Grading the Grades - New York Times

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Brilliant proposals are often undermined through less-than brilliant execution. That is clearly the case in New York, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s new system for rating the city’s public schools has come under withering fire from across the political spectrum.

Mr. Bloomberg should preserve the heart of the new system. It does a valuable service to students, and teachers, by holding schools accountable for both overall performance and for how much progress students make from one year to the next. But Mr. Bloomberg should ditch the simplistic and counterproductive A through F rating system. It boils down the entire shooting match to a single letter grade that does not convey the full weight of this approach and lends itself to tabloid headlines instead of a real look at a school’s problems.

The city’s new rating system is part of growing national trend toward the use of so-called “growth models” in education. These models, now being tested in several states, try to create a cumulative portrait of each student’s progress through school as a way of identifying successful schools and successful teaching strategies.

The New York version places a heavy emphasis on how much individual students improve on state tests from one year to the next. Schools are judged not only on general achievement levels but on how much their students improve compared with students in similarly situated schools across the city. The system focuses especially on how well schools do helping their lowest-achieving students do better.

These are all important things for educators to know. And schools that fail to sustain educational gains from one year to the next should certainly be called to account and required to do better. But the practice of giving, say, an F, to an otherwise high-performing school that lags in student improvement for a single year stigmatizes the entire school and angers parents. It also shakes the public’s faith in the evaluation system.

The city’s focus on student improvement is commendable. But even commendable aims followed out the window can yield misleading and distorted results. For example, people all over the city were understandably skeptical when a high-performing school was given an F and several low-performing schools — those actually on the state’s failing list — were given A’s and B’s.

Beyond that, people who know the growth models well were displeased to learn that New York’s first crack at the system for elementary and middle schools was based on a single year’s test data, instead of the accepted standard of three years.

Mayor Bloomberg did the right thing by embracing the growth model for New York’s enormous and complicated public school system at a time when many areas of the country have yet to move on the issue. It was especially important to make clear that student progress really counts.

But while it tinkers with this system, the city should come up with a way to emphasize student progress without needlessly stigmatizing entire schools and communities. That means replacing the A through F system with a more subtle and flexible one.

Agency threatens to halt horse racing in January -- Newsday.com

Agency threatens to halt horse racing in January

NYRA officials are warning that if a resolution to the dispute over thoroughbred horse racing in New York is not reached by Dec. 31, racetracks could go dark starting on New Year's Day.

While some critics dismiss the prediction as political posturing, New York Racing Association head Charles Hayward insisted it is a real possibility. And he says it grows more real as each day passes without a solution to who will run the state's three largest thoroughbred race tracks: Belmont, located in Elmont; Aqueduct in Jamaica, Queens; and Saratoga in upstate New York.

"The last thing we want to do is to have to have racing stop," Hayward said. But "it's certainly possible."

NYRA's franchise to run thoroughbred racing expires Dec. 31. Under state law, a state racing oversight board could temporarily take over running the tracks.

But Hayward said NYRA would fight any attempt to place another entity in charge of racing because it owns the land where the three tracks are located. Hayward said the land is worth at least $1 billion.

He said NYRA would not voluntarily give up its claim to the land or let another entity take over racing on it without receiving compensation.

Some NYRA competitors for the franchise bid said Hayward is blowing smoke to pressure state officials to grant NYRA a new franchise for 30 years.

"That sword of Damocles - it's a fictitious sword," said Karl O'Farrell of Capital Play, one of the entities vying to run racing in the state and operate video lottery terminals at some tracks, including Aqueduct and possibly Belmont.

"I think NYRA would destroy themselves forever" if they shut down the tracks, O'Farrell said. "It would be very upsetting for the industry. It's not the sort of thing to say lightly."

Racing has shut down before in the state - including in 1911-12, when wagering was outlawed; during World War II, when travel restrictions closed Saratoga; and after the Sept. 11 attacks for a few days.

Bennett Liebman, an Albany Law School professor and racing expert, said technically NYRA might have the capability to assert its land claim and block the oversight board from taking over.

Still, he added, he doubts that politically a shutdown could happen. "Closing off racing could potentially be a very risky political strategy" because of the backlash, he said.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer's spokesman said the governor is committed to resolving the dispute and avoiding any shutdown. Spitzer "believes that it is in the interest of racing ... for there to be a seamless transition" from the current NYRA franchise to whoever gets the new one, spokesman Paul Larrabee said.

If no deal is reached by Dec. 31 and the oversight board moves to take over the tracks, the dispute over what happens next likely will land in federal bankruptcy court, where a judge is overseeing NYRA's case. NYRA entered bankruptcy proceedings last November.

Critics contend NYRA's claim to the land is baseless, although Hayward said the association has held the deeds for more than 50 years and paid property taxes, though it failed to pay all taxes in Nassau County during the past few years.

[Aqueduct Racetrack, Ozone Park, NY 11417]

NY Daily News - Queens Politicians Urge Protection of Wetlands by John Lauinger...

Queens politicians urge protection of wetlands

Councilman James Gennaro (l.) & Robert Pirani discuss ideas.

With swamps and marshland gradually disappearing across the five boroughs, two Council members are calling on City Hall to preserve more than 250 acres of city-owned wetlands.

Queens Councilmen James Gennaro and Joseph Addabbo urged Mayor Bloomberg to place the land − 82 properties in all, including 68 in Queens − under Parks Department jurisdiction.

The holdings are currently controlled by as many as 12 different city agencies. With darker financial clouds looming for city government, the Council members reasoned, the time is now to pull those neglected environmental assets under the Parks Department umbrella.

"In the last century, the New York harbor area has lost about 86 square miles of coastal wetlands," Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) said at a Thursday news conference held at one such parcel in Broad Channel, overlooking the salt marshes of Jamaica Bay.

"We certainly cannot recover these vanished ecosystems," Gennaro added, "but we can and must work to protect and restore what remains."

