Notes from the Superintendent

When Nothing Else Matters

2012-01-30T06:28:00.000-08:00

Friday was the end to a very long week. I love my job, so for me to actually be happy that it was Friday was significant. The entire week had been spent on the kinds of issues that make you realize that no matter how long one has been a superintendent, the phrase "I've seen it all" can never be uttered.

Four days of personnel, operational, academic, athletic, state mandate, community, and budget cases were all battled and solved. In this position you can never let things rattle you. We are the rock, the guide, the "boss" or whatever adjective you want to use, and we are not supposed to show emotion. I woke up on Friday, put on a suit, and was ready to cap the week off with some building visits and meetings; until the phone rang and nothing else mattered.

The call was to inform me that Sophie Kawejsza, a third grader at Stonehedge Elementary School, had passed away after a long and hard fought battle with cancer. After all of the notifications and plans were completed, a short quiet time presented itself where I was embarrassed that anything else from the rest of the "difficult week" had gotten to me. Really? When this bright, young, courageous person was taken from our West Genesee family, and her family, by such an unforgiving disease we can only reflect and celebrate what she did for all of us while she was here, which was immeasurable. EVERYTHING else was and is now secondary, and we will spend the days, weeks, and months ahead reflecting and enjoying the memories of a flower that was picked way too soon.

Calling hours for relatives and friends of Sophie are Tuesday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Immanuel United Methodist Church, 303 Kasson Rd., Camillus; services will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., also at the church. Arrangements are by the Buranich Funeral Home, Camillus. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Sophie's name may be made to Golisano Children's Hospital, c/o University Hospital, 750 E. Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210. If you do attend, her favorite colors were pink, purple, and blue, and a great way to celebrate her life will be to wear one of those colors in her honor.

I will post another blog later in the week and will update you on our redistricting meetings, some information about four half-days scheduled for next year, and the accomplishments of our athletes and Academic Decathlon team.

Thank you.

Chris

We're Going Through Changes

2012-01-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

I have often heard people say that they change things just for the sake of change. Are you kidding me? Every time we change in the school environment I lose more hair, get mysterious back pains, and lose five pounds. There are a few areas in which we NEED to change as we look forward to next school year, and I have no problem changing, when change is NEEDED.

The first area of change is in our budget. It has been getting smaller over the past couple of years, and along with a shrinking budget has come the reduction of opportunities for students. As we build the 2012-2013 school budget, we will be answering the essential question, "How do we build a budget that falls within the tax cap, does not take away additional opportunities from students, and does not bleed our reserves?" We will do this carefully and with an eye to what the future of West Genesee will need to look like in this "new normal" of public finance. I am cautiously optimistic that the significant budget reductions we have made over the past two years, our staff wage freeze, and our state aid picture will create a unique blend that will help us to move ahead in a positive direction. Stay tuned.

If you have been a fan of our "SNN" service you will also be a fan of our new website, which will be released to the public on February 11. We have refined how the site is organized so it is Smart Phone friendly and also will operate more easily for people with disabilities. A video component will also be added a few months down the road to receive small videos of concerts, games, presentations...anything really. Thank you to Bonnie Russell who has helped spearhead this movement. You won't be disappointed.

Another necessary change has been to move our Graduation Commencement to Onondaga Community College beginning in 2013. We have had a great history and experience with the Onondaga County War Memorial, but the new arena at Onondaga Community College will allow us to provide free parking for parents, students, and staff, is less expensive as an overall package, and seating can be better organized to meet our needs. I am excited at this new partnership and very appreciative of what the War Memorial provided for us over the years.

I have heard some rumors that we are having an anti-bullying meeting on January 24. This is just a rumor. We do not have a meeting on the books yet, and our staff and parents are very busy preparing for the Olweus anti-bullying training. Our new anti-bullying policy also needs three readings before becoming a public document. I would anticipate our next meeting being held in March or April.

