Area 6 Director Dana Smith Represents the Following School Districts:

Au Sable Valley, Beekmantown, Brasher Falls, Brushton-Moira, Canton, Chazy, Clifton-Fine, Clinton-Essex-Warren-Washington BOCES, Colton-Pierrepont, Crown Point, Edwards-Knox, Elizabethtown-Lewis, Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES, Gouverneur, Hammond, Harrisville, Hermon-DeKalb, Heuvelton, Indian Lake, Keene, 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, Salmon River, Saranac, Saranac Lake, Schroon Lake, Ticonderoga, Tupper Lake, Westport and Willsboro

Area Director Electronic Newsletter

Welcome to the April 11, 2008 issue of the Area 6 electronic newsletter. The electronic newsletter is designed to facilitate communication between members of your NYSSBA Board of Directors and the Areas they represent. The newsletter contains information about Area 6 and NYSSBA. I hope you find it informative. I would appreciate your sending comments and suggestions for future newsletters to me at area06director@nyssba.org. If any of your board colleagues do not have computer access, a copy will be sent to the district office for distribution. If others with email did not receive their own copy, please submit their e-mail address to NYSSBA at info@nyssba.org.

NYSSBA Area Elections

Nominations for the Area 6 representative on the NYSSBA Board of Directors must reach NYSSBA off ices by 5 p.m. on July 31.  Candidates are required to obtain nominations from five separate member board.  Nominations should be sent to:

Mary Metheny, Executive Assistant
NYSSBA
24 Century Hill Drive, Ste. 200
Latham, NY  12110

If you have any questions, please contact Mary at 518-783-3709, 1-800-342-3360 or mary.metheny@nyssba.org.

Honor an outstanding school board member

Know a school board member who has made outstanding contributions to public education? Then nominate that person for NYSSBA’s prestigious Everett R. Dyer Distinguished Service Award. Look for 2008 nomination forms and instructions in your mailbox and on the NYSSBA website (www.nyssba.org) this month. Deadline for nominations is June 2. If you have questions, please contact Barbara Bradley at NYSSBA at 1-800-342-3360 or 518-783-3719, or Barbara.bradley@nyssba.org

2008 Joint BOCES Workshop

Planning for the 2008 Joint BOCES Workshop, entitled “Up to the Challenge: How BOCES Can Better Serve Core Student Populations”, is complete.    For the first time, promotional materials have been sent to all BOCES members as well as boards and administrators of component districts.  James R. Stone III will present a keynote address at this year’s workshop.  Dr. Stone is the Director of the National Research Center for Career & Technical Education, at the University of Louisville.  His research has focused on strategies that improve the capacity of career and technical education (CTE) programs, including longitudinal studies on the effects of work-based learning and the effect of whole-school, CTE-based school reforms on educational outcomes of youth in high-poverty communities. This year’s workshop will also explore t he impact student mental health issues on local schools. 

Value-Added Conference

Most of us are aware of the recent NYS budget deliberations and the furor that surrounded the issue of tenure determinations.  In the center of that controversy was the NYC chancellor's plan to use value-added assessment data as part of the tenure determination process.  After a period of intense negotiations, agreement was reached on a two year "moratorium" on the use of student performance data in making tenure decisions.  In the meantime, a state commission is to be created to "…to study the merits of value added assessment models in school accountability,  including  improving  instruction, evaluating teacher practice standards and informing the best methods of professional development."  The details of the commission remain to be resolved.    The two-year sunset and commission requirement assure that the s e issues will be more deliberately and publicly considered than happened this year.  

On that point, a one-day value-added conference titled “Ready, Set, Grow,” sponsored by NYSSBA, NYSCOSS, SAANYS and the Capital Region BOCES, is set for May 28 in Albany.  Look for a brochure in the mail shortly.