The seven-member Wetlands Transfer Taskforce − created by Gennaro-­authored legislation in 2005 − evaluated 1,020 properties in the city's portfolio, many acquired as a result of foreclosures or former industrial sites.

Robert Pirani, director for environmental programs for the Regional Plan Association, co-chaired the task force.

"The feeling was that by putting [the wetlands] in Parks' ownership, we'd ensure their permanent protection − and, just as importantly, they'd be managed for conservation purposes," he said.

In addition to recommending 82 parcels for parkland status, the task force urged further review on 111 other parcels, totaling 373 acres, including 47

acres in Queens. These parcels are also suitable for parkland, but certain legal snags must first be worked out.

City Hall has until March 27 to transfer the properties - or explain why such actions were not taken, said Gennaro, who is chairman of the Council's Environmental Protection Committee.

City Hall did not return a call seeking comment last week.

Nevertheless, Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who previously chaired the Council's Parks and Recreation Committee, said prospects for the transfers are good.

"I firmly believe and am very optimistic that the Parks Department will get these wetlands," he said. "They're the right agency to maintain them and to protect them."

In Queens, some of the parcels recommended for transfer are large holdings that border existing parkland, such as wetlands adjoining Idlewild Park Preserve along Jamaica Bay's north shore and portions of the Rockaway Peninsula.

But Broad Channel resident Donna Reardon, who formed a local wetlands preservation group when several city-owned parcels were slated for auction in 2004, said large parcels should not dominate the transfer process.

"I'm hoping that no plot of wetlands is too small to be considered," she said. "Every inch of marshes or wetlands does contribute something to the ecosystem."

jlauinger@nydailynews.com

Countdown Special Comment: Torture Part 1 and 2...

Keith at his best...Chuck Schumer and Dianne Feinstein are sell-outs and enablers for the criminal enterprise known as the Bush Administration...

PROTEST VIGIL at Senator Schumer's Residence - November 6 at 6 pm

TUESDAY, NOV 6th, 6:00 pm

PROTEST VIGIL at Senator Schumer's residence: 9 Prospect Park West (corner of President Street in Park Slope)

o Protest Schumer's support of Michael Mukasey - who will support Bush's continued use of torture.

o Protest Schumer's increasing support of military action against Iran and Bush's attempt to launch a new war.

o Protest Schumer's continuing support of funding for the war against Iraq.

Senator Schumer, abandoning his own party and angering many of his constituents, has announed that he will support the nomination of Mukasey. This, despite Mukasey's repeated refusal to state, categorically, his opposition to waterboarding, a form of torture. Mukasey also stated his belief that President Bush has the right to ignore laws passed by Congress in his capacity of Commander-In-Chief, thus showing that he would continue the drift toward authoritarian rule which has become a hallmark of the Bush Administration.

Futhermore, Schumer, originally one of the strongest supporters of the war in Iraq , has been supportive of the increasing bellicose plans of Bush and Cheney to foment a new and even more dangerous war against Iran. He voted in favor of the Kyl-Lieberman bill which many experts beliee Bush can use as justification to launch a new war and he refused to join 30 other Democrats in supporting the Webb bill which warns the President that he has no authority from Congress to take military action against Iran.

Now is the time for Brooklynites to express their anger and concern for Schumer's increasingly pro-war and anti-democratic positions. The election of November 2006 demonstrated clearly that Americans want to end the war in Iraq and reverse the disastrous course of the Bush Administration. Charles Schumer is ignoring the will of those voters and is serving, instead, the interests of George Bush which is to pursue the war, launch new ones and undermine our democratic rights.

** Please attend the protest vigil this Tuesday, November 6th at 6pm outside Schumer's residence at 9 Prospect Pk West.

** Please contact all your friends, family and colleague so that hundreds will gather to protest the Senator from New York who ignores the will of his constituents.

** Call Charles Schumer to tell him he must change his position and oppose Mukasey as nothing short of our constitution and democracy are at stake. Call now Congressional switchboard, ask for Congressman Schumer's office: (800) 828-0498 or direct: (202) 224-6542

For more information on the vigil, please call Brooklyn For Peace at (718) 624-5921

If you are outside the NYC Metro area, please contact all your friends, family and colleagues to put together a midday vigil outside one of Schumer's district offices in your area.

Thank you!

Frances Anderson

New York State Coordinator

Progressive Democrats of America

A Vote for the Adirondacks - New York Times

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It may seem like a small thing — a new well to give decent drinking water to 71 families in Raquette Lake, a small town north of Utica in the Adirondacks. But the town’s request for permission to build the well on state parkland is the only constitutional issue that voters across New York will be asked to approve next Tuesday. New Yorkers should vote yes. And lovers of the Adirondacks should be extremely relieved that even this modest request, for a structure 10 feet wide and 12 feet long, needs statewide approval before it can be built in one of the pristine areas of the park.

The reason for all this effort is that since the six-million-acre park was created in 1892, nearly three million acres of forest has been preserved as “forever wild” by the state Constitution. There is plenty of private land in the park, with 130,000 permanent residents, and there are enough lakes and mountains and trails and cabins to lure about 10 million visitors a year.

But when the founders of the park put some sections off limits — deeming it to be of such importance that almost nothing new should be built on it — they clearly meant business.

Any exceptions require a constitutional amendment, which in turn requires the consent of both the Legislature and the voters. Over the years, state voters have been asked to approve a range of projects — cutting trees near an airport, for instance, or expanding a cemetery — and most such requests have been granted.

Raquette Lake asked for help after water from the old well began to resemble “amber beer on a bad day,” as one local official put it, and the Health Department declared the water undrinkable, forcing residents to boil it. Under a plan developed by residents and the state, Raquette Lake would trade 12 acres of its own woods for an acre of the “forever wild” forest where the town could build a new well. This is essentially the deal that voters will be asked to approve.

That a small well requires a constitutional amendment should make the Adirondacks’ many admirers breathe easier. Changing New York’s Constitution is as hard as it gets in government; in the Adirondacks’ case, it means that nobody can build a housing development or anything else on “forever wild” land without the approval of all the rest of us in the state.