Please remember that our next redistricting meeting will be held on February 2 at West Genesee Middle School beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Have a great week. I am quite under the weather...again, so I am hopeful that I can turn the corner during the first part of the week and get back in business.

Enjoy!

Chris

Down to Business

2012-01-17T05:46:00.000-08:00

For some school districts a Strategic Plan is a document that sits in a desk drawer and comes out when someone asks if they have a Strategic Plan. At West Genesee, the Strategic Plan and the process surrounding creation of the plan, are two of the most important things that the District does each year. Our plan takes shape for the 2012-13 school year this Thursday and Friday. The Strategic Planning committee consists of administrators, staff, students, and Board of Education members.

Focus areas are prescribed as well as the beginning of action plans on how to achieve the goals established in each Focus Area. Items and cross-cutting themes that make their way to the Strategic Plan are also funded through the budget process so that they have a chance of being successfully completed. Some areas that point directly back to the Strategic Plan are our graduation rates, completion rates, strides in technology, assistance for students with special needs and students at-risk for other reasons, and our anti-bullying efforts.

A complete list of what we have been working on can be found on our website by clicking here. Our new plan will be posted by the end of February. A big thank you goes out to Debbie Geiss, Brian Kesel, Sharon Seeley, Bonnie Russell, Bill Roberge, Deb Chynoweth and all others who make the strategic planning process work as smoothly as it does.

In other news, at the rate that we are selling tickets our winter musical, The Sound of Music, is looking to be sold out for each performance. The musical will be held on February 9-11, and 500 tickets were sold the first day they went on sale. Please remember that we have reserved seating and you can get your tickets by clicking here or go to the etix.com web site where you can select any open seat in the house. After you select the show day and time you want, check the "View Seating Chart" link in the upper right hand part of the next page to see the actual auditorium layout. Choose the section where you would like to sit on the actual chart on the "BUY" page. Each seat that is open will come up as an orange dot. You can then print your tickets at home for free or have them mailed to you for a fee from etix.

I would also like to thank all of the people currently following me on Twitter for their quick response in helping to spread the word about our snow day last Friday. People who have been around for a while know that I like to call snow days as early as possible, and Friday's weather crept up on us MUCH more quickly than anticipated and just as high school students were making their way to bus stops to be picked up for the morning run.

When I first made the announcement on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd) I asked everyone to spread the word and everyone did by the hundreds. In fact, News Channel 9 responded to my Tweet before we were able to get a call into them. This is the exact use of social media that I was hoping for as it really showed that people come together when they need to. Thank you. My apologies also to those who made it out to their bus stop or out onto the roads already. Again, it was a very unusual day.

Tonight (Tuesday) is the Dialogue with the Superintendent. I am not talking about myself in the third person, this is the title of the event! It is sponsored and supported by all of the Parent Teacher/Student Organizations and Associations in the District. It will be held at the high school in the large group instruction room from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Attendees get a chance to hear what is happening in the District and then anonymously have questions submitted to me to answer. This is always a great time to interact, and I always look forward to this opportunity to meet with the community.

Lastly, the minutes from the redistricting meeting are located on our website by clicking here. The next meeting will be held at West Genesee Middle School (please note the location change) on February 2 at 6:30 p.m..

Have a great week-

Chris

Happy Monday!

2012-01-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to all! This has been a great first stretch back from break and as I visited all of the classrooms it really seems like the students are ready to buckle down and get to work.

I have been asked by quite a few people what I thought about the Governor’s State of the State Address that was given last week. I can tell you that I expected him to blast education (I had been told ahead of time) in terms of dollars spent versus results; and he delivered. I was pleased, however, that he is going to spend some time appointing a commission to take a look at efficiencies and mandates. I am in favor of ANYONE who can take a look at schools in general and recommend more ways to be efficient without sacrificing any additional student opportunities. I consider myself to have an eye towards efficiency, so I am interested to see what a group of outside people come up with.

