by Erin deWard
Nyack High School’s “pilot” program to rescind open campus privileges for 9th and 10th graders has not been given the time needed to put it together well. What was the rush?
As the mother of a high school student I am concerned that extra-curricular clubs and activities (at both the High School and Middle School) have been put on the chopping block to save the district money, but we may be spending $300,000 for a two month pilot (although we don’t know if that is a real figure yet or not) of a program that may or may not help to keep kids safe and in school. This seems an enormous waste. If Nyack is academically behind other districts in the county, wouldn’t that money be better spent on academic programming?I always vote yes on the school budget. I want the best for my kids and the kids of my neighbors. But I don’t think throwing money at a “problem” with out proper study of the problem is fiscally responsible.
Which kids are cutting? At what times are they cutting? Are there particular classes that get cut more than others? How old are the kids who are cutting? Are the kids who are cutting always the same kids? When kids cut, do they leave the grounds? Are the kids who are failing also the kids who are cutting? How many off campus incidents have there been involving Nyack HS kids during their lunch vs. incidents off campus after or before school? In the other districts that we are looking at does having a closed campus stop cutting of classes? How many students still cut and how many classes do they cut? Do they cut for just one class or for half days? Do they cut before they get to school? Is there any national data showing the correlation between closed campuses and academic achievement? Has the crime level in our town increased? By what percentage? How many teenagers are involved in these crimes? If Nyack is an unsafe place for teens to walk, how do we keep them safe as they travel to and from school?
All these data need to be taken into account in order to make an informed decision that works for Nyack students, taxpayers, administrators, and parents. The article published here says: “Lagana says the pilot program is a work in progress and High School Principal Joe Spero will make adjustments as required. “Over time, if we are able to reevaluate and make changes, we will try to reduce the costs,” he says. This concerns me. IF we are able to reevaluate and make changes, we will try to reduce costs? Isn’t a pilot program built on the premise that we WILL reevaluate and make changes? Is this “pilot” a done deal? Is this how we want decisions made in our district?
Next, on to the student experience at Nyack High School: What options will there be for kids who have a hard time eating in the lunch room? For whom the noise is too much or the bullying too frequent? Will there be another place that is sanctioned for them to eat?
Lastly, and from my daughters perspective, perhaps most importantly: This feels to the incoming sophmores like a punishment for something they did not do. And it is just one more in a line of “punishments” that make them VERY angry at the board and the administration. In 5th grade, the Liberty kids were supposed to take a trip to celebrate the end of the year. The year my daughter was in 5th grade it was canceled. The year the kids are in 8th grade the tradition is a trip to Great Adventure. But the year these sophmores were in 8th grade, the trip was deemed not educational enough even though parents found physics experiments specific to amusement park rides that could be used to make it educational. An attempt to replace it with a trip on the Circle Line (which they had been doing since elementary school) and to Madame Tussauds was not interesting to them, made them feel like “babies” and they did not sign up. Needless to say, the next year the 8th graders went to Great Adventure. And now, after a year of being trusted to behave, to be mature enough to walk 5 feet off campus to buy her lunch, after a year of being on the honor roll and high honor roll, she is being told NO, sorry. It’s not safe. You’re not mature enough (which is particularly funny to my daughter since she IS mature enough to walk a mile to and from school).
I understand that some parents don’t want their children leaving campus and their voices should be heard also. I agree that if parents feel their children can handle the responsibility of walking 5 feet off campus to the deli that they send a permission note and the kids get a pass regardless of their class (Because frankly, do we believe that the maturity level between a sophmore and a junior is that significant?). Also, if this is about academic achievement, why not tie it to that? Any student with a certain GPA is eligible to leave campus with parental permission. That way, even a senior who is cutting and failing loses the right.
Make it fair. Base it on research. Share the cost of the program with the community and let us have a say in whether we want our school taxes to pay for it or would rather have it bring back a cut club or activity. Maybe we, as a community would rather see the money spent on classes and programs that are so interesting that they make the kids want to be in school - so they don’t become so disengaged that they cut classes and drop out. If you do these things, perhaps the children will feel supported and respected and not infantilized and punished.
