THE WORLD READS WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER — 8,324,077 VISITS IN ONE YEAR

 

WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. May 13, 2008: The White Plains Board of Education considers itself to be “mindful” of the $184.4 Million school budget pressure on White Plains taxpayers, but offered no assurances or plans to rein in district costs next year. The Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, entering the last year of his current contract in June said property tax relief was up to Albany legislators to have “courage” to establish a separate commercial property tax rate.  

Superintendent of Schools, Timothy Connors, explaining a fine point of the school budget last night at the public hearing on the $184.4 Million Budget. President of Board of Education, Donna Mclaughlin, is at right.

The School District in a second public meeting opportunity to report the state STAR cuts,  did not disclose the additional $200 increase in property taxes White Plains taxpayers (and taxpayers across the state) will pay automatically as a result of the state legislature quietly  cutting the Basic and Enhanced Star Exemptions by 10%, the largest cut the exemptions have taken since their inception  in 1997– despite having two public meetings in which to make full disclosure of this secret cut.

The unreported “cut” when figured into one’s school taxes makes the tax White Plainsians will pay, 8% more, not 5.98% as consistently proclaimed by the school district  again last night, despite having the knowledge of the Basic and Enhanced STAR cuts for three weeks.

While not reporting the STAR cuts, the district  last night did report that the Middle Class STAR Rebates of last fall would still be in effect.

Budget Committee Mandate

Connors and President of the Board of Education Donna Mclaughlin said the Board was carrying out the sentiments of the Annual Budget Committee in crafting the budget.  Connors said the Budget Committee asked the district to maintain small class sizes ( 20 at the elementary level, 24-25 students at high school level) Pre-K indergarten programs,  and minority academic improvement programs without any new programs.  

A total of 7 persons came out from the public to comment on the $184.4 Million budget.

Fuming

 Scathing criticism from six persons, representing  two senior citizens, 3 business executives, and a former resident of Irvington – attacked the cost for educating  each student  in White Plains ($25,732), one describing it as “absolutely insane,” and comparable to private school tuition; attacked the new artificial turf fields as being uneducational; expressed shock at the average teacher’s salary ($94,000) as being “big bucks;” chided  the high salaries of administrators  ($149,000 for the Coordinator of Technology was criticized as too high by a technology executive, “it’s crazy,” was the comment).

The Superintendent of Schools defended the district as being 5^th in the county in spending per student, and less than Scarsdale ($27,000 per student),  and when  a speaker compared  White Plains to the New Rochelle District ($17,000 per student), Donna McLaughlin pointed out that New Rochelle had larger class sizes and no All Day Kindergarten.

Staff Cutting

Connors defended administrative staff numbers, saying the district had 1,200 employees, of whom there were 800 teachers and assistants, 45 administrators, 110 support staff, and 100 custodial staff and that the number of teaching assistants had been cut in recent years.

In response to a question on whether more administrators were going to be added this year, Mr. Connors said, none.

In an accounting last month, as reported by WPCNR, Mr. Connors described the staff in more detail:

 For 2008-2009, there are 47 Administrators (down by 2).  

The district plans to hire two new data processing executives, a Manager of Information Systems ($150,000) and a Data Base Manager ($100,000)  plus benefits,  plus acquire a new district software package for $200,000, while retaining the present Coordinator of Technology, earning $149,502, and the present Coordinator, Research, Testing & Evaluations, earning $149,502.  Another criticized the Coordinator for Physical Education and Health being paid $149,502, wanting to know what the person did.

New Administrative Positions

The new positions and software are being, added , as reported by WPCNR previously,  because BOCES has been unable to provide the data tracking of student performance on tests  that the district has long desired.

A new Manager of Information Systems being sought is expected to redesign the data system to customize the data to the district reporting wish list.  It should be observed that for eight years the Board of Education has requested longitudinal studies of student and class performances on tests year to year through the grades, and the present data configuration of the district administered by the present coordinators has been unable to execute these studies due to technical limitations of the software and input process.

There would also be a new part-time Coordinator of  Private Schools Placement (to coordinate placement of Special Education students) for $80,000; a new Science Teacher at the high school for $70,000 .

The Detail on Staff 2008-2009

Adminstrators: 47 (down 2, with 2 to be added)

Clerical Staff: 113

Certified Teachers: 659 (down 2)

Teaching Assistants: 238 (down by 5)

Custodial: 90

Part-time: 106

Total: 1,253

Connors defended the school budget as “the cost of doing business in this area.” The resident of the Board of Education, Donna McLaughlin, defended the district cost per student, criticized as being comparable to private school tuition, by noting that the district paid the cost of Special Education services and transit to students going to Private School (77 such students exist, she said).

The synthetic turf fields came under attack.

