Quoted from 147

Shhh - Don't tell Ronny that

I don't know what your problem is -- but I have no problem with teachers paying into the retirement system.
My aunt made mandatory payments into the system for the first 1/3 of her teaching career -- and after the state created the Tier system in the 1970's - she continued to make VOLUNTARY contributions into the teacher's retirement system.   She earned EVERY penny of her pension -- and then some.   She never got a huge overtime payout like some public employees -- she used less than a dozen sick or personal days during her career and donated the unused days into the pool used by other teachers when they had long absences due to very serious illness.  

And many other teachers who started when she did -- did the same.    They deserve their pensions and anyone who thinks otherwise can go suck a lemon attached to a diesel truck driving 80 mph down the Thruway.

Not sure what you mean, I was talking about "ronny" - not DVOR.

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Who will pay cost of keeping Woestina and Mariaville open?

    Economic times are tough and we all have to do our part. I am talking about the two elementary schools that are in the Schalmont district that have been recommended by the superintendant to close [Jan. 29 Gazette].
    Woestina and Mariaville [elementary school] parents put up a fi ght to keep their community schools open for this long, and that really does show so much passion to something they believe in. I applaud them for that.
    Woestina parents and teachers aren’t happy, but they understand that these changes need to occur in this fi scal crisis the district is facing and are taking the high road and now working with the community as a whole on easing this transition for their children.
    Mariaville parents intend to keep fighting. My question is, why should the district homeowners pay for schools that are declining in enrollment and are so expensive to operate? What makes Mariaville residents feel their school should stay open? Perhaps the residents of Mariaville would like to take on the entire tax burden of keeping their school open. I am not willing to; however, what I am willing to do is to make sacrifices and to pay to keep vital programs available for our children to be competitive for college.
    We have sports that may be eliminated that could help with scholarships, we have academic programs in danger that could give your children college credit. College is very competitive and even SUNY schools are getting harder to get accepted into.
    Jefferson [elementary] is a great school with great administrators who will help with your children’s change. Schalmont is a great school district and we need to do our part to keep it that way. In case someone who reads this thinks that I am insensitive and don’t understand, I do understand. I have two children in the district. One went to Mariaville until third grade and is now in college, and I have a child in the high school.
Please attend the Feb. 14 board of education meeting. I attended the last one on Jan. 24 and only eight parents were there.

NANCY FISHER
Rotterdam Junction

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00703&AppName=1

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I attended the last one on Jan. 24 and only eight parents were there.

Does anything else need to be said?  Nobody shows up to get information, then everyone complains.

Quoted from Kevin March

Does anything else need to be said?  Nobody shows up to get information, then everyone complains.

I guess I missed the memo, oh wait the shalmont newsletter that they sent out made no mention of dates...

I didn't even know they were planning on closing both schools, that wasn't even on the plate when the newsletter stated the options a few months ago...its like the school board and the superintendent don't want the people of the district to know what they are actually planning on doing

Also please note my original post where I said unborn child...I don't normally deal with what is going on in the school district as I have no vested stake but I will in about 5-6 years...

NYS pays the highest for education in the country and we only come in 'mid-pack'.....around 32nd in success.

Like I have said all along.....cut the fluff stuff out and go back to just being EDUCATORS!! No need for breakfast and after school dinner. If the parents don't feed their kids....call CPS....it's abuse!!! Get rid of sex education...it's not working any way. And since when were radios required on a school bus? Not the 2-ways....the radios for 'music'. Let the kids walk and extra block to get their bus. Forget the school trips and go back to a 'campus picnic' at the end of the year! Cut out the spring recess and have them both in the winter when the heat can be turned down. Increase class sizes. Colleges have huge classes and they seem to dojust fine.

Quoted from bumblethru

NYS pays the highest for education in the country and we only come in 'mid-pack'.....around 32nd in success.

Like I have said all along.....cut the fluff stuff out and go back to just being EDUCATORS!! No need for breakfast and after school dinner. If the parents don't feed their kids....call CPS....it's abuse!!! Get rid of sex education...it's not working any way. And since when were radios required on a school bus? Not the 2-ways....the radios for 'music'. Let the kids walk and extra block to get their bus. Forget the school trips and go back to a 'campus picnic' at the end of the year! Cut out the spring recess and have them both in the winter when the heat can be turned down. Increase class sizes. Colleges have huge classes and they seem to dojust fine.