At their meeting on Sept 21, the Board should respond to all the questions and concerns that were raised about this issue and their process at the meetings on August 24 and Sept 7.
Thank you bud. Very well stated.
All very good questions! Hopefully we’ll start to get answers from the Board.
In addition to these questions, I would also like the Board to answer the following: What are the real safety concerns? At the meeting on Aug 24th, the discussion focused on students walking off campus. Is that really the concern – crossing the street? Based on discussions around town, the real issue is drug use. Let’s call it what it is and deal with it in a meaningful way. This $300,000 could have been spent on effective drug programs, for elementary through high school, to address the problem AND there would still be money left over to also address the other problem brought to light – the unacceptably high failure rate of freshmen and sophomores. A couple hundred thousand dollars sure could buy a lot of tutoring. Too bad it is being spent on security cameras instead.
This is a shortsighted and ill-conceived answer to some very troubling problems. The Board may have felt they were making the right decision, but by not gathering and examining useful data or listening to the community first, what they made was a mistake.
nyacklady,
Good post. You hit the nail on the head about decision making. Only issue with counseling is that I am not sure there is an understanding about the need for counsel.
I hope we see a change in how this BOE processes issues. There is however a need for everyone to be vigilant in monitoring the process going forward.
The explanation from the Board’s attorney related to following policies left a lot to be desired in my opinion. It would be great if the board responded to the question about their commitment to process. Are they going to follow adopted policies or will they make decisions by suspending rules and policies.
Technically the decision might be correct (although I am not convinced by the explanation), but does the BOE want to follow the letter of the policies or their intent. At this point it looks like they may be making it up as they go along.
Huss, I take it back.
Yes, there are members of this BoE who have the experience. These experienced Board members should have counseled the newer members.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with the open campus policy the problem is that the Board didn’t listen to concerns. Spending $300,000 of taxpayer dollars requires thoughtful consideration.
A speaker at the Board meeting talked about the use of the money for collaborative honors classes at the middle school. Another speaker, a student, talked about air conditioning (which has been raised several times, especially in the context of the music room – much less students who cannot stay awake in the heat). Another speaker challenged the purchase of a television to keep kids in the cafeteria!
There are many things that have been asked for over the years that would benefit students…. why weren’t these things also considered before making a decision to spend $300,000?
This isn’t about open or closed campus. It’s about making thoughtful decisions having input from the community, parents, and students.
To Patricia Kahn when the failing rates were presented the physical ed failures were not included in the numbers given per Walter Woodhouse.
Jason Friedman has lots of experience dealing with the East Ramapo board. That is earning your pay!
I’ll reiterate my closed campus position. It is a fine policy.
Student or youth maturity is not attained by demonstrating the ability to get to class on time. Only immaturity is shown by those who cannot.
A reasonable accomodation can be made to allow students to go to the nearby deli, convenience store, or chinese restuarant. I don’t want my underclassmen children walking into Nyack town or being driven to the Valley Cottage deli.
Finally, it’s good to question what we need all the new camera’s and security to implement what should be a simple policy.
My parents home was in residential NYC borough neigborhood, similar to Upper Nyack and near a public high school. Each new school year my father had to deal with kids sitting on his curb, or car hood, smoking and joking. This has obviously shaped my views. Probably Upper Nyack does not have the same problem, but sometimes I pass the nearby gas station and wonder why kids need to be behind the building?
Erin, bravo for your post. I, too, have wondered what problem this new policy is supposed to fix & whether there’s any evidence that it can effectively do so. And, in view of the high price tag for implementation: what activities or other personnel are being lost to pay for this? Does this trade-off reflect our (parents’ & students’) true priorities?
On another point: there’s been lots of discussion here about Nyack HS’s alarmingly high failure rate, but still no clarification about what the figures mean. Speaking as a parent of two Nyack HS graduates, both (honor students) failed Phys Ed once, as did a high percentage of their friends—I wonder if this is inflating the failure statistics. (At the time 3 missed classes was all it took, and with gym class at 7:30 am…) Very upsetting to me as a mom and a lesson to my boys about being responsible–but not a harbinger of academic difficulties or a consequence of an open campus.
