Opt-In to Receive Information from the Scarsdale Schools
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Even if you're an empty nester in Scarsdale, you can still be informed about what's going on at the schools and keep up on issues that may affect you. The Board of Education and Superintendent now send out updates to the community following each Board of Education meeting. You don't need to have a child in the Scarsdale Schools to receive these emails. Everyone is welcome to opt-in by clicking here:
Below is the most recent email that was sent out, recapping the September 22nd meeting of the Board of Education:
Dear Parents and Community Members,
The Board of Education appreciates all the parents and community members who take time out of their busy lives to attend Board meetings and provide valuable feedback. We also recognize that work and life schedules prohibit others from attending, but hope that live streaming and cable versions make the meetings accessible to everyone.
The Board has been working with Superintendent Hagerman to implement changes in practices and procedures for Board meetings. One of the underlying goals has been to continue to improve transparency with respect to the Board's decision-making process. For example, we have adopted a two-week waiting period between the discussion of information about items and Board action on those items. This allows the board additional time to discuss and consider items and, also, to listen to the community's thoughts, which are welcomed and appreciated.
The issues that were discussed at this meeting included the following:
Projects proposed for the bond referendum - Vice President Maude explained the process that led to the September 8 Board approval of Superintendent Hagerman's recommendations for a $16.7 million bond to address long-needed repairs and improvements of school buildings, update the technology infrastructure in all the schools, and to renovate parts of the High School. The High School renovations will resolve the current overcrowding in the cafeteria, while creating flexible learning spaces that will enable large and small groups of students to collaborate creatively, while using state-of-the-art technology.
The Board and Superintendent Hagerman engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of design elements, scope and potential size of the bond referendum. During the discussion, the Board reaffirmed its decision to approve Superintendent Hagerman's recommendations. In addition, because interest rates are currently very low, the Board requested that other unfunded repair projects in the District be reviewed for possible inclusion in the bond issue. The Board placed a limit of $1.3 million on these other projects. It was agreed that Superintendent Hagerman will follow up with the High School building level committee and administrators, as well as Mrs. Linda Purvis, Assistant Superintendent for Business. In addition, the District-Wide Facilities Steering Committee will be requested to meet next week to discuss this issue.
The Board will take action on a proposed bond referendum at its meeting on October 6.
Proposed Policy Revisions - The Board considered revisions to the Gift Policy and a new policy on Hiring, Evaluation and Supervision Procedures. The revisions under discussion have incorporated recommendations made by community and Board members. After the discussion, the Board decided to table consideration of adopting the policies until the October 6 meeting. This will allow time for additional community input on the policies.
Written Communications to the Board of Education - Understanding the need to be flexible, step back, evaluate effects and, as necessary, readjust changes, the Board changed the current practice of publicly reporting written communications in their entirety. The new practice will be to report the topic and the date of the written communication, unless the writer requests that his/her email or letter be published. The Board will not accept, nor will it report anonymous communications that it may receive.
The Board of Education continues to be committed to thoughtful governance, proactive communication, and transparency, and welcome feedback about both District work we are engaged in, and how we, as a Board, can continue to better serve the Scarsdale community.
Scarsdale Board of Education
LWVS Asks Scarsdale Board of Ed to Allow More Time For Discussion of Gift Policy
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The Scarsdale Board of Education is now considering proposed changes to their gift policy, which can be reviewed here. At their meeting on September 22, League of Women Voters President Susie Rush read the statement below, posing questions about the new policy and asking the Board of Education to allow for more time for public comment.
Here is the League's statement:
The following statement is made on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Scarsdale, prepared in connection with the draft revised gift policy presented to the public at the Board of Education meeting on September 8 (referred to herein as the September 8 draft). Before that statement is read, however, the League notes a few things.
We understand that the Board has before it this evening a revised draft of the revised gift policy, which was made available to the public when the Board's agenda packet was posted on the district's website this past Friday, September 19 (referred to herein as the September 19 draft). Note that the public may not have had adequate notice that the September 8 draft had been revised, as the September 19 draft was discoverable only if one clicked on the information item and scrolled down to the revisions to proposed gift policy page; the agenda does not refer to a revised draft – only to a "second reading of proposed revisions" to the gift policy. While we have not had sufficient time to fully review the September 19 draft and to develop a comprehensive statement with respect to that draft, we believe that the September 19 draft still does not address the issues we raised in our statement to the Board last December. In that statement, among other things, the League asked for clarification regarding how current gift policies apply to gifts to the district by the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation, and recommended that the Board "consider developing and adopting a new policy, specific to gifts given by the SSEF to the district, in light of the new and unique relationship between the BOE and the SSEF." Accordingly, we recommend that the Board not take action this evening on the September 19 draft so that it may consider addressing in a further revised gift policy the concerns we raised regarding gifts given by the SSEF, as well as allow the community time to review and comment on the September 19 draft that has been available to it for only three days.
