OK, seriously, what is the problem? If you want to talk about taxes, that is a valid conversation,…Read More but lets remember that everyone who ever worked in any of our schools and retired with benefits is on the payroll, from janitors to teachers to secretaries to administrators. People are living longer and longer and the number of people on these benefits is going up and will continue to go up exponentially every year. This is a problem with every local, and State government and the federal too, not to mention it is a big part of the price increases on almost every product we buy, flight we pay for, and hospital we go to. It is part of life today and it is a real problem that has to be adressed, but you can vote out every board member every election and no CPA experience is going to make the State retirement obligations go away. By the way....I believe we already have a CPA on the board...just saying. Now, I can't believe there is even a conversation about a conspiracy about who knew what and when did they know it about the school rankings? It is ridiculous! Whether you are #22, 117 or 312 is semantics and immaterial, it is out of 26,000 public high schools! These publications change their methods every year so numbers will fluctuate every year! It happens in college rankings, hospital rankings...these things are to sell magazines, they are nice as a general understanding of where you stand, but if they were the same every year, nobody would buy the magazines. The banners by the way come from the magazines, like the doctors who have them in their offices for some years but not others...those change every year too. As for Patti Mullooly, and Kathy Baxley for that matter, they are dedicated, hardworking women who give so much to our schools and our community in general from what I can see. They have strong beliefs as they should as interested, taxpaying members of our community. I think everyone should have interest in these subjects and have open discussions, even if we disagree. But those of you who want to complain, and insinuate wrongdoing, but don't even have the courage of your convictions enough to post with your real names, kind of digust me.
Been There Done That. You seem to know a lot about me. It makes me feel so important but I feel…Read More like I'm at such a disadvantage. Please share with us all your true identity. We would love to pick apart every aspect of your life. I'll repeat here what I've said before. I would welcome the opportunity to have an open and honest discussion with you if you had the courage to put your name behind your statements.
Hey Matt Hogan, While I don't buy into posts that you are Johnson's press secretary and him having…Read More a hand in running this publication, I do believe myself and many other readers here would appreciate an in depth, unbiased and objective interview w/ him asking the tuff questions your readers asked here. He always seems available to comment on and inflate the slightest bit of positive news, perhaps he would like the opportunity to comment on and explain his take on the latest rankings, etc. Have you or any member of your staff ever directly interviewed him or requested and interview w/ him and would you consider requesting such an interview?
It is nothing short of amazing that people are still rushing to the defense of Johnson/Burris and…Read More their minions at the PTA. What's wrong w/ you people? When the rankings come out positive they do everything they can to publicise them from plaques on the wall to streaming video on the district website and everything in between. Yet not a peep on the latest rankings. 500+ ranking in NYS, people thats based solely on test scores not the # of kids taking the test and how many free lunches the district provides. Do any of you wonder at all why Johnson encouraged kids to "opt out" of NYS testing? If so let me help you out...The scores are going to be awful and would have been worse had all the kids participated. The quality of life in this town and its education system is circling the bowl, we need positive change not the same old go along to get along mentality. Pls think about voting for Ms Rubino, we need some balance and accountability on that board not a bunch of Johnson puppets. Not sure when Johnson's contract is up but he too has got to go, he is slowly destroying this district. We might try to hire Baldwin's superintendant as he really seems to know what he is doing when it comes to AP.
This is the funniest blog post ever. Someone thinks Patch is run by Johnson, another should have…Read More used the more appropriate pseudonym "know it all" and the most recent thinks the PTA is ruining our neighborhood. Go to a meeting, get involved, educate yourself. If you can't go to a meeting watch the local government and school channel. Then perhaps you would know that the bulk of the school budget is dictated by NY state.