On Tuesday, vote yes on the only statewide initiative on the ballot. It will allow Raquette Lake to use one acre, and only one acre, of Adirondack wilderness for a new well.

Globalwarming.gov | Media Center | Press Releases

Globalwarming.gov

NPR’s “Car Talk” Hosts: No More “Fear-Mongering Bull-feathers” from Automakers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Select Committee, 202-225-4081

NPR’s “Car Talk” Hosts: No More “Fear-Mongering Bull-feathers” from Automakers

Click and Clack Say We've Let Fuel Economy Get Out of Whack

WASHINGTON (October 30, 2007) – The hosts of National Public Radio’s famed show “Car Talk” have sent a letter to Chairman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and the members of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming backing a 35 mile per gallon fuel economy standard for America’s vehicles that is currently being considered in Congress. In the letter, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, aka Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers, use their renowned wit and vehicle knowledge to knock down the auto industry’s continued resistance to adopt stronger fuel economy standards.

“As any listener knows, Tom and Ray are where common sense begins when it comes to cars, and when they say reaching 35 miles per gallon is feasible and the smart play for the American auto industry, people should listen” said Chairman Markey. “Automakers should stop acting like they’re playing the Tappet Brothers’ game, ‘Stump the Chumps,’ and start supporting higher fuel economy standards in Congress’ energy bill.”

In the letter, Click and Clack argue that technology currently exists to reach a 35 mpg standard in 5 years, nearly a decade before the 2020 timeframe that is currently in the compromise Senate language being considered in Congress. From hybrid technology to rail fuel injection to cylinder deactivation, the brothers’ encyclopedic knowledge of solutions to America’s low fuel economy is on display in the missive, as is their rapier wit.

Here are selected excerpts from the letter, which is available on the Select Committee website:

--The onslaught of ‘we can’t. . .it’ll ruin us. . .you’re denying Americans a choice in vehicles’ begins every time we the people—through our elected representatives—try to bring the auto industry, kicking and screaming into the modern era.

--Every single time [the auto industry has] resisted safety, environmental, or fuel economy regulations, auto industry predictions have turned out, in retrospect, to be fear-mongering bull-feathers.

--The truth is, significantly higher average fuel economy can be achieved. In fact it’s already being achieved. And if we don’t push our own auto industry to set world class standards, they’ll be beaten again by the Japanese, the Koreans, and, maybe even the Chinese. . .

--Not only can it be done, but by increasing CAFE standards dramatically, you’ll be helping the American automotive industry compete—by forcing to synchronize their priorities with those of the American people. . .

Congress is currently considering two energy bills passed by the House and Senate that would reduce oil dependence and cut global warming pollution. The Senate-passed bill, which contains the 35 mpg fuel economy standard and other oil saving provisions, would save more than twice as much oil as we currently import from the Middle East by 2030. The House bill contains groundbreaking provisions to increase our use of renewable energy and make our appliances and buildings more efficient. It is estimated that, by 2030, energy legislation with the best provisions from both bills would reduce the total amount of U.S. heat-trapping emissions by roughly 40 percent of what’s needed to save the planet from dangerous global warming.

# # #

The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming was formed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to increase the visibility and priority given to America's oil dependence and global warming challenges. It is chaired by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and will actively explore the solutions, science and progress on these pressing issues during the 110th Congress.

Times Newsweekly: Community Headlines

Times Newsweekly: Community Headlines:

S"TREET WORK IS ON TAP Board 10 Resurfacings Are Announced At Latest Meeting story by Ralph Mancini

The Thursday, Oct. 4 meeting of Community Board 10 featured the announcement of upcoming street resurfacings and sewer reconstruction in various parts of Howard Beach.

Howard Beach resurfacings

Board members and residents congregated at the Knights of Columbus Hall in South Ozone Park were apprised of the milling and repaving of the following Howard Beach locations by Community Board 10 Chairperson Elizabeth Braton:

160th Avenue between Cross Bay Boulevard and 90th Street.

156th Avenue from Shore Parkway to the dead end portion of the street.

176th Street between 156th and 157th avenues.

• 91st Street between 161st and 162nd avenues.

• 161st Avenue between Cross Bay Boulevard and 87th Street.

• 161st Avenue from 87th to 83rd streets.

• 81st Street from 157th to 161st avenues.

• 82nd Street from 157th to 160th avenues.

• 85th Street from 158th to 165th avenues.

• 83rd Street from 158th to 161st avenues.

Additional Ozone Park and South Ozone Park locations were not available at the meeting.

Bus shelters

While reading correspondence, Braton made mention of the following locations identified by the Department of Transportation for bus shelter installations.

• Cross Bay Boulevard between Pitkin Avenue and Linden Boulevard; and

• Cross Bay Boulevard between 156th and 157th avenues, near a Chase Bank branch.

On this last spot, the community board chairperson indicated that permission will be needed from the property owner in order to make the proposed shelter a reality.

Sewer reconstruction

In her monthly report, District Manager Karyn Petersen shared a notice she received from the Department of Environmental Protection informing the community of sewer reconstruction taking place on 105th Street between Liberty and 107th avenues in Ozone Park.

The work involved will consist of preparing a collapsed area surrounding a manhole cover.

Park funding

Petersen also learned that Southern Fields in South Ozone Park is in line for field improvements thanks to $2 million in funding on the part of Borough President Helen Marshall.

Other park projects included the addition of a multi-use field at Pals Oval, located at North Conduit Avenue and 88th Street in Ozone Park. This endeavor was reportedly made possible through a $3.1 million allocation secured by City Council Member Joseph Addabbo.

City Council Member Thomas White, according to Petersen, was also able to obtain funding by appropriating $1.2 million to renovate the fields at Frederick B. Judge Park located in the area of 111th Avenue and Lincoln Street in Ozone Park.

JFK GM introduced

The recently appointed general manager of JFK International Airport, Susan Baer, was on hand to introduce herself to board members who peppered her with a hodgepodge of questions.

