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tommy grey May 17, 2013 at 09:33 am
Good job Elizabeth im very proud of you.you make your mom and dad very happy
Ingraham Taylor May 17, 2013 at 09:16 am
Good Job Elizabeth! I am very happy for you and proud. See you at next years competition.
Ms.…Read More Taylor-NAACP Act-So Coalition
Aidan May 17, 2013 at 05:55 am
Congratulations! Quite an honor. And congratulations to her family and her teachers.
Robert Reis May 15, 2013 at 12:52 am
Coming back from King Street School's PTA meeting and the meet & greet with the BoE candidates,…Read More I had the opportunity to pose my previously unanswered questions direclty to James Carriere about his history in voting on school budgets and participating in Board of Ed meetings. In fairness, he said that he has done both, but did not give specifics. I asked him a very serious follow-up question which was how he has taken an active role in working toward the educational well-being of the kids in our public school system...
His response...quite emphatically, was "NOTHING." He said that he has done nothing but later labeled himself as the "WILDCARD" and the "MONEYMAN" for the board. Somehow, someway, he will make phone calls which will bring in money for our school district. This is his unsubstantiated promise.
These are our kids and their future at stake. I am not trying to attack Mr. Carriere's character. However, I am deeply concerned about those voters who would put the well-being of our kids in the hands of someone who self-applies the aforementioned nicknames. If you are a childless adult in the community, please vote sensibly. Our kids deserve much more than a cavalier wildcard.
HomeGrown10573 May 14, 2013 at 04:05 am
Hey, Concerned View! There's this invention called the telephone. Why don't you use yours to call…Read More the school district business office and ask all of your technical questions about the fund balance to the people who oversee it? They are not paid to troll the Patch all day. They are paid to manage the district finances. While you are at it, what's your point - are you voting yes or no for the budget?
Concerned View May 13, 2013 at 03:53 am
Thanks but these points have not been found on the School website, which has been perused.
Would be…Read More glad to receive a link with specific page #s.
Where is the actual dollar balance of the fund balance on the website ? Before and after the latest $ 3 million withdrawal to cover spending > inflows.
Where is the tax rate increase associated with this year's budget on the website?
Where are the future budget projections , given that the school board is already spending $ 3 million more per year than it takes in?
Where does it reflect the how long can the School Board continue deficit spending by draining the fund balance ?
How can these points be omitted from budget materials and not clearly expressed to the public? Didn't see any of these points in the School's budget mailing this weekend btw.
HomeGrown10573 May 15, 2013 at 10:26 pm
Linda T., I would guess Mrs. Brakewood lives in Port Chester if she is running for the Port Chester…Read More Board of Ed. Even if the schools had to impose an austerity budget, your taxes would still go up. The state has more control in these matters than you think.
Aidan May 15, 2013 at 07:09 pm
Linda, the per pupil expenditure in PC schools is the lowest in Westchester and Rockland counties…Read More ... by about $2,000 per student.
The issue is two fold. First, our property values are not as strong as our neighbors, so our homes have a higher levy in order to fund the schools. Second, and more important, is that the reliance on property taxes slams moderate income communities like PC. We need for the state to move to an income tax to fund schools. Scream at your legislators ... not the BoE.
Linda Turturino May 15, 2013 at 11:25 am
I am concerned there is not enough attention to detail in the BOE budget overall and Mrs. Brakewood…Read More comment about keeping taxes affordable ... where does she live ? they are out of control and in my opinion the money we pay for taxes we should have the best looking schools anywhere ... just my opinion
Robert Reis May 15, 2013 at 12:50 am
Coming back from King Street School's PTA meeting and the meet & greet with the BoE candidates,…Read More I had the opportunity to pose my previously unanswered questions direclty to James Carriere about his history in voting on school budgets and participating in Board of Ed meetings. In fairness, he said that he has done both, but did not give specifics. I asked him a very serious follow-up question which was how he has taken an active role in working toward the educational well-being of the kids in our public school system...
His response...quite emphatically, was "NOTHING." He said that he has done nothing but later labeled himself as the "WILDCARD" and the "MONEYMAN" for the board. Somehow, someway, he will make phone calls which will bring in money for our school district. This is his unsubstantiated promise.
These are our kids and their future at stake. I am not trying to attack Mr. Carriere's character. However, I am deeply concerned about those voters who would put the well-being of our kids in the hands of someone who self-applies the aforementioned nicknames. If you are a childless adult in the community, please vote sensibly. Our kids deserve much more than a cavalier wildcard.
Robert Reis May 14, 2013 at 09:49 pm
After attending the KSS Meet & Greet forum for BoE, I can say that two of previously posed…Read More questions were directly posed to Mr. Carriere (have you ever voted on a school budget? Have you ever attended a Board of Ed meeting?)