State Budget

Speaking of the state budget, NYSSBA has already sent members numerous calls-to-action newsletters, e-mails and talking points to all members.  Thank you for your very positive response. Your hard work paid off.  Budget negotiation were intense.  We’re pleased to report that state lawmakers awarded a record $21.5 billion in school aid based on educational need.  Given the current status of the economy, we recognize how monumental that task was this year.  In providing a $1.75 billion increase in school aid, our state partners have appropriately recognized that investing in pub l ic education is the state’s top priority.  See the April 9th SLN News, which you received by e-mail, for a complete rundown of the budget and a link to individual district aid runs.

Tax Cap Commission

The Commission on Property Tax Relief aka Tax Cap Commission aka Suozzi Commission, has held hearings statewide, including an April 10 hearing in Syracuse.  The next hearing is April 23 in Albany.  NYSSBA has identified and supported witnesses at each hearing, and submitted a stream of written materials to Commission members.  The Commission’s preliminary report and recommendation are due to be submitted to the governor on May 22.

NYSSBA is lobbying for…

NYSSBA staff have drafted a 3020-a teacher discipline bill which the Association hopes to have introduced in the Legislature.  This bill significantly amends present provisions of the law which, if adopted, would provide school districts with a greater ability to discipline tenured teachers and administrators who engage in acts of misfeasance or malfeasance. 

NYSSBA staff have also drafted a bill addressing student residency issues.

Federally, NYSSBA staff has contacted Congress to urge members to extend the current moratorium on a rule that would eliminate Medicaid reimbursement to schools for transportation of Medicaid eligible students with disabilities.
 
No More CLE Credits

NYSSBA received notification from the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Board that our CLE provider status was no longer in effect due solely to regulatory language which gives the CLE Board no discretion.  To the extent to which this decision will affect the number of participants at our upcoming legal conferences, only time will tell. 

All in Favor

NYSSBA staff collaborated with the New York Library Association for joint distrib u tion of the brochure “All in Favor” to their 4,000 members made up of college and university libraries, school libraries, public libraries, and special libraries.  The purpose of the All in Favor brochure is to provide the public with information about the role of school board members, to engage them in the selection process, and encourage them to vote.  Printed copies of All in Favor will also be distributed to NYSSBA member school districts and are available online at www.nyssba.org.

NYSSBA Partnerships

Most recently, the Association has mutually agreed with two of our vendors, SERAPH and Kinney & Associates, to end our formal business partnerships.

NYSSBA Annual Convention

Two sponsors from last year will be returning as sponsors at the 2008 Annual Convention:  New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Northwest Evaluation Associat i on (NWEA).  NYSERDA will be sponsoring one of our educational seminar tracks and NWEA will be sponsoring the Convention Bookstore.   We are also pleased to announce that Gibson/Spiezle Architects is the newest sponsor at our Annual Convention.  The architectural firm, with offices in New York City and New Jersey, is a new vendor to our event.  They will sponsor a new afternoon break being offered on the trade show floor Friday afternoon.  

We welcome Annese & Associates, Inc. as an exhibitor at our trade show this year.  Annese & Associates, located in North Syracuse, provides communications network solutions.  Other new exhibitors include Utica College (promoting their Masters and Doctoral programs), Flushing Commercial Bank (financial services), Franklin Paint Company (athletic field supplies), and we welcome back returning exhibitors NTec, LLC (message delivery syste m s), Foit-Albert Associates (Architecture/Engineering), Toth’s Sports (scoreboards) and ARMM Associates (commercial roofing). 

NYSSBA will be launching a new online trade show and floor plan for our Annual Convention.  The software, purchased from a2z Inc, will allow exhibitors to go online and purchase booths instantaneously, and will capture their financial and company information.  Convention attendees will also be able to view the floor plan prior to attending the October event. 

Speaking Opportunities

Emails were sent to the executive directors and presidents of local school boards associations throughout the state, reminding them that NYSSBA’s president and staff welcome the opportunity to speak at the associations’ meetings and dinners.   In addition, as is NYSSBA’s custom three times a year, the local school boards associations were requested to provide NYSSBA wi t h their associations’ calendars of educational events for the remainder of 2008, so that the information may be placed on NYSSBA’s website calendar.