Asked what the cost of Parker Stadium and Loucks Field was, the Assistant Superintendent for Business said the cost was $6.2 Million, (which WPCNR points out, does not include the architect commission of about $2 Million more for designing the two structures). The Superintendent of Schools noted that the community passed the referendum authorizing $66 Million in bonds for the construction of the fields, “representing an investment for all students,”  in effect dismissing the fields as a moot issue, though payment for the fields and the rehabilation of individual schools takes up $1.7 Million of the budget debt service increase (up about $3 Million). $1.5 million in certiorari payments is  being borrowed for in addition tothe $1.7 Million debt for Post Road School and Mamaroneck Avenue School.)

Ms. McLaughlin defended the new stadia as being part of the complete educational experience, when two disgruntled citizens criticized the fields as having nothing to do with education.

In another exchange, a citizen decried the certiorari problem the district is dealing with perpetually. Connors made clear that certioraris had to be paid, that they could not be issued as credits towards future taxes.

One of the critics tempered the cantankerous tone of the questions being flung at the Board, saying White Plains students “were getting a good education for dollars spent. They do a good job.”

55 or 65 Which Is it?

There was also criticism from one senior citizen that school was harder in his day at Brooklyn Poly Tech where he went to school. He criticized the 55 passing grade for regents examinations. There was not a definitive answer from the Board of Education as to whether the passing grade for Regents exams was now 65 at White Plains or remained at 55. The Board noted that they had moved in advance of the State of New York policy to advance passing grades to 65 on the Regents examinations

WPCNR notes that when the Board first wanted to move passing grades to 65 three years ago, faculty leaders urged the Board to go slowly and not raise the grades due to the possibility that many borderline students would fail the Regents with less than 65.

In 2005-2006, WPCNR believes the Board voted to require graduating students to have to have 2 Regents examinations (of 5) passed with grades of 65 in the 07 year, increasing to three exams with passing over 65 by 08, 4  exams in 2009, to all 5 Regents exams passed with 65s  by 2010, ahead of the State schedule for when Regents passing grades would move to 65.

WPCNR awaits the Guidance Department confirmation of this sequence and what the present policy is. The Board of Education did not provide a definitive answer to that question last night.

Seniors Have to Go Out and Get Jobs

A senior citizen lamented his present $800 a month property tax bill that has been going up and up over the last several years, while his and his friends’ income has remained the same. He reported 75 year olds out looking for jobs to make their tax expenses. Connors, in response said, “Without some help from legislators on the equalization rate, we need help on the revenue side.They have to do something about that (the equalization rate),” and later, this comment, “They (the legislators) have to have the will to do that, and show real political courage.”

Bill Pollak, School Board member said the answer was revaluation, but he cautioned that would raise taxes on White Plains homeowners substantially if it were undertaken.

A Criticism of the Illegal Immigrant problem

One of the senior citizens, somewhat apologetic,  and in the context of  the district being forced to provide education for children born in this country of illegal immigrants, asked the district to take a position with national school boards on the necessity of dealing with the increase in children of illegals,  said of the ever-growing budget simply “This is killing us.”

Future: More of Same

One citizen asked what could be done about future budgets. To this Mr. Connors said it was up to Albany to change the property tax laws. Connors also said the district attempts to trim personnel each year and was currently negotiating with the teachers’ union for givebacks, pointing to such givebacks (on benefits) negotiated last year where teachers agreed to pay 5% of their health care benefits. Previously all benefits were fully paid by the district.

WPCNR estimates that if this year’s year-to-year increase is duplicated next year, the school budget will rise to $195 Million. Should increased energy costs and inflationary pressures and the new teacher contract drive expenses higher, the district could hit $200 Million.

 

 

 

 

 

WPCNR VIEW FROM THE UPPER DECK. By “Bull” Allen. May 12, 2008: Well,  pro football has a lot to explain.  It seems that 8 new video “sideline surveillance tapes” showing both offensive and defensive signals  of  6 games involving 5 opponents from the New England Phonies have been turned over to the pro football league offices by a former Phonies employee. We wonder what the Commissioner is going to do about these?

Old Yankee Stadium, 1956– BVE  (Before Video Era)

The paragon coaching genius of the league – the defensive “guru” – the man whom of it has been said, give him two weeks of preparation and he can stop any offense, wasn’t that much of a genius without his tapes, was he? Well, now we know why, don’t we?

 

The last eight years of the New England Phonies  success  may very well be due in large part to being very good at breaking down tape of sideline signals, (perhaps during the games to be used at halftime to make adjustments),  matching them to plays called,  and by virtue of painstaking analysis, and comparison of tapes —  knowledge of every play as it was about to come at them, defensive and offensive when they played those teams again.

Where’s the investigation, National Phony League?

However, let’s think for a moment.

Videotape shot during  a game in progress could conceivably have been analyzed on the fly as a game was unfolding, enabling the Phonies’ defense to be perhaps more successful in the secondhalf, and their offense to exploit defensive sets – especially if the New England masterminds knew the signal that had called a defensive set or an offensive play that went for a big stop or a long gainer earlier in the game.

One of the tapes turned over by the former Phonies employee, according to the Times was of the Pittsburgh Steelers- Phonies Championship of January 27, 2002!

How indicting is that?

Think for a moment what such a tape might mean?