When asked by board member John Fazio if there’s anything in the pipeline to build better railways that would eliminate the need for the high number of existing short flights to Washington D.C. and other cities, Baer said that the number of flights of under 500 miles are actually down because people are electing to drive or ride trains.

Furthermore, she stated that she personally prefers riding trains because they are “reliable and ultimately faster.”

One of her biggest challenges remains finding enough room at JFK for growing airlines, such as Jetblue, Delta and American, said Baer.

Prior to accepting her current position at JFK, the New Jersey resident was also the general manager for LaGuardia International Airport in addition to working in Newark Liberty International Airport’s capital redevelopment program.

Buckeye revisits community

Buckeye Pipeline’s manager of right-of-way and permits Roy Haase, Jr. joined Jeff Arrien, Buckeye’s supervisor of JFK International Airport, in giving people a recap of their company and explained why no one should not feel safe regarding their fuel distributions.

In reference to two pipelines bringing both airplane fuel and other fuel varieties into JFK, LaGuardia, Inwood and Long Island City, Haase informed that the “jet fuel” going into the airports is actually turbine fuel, which is “a cleaner version of diesel similar to kerosene.”

In total, Buckeye delivers 10 million gallons of fuel per day to these parts of which 4.2 million gallons consists of turbine fuel and another 5.2 million gallons is a combination of gasoline, diesel and home heating oil.

On a daily basis, Haase estimated that it would take approximately 2,500 trucks to deliver the 10 million gallons of fuel that is carried through company pipelines.

The company spokesman further stressed that truck accidents resulting in deaths are 87 times more likely than pipeline mishaps ending up in the same fashion.

In addition, it was noted that all of Buckeye’s pipelines are patrolled and inspected daily.

Automatic shutoff valves are also remotely operated to check for loss of product that’s been unaccounted for.

Insurance concerns

During the meeting, Fazio brought up the fact that a number of well-known insurance providers, such as Allstate and AIG, are no longer renewing or issuing home insurance policies to property owners living within a mile of the water.

The Hamilton Beach resident called for legislative bodies to regulate these insurance companies.

Fazio communicated that homeowners who are renting their space are particularly being rejected or hit with very high premiums.

“A lot of people are not apprised to the fact that when their insurance policy comes to be renewed, and if it’s by one of these companies, it won’t be renewed. Now, you have to go out hunting,” he said. “People are not knowing about this until they get hit in the head with it.”

Community Board 10 regularly meets on the first Thursday of the month at the South Ozone Park Knights of Columbus Hall located at 135-45 Lefferts Boulevard. For further details call 1-718-843-4488.

Valerie Plame Wilson | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

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Valerie Plame Wilson

The CIA redacted former spy Valerie Plame Wilson’s book - including the part about breast feeding.

The Politics of Pile On

Hillary is the subject of a lot of attention in the October 30 Democratic presidential debate.

Chancellor & Health Commissioner Community Letter on MRSA (Staph Infections)

If only the school bathrooms had soap...

THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Office of School Health

Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor

Joel I. Klein
Chancellor Commissioner

Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.
Department of Education Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene

Dear School Community Member:

If you have heard the recent news about drug-resistant Staph infections, you may be understandably concerned – especially after the recent, tragic death of a 12-year-old child in Brooklyn. We are writing to tell you what you can do to help keep your family healthy, and what the Health Department and Department of Education are doing about the problem.

Staph infections, even resistant Staph infections known as MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), are very common, usually minor, and can be cured. More than 20% of healthy people have Staph bacteria on their skin and will never get any illness from them; less than 1% of healthy people carry MRSA. The most common symptoms, if any, are skin sores. Staph and MRSA infections can be spread by skin-to-skin contact with an open wound or by sharing personal items such as towels or razors. Although MRSA is resistant to some antibiotics, there are other antibiotics that can be used if treatment is necessary.

MRSA is a serious problem in hospitals, where it can spread rapidly. On the other hand, lifethreatening infections are extremely rare in our schools. Although hundreds of schoolchildren and staff develop these infections every year, very, very few develop serious complications. Spread of the infection within schools is rare and has been documented mainly among sports teams, e.g.wrestling, who have direct physical contact.

MRSA does not generally spread through a shared environment such as a classroom. It is not necessary to keep a student home from school, or to close the school, if a student has a Staph or MRSA infection. There is no health-based reason to disinfect a school building after a single case is diagnosed.

To reduce further risk, we are redoubling efforts to ensure that school bathrooms are equipped with soap and paper towels. We will also work to promote good hygiene in sports teams and locker rooms, and to increase education about hand-washing. We have also ensured that our cleaning procedures are effective against MRSA and other germs. When evidence suggests risk of spread within a school, the Health Department will notify your principal and work with the
school to address the issue.

Here are some things you and your children can do:

1. Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

2. Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

3. Keep cuts and scrapes clean and, during school activities, covered with a bandage.

4. Consult your doctor if you’re concerned about a skin infection that isn’t getting better.

Staph infections, even MRSA infections, are not a general health risk in schools. If you have questions, please contact your Parent Coordinator or 311.

Joel Klein, Chancellor, Department of Education

Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Commissioner, Health Department

Rudy's Three Words

Joe Biden tells it straight about Rudy Giuliani talking about a record of experience.

"A noun, a verb and 9-11"

Perfected: The Ann Coulter Song

Leah Kauffman - the voice behind "I Got a Crush on Obama" - performs in the music video "Perfected."

Created by Ben Relles
Vocals: Leah Kauffman
Lyrics: Leah Kauffman, Rusty Ward
Director: Tom Small

LiveLeak.com - War Criminal Condoleezza Rice Heckled At Capitol Hill Hearing by Code Pink Oct 24, 2007

An anti-war demonstrator accosted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as she arrived to testify at a hearing on Capitol Hill, shouting "war criminal" before being dragged away by security.

Members of the Capitol Police department also removed several members of the anti-war group "Code Pink" from the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing room, who struggled as they left.

