Whooping Cough confirmed in area schools

Highly contagious disease begins with common cold symptoms and cough

BROADALBIN – Two cases of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, have been confirmed in the Broadalbin-Perth Central School District, one at each of the district’s two buildings. The district is notifying all parents in the district of the diagnoses, and providing them with information on the symptoms of pertussis along with recommendations from the New York State Department of Health. [more]

New York Regent Dawson to visit HFM BOCES

New York State Regent James Dawson will tour HFM BOCES facilities and programs on Monday, Jan. 30, and participate in the next meeting of the Mohawk Sacandaga School Boards Association. Dawson’s purpose is to meet with area school superintendents and Board of Education members about the state of public education in rural upstate districts, many of which are under significant fiscal distress. [more]

'Average is Over'

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
OP-Ed Columnist, New York Times

In the past, workers with average skills, doing an average job, could earn an average lifestyle. But, today, average is officially over. Being average just won’t earn you what it used to. It can’t when so many more employers have so much more access to so much more above average cheap foreign labor, cheap robotics, cheap software, cheap automation and cheap genius. Therefore, everyone needs to find their extra — their unique value contribution that makes them stand out in whatever is their field of employment. Average is over. [more]

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From Education Speaks: Moving the conversation forward

Tax Cap Tuesday: 1.24.12

Will the tax cap legislation affect all school districts equally?

The tax cap legislation will affect all districts to varying degrees, but it is clear that some will be affected much more than others.

In particular, for poor and/or rural school districts with low property wealth and declining tax bases, staying within their “tax levy limits” will severely restrict their ability to generate the revenues needed to sustain core educational programs. [more]

Reaction to the Governor's Proposed Executive Budget

'Where is the evidence so touted by state leaders for the current Performance Grant initiative?' - Dr. Rick Timbs, Executive Director of Statewide School Finance Consortium

"After an initial analysis of the Governor's proposed Executive Budget last week, my reaction is that while a few positive baby steps were taken to address some of the endemic issues that continue to challenge us, there remains a very long way to go in terms of achieving meaningful state aid equity, operational cost relief and, frankly, an informed, compassionate understanding of the real-world problems confronting high need/low wealth school districts in all parts of New York." [more]

Reforms to state pensions, schools top Cuomo’s budget message

Gov. Andrew Cuomo released his budget proposal Tuesday, Jan 17, for the coming fiscal year, a plan which ties a share of school funding to the adoption of a statewide teacher evaluation system. Under his plan, school districts and unions would have to agree on a new teacher evaluation system by Jan. 17, 2013, or risk giving up increases in funding. [more]

English as a second language class scheduled

Morning and evening sessions set for Feb. 6

HFM BOCES Adult Literacy program will host orientation and screening sessions for adults, age 21 and older, who want to speak, understand, read and write English better on Monday, Feb. 6, 2012 at Centro Civico, 143-145 East Main Street, Amsterdam.  [more]

Second Common Core Math 101 workshop scheduled

Session added for popular Common Core workshop

HFM BOCES Network Team has added a new workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 24 to accommodate an overflow registration for Common Core Math 101.

Math Unit Share (9-12) workshop originally scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 20 has been rescheduled for 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012.

Workshop #17 - Literacy in the Content Area, originally scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012, has been rescheduled to Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012.

Contact Christine Bush at cbush@hfmboces.org to register for these workshops. [more]

Upstate senators urge equity for rural schools

Letter to Governor Cuomo points to inadequate funding formulas and asks for consideration in Executive Budget

A group of 15 New York State Senators representing most of the upstate region recently sent a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo asking him to recognize the sacrifices made by rural schools and provide relief in the new Executive Budget for the unique challenges these schools face. [more]

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