First of three "Meet the Candidate" Sessions scheduled for Monday
The Board of Education narrowed the Superintendent candidate pool from five to three this week. The final three candidates will be announced on Monday, January 23, 2012. Each of the candidates will give a public presentation and participate in a moderated question and answer session.
The public sessions will be held as follows:
Monday, January 23, 6 pm Paige Elementary School Auditorium, 104 Elliott Ave.
Tuesday January 24, 6 pm Paige Elementary School Auditorium, 104 Elliott Ave.
Tuesday, January 31, 6 pm Paige Elementary School Auditorium, 104 Elliott Ave.
Format The candidates will each discuss entry plans into the district and then will take questions regarding the plan for 15 minutes. A 30-minute moderated question and answer session will follow.
The schedule of who will speak on which day will be announced Monday.
Why are all of the meetings at Paige and not at the high school?
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Schenectady parents focus on students By CATHLEEN F. CROWLEY, Staff writer Published 09:56 p.m., Monday, January 23, 2012
SCHENECTADY — After years of attention on school leaders, parents and community members said it is time to focus on the students.
About 50 people attended the Monday night interview of a finalist for school superintendent, the first of three finalists to go before the community. The city's new superintendent will be the district's first permanent leader since Eric Ely stepped down in 2010 in the aftermath of the Steven Raucci scandal. Raucci, who oversaw the district's facilities, was accused of intimating school employees and was convicted of arson and weapons charges.
"With all we've been through as a district, you'd think people would have been here in full force," said Jayne Thompson, a high school teacher and junior ROTC leader, who was disappointed with the turnout. "People lose their voice when they are not involved."
Thompson said there is a feeling of apathy and hopelessness in the district, and she hopes the next superintendent will change that.
Maxine Brisport, a parent and ex-member of the city's Board of Education, said there is a culture of low expectations in the system.
"How are you going to involve the staff so they can inspire the students to achieve more," Brisport said she'd ask the finalists.
Laurence Spring, superintendent of Cortland Enlarged School District, was the first finalist to be interviewed by the community. He talked mostly in generalities and about education theory.
Questions submitted by the audience included: How will you ensure that students are career and college ready? How will you address teacher evaluations? What accomplishments in your current job have been achieved through collaboration? What is your strategy if a charter school is proposed in Schenectady? What is your management and leadership style? How will you handle the racial, cultural and socioeconomic diversity of Schenectady students? How will you get students and staff what they need within a tight budget?
Parents said the next superintendent needs to understand a urban student population, and has to work well with parents.
"The city is hurting. The school district is hurting. We can't go through it as two ships just side-by-side," said Deidre Delaney, a parent of two students who wants to see more parent collaboration..........................>>>>........................>>>>.......................Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/loca.....11.php#ixzz1kNE0Zq8f
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."