This evening, the NPSD School Board approved a "final budget proposal". Vince Sherpinsky made sure that those in attendance, and viewing at home were aware, that this proposal has no tax increases, no program cuts, no salary increase for the year, and is counting on some funds being restored by Gov. Corbett. Additionally, rennovations continue to run over-budget for North Wales, and an additional cost of $250,000 (that's a quarter of a million dollars) was approved. Just like that, a budget deficit for next year of $14.2 million dollars has disappeared. There is no additional revenue, in fact, on the school district's website, during the May 10th meeting, it was stated:
"loss of property tax revenue of $1.4 million
realty transfer tax is 40% ov average collections four years ago
earned income tax flat"
Something just does not add up. No explaination. No discussion. It should be noted, there was an "executive session" held prior to tonight's action meeting.
It's Time for New Leadership.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Thank you to everyone
On behalf of everyone involved with the 1st S.T.E.P. campaign, from volunteering, to donations, to voting, thank you so much for your support.
We are still waiting official tabulations, but it looks like there will be an official school board race in the North Penn School District this Fall. Numbers show, that we will capture the Democratic votes, and while we will probably lose the Republican, we still got great numbers from that side of the ticket.
We ran a great campaign. It was fun and great experience. For some of us, it was out first time, and other another attempt. But we do have a lot more work to do. We need to get ready for the November General election.
Thank you so much.
We are still waiting official tabulations, but it looks like there will be an official school board race in the North Penn School District this Fall. Numbers show, that we will capture the Democratic votes, and while we will probably lose the Republican, we still got great numbers from that side of the ticket.
We ran a great campaign. It was fun and great experience. For some of us, it was out first time, and other another attempt. But we do have a lot more work to do. We need to get ready for the November General election.
Thank you so much.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Question - May 8, 2011
Privatization, or corporate takeover of public services is recieving increasing attention. Would you oppose efforts to allow private companies to provide the services now offered by our public school district such as custodian, transportation, or food services?
From Carolyn Murphy
Yes....It takes a Community....We need local, friendly faces in those jobs.
From Alex Ryabin
Yes. I’ve been witness to failure of several outsourcing contracts at a corporate level. The full value of outsourcing is seldom realized and necessary “in-house” resources necessary to manage the contract and provide governance are always underestimated.
From Paul Edelman
I would oppose any effort to privatize school services. While the services would be much cheaper, I believe, "you get what you pay for". With having two children in the district, I want people who will be working with my ...chidren (bus, cafeteria, custodial, etc.) to appreciate their jobs as a lifetime commitment. Not, "if our service contract doesn't work out here, we'll just be put somewhere else." We need employees who will be proud of the district they work for.
There would also be a concern of taking accountability and control of contractor employees. Our district would entrust the contractor to do the proper security checks and such. I am not willing to put my children, or anyone else's children at this risk
From Carolyn Murphy
Yes....It takes a Community....We need local, friendly faces in those jobs.
From Alex Ryabin
Yes. I’ve been witness to failure of several outsourcing contracts at a corporate level. The full value of outsourcing is seldom realized and necessary “in-house” resources necessary to manage the contract and provide governance are always underestimated.
From Paul Edelman
I would oppose any effort to privatize school services. While the services would be much cheaper, I believe, "you get what you pay for". With having two children in the district, I want people who will be working with my ...chidren (bus, cafeteria, custodial, etc.) to appreciate their jobs as a lifetime commitment. Not, "if our service contract doesn't work out here, we'll just be put somewhere else." We need employees who will be proud of the district they work for.
There would also be a concern of taking accountability and control of contractor employees. Our district would entrust the contractor to do the proper security checks and such. I am not willing to put my children, or anyone else's children at this risk
Multiple Questions - May 8, 2011
Do you support HB855 which would allow furloughing teachers for economic need?
From Carolyn Murphy
I do not. I don't know how one keeps this from being subjective and
political. What would the criteria be from school to school throughout this state? If the state ran the entire educational system as in Europe, it would be possible. But there are too many variances here
From Paul Edelman
I do not support HB855. HB855 is an attack on union seniority, that is all. It will allow districts to take the large ax quickly to any deficit. The price will come at the loss of experience and skills for our children. I have personally... experience teachers in elementary grades, who for economic reasons, would be easy targets for furlough. The hopes would be that of a younger, cheaper paid teacher would have enough experience to give the children. This at best is experimental. But my children are not lab animals. They deserve to be taught by the most qualified and skilled teachers. I have seen this in my own line of work. HB855 must fail.
From Suzan Leonard
I would support HB855 if it could be implemented fairly....