In fairness, he said yes to these questions but didn't give specifics. When I gave a serious follow-up question to Mr. Carriere - "What specific involvement have you taken that has improved the educational well-being of our kids in public school?" -- his answer was an emphatic, "NOTHING." He said very clearly that he has done NOTHING to improve the educational well-being of public school kids in Port Chester, but went on later to say that he is the "MONEYMAN" and the "WILDCARD" which should earn him a seat on this board. His assertion that he can make phone class anytime & anywhere to get money for the school district was an unsubstantiated and ridiculous promise to the voting public.
It is not my intention to attack Mr. Carriere's character, but his self-applied monikers leave little to be desired. My vote has been decided. But to otherwise undecided voters or to the childless adults of this community, please think about the outright gambling that is promised by Mr. Carriere when it comes to the educational health of our kids. Don't make a mockery of this work. Do not put our kids' schooling in the hands of a self-proclaimed, cavalier wildcard.
deb hanna April 27, 2013 at 01:41 pm
I was in the first class...walked up from PArk Ave School. kindergarten, with our teachers.
Amy Simmons March 28, 2013 at 03:42 pm
Correction - the part of Link Larkin will be played by Charlie Simmons
Team Dawg April 7, 2013 at 10:54 pm
The real story here is how the PTA continues to prove itself as a driving force in the education of…Read More our children. We at Team Dawg have had the pleasure of sharing our children's books and presenting character education/anti-bullying workshops in schools all over Long Island. Many times it is because of the hard work and dedication of the PTA. We at Team Dawg salute the Chester Middle School PTA, and all PTAs for proving once again that you are all Team Dawg Everyday Heroes!
Aidan March 24, 2013 at 06:07 pm
Hear, hear! For years and years I was an overhead freakazoid ... and it had great advantages in so…Read More many ways. But the smartboard, well, that was like a gift from the gods. It does all that you say ... and more.
You're right, there will always be a spot for classic texts, but ebooks will ... and should ... dominate the school scene.
And again, you're right, technology will never replace a talented teacher because they're the source of passion and guidance. But technology may allow for real cost savings in the areas of distance learning, independent study, and assessment. There's a whole new world right before our very eyes. To act as though this is an untruth disadvantages students and teachers ... and ultimately, all of us.
Robert Reis March 24, 2013 at 04:20 pm
If there is one technology tool that has made a world of difference in terms of instruction, it's…Read More undoubtedly the smartboard. As a virtual chalkboard, you can save slides and reboot them the next day, thereby saving valuable learning time. If a student is absent, board notes can simply be printed. You can skip between diagrams, word documents, videos much like you do on a laptop. It's been a great way to engage kids.
I think ebooks will be mainstream before we can wink an eye. The costs continue to come down. Traditional textbooks cannot be updated and the "printed" information in a sense depreciates. That's not to say they are useless. Classic texts can still be effective. Ebooks can provide links to help students navigate their way through challenging texts.
We must be cautious not to confuse the content of daily lesson planning with the way it is delivered. Effective instruction still depends heavily on teacher training and expertise. Technology alone cannot improve achievement.
Real Deal May 9, 2013 at 04:08 am
Concerned View, both the village and the schools have rising expenditures. Costs go up every year -…Read More is this a surprise!? The village has the ability to cover up its rise in expenditures by jacking up fees for things like parking, permits, and the like. Didn't I just read an article about new parking meter fees and hours village wide?
The school district have no choice but to present and explain its rise in expenditures. The taxpayer has to be smart enough to understand that the rise is unavoidable and reasonable given economic circumstances.
Real Deal May 9, 2013 at 04:00 am
Concerned View, you need to sit down with Mr. Carriere and get on the same page on this issue. You…Read More seem to want the district to buoy the fund balance (or go over a cliff!) while Mr. Carriere wants the district to drain it and give it back to the taxpayers. You are confusing readers by being on such opposite pages on this big issue. It certainly makes me glad that neither of you are in charge of the school budget.
Real Deal May 9, 2013 at 03:56 am
MM11, one reasonable explanation might be that there are two teachers in many classrooms. In…Read More inclusion classes (mainstreamed special ed classes) there could easily be two or MORE teachers in the classroom, bringing down the student-teacher ratio while the actual number of students in the class remains the same.
Bea Conetta April 26, 2013 at 09:47 pm
In my opinion, Carolee Brakewood is an absolute "must" for the BOT. She is sincere and…Read More dedicated to our village and to the education of our children. She deserves a 2nd term.
Charmian Neary April 24, 2013 at 05:31 pm
To momofkids and Jeff L,
I share your concerns, both of which I addressed in a comment I posted…Read More on My Rye:
...I'm optimistic that the new superintendent, Dr. Frank Alvarez, will encourage our schools to foster an atmosphere of empathy, as bullying and, more important, shunning, remain a problem. In addition I'd like to see a broader definition of what makes a successful adult. The secret to a meaningful life can't be learned in an AP class...
PCMS Students Participate in News12 Local Government Event
1 Recommend Liz Giegerich (Editor)