Were the Phonies taping Steeler signals, matching them up in the first and second quarters to plays, preparing for the second half? That’s what the tape of the Steeler game showed according to The Times:  the tape shows Steeler coaches calling a signal and the play that ensued (easy to do if you have a simultaneous video switching system to feed two different video feeds into the same master recording tape).

It is instant replay you can use! If the Phonies  were doing this , sounds like cheating to me. Big time cheating.

Do we have to draw a picture here? The reason to tape signals in a championship game – is to figure them out instantly – and know every play the hapless Steeler staff is going to call offensively and defensively in the last three quarters.  You can blitz, you can nickel, you can man-to-man with confidence.  Think of it this way, it would be as if a batter were getting each pitch signal sent to him, fast ball, change, curve, slider, etc.

If the National Phony League does not corral the New England Phonies who played in that Championship and ask such questions, it is very suspicious.

More to the point, I believe they should launch a major investigation as to how all these tapes were used,  when the information was used, and of course, the all important question were they analyzed during a game as soon as they were made?

Tell you fans, they really don’t want to know. Do you?

According to  Times reporter Greg Bishop’s report, of May 8, “In that (championship) game, the tape had been edited to show Steelers coaches signaling plays, followed by two different camera angles of the actual plays that were called.”  The Times noted the eight tapes were of regular-season games with the Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers, and the Steeler Championship game.

 In games against teams that the tapes were taken of,  Mr. Bishop’s story reports  the Phonies had a solid winning record. Bishop reports the Phonies were 9-6 against Miami after the taping,12-1 against Buffalo, 3-0 against Cleveland, 4-1 against Pittsburgh and 3-1 against the Chargers.  What kind of “competition” is that? Sounds like the Phonies knew what was coming doesn’t it?

It’s bogus football.

Denison Hatch the marketing writer first called attention to this when the New England Phonies were discovered video-taping the New York Jets (why you would bother taping the Jets is beyond belief), from the sideline. Hatch a season ticket holder with the Philadelphia Eagles wondered out loud if the genius coach of the Phonies  hadn’t been taping his Philadelphia Eagles, and that was why the Phonies sniffed out every play in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Phonies.

 How many more oodles of the New England Phonies’ tapes have been destroyed?  How come New England has not had their franchise revoked for breaking league video taping rules? What kind of security exists in this league?

How many other successful teams are cheating in different ways: with long distance digital cameras? Long distance close circuit cameras? Is it widespread?

What the rather sedate New York Times reports on the new tapes turned over to the League indicate is that the New England spying operation which their head coach has admitted to using since 2000, was far more sophisticated than the league officials would have us believe.

 

 

But the Times sports section misses the much larger moral issue– as do the pro football owners and executives.  The Commissioner of the National Phony League has said the taping did not taint the Phonies accomplishments.

 

No kidding. Who is he kidding?

 

It taints it big time.

 

It taints every New England player, coach, and forever gives the National Phony League a pall of shame for all time.

 

No one should ever watch a pro football game again without a suspicious eye.

 

But, the real shame is – the players had to know this was happening. All of them knew.

 

The Eagle Quarterback said he was astonished how New England Phonies always seemed to know what plays the Eagles were going to run in that Super Bowl.

 

Well now, we know, don’t we?

 

What  these surveillance tapes  call into question is the integrity of every player on the New England Phonies  roster. How could the players live with the knowledge that their success was not based on their skill but, instead, perhaps knowing the plays they were going to be run at them on each play, and knowing the defensive set that has just been called?

 

Did they think this was all right?

 

How could you put on the uniform and play knowing you were cheating every week.

 

The genius coach was not such a genius against the in this year’s Super Bowl was he?

 

How could the players not know?

 

Why didn’t they speak out that this was wrong?

 

A  half million dollar fine on the genius coach – for breaking  league rules for eight years, and losing a couple of draft picks for basically stealing every game by cheating – that’s like a false start penalty

 

Perhaps the only reason the Phonies lost a game was a sense of overconfidence.

 

But again, the integrity of every player on the team – who knew – and did not speak out – well that is just pathetic.

 

It also goes back to the genius coach earlier in his career. Did he tape signals then? Do other coaches tape and “spy” in ways different and more sophisticated than the exposed genius?

 

It’s fascinating that not too many sports shows are even covering this story. They want it to be over.

 

But I have a feeling it is just beginning.

 

Shame on the New England Phonies for committing the biggest scandal in sports since the Black Sox Scandal in 1919.

 

Shame on the National Phony League for not throwing the book at them, disbanding the team, and kicking out the franchise, and banning every Phony Coach, player and executive who knew this was going on for eight years  — for life.

 

Don’t tell me it’s part of the game.

 

Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns (the real Cleveland Browns of Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Otto Graham), when he was coaching the Cincinnati Bengals always sent in his plays by guard substitutions for exactly that reason. He was laughed at in the days of videotape and electronics. But he still did. He was afraid someone would steal his play signs.

 

The original Mr. Brown was right all along.