Most importantly, the Governor did NOT indicate that he was going to cut state aid to schools any deeper. He did indicate that increases may be tied to performance, and I will have to see how that is structured before I could comment on that. If aid remains at least flat, West Genesee could actually see the beginning of the “new normal” that we have been planning for over the past three years.

We have made substantial reductions in every area over the past two years, while at the same time we have kept a watchful eye three to five years ahead. If everything lines up, we might be able to create some budgets where reductions are more enrollment-based than economy-based, and then we can begin to restructure around what we have lost, as opposed to planning to lose more things. Imagine if that happened. The next month or so will really paint that picture for us.

Last Thursday night we held our first redistricting meeting and it was very well attended. About 100 people joined Bill Silky and Alan Pole as they guided the committee through guidelines as to how the study will be conducted, walked them through current enrollment information, as well as a quick look at current District boundaries. The next meeting will be on February 2 at West Genesee Middle School at 6:30 p.m.

The purpose of the study is to balance enrollment at each elementary school and both middle schools, and to see if there is a way to balance socio-economics at every school as well. A by-product of the study will also be to see if we can accommodate full day Kindergarten.

People were a little hung up on the socio-economic consideration and without the committee having all of the data yet, I completely understand. Balancing enrollment is important but equally important is trying to balance all students and all needs in each building. This will help us to have equal services and opportunities in each building, provide comparable training to staff (many who travel between buildings), and assure that every student entering 9th grade has had the same experiences and the same educational opportunities. I personally see this as a key piece if we want to really get serious about having our graduates be more college and career ready than they already are. A copy of the presentation can accessed by clicking here; and a link to some of the press coverage related to the meeting can be found here http://centralny.ynn.com/content/all_news/central_new_york/569311/west-genesee-holds-redistricting-meeting/.

Have a wonderful week!

Chris

Welcome Back!

2012-01-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well it is about time for winter to show up in central New York and we are prepared. Our buildings and grounds crews have plow blades installed, salt is on stand-by, and plenty of elbow grease is ready for plain old snow blowing and shoveling.

Our bus drivers are excellent at what they do, no matter the conditions. The winter weather does give them a chance to shine and show why I have never hesitated to put my own kids in their care when we decide that conditions are favorable enough to have school. For those Kindergarten parents out there who are sending their first child on a bus for the first winter season, have no fear.

Our buses are all inspected at a much higher level than any personal vehicle, they are extremely heavy, and they are driven by trained professionals. We have approximately 88 buses that drive about a million miles per year. If we decide that school should be open, you should not hesitate to place your children on a school bus. My children have been riding since THEY were in Kindergarten and my oldest graduates next year.

The people who really need to use extra caution are us as parents, staff, community members, and student drivers. While we have been trained in many cases (some of us even took Driver's Education!), we just do not have the same weight as a school bus underneath us nor in many cases do we have perfect tires and brakes as our buses do. WE need to take a few extra minutes on poor weather days to get us to our destinations.

This is also a great time to remind our kids (mine too!) that waiting at the bus stop in shorts and a T-shirt is not as cool as it might look. As conditions can change at a moments notice this time of the year, buses can be a little earlier or later than when conditions are perfect. Long pants, a coat, gloves, boots, and even a hat (yes, I said it!) may not be the same fashion statement as wrinkled up shorts and a Syracuse T-shirt are, but you will make it to school with the ability to feel your fingers and toes.

I hope that all of you had a great holiday. There was a lot to celebrate for the first half of the year and this second half is beginning to shape up really well.

I am excited to see how our first redistricting meeting goes this Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the Stonehedge Library. Also, if you haven't had a chance to see our Lady Wildcat Basketball team yet, now is a great time to do so; they are ranked first in our conference!

