Comments on: Nyack HS: An Open And Shut Campus http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/ Community news and opinion for Nyack, NY Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:25:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mcccmar http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1268 mcccmar Mon, 16 Aug 2010 12:25:45 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1268 fingerprints - its not GOING to lunch thats the problem - its what they DO at lunch and where they go afterward that people are trying to address fingerprints – its not GOING to lunch thats the problem – its what they DO at lunch and where they go afterward that people are trying to address

]]> By: mcccmar http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1267 mcccmar Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:19:49 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1267 looking forward to the meeting on August 24th at the administration offices we should all be there - it affects us all - whether you are a student - a parent - or a taxpayer trying to negate liability so that your taxes dont go up when the district gets sued when a kid gets run over or kidnapped on one of these escapades- by the way I AM a masters degreed teacher - as well as a parent of a kid in district so I DO know what is going on looking forward to the meeting on August 24th at the administration offices
we should all be there – it affects us all – whether you are a student – a parent – or a taxpayer trying to negate liability so that your taxes dont go up when the district gets sued when a kid gets run over or kidnapped on one of these escapades- by the way I AM a masters degreed teacher – as well as a parent of a kid in district so I DO know
what is going on

]]> By: mcccmar http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1266 mcccmar Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:15:37 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1266 okay Im on a roll - ONE more comment - you want to know WHY kids are failing in such numbers here it is - the Board of Regents has set up ridiculously impossible (and in my view abusive) standards for these kids - there is NO middle ground here - you either get a regents diploma -or an IEP diploma which entitles you to flip burgers - the high school is a reflection of the chaos that the Board of Regents is engendering in New York State and unless people go to the source - it will continue okay Im on a roll – ONE more comment – you want to know WHY kids are failing in such numbers here it is – the Board of Regents has set up ridiculously impossible (and in my view abusive) standards for these kids – there is NO middle ground here – you either get a regents diploma -or an IEP diploma which entitles you to flip burgers – the high school is a reflection of the chaos that the Board of Regents is engendering in New York State and unless people go to the source – it will continue

]]> By: mcccmar http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1265 mcccmar Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:12:11 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1265 here is the deal - if the parents want their kids to be able to leave the school - let them sign waivers saying that they hold the district harmless if the kids are harmed in anyway while being out there - ALSO let them sign waivers s aying that they have been appraised of the districts cut policy and if their kids violate it and flunk- THEY said it was okay - see - a compromise - the district is not held liable for the kids running around, the parents get to be heros for their kids- AND the kids get to do as they want - EVERYBODY wins here is the deal – if the parents want their kids to be able to leave the school – let them sign waivers saying that they hold the district harmless if the kids are harmed in anyway while being out there – ALSO let them sign waivers s aying that they have been appraised of the districts cut policy and if their kids violate it and flunk- THEY said it was okay – see – a compromise – the district is not held liable for the kids running around, the parents get to be heros for their kids- AND the kids get to do as they want – EVERYBODY wins

]]> By: Survey on Nyack High School Open Campus Policy | Nyack News and Views http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1243 Survey on Nyack High School Open Campus Policy | Nyack News and Views Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:30:46 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1243 [...] There has been a strong response to the Nyack High School’s July 6 decision to change the “Open Campus” policy (see articles by Kendi Kajago and Dave Zornow). [...] [...] There has been a strong response to the Nyack High School’s July 6 decision to change the “Open Campus” policy (see articles by Kendi Kajago and Dave Zornow). [...]

