “If I’m judged ineffective two years in a row, I want to know what is my administrator doing.”
WPCNR asked Dr. Boelert if the new Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources designee would be familiarized with the program Boelert, Gordon and Broderick created. She said yes, “she’s on board.”
Previously
Previously, on WPCNR, Seiler said work would begin on Eastview next summer, with the rest of the schools completed by the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.
He said it has not been decided yet whether to finance the full amount next year, or break it up into three offerings. He said that once the resolution was passed August 28, the project had to be sent to the State Education Department for approval.
Seiler said that this should hold the district for about 5 to 6 years before any more major maintenance expenditures requiring another capital project is required.
Seiler said previously all buildings would be equipped with Wi-Fi capability, but the cost of that had been whittled down to $4.2 (now $4.8 Million) Million from an original $6 Million, by paying for some of the equipment through operating budgets.
The School District issued a news release Thursday announcing a series of 5 Bond Referendum Informational Hearings:
September 11: The Council of Neighborhood Associations, Education House, 6:30 P.M.
September 19: Public Meeting and Tour Eastview Building, 7 PM
September 27: PTA Council Meeting, Education House, 7:30 P.M.
October 4: Informational Meeting, Ridgeway School, 7 P.M.
October 9: Rotary Club