The hearing began on schedule and Rice's testimony did not appear to be affected by the incident.

CodePink member Desiree Anita Ali-Fairooz, her hands painted red, is restrained by members of the Diplomatic Security Service on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, after she confronted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, not pictured, prior to Rice testifying before the House Foreign Relations Committee. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)



CODEPINK's Liz Hourican Forcibly Arrested Without Cause




CODEPINK's Medea Benjamin Gets Arrested for Flashing Peace Sign with Fingers


My daughter Madeline with Medea Benjamin at 2006 Brooklyn Peace Fair

New York State Board of Regents Meeting on October 22, 200y in Albany at the NYS Education Building...and media coverage...

On Monday October 22, 2007, I traveled to Albany NY to observe and attend the New York State Board of Regents Meeting in the State Education Building with the Alliance for Quality Education...

(Regent Geraldine Chapey, Shana Marks-Odinga and me)

It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and not a cloud in the sky...I was greeted by the hard working and committed Queens Regent Geraldine Chapey...

The Regents ask the legislature to full fund Full-day Pre-K statewide...money for both the programs and transportation was recommended for allocation...

The Regents adopted the city's "Contract for Excellence" as an emergency measure only, (it was simply an extension for the city)... while the regents review their data more...a formal determination will be voted on at the December 13th meeting (their next, I believe)...The Regents want to try to approve the contracts for the big "5" at that meeting...The NYSED (Johnanna Duncan-Potier) thought the city went above and beyond the pale for public input by conducting their 5 borough hearings...it sounded like most districts conducted no public comments period at all...so the city was praised...The SED did not mention that the city waited until July when school was already out and most parents weren't aware of the hearings...SED felt they were well attended...

The Regents also addressed the issue on Long Island of school districts without schools in need of improvement or sufficient eligible kids (kids with needs, ell, special ed, etc)...this was the Padavan amendment that added funding to rich long island districts, as I recall...The Regents want these districts to be deleted from the "contracts" funding...

Vice Chancellor Merryl Tisch asked SED reps why they allow the city DOE to operate a school campus (specifically the MLK, Jr campus my daughter attends) with over 4000 students without having a fully functioning library for the students to use...the SED responded by saying they would expeditiously look into the situation and get it addressed and remedied in some reasonable manner posthaste...

(New York State Education Building)

NY Daily News - Erin Einhorn - Board of Regents Urges More Money for Full-day Pre-K

The State Board of Regents gave a boost to working parents Monday by urging more money for full-day prekindergarten programs.

Although parents celebrated earlier this year when lawmakers okayed a statewide expansion in schooling for 4-year-olds, the money was limited to half-day programs that last 21/2 hours.

"Working families are not really interested in half-days," said Maibe Gonzalez-Fuentes, a spokeswoman for the city Education Department. "Who's going to take care of [the kids] when the program is over?"

Although the city used its additional $61.5 million from the state to create 6,000 new pre-K seats, Gonzalez-Fuentes said part of that money may have to be returned because there's not enough demand from parents for the half-day programs.

(NYS Education Building)

The Regents, in issuing their budget recommendations, not only called for $104 million to be added to the state's $535 million pre-K budget, they also called on Gov. Spitzer and the Legislature to let districts spend that money on full-day programs.

Although the Regents' power is limited to recommendations, pre-K advocate Nancy Kolben of Child Care Inc. said their word is important.

"In this administration ... they look to the Regents as the educational experts in the state," she said. "It is very significant that the Regents have taken a strong leadership position on pre-K."

In the city, there are now nearly 54,000 seats in mostly privately run pre-K programs - about 20,000 fewer than experts say are needed to accommodate every child.

The Regents also called on politicians to increase state education spending by $1.9 billion - mostly to benefit districts with high numbers of poor, immigrant and academically struggling kids.

The New York Sun - Elizabeth Green - Regents Push for Expansion Of School Accountability Plan

In a vote of confidence for Governor Spitzer's plan to hold schools accountable for how they spend a historic influx in state funds, the state Board of Regents is recommending more strings for a larger school budget next year. The Regents are suggesting that New York raise school spending by $1.9 billion next year, to more than $21 billion, from $19.5 billion last year. The recommendation would channel more than $8 billion to New York City in the 2008–09 school year.

But the board also is seeking to expand on an accountability program Mr. Spitzer advocated last year as a way to ensure that the spending improves student achievement. The program requires schools to sign documents, called Contracts for Excellence, promising to spend their extra funds on a set list of policies — and then, at the end of the school year, to show how the policies have paid off.

Last year's push required schools under the contracts to consult with three groups of outside reviewers; next year, the Regents propose that schools be required to follow the reviewers' advice. The Regents also are advocating a new $10 million fund to help cover consulting expenses, which school districts now pay for in full.

(View to the west from the steps of the NYSE Building)

Negotiations over this year's contracts have been dragging on, but the state education commissioner, Richard Mills, said the talks should conclude in the next few weeks. He said the state wants to ensure contracts are as "strong" as possible. "The Regents want to come back into the legislative process and say: 'We used the dollars entrusted to us with great care. We're watching how those funds produced results,'" he said.

The Regents are calling for a larger portion of the funding increase, 73%, to go to school districts with high poverty rates. This year, 65% of the increase in state aid went to high-need schools.

In addition to accountability, the increase would go toward expanding programs at career and technical schools; extending prekindergarten; and expanding resources for non-native English speakers.

Newsday - Regents seek to push school over $20 billion for first time

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The state Board of Regents on Monday proposed a $1.94 billion increase in school aid for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which if adopted would bring total school aid to more than $20 billion a year for the first time.

The proposal would drive most of the increase to high-needs, mostly urban schools in an attempt to reduce the performance gap between students in poor districts and those in wealthier ones.

The proposal would work through the "foundation aid" system of directing state aid adopted earlier this year. That system replaced complex formulas that the Regents said failed to provide aid to the schools that needed it most.