What now follows is our statement with respect to the September 8 draft:
We appreciate the time and effort that the Board of Education has spent in crafting a revised gift policy. However, we recommend that the Board provide the community sufficient time to reflect and comment on the proposed draft before the Board adopts it.
As you may recall, in our statement to the Board last December, among other things, the League asked
for clarification regarding how current gift policies apply to gifts to the district by the Scarsdale Schools Education Foundation, and recommended that the Board "consider developing and adopting a new policy, specific to gifts given by the SSEF to the district, in light of the new and unique relationship between the BOE and the SSEF." We thank the Board for undertaking to flesh out some of the questions we raised. The draft, however, gives rise to a number of important issues that merit thoughtful consideration by the community, such as whether, in determining if a gift will be accepted, a distinction should be made between gifts pursued by the district and unsolicited gifts, and/or whether a distinction should be made based on the dollar amount of the gift. Moreover, we believe the gift policy should provide for a mechanism for the Board to monitor the aggregate of gifts given, both those above and below the threshold allowed for Superintendent-accepted gifts, to each school.
Furthermore, the proposed revised policy's omission of certain existing policy language and the use of the conjunction "or" in item 5 may warrant further discussion and community input. For example, are these proposed modifications to the gift policy language intended to signal a change in the Board's discretion whether to accept a gift that fails to adhere to all four of the stated criteria? How will these modifications change the long-standing guidance provided to all donors, including the PTAs and booster organizations, that previously were required to consult with the principals, Superintendent or the Board before offering a gift or undertaking fundraising for one?
We believe the Board would benefit from hearing the views of, and engaging in a dialogue with, the public on the substantive issues that emerge from the proposed changes to the district current gift policy, and therefore ask the Board to defer taking action on the proposed revised gift policy until the next meeting of the Board to provide the public adequate opportunity to weigh in.
Also at the meeting Linda Doucette Ashman asked the Board of Education to form a policy subcommittee to consider policy changes and revisions. Here are her comments:
"....I just wanted to take this moment and comment generally on District Policies, their significance and their creation. The creation of Policy is one of the fundamental duties of a Board of Education. In your Board Operational Goals, it describes your actions to be policy-making, planning and appraisal and Policy 2410 lays out a process. Polices of a District reflect who we are as a community and shape our district in many ways. They state our District's goals and provide thoughtful broad outlines on how to achieve them. The creation of Policies is a very important and labor intensive effort. With this in mind, I would like to respectfully offer a suggestion to the Board and Dr. Hagerman for your consideration. This comes from my previous experience as a School Board Director in a different community as well as my participation in corporate policy committees. So, please, take this as a suggestion with the goals of continuous improvement, increased community involvement and added transparency all in mind. I would like to recommend that the Board of Education consider the creation of a Policy Subcommittee of the Board. This does not necessarily need to be a committee of the whole Board. This would enable the Board to discuss policies in a more in depth manner amongst themselves and provide for a more measured approach to Policy creation and Policy revision. It would provide for opportunities for District counsel to participate and provide thoughtful and relevant legal guidance on topics such as hiring policies, etc. It would also allow members of the public, who are so inclined, to attend, observe and participate in discussions on Policy matters that are of interest to them. It could also streamline the processes for 1st and 2nd reads of policies where non participating Board members and the public present could hear presentations regarding the proposed changes that include rationale and comments from committee deliberations so that they are more informed. It would also serve as another opportunity for Board members to identify those issues that the community cares about.
Again, Policies of a District reflect who we are as a community and shape the direction of our district. They are fundamental to a Board of Education. Please consider a new process for handling Policy creation and revision. Thank you."
Fundraising Calls from the Police?
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Scarsdale10583 received this letter from a Fox Meadow man who was angered by fundraising calls from the Policemen's Benevolent Association. See below and read what we previously published about this fundraising effort here:
Dear Scarsdale10583: I just hung up on my third obnoxious call from the Policeman's Benevolent Association and I've had it. They call asking for outrageous amounts of money to buy bullet-proof vests and then proceed to assure you that, in return, you will receive a card and shield signed by the local Sergeant that will assure you of "being treated the same as if you were family of a police officer". When I asked if that meant that police family members don't get ticketed, he retreated quickly ("I never said that") but the implication that a contribution to the PBA buys you immunity was ready apparent and it is really repugnant. I don't know if you've ever been on the receiving end of one of these calls or have had others complain about their aggressiveness but I think there is an interesting story that needs to be brought into the sunlight. The callers aren't even policeman.
