Area 6 Director Esther Arlan Represents the Following School Districts:
Au Sable Valley, Beekmantown, Brasher Falls, Brushton-Moira, Canton, Chazy, Clifton-Fine, Champlain Valley Educational Services, Colton-Pierrepont, Crown Point, Edwards-Knox, Elizabethtown-Lewis, Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES, Gouverneur, Hammond, Harrisville, Hermon-DeKalb, Heuvelton, Indian Lake, Inlet, Lake Placid, Lisbon, Long Lake, Madrid-Waddington, Malone, Massena, Minerva, Moriah, Morristown, Newcomb, Northeastern Clinton, Northern Adirondack, Norwood-Norfolk, Ogdensburg, Parishville-Hopkinton, Peru, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Putnam, Raquette Lake, Saint Lawrence-Lewis BOCES, Saint Regis Falls, Saranac, Saranac Lake, Schroon Lake, Ticonderoga, Tupper Lake, Westport and Willsboro
Area Director Electronic Newsletter
2013 greeted us with a plate full of challenges as Board of Education Members here in the North Country. One change was the retirement of Dana Smith as Area 6 Director. We are indebted to him for his dedication and commitment to our concerns here in the North Country. Dana put his heart and soul into the position of area director and he certainly kept all of us in the North Country informed and shared our concerns at NYSSBA’s Directors Meetings. Hats off to him and I know I have big shoes to fill but with all your help we can make our Area 6 even stronger.
As you go forward please share with all of us in Area 6 ideas that helped you keep your educational programs in place without drastic reductions in staffing. Are you sharing services with a nearby school district? What are they?
Here are some things to think about as you prepare your district’s budget. How to secure affordable workers’ comp coverage for your employees. Check with NYSSBA and learn about its partnership with PERMA to see how you might save for your district dollars. Do you understand the NYS Retirement System? What will the impact be with the proposed increases? One question that was asked at the NYSSBA Directors Meeting was: “What if we budgeted the same amount each year instead of the ups and downs that we keep having? Presenters from NYS Teachers’ Retirement System answered many of the Directors questions. Would you like to learn more? We could bring presenters to the North Country to explain all the details to board members.
Are you keeping your district in the news? I’d love to be able to feature some of your special events and programs in upcoming issues. Are you sending press releases to your local newspapers? Make sure that you are sending copies to the NYSSBA office and me. Saranac Lake CSD made the news recently when one of our high school science teacher’s received her National Board Certification. Quote: “If I had know the impact….on my teaching I would have pursued it sooner.” Amanda Zullo. How many Area 6 teachers have National Board Certification? Let’s recognize them in our newsletters.
Thank you to Ogdensburg School Board President, Frederick Bean, for serving on the NYSSBA Edward R. Dyer Award for Distinguished Service Committee and to Sue Goodspeed from Newcomb for serving on the NYSSBA Cultural Diversity Committee.
I look forward to seeing you at area meetings and welcome the opportunity to chat with you and share your concerns at Directors meetings. Remember I work for you so do not hesitate to e-mail or call me.
Good luck as you move forward with budgeting for the coming fiscal year.
Esther
Highlights of the January 26, 2013 NYSSBA Board of Directors Meeting
Bill Miller, Area 5, and Fred Langstaff, Area 12, were elected to the NYSSBA Executive Committee for 2013.
The Board approved proposed revisions to NYSSBA’s Financial Hardship Policy for Continuing Legal Education.
The Board of Directors recommended R. Michael Kraus and Michael Masse for reappointment to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement Board for a three-year term.
Mr. Little reviewed the 2013 Capital Conference, formerly know as the State Issues Conference (see below for details). On Saturday, March 9, NYSSBA will be co-sponsoring, along with Utica National, a Safe Students, Safe Schools Conference. Sunday and Monday, March 10 and 11, will be the Advocacy Institute and Lobby Day. The Board approved the recommendations for 2013 Advocate of the Year and other awards to be presented during the Capital Conference. The winners will be announced at a later time.
The Board discussed the 2013 Resolutions Survey and will participate in a conference call on February 13 to finalize the survey questions. The survey will be sent to all school board members in February.
Capital Conference
What you know as the State Issues Conference has been expanded and is now the Capital Conference. Beginning on Saturday, March 9, NYSSBA, along with Utica National Insurance Group, will be hosting a Safe Schools, Safe Students Conference at the Hotel Albany. On Sunday and Monday, also at the Hotel Albany, the Advocacy Institute will feature a new Advocacy Boot Camp, issue updates, Advocate of the Year, Senator of the Year and Assemblyperson of the Year, leading up to Lobby Day on Monday, March 11. For registration and housing information, or to view the agenda for each day, go to http://www.nyssba.org/index.php?src=events&srctype=detail&category=Advocacy_Events&refno=1423.
Legislative Testimony
Executive Director Tim Kremer testified before the Joint Legislative Budget Committees’ hearing on the education budget, along with representatives from other statewide educational organizations. NYSSBA’s written testimony is available on the NYSSBA website – http://www.nyssba.org/clientuploads/nyssba_pdf/GR-Budget-Hearing-Testimony-Joint-Fiscal-Committees012513.pdf.