Right now layoffs or furloughs can occur by declining enrollment, school closings or changes in academic programs. When these furloughs do occur, they must be by ...seniority. If there are huge budget gaps then academic programs are going to have to be re-analyzed and changes are going to have to occur. What I do not find just in the current law is that layoffs must be done by seniority. We as the challengers in this election do not have the privilege of knowing all the discussions that are occurring regarding the budget. "Are there plans to eliminate programs, which programs, are there plans for administrative furloughs, which administrators....Will there be cuts across the board...Will there be cuts at all. Can we close the gap without changes in programs. These are the questions that need to be answered.
From Alex Ryabin
For HB 855 to be effective, it must be implemented with properly thought-through and well defined criteria. The criteria should also be able to scale up and down to accommodate nearly 500 districts in Pennsylvania. Without... such criteria, it’s little more than an arbitrary override button for the any teacher contract; a quick and easy solution to a difficult problem. Such solutions rarely provide lasting solutions. Personally, I would like to see a revised HB 855 with a lot more detail. Only then could it become a viable solution.
What do you believe about teacher tenure? Is it a protection for teachers' intellectual and academic freedoms?
From Paul Edelman
Many believe tenure is about protecting teachers who do not do enough to educate our children. I do not believe this. A little more than a month ago, even Dr. Dietrich spoke during a live internet chat, that teachers can... be terminated for poor performance regardless of tenure. There are steps to deal with teachers who do not provide necessary scholastic results. There are also steps for parents who feel their child's teachers are not giving them the proper education. If the steps are not taken or followed, this has nothing to do with tenure. One question that I would like to pose to the voters to actually try to better understand the position against tenure, and I am paraphrasing, what exactly is a "bad" teacher that warrants discipline up to and including termination in regards to educational expectations?
From Carolyn Murphy
Teacher tenure is very upsetting to local citizens. I believe all teachers should be observed at least 3 times a year by someone who is qualified to observe them. I think every 5 years teachers' tenure should be up and a new 5 years started. HOWEVER, a much better and professional system for observing and evaluating must be put into place.
From Alex Ryabin
I believe tenure is an antiquated concept. Tenure was originally introduced to protect against arbitrary firing of teachers. The notion of tenure protecting teachers’ intellectual and academic freedom came from universitie...s to protect established professors from dismissal due to dissenting opinions. Today we have many labor laws protecting all employees against various discrimination and abuse from employers. The North Penn School District has an established process for removal of underperforming teachers including those with tenure. It doesn’t appear that tenure is no longer relevant to both parties.
Where do you stand on tax increases versus cuts to programs?
From Suzan Leonard
It depends on how big the shortfall. There will probably need to be some combination of both.
From Paul Edelman
This is a difficult question for any of us to answer, because any decision on tax increase or program/curriculum cuts will be made by the current school board members, and after the election on May 17th. As a taxpayer, I d...on't like the idea of any tax increase. However, as a parent of two small children, the concept of taking either programs or curriculum away, is even less acceptable. Our country cannot expect to compete with the rest of the world, if we continue to take away building blocks of education. The lesser of the two evils in this case would be the tax increase. But as stated in our 1st STEP platform, we would have no intention of raising taxes before all other options are exercised.
From Carolyn Murphy
As we move into a global economy, I think we need to fund public education That means tax increases. We pay hundreds of dollars for sports events, big TV's, cars, movies, clothes, out to eat.. Education should be just as important. The increases should not be too large if spread over the community. Is the tax-base being taxed enough?
From Alex Ryabin
The district should always be focused on delivery of quality education. Cuts to programs may jeopardize the quality of education. If all efforts to cut discretionary spending and/or seek additional sources of revenue have ...been exhausted, tax increases may be the only alternative. Even so, the magnitude of any proposed increase needs to be evaluated with respect to its impact on the community. As a school director, I would have no intention of raising taxes. There are simply too many other solutions to look at first.
Should after school activities or clubs like ice hockey lose funding?
From Paul Edelman
I am afraid to say, in these times, after school activities may need to become at the least, partially self-sufficient. There are many facets in our schools that already function this way. As displayed at the Innovation ...Festival, it looks fairly certain, that the district will impose a "pay to play" to create revenue. As opposed to having these programs cut, I would definitely support the plan to "pay to play".
From Carolyn Murphy
After school programs are important for a well-rounded child. Ice hockey has never been part of the regular after-school sports program. If we lived in Mass. or Minnesota I would say yes. But we do not. Should we have ...ping-pong or badminton or cricket, which are important in some countries? The community and its local culture have to decide which activities are essential to the overall school program.
From Alex Ryabin
That would depend on the magnitude of the financial problem and amount of savings to be gained from cutting funding to such activities/programs. If potential savings are great, it would be worthwhile to consider consolidati...ng some activities/programs, cutting back or removing funding altogether. The activities/programs may still be able to continue but would require funding directly by the families or through fundraising.