]]> By: huss http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1240 huss Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:23:37 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1240 These comments range over all kinds of significant issues that only make clearer why such a vote should not have been called before adequate discussion had taken place. Those in favor of closing the campus (the meaning of which, btw, has not yet been defined at all) might yet be disappointed at the half-assed way it is going to be done. The HS principal on July 6 talked about doing it in phases, and (among many other points) about the importance of the whole school community’s “buying in” to it. Instead, what we have now is a lot of irritated people, and, going by the anecdotal evidence of the points of view of 9th and 10th grade students, a “policy” that will fail to address what it ostensibly is aimed to rectify. Leaving aside the questions of, for example, whether there is a correlation between an open campus and individuals failing a class, or whether closing the campus to young students who cannot drive while leaving it open for the older ones who can will affect safety, the heart of this discussion is whether the Board acted after appropriate and adequate input from the community. Those who already agree with the decision may feel it did, but they might have felt differently had the issue voted on been one on which they took the opposite point of view. When officials act badly it should not matter whether you agree with the outcome. I went to the July 6 meeting because I was interested to hear what the Principal would report from his committee, and without any definite opinion on whether the campus should be open or closed. It was stunning to see the way the Board acted given the cant about transparency and “community” we had been hearing in the months before the latest election. The questions of what exactly is meant by “closed campus” (e.g. what is the difference between that and a lockdown? What is the “campus”? How will we pay for the additional staff required and what will be cut to pay for these new expenses? Etc.) will probably come up on August 24, but we should also ask the Board what they propose doing to regain the trust of those in the community who were surprised by their action on July 6. These comments range over all kinds of significant issues that only make clearer why such a vote should not have been called before adequate discussion had taken place. Those in favor of closing the campus (the meaning of which, btw, has not yet been defined at all) might yet be disappointed at the half-assed way it is going to be done. The HS principal on July 6 talked about doing it in phases, and (among many other points) about the importance of the whole school community’s “buying in” to it. Instead, what we have now is a lot of irritated people, and, going by the anecdotal evidence of the points of view of 9th and 10th grade students, a “policy” that will fail to address what it ostensibly is aimed to rectify. Leaving aside the questions of, for example, whether there is a correlation between an open campus and individuals failing a class, or whether closing the campus to young students who cannot drive while leaving it open for the older ones who can will affect safety, the heart of this discussion is whether the Board acted after appropriate and adequate input from the community. Those who already agree with the decision may feel it did, but they might have felt differently had the issue voted on been one on which they took the opposite point of view. When officials act badly it should not matter whether you agree with the outcome. I went to the July 6 meeting because I was interested to hear what the Principal would report from his committee, and without any definite opinion on whether the campus should be open or closed. It was stunning to see the way the Board acted given the cant about transparency and “community” we had been hearing in the months before the latest election. The questions of what exactly is meant by “closed campus” (e.g. what is the difference between that and a lockdown? What is the “campus”? How will we pay for the additional staff required and what will be cut to pay for these new expenses? Etc.) will probably come up on August 24, but we should also ask the Board what they propose doing to regain the trust of those in the community who were surprised by their action on July 6.

]]> By: Roger S. Cohen http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1220 Roger S. Cohen Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:39:43 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1220 I would still like to see statistics and the report related to “46% of freshman and 42% of sophomores failed at least one course during the third marking period last year.” There seems to be quite a bit of conflicting opinion on this, those opinions formed without the benefit of reviewing the data. I would still like to see statistics and the report related to “46% of freshman and 42% of sophomores failed at least one course during the third marking period last year.”

There seems to be quite a bit of conflicting opinion on this, those opinions formed without the benefit of reviewing the data.

]]> By: AmyA http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1218 AmyA Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:27:22 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1218 I just wanted to correct two impressions in the article: I did not say that I think the current policy should necessarily be maintained. I believe that the committee should have had a chance to report on any issues they actually found, rather than just assuming that closing the campus for 9th and 10th graders will magically take care of some real issues. We've never heard what the actual safety concerns are. Second, the High School principal did mention concerns, but he specifically recommended that the campus NOT be closed at this time because no one in the community had a chance to give input, the committee hasn't finished their work, and the school was not prepared. The superintendent agreed with him. It is outrageous for a board to take on the job of admistrators, especially when they have no plan. I just wanted to correct two impressions in the article:

I did not say that I think the current policy should necessarily be maintained. I believe that the committee should have had a chance to report on any issues they actually found, rather than just assuming that closing the campus for 9th and 10th graders will magically take care of some real issues. We’ve never heard what the actual safety concerns are.

Second, the High School principal did mention concerns, but he specifically recommended that the campus NOT be closed at this time because no one in the community had a chance to give input, the committee hasn’t finished their work, and the school was not prepared. The superintendent agreed with him.

It is outrageous for a board to take on the job of admistrators, especially when they have no plan.

]]> By: fingerprints http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1216 fingerprints Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:54:26 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1216 I fail to see how going to lunch causes students to fail classes. I fail to see how going to lunch causes students to fail classes.

]]> By: nyackres90 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/2010/07/nhs_opencampus/comment-page-1/#comment-1215 nyackres90 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:31:48 +0000 http://www.nyacknewsandviews.com/?p=10692#comment-1215 DZ--- The numbers that you refer to from the athletic elibility was only based on the current standards. The lower numbers reflected how many students failed 2 classes. All of these numbers can be requested under a FOIL request by anyone. I also believe that the numbers are meaningful, the school should be in the business of educating the students. If a business shipped out products and 1 out of every 3 failed, their reputation would be damaged. DZ—
The numbers that you refer to from the athletic elibility was only based on the current standards. The lower numbers reflected how many students failed 2 classes. All of these numbers can be requested under a FOIL request by anyone.

I also believe that the numbers are meaningful, the school should be in the business of educating the students. If a business shipped out products and 1 out of every 3 failed, their reputation would be damaged.

]]>