Webinars
NYSSBA’s Information Technology and Governmental Relations Departments produced the annual “Governors Budget” webinar. One hundred-eighty two sites were online live, while another 123 sites will listen to the recorded version.
The IT team, in conjunction with Leadership Development, presented the “Board-Superintendent Relationship webinar. Shenendehowa (Area 7) School District superintendent Dr. Oliver Robinson and board president Mary Blauuboer, were our guests. Twenty-six sites were online live, with five sites listening to the recording.
If you are interested in viewing these or other webinars, please contact Ellen Kramek at ellen.kramek@nyssba.org.
BoardDocs
The following districts are the latest subscribers to BoardDocs: Mahopac (Area 10), Briarcliff Manor (Area 10); Chenango Forks (Area 4); Fallsburg (Area 9); Middletown (Area 9); Plainview (Area 11); and Rush Henrietta (Area 2). If you are interesting in learning how to save your district money and time, contact James Page, Director of Information Technology, at james.page@nyssba.org.
NYSSBA in the Media
NYSSBA has been all over the media in the last few weeks. Press releases were issued on the proposed executive budget, a pulse poll on the teacher bar exam and other state initiatives, as well as the election of Rodney George (Avon) as the Area 2 Director to the NYSSBA Board of Directors. State budget media interviews were scheduled for Executive Director Tim Kremer with WTEN (Albany), WAMC Northeast Radio, and WBEN (Buffalo). Other NYSSBA staff fielded numerous press calls on a variety of topics.
Photos have been posted on NYSSBA’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/NYSSBA)
featuring President Tom Nespeca, NSBA Secretary-Treasurer (and former NYSSBA President) Anne Byrne and NYSSBA Deputy Executive Director Rita Lashway from the National School Boards Association’s Federal Relations Network conference and our messages have been followed by our 806 Twitter follower (one of which is education expert and former NYSSBA convention keynoter Diane Ravitch).
NYSSBA Communications Manager Al Marlin produced two new editions of NYSSBA News: one on social media featuring Deputy Director of Communications Barbara Bradley and one on the property tax cap carry over featuring Senior Research Analyst Paul Heiser. Al also produced a NYSSBA Now episode on ways to improve the state budget with Tim Kremer.
Amicus Brief to be filed
NYSSBA’s Executive Committee directed the general counsel to file a friend-of-the-court brief before the before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in the case entitled, C.I., Individually, G.W., Individually, and on behalf of C.L., A Child With A Disability v. Scarsdale Union Free School District. The school district had been successful in an action which had been brought against it before a federal district court in denying tuition reimbursement to parents who had unilaterally changed their child’s placement to a private school. The parents have appealed.
Annual Convention Update
NYSSBA’s Annual Convention will be held in Rochester October 24-26. The 2013 Call for Proposals website launched on January 3 with a deadline of February 18. To submit a proposal, go to http://s3.goeshow.com/nyssba/cfp/2013/.
Welcome New Member
We are pleased to report that the Amsterdam (Area 8) has voted to join NYSSBA.
Membership Update
To date, 633 boards of education have paid their 2013 NYSSBA dues. This number represents 94.90% of NYSSBA’s Year 2012 membership.
2013 membership plates will be sent out in the next week or so to the board presidents of member boards that have paid their 2013 NYSSBA dues. The plates are affixed to membership plaques previously sent to our members. If you have not received your plate by early March, please contact NYSSBA at 1-800-342-3360.
Be the Change for Kids Innovation Awards Campaign
The 2nd Annual Be the Change for Kids Innovation Awards campaign is expected to launch in early March with June 1 being the deadline for submission of nominations. Information on the awards will be sent to all board members, superintendents, assistant superintendents, as well as building principals.
Upcoming Events
NYSCOSS Winter Institute
March 3-5
District Clerk Workshop
March 6, Rochester
March 13, Albany
March 19, Long Island
Capital Conference
Safe Schools, Safe Students Conference – March 9, Albany
Advocacy Institute – March 10-11, Albany
Fiscal Oversight and Governance Online
March 27
April 17
May 15
September 4
October 2
November 6
NSBA Annual Convention
April 13-15, San Diego, CA
Home Field Advantage
May 1
NYSASA Conference
June 1, Saratoga
NYSASBO Conference
June 1-5, Saratoga
Summer Law Conference
July 16, Albany
July 18, Rochester
July 25, Long Island
Essentials of SB Governance
August 2-3, Long Island
September 20-21 Albany
October 23-24, Rochester
November 15-16, Lake Placid
Board Officers Academy
August 8, Long Island
September 20, Albany
September 26, Rochester
NYSCOSS Fall Leadership Summit
September 22-24
SAANYS Conference
October 20-21, Rochester
NYSSBA 94th Annual Convention
October 24-26, Rochester
Policy Workshop
November 7, TBD
November 19, TBD
November 21, TBD
Winter Law Conference
December 10, Albany
December 12, Rochester
Webinars
School Board Self-Evaluation – pre-recorded; to be released on Wednesday, February 13
Affordable Care Act – March 14