During the Q&A period at the October board of education (BOE) meeting, a resident asked the board to do something with the ever increasing property taxes. The resident claimed her taxes have increased 400% since 1960s when she moved in. She said her house was already paid, but many of her neighbors, who were also retired, were hurting, as they still had mortgage to pay. She was evidently frustrated. Continue reading
Consolidating School Administration One Step at The Time
Consolidating the school administration campaign started in spring. The summer campaign, adjusted for findings gathered in spring, starts now. Flyers are being distributed throughout the school district 12 (MUFSD). You can help. The most important finding—few people understand the role of the board of education and how the 5-member body affects 70%–80% of the property tax. Continue reading
This post was updated on 6/25 by the following information:
Secretary Arne Duncan announced that he will allow states to request additional time before using the outcome of new assessments based on the new Common Core State Standards.
Secretary Arne Duncan announced that he will allow states to request additional time before using the outcome of new assessments based on the new Common Core State Standards.
Although the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were in development for a long time, the NYS adopted them in 2010 and has been implementing them ever since. State assessment testing — also called high-stakes testing — was implemented to align with federal Common Core standards this year. Starting in April and continuing in June, students and parents felt the full impact of the new “standards”. The tests (field tests) benefiting just the tests developing company were described in the previous post. Parents asked questions about the meaning of excessive testing instead of learning. Continue reading
The Field Tests
In April, high stakes testing took place and selected classrooms will undergo yet another round of testing— field tests —at the beginning of June. These experimental tests have no implications for the students and schools, but are designed to try out new test questions, Tom Dunn, communications director of the Education Department, told HuffPost. The resources at the end of this post list articles describing the nature of the field testing at length. Below, I summarize the facts that are important to parents. Continue reading
Thank You
I want to express my gratitude to the residents of the district 12 (Malverne Union Free School District) who supported my views on the election day, May 21st. Although my views were defeated that day, I am convinced that I am on the right path. I gained some experience and I’ll adjust my efforts. It’s the diversity of ideas, discussions among diverse groups, and reconsideration of original views that drives the progress. Vague phrases calling everybody “to pull together” historically mean to “follow” but one stream of ideas without questioning. They lead to stagnation and maintain a status quo. Continue reading
Tomorrow, May 21st, is the day of “choosing”. Most visitors of this site already know my views and program, but if you are new, you can find them at the About page. I think it’s a different approach than we’ve been used to for a quite some time. I believe in diversity of discussions and that’s why, in my opinion, I would complement greatly the other members of the board of education. Continue reading
So, I had 5 lawn signs ready to place at selected properties. When I was about to place one, the property owner looked at it and asked me: “What are you running for?” I looked at the man saying: “School board. It’s always for school board in May.” Then, it struck me. Continue reading
This post reflects my opinion regarding comments that originated on Facebook. There was expressed a disappointment that a candidate forum wouldn’t take place in the district 12 (MUFSD) prior to the election this year. It was suggested I invite the incumbent board of education member who I challenge to a debate.
I am open to debates regarding the future of the school district 12. A debate with a board member who last July signed on administrative salary increases, intentionally covering such act, thus relegating the board to a mere committee for advancing administrative interests (CAAI) wouldn’t be about a future. The debate would inevitably swing to the principal divide between the residents of the district 12. Continue reading
All candidates running for the board of education of the school district 12 (Malverne Union Free School District) were invited to attend the NAACP meeting on Tuesday evening, April 23rd. Jack Tulley and I accepted the invitation and, after we were introduced, we presented our reasons for running. We each run for a different seat on the board. Mr. Tulley runs unopposed, I am challenging Mrs. Hopkins.
You can read my reasons and goals in the introductory post and also on the About page. As a graphic designer, I don’t get many chances to address larger groups. The NAACP meeting was my first opportunity to speak in front of a public gathering since my university studies in Prague, some 20 years ago when I spoke in my mother tongue. At the beginning, my answers were cumbersome, but the public was friendly and curious and set me at ease. Seeing familiar faces from the Malverne Educational and Fitness Foundation and parents whose kids I coach track at CYO also helped. Continue reading
The two different color papers were folded. The yellow revealed row 1B, the blue row 1A.
One day following the deadline for submitting the petitions with signatures to run for a seat on the board of education, the ballot position draw took place at the school district 12 (MUFSD) clerk office. When I and my son entered the room, the clerk, a witness, and Mrs. Hopkins, the incumbent, were already present. Mr. Tulley didn’t need to participate, as he is running unopposed for a different seat. Continue reading