(View of the NYS Capital from the steps of the NYSE Bldg)

The Regents proposal released Monday would increase school aid to New York City by $783 million, to a total of $8.1 billion. In the current fiscal year, New York City schools get $7.3 billion, after an increase of $616 million in the 2007-08 budget adopted in April.

The current amount of school aid statewide is $19.5 billion, after the Legislature and Gov. Eliot Spitzer agreed to a 9.5 percent increase over the previous fiscal year, worth about $1.8 billion.

The proposal now goes to Spitzer who will consider it while drafting his 2008-09 budget proposal expected in January. That proposal would then go to the Legislature, which will try to reach agreement on a budget by the April 1 start of the fiscal year.

Earlier this year, the Spitzer administration warned that declining revenues will make the 2008-09 state budget now being crafted difficult because of a projected $3.6 billion deficit and Spitzer's promise of no tax increases.

Spitzer budget officials said the executive budget to be presented in January will likely increase spending by more than 5 percent before it goes to the Legislature. The Legislature usually adds $1 billion to $2 billion to the budget.

The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY - Regents Propose $230 Million for Programs to Improve Achievement by Valerie Bauman

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Disadvantaged students would have an opportunity to receive additional support to graduate from high school with as many as 30 college credits if a new education initiative proposed by the state Board of Regents is successful.

The board is asking for a $230 million increase in spending, most of which would go to school aid to launch new initiatives. Among those is the Smart Scholars program, which would use $100 million to help at least 12,000 disadvantaged students graduate from college in as few as three years. The program is just one of several that would be directed at students and parents in poorly performing public schools.

"It's not just kids taking a course here or there to be interested in college," said Johanna Duncan Portier, the senior deputy commissioner of the education department. "It's really directed at getting kids on a pathway to college completion."

(The base of the flag pole in front of the NYSE Bldg)

If the plan is approved, the Regents also would direct $20 million to create regional education alliances in high need communities. The alliances would incorporate "literacy zones" in such communities and connect school districts with colleges, libraries, museums and other educational services.

The plan would apply $25 million toward preparing 1,000 new teachers for high need schools. College-school partnerships would compete for the funding and teachers would commit to work in high need schools for 4 years.

Money would also be distributed to help parents in high risk communities to be more involved in their children's education.

The proposed $230 million increase in aid is in addition to a $1.94 billion proposed increase announced yesterday.

If approved, the money would be distributed through competitive grants.

State Education Commissioner Richard Mills is presenting the proposed budget to the Department of Budget Wednesday at a hearing that the Legislature has been invited to.

The Legislature and Gov. Eliot Spitzer will have to consider the issue before any action is taken

The governor's office did not return calls for comment.

Times Union - Albany NY - Regents Seek $1.94 Billion School Aid Boost by Rick Kaplin

ALBANY -- The state Board of Regents is calling for an additional $1.94 billion in next year's school aid package, with the lion's share going to schools that serve low-income students.

"That's a considerable increase," Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, adding that under the Regents proposal, which the governor and Legislature would have to approve, all the school districts in New York would get at least 2 percent more in their base, or "foundation aid," allotment.

This is the second year that state aid is being given out in this way, which was meant to simplify what had been a complex array of school funding streams.

(The Alliance for Quality Education Crew)

Seventy-three percent of the increase is proposed for "high needs" school districts, up from 65 percent last year.

Among the priorities the Board of Regents lists in its budget proposal: increasing pre-K funding by $104 million to $535 million; expanding career and technical education programs in the Big Five districts of New York City, Yonkers, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo; and continued funding of the Contract for Excellence, an initiative of Gov. Eliot Spitzer's in which 1,648 schools in 56 districts will get extra funding, but will have to choose from a list of prescribed changes such as a longer school day or more tutoring.

"That was really the dramatic event of last year," Mills said, explaining that the Regents are finalizing details of the contracts.

Columbia Spectator - NYS Regents Call for $1.8 Billion More in School Aid by Joey Resmovits

The New York State Board of Regents called for a $1.8 billion increase in foundation aid for schools in the 2008 state budget on Monday.

The Regents did not specify how and where the money that they called for yesterday would be spent, unlike the money allocated by last year’s state budget, which, as it gets spent, must follow a set of guidelines called the “Contract for Excellence.”

“Increasing and accelerating the foundation aid which is distributed on the basis of need puts more dollars to work serving the neediest students in low-performing schools,” Geri Palast, the executive director of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, said in a release.

“What is also refreshing about the Regents proposal is that they do not include any of the politically-motivated pork barrel spending that the State Senate Majority added outside the school aid formula this year,” Billy Easton, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, said in the release.

But even after parents and advocates received this strong endorsement for increased education aid, and got billions of dollars for schools from last year’s budget, many are still apprehensive about what they call the vague terms used in the “Contract for Excellence,” and hope the plan does not pass when it is voted on in a few days.

(AQE Shana, April Humphrey and Executive Director Billy Easton)

CFE and AQE both praised the Regents for advocating more funds and urged them to make the “Contract for Excellence” more specific by, for example, mandating that districts publish data showing how their state funding is being spent. They also demanded that terms and phrases such as “neediest” and “predominantly serve the neediest” be clarified.

“The emergency regulations governing the ‘Contracts for Excellence’ require greater clarity, specificity, and standardization,” Palast said.

Many New York City school parents have also criticized the city for refusing to disclose which class sizes have been reduced this year with almost $100 million in “Contract for Excellence” funds. Leonie Haimson, a mother and founder of Class Size Matters, a group that advocates smaller classroom sizes in New York City, called on parents to send a letter to the Regents board urging the board to withhold any further “Contract for Excellence” funding until the Department of Education “provides the specific figures to prove that a substantial reduction in class size in city schools has occurred this year, more than would be predicted by enrollment decline alone.”

News 10 Now - There's Good News for New York State Schools...

The Board of Regents is asking lawmakers to increase state aid by $1.9 billion.

According to State Education Commissioner Richard Mills, it's another step in fulfilling their commitment to support children who need the most help.