Congratulations

NYSSBA is proud to extend congratulations to the Monroe Woodbury School District on their win of the Magna Award.  The district has a comprehensive, K-12 health education curriculum, written by district health education staff based on state standards and student needs, the food choices in cafeterias and vending machines are aligned with nutrition education, the district offers free “healthy heart” screenings for staff and parents, among other things.

Congratulations also go to the Schenectady City School District, who won the National Fine Arts Award, along with $10,000.  The award was presented by the Kennedy Center Education Network (KCAAEN) and National School Board Association (NSBA).  Schenectady was singled out for outstanding support of hi g h-quality arts education.

Upcoming Events
 
Fiscal Oversight Online course schedule
  April 16 thru May 28
  April 30 thru June 11
  May 14 thru June 25
  June 11 thru July 23
  June 18 thru August 6
  September 3 thru October 15
  September 17 thru October 29
  October 8 thru November 19

Fiscal Oversight Workshop
  April 12, Plainview, Residence Inn by Marriott
  April 12, Latham, NYSSBA headquarters
  July 18-20, Buffalo, Adams Mark Hotel (during the New and Veteran Academies)
  August 11-12, Hillburn, Suffern High School
  August 13-14, Syracuse, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES
  August 18-19, Holbrook, Eastern Suffolk BOCES
  August 23, Rochester, Marriott Airport Hotel
  September 5 & 7, Albany Desmond (during the New and Veteran Academies)
  October 16 & 19, New York City, Sheraton New York Hotel
  November 15, Fairport, Woodcliff Hotel
  November 15 - Ronkonkoma, Cortland by Marriott Long Island
  November 22, Newburgh, Hilton Garden Inn Newburgh
  November 22 – Elmira, Holiday Inn Elmira
  December 13 – Watertown, Ramada Inn
  December 13 – Oneonta, Holiday Inn Oneonta

Superintendent Search Workshop
  April 24, Utica, Radisson Hotel Utica Centre
  May 8, Ronkonkoma, Courtyard Marriott

Joint BOCES Workshop
  May 2 & 3, Albany, Holiday Inn

Internal and External Audit Process
  May 9, New Hartford, Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES
  May 9, Holbrook, Eastern Suffolk BOCES
  May 16, White Plains, Crowne Plaza
 
Special Education Law Conference
  May 22, Albany
  May 29, Rochester
  June 12, Long Island
 
Value-Added Conference
  May 28, Albany, Holiday Inn

Communications Workshops  June 13, Albany
  July 11, Rochester
  September 12, Long Island
 
New School Board Member One-Day Academy
  July 11, Latham, NYSSBA Headquarters
  August 1, Saranac Lak, Saranac Lake BOCES
  August 8, Garden City, Nassau BOCES Admin Center
  August 15, White Plains, Crowne Plaza White Plains
  August 22, Rochester, Marriott Airport Hotel

New and Veteran School Board Member Academies
  July 18-20, Buffalo, Adams Mark Hotel
  September 5-7, Albany, Desmond Hotel

School Board Institute Courses
  July 18 & 20, Buffalo, Adams Mark Hotel
  September 5 & 7, Albany, Desmond Hotel
  October 16 & 19, New York City, Sheraton New York Hotel

School Law Conference
  July 18, Albany
  July 25, Long Island
 
Annual Education Law Conference
  August 7, Syracuse

Board Officers Academy
  August 9, F airport, Woodcliff Hotel
  August 16, Ronkonkoma, Courtyard by Marriott Long Island
  September 20, Latham, NYSSBA Headquarters
  September 27, Binghamton, Broome-Tioga BOCES

32nd Annual Education Law Conference
  September 11, Syracuse, Syracuse University

Pre-Convention School Law Seminar
  October 16, New York City

89th Annual Convention
  October 16-19, New York City, Sheraton Hotel and Towers

Policy Workshops
  November 7, Rochester
  November 14, Latham, NYSSBA Headquarters
  November 20, Long Island

School Law Conference
  December 10, Albany