I agree with all but the last statement. For k-12 small classes are a must

want people to show up mention

merit pay raises based on student performance for -  teachers and administrators

Quoted from 1140

I guess I missed the memo, oh wait the shalmont newsletter that they sent out made no mention of dates...

I didn't even know they were planning on closing both schools, that wasn't even on the plate when the newsletter stated the options a few months ago...its like the school board and the superintendent don't want the people of the district to know what they are actually planning on doing

Also please note my original post where I said unborn child...I don't normally deal with what is going on in the school district as I have no vested stake but I will in about 5-6 years...

The possibility of one or both schools closing has been in the works for quite a while.  Just check back to the beginning of this thread.  I don't specifically remember at the moment how long this has been brought up, but it's been most of this school year.  

Also, I understand that without having a child in the school, you feel as though you "have no vested stake," but the fact is, as a resident of the district, that's not true.  BY just living here, you already have a vested stake, as you are currently paying for those that do have children in the schools.  Their success or failure at this time may be taken into consideration as far as keeping a schoolopen or closing it, although in this case, it's more of a monetary issue, money that you are paying now.

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Schalmont has no choice but to close schools

    Re Carrie Monthie’s Feb. 4 letter on closing the Mariaville elementary school: I appreciate all that she said and understand, having had two children go to Schalmont.
    I want the same for all our children, and yet the reality of what we can afford leaves little options.
    This year my taxes will be at $11,800-plus for property and school.
    I don’t live in Saratoga, Clifton Park or another more-affluent community, I live in Rotterdam. I can no longer afford to live here or pay these type of taxes.
    Without the business to offset the tax burden, we are all left with diffi cult choices, including closing schools. In the end, we will all be there for our children, and the community will be there as well, because we all care.
    I can’t, however, work just to pay my taxes, and take valuable time away from family — more than the 60-plus hour average workweek that I, and so many others, sacrifice to have a roof over our heads and food on the table.
    The bottom line is, there is no other choice.

    EMERY MILLER
    Rotterdam

http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00705&AppName=1

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This year my taxes will be at $11,800-plus for property and school.

sounds like the city

Instead of only closing 2 schools-consolidate the entire district. Why does Rotterdam need two separate school systems? One Rotterdam United School District. Imagine.

     The savings due to increased buying power and half the administration would be in the millions. Everyone talks a good game about consolidation but NIMBY. I want the school I went to 30 years ago to stay open come hell or high water. The house you save maybe your own.

The rural areas have the problem.....they moved there and know the issues.....the further they are spaced the more it costs to use.....even if they
consolidated the distance to get to school would be the same.....I cant speak on their union issues but just the logistics alone puts them behind
the 8ball.....especially with the unstable oil prices....my gas tank costs me almost 1/2 more to fill.....I can only imagine the cost to bus.....

Quoted from benny salami

Instead of only closing 2 schools-consolidate the entire district. Why does Rotterdam need two separate school systems? One Rotterdam United School District. Imagine.

     The savings due to increased buying power and half the administration would be in the millions. Everyone talks a good game about consolidation but NIMBY. I want the school I went to 30 years ago to stay open come hell or high water. The house you save maybe your own.

also,,,Rotterdam has a planning issue.....with all the MFRH going up they refuse to see the impact on school growth....they are
shortsighted developers concerned about their own pockets now and certainly not the future of the town.....that is why Rotterdam
is so willy-nilly and without a classy patina.....all those apartments built have an impact on school enrollment now or in the immediate
future........the future is coming and the old guard doesn't care.....they want windows for the senior center.....

it's just poor poor planning that was never never dealt with, because of fear of a little snit.......

Schalmont can become a district like Shenendahoah......

Personally, I think that they do need to look to cut costs, but that consolidation of school districts is probably not the answer.  If you go ahead with the consolidation, you end up with huge schools and the issues that come along with them, such as issues that you see at Shenendehowa or Albany or Schenectady City Schools.