I am sorry that ‘nyackres90′ thinks I am just trying to ‘stir the pot’. I’m not. I am trying to get the BoE to respond to the concerns and questions that were raised at their meeting on August 24. Last night, more parents and students raised yet more questions and concerns. I think there were many legitimate questions asked then, and the Board’s own agenda states that it will respond to PRIOR citizens’ concerns, questions etc. If you think that questioning the Board is ‘stirring the pot’ then I guess we have nothing more to discuss. I think that there are people in the community who do not believe asking questions in a public forum is pot-stirring. As Don Hammond said on August 24, disagreeing with you is simply that, disagreeing. Attempting to shut down discussion by name-calling is unhelpful. And not everyone with views needs to run for elected office–the board is there to listen to the community isn’t it (among other things)?
I was also at the meeting last night. Right out of the box the Superintendent told the people there that at the 9/21 meeting the criteria would be presented. He also asked the board to wait until 11/16 to make a decision. Mr Friedman was short and to the point. He was very well spoken and I believe will shake things up. The Superintendent and the board listened to everyone who spoke last night. Huss can be upset they they did not answer but it was the same with the previous boards also. They would never answer questions at that meeting.
Huss glad to see you will be running for the next board or will you just keep trying to stir the pot?
nyacklady writes “perhaps it’s a lack of experience being in a public office that explains why the Nyack BoE has acted the way it did on July 6.” Look at the record: some of these people definitely should know better having served on the BoE for several terms.
I’m quite sure this site would not publish my comment were I to tell you what I think of this bunch on the Board now. Sometimes when boards act arrogantly, there is nothing to be done–witness the selling of the theater building in Nyack. Sometimes, their actions can be undone–witness the recent debacle of the Nyack Village Board deciding to impose a $25 surcharge on merchants just because it decided it need more money. At the high school, the hardware has been purchased, the guards hired. And the Board just sits there listening to parent after parent ask them question, express regret and frustration, and says nothing. Their idea of “listening” to the community seems to entail nothing more than being in the same room as other people speaking. They take up hours of meeting time congratulating one another and telling us how delighted they were to attend events; but their actions in this case show nothing but contempt for the students and parents who happen to believe they acted stupidly on July 6. And no matter how long or short their terms of office, each one of them knows better.
Sept 7: The Board addressed none of the questions and concerns raised by community members at the previous meeting, August 24. So much for transparency.
Erin – excellent comments. Thank you for expressing so well the thoughts of so many community members… including those who do not have a children in the school district.
And huss – thanks for your support of Erin’s comments and your thoughtful comments.
With all the work over the years to improve how the District does it’s business: transparently, honestly (even showing Board disagreement) – let’s not move backwards.
I honestly think that this Board thinks they are doing the right thing, and perhaps it’s a lack of experience being in a public office. But listen to the public…. consider all options… and please be more thoughtful about how you make decisions and spend tax payer dollars.
Thanks for listening.
I applaud Erin DeWard’s chutzpah in risking being called “inane” or being told she “favors delinquency”–as has been heard from some Board members who get miffed when their actions are questioned, even politely. The fact is the closed campus issue has nothing to do with academic failure rates; that was a smokescreen. Some may have noticed that Mr. Spero has not referred to this as a rationale.
“Safety” is the other rationale offered, and that has a bit more credibility, but not much. Some people in the community do not believe Upper Nyack is a “dangerous” place, and, like Ms. DeWard, that their teen children can be trusted. Apparently, coaches also don’t think Upper Nyack dangerous as during the summer they have 9th and 10th graders at soccer practice (for example) running from the HS down to Marydell and back, unaccompanied. Maybe those roads suddenly become dangerous after school starts? Who knows. An undercurrent of this entire issue that almost came out into the open at the meeting on August 26 called to explain the new program is drug use in the woods around school.
The question now is whether this “pilot program” will successfully address that problem. I think we are likely to hear from the Board that this is “just a pilot,” that “we haven’t changed policy,” that it is all up for review. This is closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. The Board that was sworn in this past July needs to be watched vigilantly by anyone concerned about the process by which policies are set and hiring is done.