Fox Meadow Resident
BOE Increases Transparency and Reviews New Gift and Nepotism Policies
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Board of Education President Mary Beth Gose opened the first meeting of the 2014-15 school year by announcing a new format for BOE meetings, which will now be televised and streamed online. They will begin at 6:30pm with public work sessions which will be followed by a reception from 7:30 – 8 pm where members of the community can chat with the Board and School Administration. At 8:00 pm, the general business meeting will begin. All meetings will be held in rooms 170-172 at the high school. These changes are being implemented to enhance the spirit of openness and transparency between the Board, the administration and the community.
On Monday, the 6:30pm work session focused on the district facilities plan and the bond referendum. The Board unanimously approved a list of capital projects recommended by Superintendent Thomas Hagerman and plans to formally approve the bond referendum at their October 6 meeting. See more here.
Remarks from Dr. Hagerman
Dr. Hagerman remarked on the exciting start of school year. He visited each school during the first week and was impressed with the level of energy and enthusiasm. He spoke of his overarching goal of reaching out to parents and referred to the PT Council reception as a start. He discussed his desire to reach the broader Scarsdale community and mentioned a meeting he just had with the League of Women Voters to discuss relevant issues.
Technology Talk
Board member William Natbony reminded the room that on September 16, Dr. Hagerman will be leading a Q&A presentation with Andy Jassy, SHS '86, who runs Amazon's web service. The public is invited and reservations can be made at www.surveymonkey.com/s/jassy.
Professional Development Plan
Board member Suzanne Seiden discussed the Professional Development Plan that is being submitted to the State Education Department. She spoke of the importance of professional development and mentioned several district programs that are a result of professional development initiatives such as Human Rights Day, Senior Options, Capstone Projects, and Science Olympiad. The Professional Development team will present later in the year, but the district is required to submit a plan at this time.
During the first public comment period, former BOE member Jonathan Lewis commented that the Professional Development Plan (part of the night's agenda) is the "secret sauce" that makes our district great. He has been a strong advocate for professional development in the past and reasserted his opinion that nothing is more important to our district.
Gift Policy
Board member William Natbony presented a proposed new gift policy that is posted on the district's website. The Board is poised to accept large donations from the Scarsdale Education Foundation, a private education foundation that did not exist when the gift policy was last updated in 1996. The intent of the new Gift Policy is to make sure that the Board has the final authority to make decisions about accepting gifts and to determine how those gifts will be used to benefit the entire school system. The revised policy seeks to make very clear what factors the Board will review in accepting gifts and in setting guidelines for the individual or corporate donors to prevent them from using the gift process as a way to influence the Board's decision making processes and outcomes.
During the public comment period, Former BOE member Liz Guggenheimer asked the Board to consider a few thoughts on the gift policy.
- Does it clearly lay out the substantive factors that the BOE is to consider when reviewing proposed gifts, and sufficiently distinguish them from the procedures for donors to follow if they seek to make a gift?
- Should the policy distinguish between more modest gifts and substantial gifts (5 or 6 figures)?
- She suggested that the new policy retain a phrase from the existing policy: "gifts should benefit as broad a group of pupils as possible."
She also urged community members to take the time to review the proposed policy and offer feedback to the Board.
Further discussion centered on raising the minimum gift amount that needs to be reviewed by the BOE. It was proposed that the amount be raised from $500 to $1000 and the Board generally agreed to this number.
Nepotism Policy
The Board then turned to a revised Nepotism Policy that can be viewed on line. The revisions were made to strengthen the district's position against nepotism. Natbony explained that the intent of this policy is to make sure that the appropriate people make hiring and other personnel decisions in an objective manner. However, he stressed that the policy does not state that the district should not hire family, friends or referrals of employees
During the public comment period community members Art Rublin, Mary Beth Evans and Harriet Sobol spoke about the proposed revisions. There were some objections to the language being "too broad" (i.e., the use of the term "close personal relationships" vs. "relatives") and also concern that the Policy would discourage people from referring qualified prior professional associates or personal contacts to the Scarsdale School District. Mr. Natbony thanked the community members for their feedback and said he would take a look at the language.