(more - click above)

Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester, NY - Regents seek $1.94 Billion Increase in State Aid by Gary McLendon - Staff writer

(October 22, 2007) — The Board of Regents today proposed increasing total state aid by $1.94 billion.
Aid increases for Rochester schools are contained within the total. The majority of the aid will go to “high-need” urban districts. The amount slated for Rochester is yet to be determined.

(AQE Executive Director Billy Easton)

“All school districts across the state will see at least a 2% increase,” State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, during a news conference in Albany this afternoon.

The increase keeps with the needs-based funding formula enacted under Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

“It is vital that we continue the historic reform in State Aid enacted last year. This proposed increase in aid represents what the Regents believe is needed to build on last year’s successes and help close the achievement gap while raising achievement for all through the State,” Regents Chancellor Robert M. Bennett said.
Education aid reform was adopted by the Governor and Legislature last year. The Regents propose that 73 percent of these funds go to high need schools next year, up from 65 percent this year.

“This proposal is another key step in fulfilling our commitment to give adequate support to the children who need help the most,” Mills said.

The funding increases reflect state priorities such as: Career and Technical Education, Universal Prekindergarten, and improving instruction for English Language Learners.

The Board of Regents proposes increasing the number of proven Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs through $6 million, with a goal of enrolling 20,000 more students. CTE programs enable students to earn a Regents Diploma and get an industry-approved credential.

The Board of Regents also proposes the expansion of Universal Pre-K by $104 million to $535 million. They urge making the funding more flexible to support full-day pre-K, as well as half-day Pre-K.

Additionally, the Regents propose expanded support for English Language Learners (ELL) by increasing the weight given to ELL students in the foundation formula.


Star-Gazette.com - Elmira, NY - Regents Want School-aid Hike - All Districts Would See at Least 2 percent Boost by Cara Matthews...

ALBANY -- The state Board of Regents wants to boost school aid by $1.94 billion in 2008-09 and funnel a larger percentage of the money to high-needs districts, Education Commissioner Richard Mills announced Monday.

Currently, poor districts receive 65 percent of foundation aid, the largest state education grant. The Regents want to send 73 percent of the increase in foundation aid -- $1.8 billion of the $1.94 billion -- to the poorest school systems. New York City would get $783 million, or 44 percent, for a total of $8.1 billion in state aid. At the same time, every school district would see an increase of at least 2 percent, Mills said.

The additional funding would build on "the historic reform in state aid enacted last year," Mills said, referring to the largest one-time hike in education funding -- $1.8 billion, to $19.5 billion. The state consolidated about 30 programs into a new foundation aid formula last year to simplify the funding process.

"It also continues to focus on urban education, particularly New York City and the Big 4 (Rochester, Yonkers, Buffalo and Syracuse)," said Robert Bennett, chancellor of the Board of Regents.

The Regents' plan also includes a request for an additional $104 million, for a total of $535 million, to fund pre-kindergarten classes around the state. This year's funding can only go toward half-day programs, but the additional money could help pay for full-day pre-kindergarten and transportation.

"New York is well on its way to providing this opportunity for all children," Mills said.

"In many school districts, we have a strong base in half-day but the need is clearly for full-day, and so the Regents are going to pursue that," he added.

Additional funding for pre-kindergarten in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years provided enough slots for 76,000 more kids, for a total of about 125,000 kids. The money being proposed for next year would fund up to 34,000 more slots, according to the Education Department.

(AQE Staff Bea, Mike and April)

A lot of districts, particularly large urban ones and high-need rural districts, have determined it's necessary to provide full-day services, according to Johanna Duncan-Poitier of the Department of Education. Some school systems have open half-day pre-kindergarten slots and waiting lists for full-day classes, she said.

"Working parents, particularly in the poorer neighborhoods, want full-day pre-k and, of course, the achievement results are greater there as well," she said.

Transportation is optional for pre-kindergarten, and about 50 percent of districts provide it. In those cases, they use limited grant money or local funds to support it.

School districts were seeking full-day pre-kindergarten during the last session, so the budget proposal is a recognition of "what the reality is for children and families," said Karen Schimke, president and CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy.

"I think that there's sufficient resources in what they're proposing to both do some expansion and at the same time start to offer some flexibility in full day," she said.

The Regents make spending recommendations, but Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the Legislature decide on a budget. The deadline for doing that is April 1.

Other highlights of their proposal are:

•Increase financial support for non-native speakers of English by giving more weight in the funding formula to those students. The extra money could be used to create two-way/dual-language programs, professional development for mainstream teachers and administrators, literacy programs for English-speaking immigrant students, special services for non-native English speakers whose formal education has been interrupted, and other initiatives.

•Provide $6 million competitive grants for career and technical education. The goal is to enroll 20,000 more students vocational-education programs that allow them to get a Regents diploma and an industry-approved credential. Only 22 percent of high-school students have access to career and technical education programs now.

The Education Department is expected to approve Contracts for Excellence in the next few weeks. They are required for 56 high-needs school districts that received significant aid increases this year and have under-performing students. The contracts identify specific areas for improvement, such as reducing class size and providing full-day kindergarten, and hold the districts accountable for improving student achievement.

The Alliance for Quality Education and Campaign for Fiscal Equity support the Regents' school-aid proposal but would like changes to the Contracts for Excellence regulations, said Billy Easton, executive director of the alliance. There should be a standard form for all contracts, a specific complaint process, clear procedures and deadlines for public participation and other changes, he said.

Times Herald-Record, Hudson Valley - Board of Regents Proposes $2B in School Aid - Funds Would Benefit Neediest Shools By Jeremiah Horrigan

Albany — The state Board of Regents has proposed a school-aid increase of nearly $2 billion that it says would benefit the state's neediest schools while still providing at least a 2 percent increase for all school districts.

The proposal, which faces legislative and executive review, also earmarks $104 million for increased part-time pre-kindergarten classes.

Roughly 75 percent of the proposed increase would go to "high-need" school districts, according to state Education Commissioner Richard Mills. Forty-one percent of the high-need increase would be allotted to New York City schools.

