Support The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns: An Action Plan! Feb 20. 2013 | Comments (0)
The Public Schools of the Tarrytowns have always thrived because of strong parental involvement, which supports our mission of creating a vibrant and caring learning community. Our children have benefited not just from academic classes taught by exceptional teachers and administrators, but from a strong commitment to the arts, sports, world languages, enrichments and after-school programs. Over the past few years, however, events have conspired to endanger our school district – and school districts all across New York State.
The Lower Westchester Education Consortium (LWEC) was created last year when parents and superintendents from neighboring school districts met to determine the best way to advocate for our schools. This group has now grown to include representatives from 12 public school districts in Westchester and Rockland County, including:
Ardsley
Dobbs Ferry
Eastchester
Edgemont
Elmsford
Hastings
Irvington
North Rockland
Rye Neck
The Tarrytowns
Valhalla
Yorktown Central
LWEC is currently launching a letter-writing campaign to reach out to our legislators and Governor with our concerns. These concerns have been organized into 4 letters written by sub-committees of the consortium:
The tax cap – We are concerned that in order for our school budget to cover state-mandated costs and still remain in compliance with the tax levy cap, we will have no choice but to make drastic cuts to non-mandated programs, such as the music and arts, athletics, and AP course offerings. We ask that the tax cap apply to our district's expenses and not be taken up by the costs that are mandated by the state including the large pension and health insurance costs that we have no control over.
APPR (Annual Professional Performance Review) legislation – We are concerned with the costs and the effects of increased testing in the classrooms as part of this evaluation system that has not yet been proven to be reliable. We are asking the state to reimburse the schools for the large test-related expenses and to provide an independent evaluation of the costs and effects on our kids of the APPR.
Unfunded and under-funded state mandates – NY state government has imposed numerous mandates without providing the funding necessary to implement them. This has created an impossible financial situation for our schools and placed the future of our education system in jeopardy. We are asking the state to refrain from imposing new unfunded mandates, to revisit current mandates, and to fulfill promises to provide mandate relief.
Loss of local control of our schools – We are advocating for more local control with more emphasis on the types of learning that we, as parents, teachers and administrators, value in our schools and less emphasis on the standardized test preparation for the mandated state evaluation systems.
What can you do?
Read the letters and learn about the issues that threaten to compromise our children's education and then make your voices heard by asking your state legislators to do what they promised in terms of mandate relief, tax levy cap exemptions, evaluating the cost effectiveness of the APPR teacher evaluation process, and restoring more local control.
Please review the four petitions below, and – if you agree – sign one or more of the petitions that will be sent to the our state leaders. It is critical that our representatives hear your voice! The legislators need to know that parents do not want their children to lose valuable programs because of their inaction. Please tell our legislators to ACT NOW!
Tax Levy Cap
Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) legislation
Unfunded Mandates
Meaningful local control of our schools.
You may also send letters to the below representatives by copying the text provided within the links and pasting them into an email from your personal account. Email addresses are as follows:
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Democratic Conference Leader, (D, IP, WF) 35th Senate District
Thomas J. Abinanti
Assemblymember - District 92
Dr. John King
New York State Education Commissioner
Merryl Tisch
New York State Board of Regents Chancellor
Thank you for your participation in this important campaign!