From Carolyn Murphy
I do not. I don't know how one keeps this from being subjective and
political. What would the criteria be from school to school throughout this state? If the state ran the entire educational system as in Europe, it would be possible. But there are too many variances here
From Paul Edelman
I do not support HB855. HB855 is an attack on union seniority, that is all. It will allow districts to take the large ax quickly to any deficit. The price will come at the loss of experience and skills for our children. I have personally... experience teachers in elementary grades, who for economic reasons, would be easy targets for furlough. The hopes would be that of a younger, cheaper paid teacher would have enough experience to give the children. This at best is experimental. But my children are not lab animals. They deserve to be taught by the most qualified and skilled teachers. I have seen this in my own line of work. HB855 must fail.
From Suzan Leonard
I would support HB855 if it could be implemented fairly....
Right now layoffs or furloughs can occur by declining enrollment, school closings or changes in academic programs. When these furloughs do occur, they must be by ...seniority. If there are huge budget gaps then academic programs are going to have to be re-analyzed and changes are going to have to occur. What I do not find just in the current law is that layoffs must be done by seniority. We as the challengers in this election do not have the privilege of knowing all the discussions that are occurring regarding the budget. "Are there plans to eliminate programs, which programs, are there plans for administrative furloughs, which administrators....Will there be cuts across the board...Will there be cuts at all. Can we close the gap without changes in programs. These are the questions that need to be answered.
From Alex Ryabin
For HB 855 to be effective, it must be implemented with properly thought-through and well defined criteria. The criteria should also be able to scale up and down to accommodate nearly 500 districts in Pennsylvania. Without... such criteria, it’s little more than an arbitrary override button for the any teacher contract; a quick and easy solution to a difficult problem. Such solutions rarely provide lasting solutions. Personally, I would like to see a revised HB 855 with a lot more detail. Only then could it become a viable solution.
What do you believe about teacher tenure? Is it a protection for teachers' intellectual and academic freedoms?
From Paul Edelman
Many believe tenure is about protecting teachers who do not do enough to educate our children. I do not believe this. A little more than a month ago, even Dr. Dietrich spoke during a live internet chat, that teachers can... be terminated for poor performance regardless of tenure. There are steps to deal with teachers who do not provide necessary scholastic results. There are also steps for parents who feel their child's teachers are not giving them the proper education. If the steps are not taken or followed, this has nothing to do with tenure. One question that I would like to pose to the voters to actually try to better understand the position against tenure, and I am paraphrasing, what exactly is a "bad" teacher that warrants discipline up to and including termination in regards to educational expectations?
From Carolyn Murphy
Teacher tenure is very upsetting to local citizens. I believe all teachers should be observed at least 3 times a year by someone who is qualified to observe them. I think every 5 years teachers' tenure should be up and a new 5 years started. HOWEVER, a much better and professional system for observing and evaluating must be put into place.
From Alex Ryabin
I believe tenure is an antiquated concept. Tenure was originally introduced to protect against arbitrary firing of teachers. The notion of tenure protecting teachers’ intellectual and academic freedom came from universitie...s to protect established professors from dismissal due to dissenting opinions. Today we have many labor laws protecting all employees against various discrimination and abuse from employers. The North Penn School District has an established process for removal of underperforming teachers including those with tenure. It doesn’t appear that tenure is no longer relevant to both parties.
Where do you stand on tax increases versus cuts to programs?
From Suzan Leonard
It depends on how big the shortfall. There will probably need to be some combination of both.
From Paul Edelman
This is a difficult question for any of us to answer, because any decision on tax increase or program/curriculum cuts will be made by the current school board members, and after the election on May 17th. As a taxpayer, I d...on't like the idea of any tax increase. However, as a parent of two small children, the concept of taking either programs or curriculum away, is even less acceptable. Our country cannot expect to compete with the rest of the world, if we continue to take away building blocks of education. The lesser of the two evils in this case would be the tax increase. But as stated in our 1st STEP platform, we would have no intention of raising taxes before all other options are exercised.
From Carolyn Murphy
As we move into a global economy, I think we need to fund public education That means tax increases. We pay hundreds of dollars for sports events, big TV's, cars, movies, clothes, out to eat.. Education should be just as important. The increases should not be too large if spread over the community. Is the tax-base being taxed enough?
From Alex Ryabin
The district should always be focused on delivery of quality education. Cuts to programs may jeopardize the quality of education. If all efforts to cut discretionary spending and/or seek additional sources of revenue have ...been exhausted, tax increases may be the only alternative. Even so, the magnitude of any proposed increase needs to be evaluated with respect to its impact on the community. As a school director, I would have no intention of raising taxes. There are simply too many other solutions to look at first.
Should after school activities or clubs like ice hockey lose funding?