The increases are based on the Regents' new "Contract for Excellence," an accountability-based program that offers funding to school districts that meet specific program standards.

Annette Saturnelli, superintendent of the Newburgh School District, said she was cheered by the proposal, especially its linkage to the Contract for Excellence.

"The continuation of these funds is essential to us," she said. "They're holding us to the line here, and I don't mind that at all."

She added that funding under the state contract has provided local taxpayers with some relief last year.

Jeffrey Gordon, a spokesman for the state Budget Division, sounded a cautious note following the Regents proposal.

"The Regents proposal significantly exceeds the historic increases budgeted in the state's multiyear financial plan," he said. "While education is a top priority for the governor, risks to the state's fiscal outlook require us to carefully scrutinize all proposed spending as we craft the 2008-09 budget."

Barbara Bradley, a spokeswoman for the state's School Boards Association, said the group found the proposal "encouraging" and hoped the governor and the Legislature would be similarly inclined.

With the Regents' budget announcement, a long season of lobbying and political arm-twisting begins.

Spitzer will deliver his State of the State message in January and then release his executive budget. A final state budget isn't due until April of next year.

Journal News - State Board of Regents Proposes New Programs to Close the Achievement Gap by Diane Costello

State school officials propose to eradicate the achievement gap between white and minority students by creating new partnerships in disadvantaged communities supported with new funding.

The Board of Regents and the Department of Education yesterday announced several new initiatives that would help to unite school districts, colleges and community organizations in the goal of boosting student achievement.

"It all boils down to a very simple idea," said state Education Commissioner Richard Mills. "We need all of our young people to thrive as kids and grow up to complete high school and emerge as adults ready to work, ready to be good citizens."

The plan calls for devoting $20 million in state and federal funding to the creation of Regional Education Alliances.

These would link school districts with colleges, libraries, museums and other community organizations. They also would provide comprehensive support to students and work to improve teacher quality.

The alliances would set performance targets and measure results to evaluate progress, with reports going out annually to the public and the state.

Existing Literacy Zones, which offer a variety of community services to defined communities in need, would be incorporated into this approach. Yonkers school officials are talking to the state about becoming a Literacy Zone, according to state officials.

"We can't wait to bring them in," said Bob Purga, supervisor of the Office of Adult Education and Work Force Development. "They have really creative ideas."

A $100 million program proposed yesterday, called Smart Scholars, would provide at least 12,000 disadvantaged students with the support to graduate from high school on time and gain as many as 30 college credits, setting them up to graduate in three years.

The achievement gap between white and minority students is evident in the state's graduation rate, which in 2006 showed that 48 percent of black students and 45 percent of Hispanic students graduated high school in six years compared to 67 percent of white and Asian students, according to the state Education Department.

At Rockland Community College, a program funded through a federal grant already helps students in the Nyack, Spring Valley and Ramapo districts. The college staff coaches students on everything from writing and math to study skills and SAT tests.

"The more students that we are able to save from dropping out, the better," said Eugene Henderson Jr., vice president for student development at RCC. "Because once they drop out, they become a statistic either in the criminal justice system, in unemployment or working at subservient pay."

State officials yesterday also proposed a new three-year, $25 million program aimed at preparing 1,000 new teachers for high-needs schools. Teachers would have to commit to work in these schools for four years.

Plus, the Regents proposed directing $6.5 million toward community collaborations in disadvantaged areas to help get parents and families involved in their child's education. The funding would help to link service agencies with the schools, disseminate information to families and help train parents to be more involved, among other things.

"When parents and schools work together, it's often an unbeatable combination," Mills said.

The Regents discussed a $1 million mentor program for at-risk students to help them make connections between their school experience and future academic and career prospects.

With a student body from about 60 different countries, Ossining has made it a top priority to close the achievement gap, providing mentoring programs for students, hiring qualified teachers who reflect the district's demographics, offering college courses to a wide range of students, and reaching out to minority parent groups.

It takes this kind of multifaceted effort to make a difference when it comes to chipping away at the gap, said Superintendent Phyllis Glassman.

"We've come to learn that there is no panacea," Glassman said. "We need to address it from multiple perspectives. It is a very complex and complicated issue."

News Channel 13 - Regents Board Asks State for Billion dollar Increase in Funding by Abigail Bleck

Last year the legislature and governor allocated more money to education than the board of regents even asked for. So this year, the education commissioner is shooting for the moon.

Monday, the Board of Regents recommended a $1.4 billion increase in spending. If approved all schools would benefit, but urban and high need schools would get the most.

It's almost November and 40 kids are still on the waiting list for Schenectady's Pre-K program. And that's after the district expanded its early education services this school year.

"We don't have the space we don't have the money right now. We're funding some of them through our general fund," said Schenectady Superintendent Erik Ely.

(AQE Communications Director Nikki Jones)

Schenectady was able to grow programs this year, the superintendent says, thanks to Governor Eliot Spitzer's focus on education. Schools across the state received more money than previously. New York Education Commissioner Richard Mills says it's a concerted effort to close the achievement gap.

"New York has turned a corner in the way it funds education. Last year was a dramatic moment, said Mills.

This year the Board of Regents is proposing a nearly $2 billion increase in state funding. All districts would benefit but high need and urban schools even more so. Much of the money would be earmarked for universal Pre-K and improving instruction for non-english speaking students. Both are moves that level the playing field for schools facing those challenges.

"If they are with their peers in the suburban or rural districts they have a much better chance at success. Those become the kids who get tested in 3rd or 4th and take the regents in high school," said Erik Ely.

The Board of Regents requested a $1.6 billion increase last year and received $1.7 billion from the state. So, education leaders are hoping that this year, history repeats itself.

"Last year was a wonderful year. There was a revolutionary change in the way funding worked and a very strong support for education," said Mills.

The education commissioner says he wants to hold schools receiving more money accountable.

That includes documenting how the money is spent and, whether or not, it was an effective use of money.