School Board elections are Thursday May 21st. Three seats are open in Schenectady. Tom Hodgkins is the best of the candidates trying to get the third seat. Tom has a Master's Degree from Union in Economics which is sorely needed on this Board. Tom believes in K-8 neighborhood schools and slashing wasteful busing of children in all directions. Tom Hodgkins is a Stockade homeowner who realizes that the Stockade needs a school and that taxes are crushing home owners and destroying resale values. We cannot go back and let political hacks with no educational credentials further deplete taxpayers. That's already happening on the County and City level.
Tom Hodgkins is my pick. My problem is, do I just not vote for anyone else or do I also vote for the two incumbents to make sure the NYSUT employee doesn't get in there? Does he have any common sense - why should he be different? Seriously, he is the only one motivated by the right objective, IMO, good schools that the parents want to send their kids to. I know people who put their houses up for sale when their kids didn't get picked in the "lottery" for Howe School. Buses are a waste of gas, polluting, and cause terrible traffic congestion. If people have to put their kids on a bus even though there is a perfectly goodschool right across the street, they might as well move to Burnt Hills.
how does he feel about ap classes with sccc just down the street?
From the Schenectady School District website:
"Thomas Hodgkins of 15 N. Ferry St. is seeking his first term on the Board of Education.
I Will Prioritize Early Education
It has been proven that for every $1 invested in early education, society saves $11 in the future, because of the large and lasting gains made by students. If we are serious about creating outstanding schools and a prosperous city, our children must have a solid foundation. Early education is my first priority.
Thomas Hodgkins: 37, BA History, MA Teaching @ Union College, MA Economics. Taught at Schenectady High School, the South Bronx, China, and at U Albany.
Father of 3 kids soon entering city schools, home owner, loves Schenectady.
Let’s Create Outstanding Schools !"
Not quite sure about the magnet school proposition, but his children are districted to go to Yates Magnet School if they don't get into a lottery for a different magnet school like Central Park. Let's just say that Yates doesn't have such a stellar rep (last year a female student beat up a TA or something along those lines and it's only an elementary school).
He has an MA in ECONOMICS!! Whoa!! I don't believe half the financial planners in the City of Schenectady have that (just ask Mr. Gillen!).
He's a good guy with a great family, is very intelligent and the school district could only BENEFIT from his experience.
I'm not crazy about the guy's ideas, mind you, but he is the best of the lot, and I don't want to be too critical of someone who steps up without any agenda that doesn't belong. I'm not willing to run myself, I don't have the stomach for it. I'm not into all this "quality pre-k is vital" thinking. That's what kindergarten was invented for remember? Having your kids in school all day from age three is free babysitting, really. For some kids it is better than being at home, sure, but I'm not persuaded that day care is something the property owners should be paying for. Do they get federal funds for that? Even if they do, it is still taxpayer money and it is highly debatable whether having kids start school that early is worth it to the kids.
I'm not crazy about the guy's ideas, mind you, but he is the best of the lot, and I don't want to be too critical of someone who steps up without any agenda that doesn't belong. I'm not willing to run myself, I don't have the stomach for it. I'm not into all this "quality pre-k is vital" thinking. That's what kindergarten was invented for remember? Having your kids in school all day from age three is free babysitting, really. For some kids it is better than being at home, sure, but I'm not persuaded that day care is something the property owners should be paying for. Do they get federal funds for that? Even if they do, it is still taxpayer money and it is highly debatable whether having kids start school that early is worth it to the kids.
Well, we did send men to the moon without the little kiddies in elementary school having access to computers. People nowadays treat computers as some kind of magic machine necessary to impart genius knowledge to little minds. Children use computers for the same stupid stuff adults do if you don'twatch them. I read about a very expensive and exclusive private school that is so basic they don't even use computers, yet people like Kennedys pay big bucks to send their children there. I'm not against schools having computers. I think that sometimes people get a false idea of the type of things money must be spent on in order for kids to learn.
This just in - I heard that Mr. Hodgkins likes Bernice the NYSUT employee and wants people to vote for her as well. I don't know, I can't say I care for either incumbent or a political hack, but can I bring myself to vote for someone who is establishing a dangerous precedent by running, and who cannot even vote on certain matters before the board? This really burns me, that our once fine school system has been brought to this point, that we are faced with these kinds of choices. Come to think of it, our last city election wasn't a great choice either. I only picked Roger because he at least knew his way around a budget and fiscal matters and as an ex-college president didn't have a finger in the pie.
Tom Hodgkins is the only hope to stop another machine takeover. How did that work last time? lol. Tom has 2 pre-schoolers and owns property in the Stockade. Don't vote for either the NYSTU candidate or the DEM bully boy. Hodgkins is not perfect but believes in K-8 schools, cutting busing and controlling spending. More than the others can say.
Thank you for the advice, benny. I intend to vote for Tom because he is impressive, but it's the other choices that had me stymied.
Agreed! Just vote for Tom Hogkins. Let the incumbents, NYSUT hack and County lob/sidewalk Eddie Kosiur fight for the other two seats. BTW, over $150 MILLION budget for a 10,000 students? Had 30,000 students back in the day. Polls open NOON-9PM-most reading this will vote at the High School. Yates School is the polling place for Northside and City Hall for the Stockade. Vote now to stop another takeover.
School Board elections are Thursday May 21st. Three seats are open in Schenectady. Tom Hodgkins is the best of the candidates trying to get the third seat. Tom has a Master's Degree from Union in Economics which is sorely needed on this Board. Tom believes in K-8 neighborhood schools and slashing wasteful busing of children in all directions. Tom Hodgkins is a Stockade homeowner who realizes that the Stockade
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