From Paul Edelman
I am afraid to say, in these times, after school activities may need to become at the least, partially self-sufficient. There are many facets in our schools that already function this way. As displayed at the Innovation ...Festival, it looks fairly certain, that the district will impose a "pay to play" to create revenue. As opposed to having these programs cut, I would definitely support the plan to "pay to play".
From Carolyn Murphy
After school programs are important for a well-rounded child. Ice hockey has never been part of the regular after-school sports program. If we lived in Mass. or Minnesota I would say yes. But we do not. Should we have ...ping-pong or badminton or cricket, which are important in some countries? The community and its local culture have to decide which activities are essential to the overall school program.
From Alex Ryabin
That would depend on the magnitude of the financial problem and amount of savings to be gained from cutting funding to such activities/programs. If potential savings are great, it would be worthwhile to consider consolidati...ng some activities/programs, cutting back or removing funding altogether. The activities/programs may still be able to continue but would require funding directly by the families or through fundraising.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Question - May 3, 2011
For any programs that have been cut, what would be needed to reinstate those programs?
Reply From Suzan Leonard
I guess it would depend on what programs were being cut and why. After attending the innovations and ideas program, it was amazing to see how many ways there are to cut expenses and save money. Too bad we had to get to crisis mode before anyone thought about cost saving ideas as well as revenue producing ideas. We as a community must come together to insure that educational programs and educational standards improve.
Reply From Paul Edelman
All attempts should be made to prevent any program from being cut that is beneficial to our students. For programs that will be cut, before I am allowed to take office, I will make it a priority to restore those programs. If revenues or other funds cannot be sought and found, then self-funding may need to be considered. Similar to how our Home and Schools operate, this organization raises funds for student outreach, assemblies, field trips, and special events - all without additional costs to parents or taxpers. Policies and regulations will need to be re-evaluated to make sure that avenues are available to do so.
Reply From Suzan Leonard
I guess it would depend on what programs were being cut and why. After attending the innovations and ideas program, it was amazing to see how many ways there are to cut expenses and save money. Too bad we had to get to crisis mode before anyone thought about cost saving ideas as well as revenue producing ideas. We as a community must come together to insure that educational programs and educational standards improve.
Reply From Paul Edelman
All attempts should be made to prevent any program from being cut that is beneficial to our students. For programs that will be cut, before I am allowed to take office, I will make it a priority to restore those programs. If revenues or other funds cannot be sought and found, then self-funding may need to be considered. Similar to how our Home and Schools operate, this organization raises funds for student outreach, assemblies, field trips, and special events - all without additional costs to parents or taxpers. Policies and regulations will need to be re-evaluated to make sure that avenues are available to do so.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Question - May 2, 2011
We are going to do our best to answer questions publicly posed to us. We are trying to do this on a daily basis, and the answers will be posted as we get them from the candidates.
Today's question is: Given the shortfalls of the district, and rumored to be heavier next year, what programs would we cut, or not cut?
Response from Paul Edelman
"Of any cuts made to the North Penn School District, educational curriculum and programming must be the last options to be considered. So much effort has been put into improving the education of our children, that it makes zero sense to take away anything that has contributed to educational progress. If anything, we will need to seek out new technology and educational resources to better prepare our children for life in the 21st century."
Response from Suzan Leonard
"I would say that before I looked at any programs to cut, how can we raise money? A leading business man and friend said, why don't we tap into corporate sponsorship...Call Crawford Stadium, Merck stadium, You get the idea. Also he said why do we not tap into an 'Alumni Association. Do you know how many graduates of North Penn there have been in 50 Years....
These are not my ideas, but things to consider as well as other suggestions made to me during this campaign."
Please make sure to visit our Facebook page for more comments and responses. And please don't forget...
May 17th is Election Day!
Today's question is: Given the shortfalls of the district, and rumored to be heavier next year, what programs would we cut, or not cut?
Response from Paul Edelman
"Of any cuts made to the North Penn School District, educational curriculum and programming must be the last options to be considered. So much effort has been put into improving the education of our children, that it makes zero sense to take away anything that has contributed to educational progress. If anything, we will need to seek out new technology and educational resources to better prepare our children for life in the 21st century."
Response from Suzan Leonard
"I would say that before I looked at any programs to cut, how can we raise money? A leading business man and friend said, why don't we tap into corporate sponsorship...Call Crawford Stadium, Merck stadium, You get the idea. Also he said why do we not tap into an 'Alumni Association. Do you know how many graduates of North Penn there have been in 50 Years....
These are not my ideas, but things to consider as well as other suggestions made to me during this campaign."
Please make sure to visit our Facebook page for more comments and responses. And please don't forget...
May 17th is Election Day!
Meet The Candidates Tonight
Meet the candidates of the 1st S.T.E.P. For NPSD campaign tonight at the Innovation Festival. The time is 7-9 at the Penndale Middle School. Join us as we see the creative ways that everyone is trying to save the school district money.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)