Personnel
Dr. Joan Weber provided the personnel report and announced the following new probationary hires: Andrew Brown, Edgewood, Fox Meadow, Quaker Ridge, Music; Christopher Casal, Heathcote, Computer; Francesca Erigo, LRC, Special Education; Lyndsay Freed, Fox Meadow, 1st grade; Sara Magnotta, Edgewood, 4th grade; Heather McCarren, Greenacres; Lisa Pomerantz, Fox Meadow, 1st Grade; April Soffel-Scheffler, Quaker Ridge School, Kindergarten; Daniel Tocci, Middle School, Science; Rachel Witmer, Greenacres, 2nd Grade.
Also, announced were part-time appointments, regular substitute teacher appointments, athletic coaching assignments, resignations of teacher aides, middle school stipends for directing traffic and the appointment of a part-time bus driver.
There were two retirements in the district office: Kim McKee, Director of Transportation and Catherine Inello, personnel office. Joan Weber and Linda Purvis lauded both retirees for their years of service, dedication, and performance.
Two new hires in the District office include Ivy Linares, Assistant to the Superintendent and Angel Nunes, District Clerk.
Education Report:
This meeting introduced a new agenda item entitled "Education Report" during which the BOE and community members will be updated on various initiatives in several areas of importance. This portion of the meeting will include brief presentations from Dr. Hagerman, Dr. Weber, Linda Purvis, Lynne Shain, Assistant Superintendent for Education, Eric Rauschenbach, Director of Special Education and Gerald Crisci, Director of Technology.
Joan Weber summarized the district hiring numbers, discussed the on-going recruitment of teacher aides, the large number of personnel changes in the central office and the exploration of a on-line application system.
Linda Purvis discussed facilities work completed during the summer months including science lab upgrades at the high school, a rebuilt staircase at the middle school, an office relocation at Greenacres and a fire alarm upgrade at Fox Meadow.
Lynne Shain talked about supporting classroom teachers in developing intervention strategies to help struggling learners in the classroom. The elementary schools will be rolling out a new screening tool called STAR and there will be screening of assessments 3 times per year in reading and math. Chromebooks are being rolled out to the 4th grade along with complementary curriculum. 5th grade capstone projects are being upgraded to reflect the Chromebooks available to 5th grade students. At the middle school, the e-portfolio is being expanded and gaming is being worked into the curriculum to promote active engaged learners. The high school is reviewing and refining Advanced Topics courses. Also, state test scores will be available on September 19 through the parent portal for 4th-9th grade.
Mr. Rauschenbach discussed how special education teachers are supporting general education teachers to become the first line of intervention for struggling learners (also discussed by Lynne Shain). The concept is that this will ultimately lead to a reduction in time that those with special needs are pulled out of the classroom for special services. He also mentioned that new resources are being developed to help students with the common core state assessments. His overall goals for the year include: An inventory of special education programs an assessment of needs and population, increased communications with stakeholders in special education, community outreach and professional staff development.
Mr. Crisci discussed district technology including plans for upgraded capacity. He also mentioned developing a K-12 coding curriculum and a large migration project that took place over the summer.
Many items of regular business were attended to including the approval of minutes, a settlement of a special education matter, student activities fund review, tuition rates for non-residents, appointment of the District Safety Committee, sales of used computer equipment, approval of Greenacres playground equipment, the renewal of the service contract with the cafeteria vendor, stop-loss insurance, a tax settlement with Verizon, approval of a foreign exchange program, and Scarsdale Teacher Institute fall courses.
The next Board of Education meeting will be on September 22.
Summer Baseball is a Hit in Scarsdale
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Scarsdale Baseball Club had a great summer season playing a challenging schedule of both local and regional select teams. Over 40 high school age players participated on the 14u and 16u squads. Open rosters made it easy for the boys to play and also make time for vacation, camp, internships or college visits.
Both teams began practice in early June and played for nine weeks through the 1st week of August. The two teams combined played close to 50 games over the summer months.
Highlights included lots of great hits, spectacular catches and two walk off home victories. The 16u team had key wins against local rivals like New Rochelle, Eastchester and Cortland as well as memorable victories against select travel teams like NY Angels, Hardball, Diamond Buddies and Highlander Academy.
This all led to a strong run to the semi finals at the New York Elite Baseball tournament in Newburgh NY in July and falling just short to Rye in the semis during the Westchester Baseball Association playoffs in August. It was a great summer of competitive ball and the boys got exposure to Raider baseball working closely with Scarsdale High Varsity Coach Doc Scholl and JV Coach Jeff Weigel (the high school Varsity and JV coaches respectively).
Summer ball and the great weather may be a fond memory now, but baseball in Scarsdale is alive and well as the fall season gets underway in two weeks.
Contributed by Sean Kelly