Have a great week-

Chris

Being Thankful

2011-12-19T04:23:00.000-08:00

The week before winter break is always full of many different emotions. There is happiness coming from all of the students, staff, and parents who are fortunate enough to have things going their way. There is frustration and sadness from all of those students, staff, and parents who are coming to the end of a year in which they have lost a job, or maybe a loved one, or things just aren't working out the way they would like. Trickle in five week reports that are due out shortly. Stir.

This is the season, no matter what denomination is followed, if any, when the human element really shows. It is critical that all of us as community members recognize that it is what we do when people are not watching that could make all of the difference for a family in need. If you have the time, take the time to do the right thing for someone who needs it.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the high school "Sleigh Ride" concert. What a treat. I always enjoy this concert because one of my good friends, Santa Claus, shows up to help conduct! Santa also brings snow that falls from the rafters and makes for a wonderful scene. The students bring their "A" game as they always do and perform all kinds of songs. This year they showed just how good they are by playing a seven minute piece by Tchaikovsky that was stunning. Nice work.

Right after break I will begin to post about the status of our budget building, redistricting study (remember the first public meeting is on January 5, at 6:00 p.m. at Stonehedge), and the sale of our wooded lot. I will also give you an update about SchoolTool, a piece of software that we will be using starting September 2012 that will give staff, students, and parents K-12 online or smartphone access to student grades, assignments, schedules, and other important pieces of student information. I am excited about this endeavor.

Please enjoy the week and happy holidays to all.

Chris

The ABCs of December....Athletics, Budgets, and Concerts

2011-12-12T04:44:00.000-08:00

Normally I would take this space to write about individual and team accomplishments. However, while summarizing all of the successes of our fall athletics programs I came to the realization that there are too many to print in this column! Please take a few moments to travel to our District Facebook page to check out our athletes being honored for each sport.

There is also a great piece about Laura Leff, a cross country runner who received some accolades of her own. She can run about two and a half miles for every one that I can. In summary, many athletes made us and their families proud, and I am sure they would appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to read about their successes and even leave them a note if you have the time.

We continue to closely monitor state and federal budget action (or inaction, I suppose) to make sure that we are in the best position possible to build a fiscally responsible budget. We are in the process of establishing a baseline budget in which we are estimating what the new 2% tax cap might mean. It is quite clear that we will not be able to restore any cuts that we have made, but what is not clear yet is how many more cuts may need to be made to fall within the regulations of the tax cap. Stay tuned.

If you are looking for a relaxing evening out, please join us this Thursday evening in our high school auditorium for our annual holiday concert. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. where our finest players will be singing and performing some of your favorite holiday tunes. Santa Claus has been known to be a guest conductor as well.

Have a great week!

Chris

White Lights, Big City

2011-12-05T06:37:00.000-08:00

It was great to run into so many of you yesterday as I was going to almost every store in Camillus to find five boxes of white Christmas lights. Of course I had five strings of said lights in a box in the basement that worked perfectly last year, but then did not work when we tried to plug them in this year. Must have been gremlins. Anyway, I did find the lights at the last store I checked (of course) but thank you for being concerned! Decorating resumed and all was well by sundown.

I would like to thank all of the staff and students involved in decorating for and attending the winter semi-formal at the high school over the weekend. The decorations were fantastic (New York City theme), and as I walked down the hallway to the gym I thought I was walking along Fifth Avenue. Inside the gym were approximately 800 students, a DJ spinning tunes (probably playing them from an iPod, but spinning sounds cooler), and the New York City skyline. Very well done and an excellent time was had by all.

We are heading towards the new year which means budget planning (which I will discuss in a future blog) and Strategic Planning. If you are fortunate enough to have a job and your employer actually has a plan that they follow, then you know what it is like to work at West Genesee. We take our strategic planning very seriously with the initiatives and goals that wind up making their way into the plan are completed and are provided resources. It genuinely is our guiding document, and we will begin creating our new document right after the new year.

Our redistricting study is moving right along and our community focus group is coming together. The first official committee meeting will be held on January 5, at 6:00 p.m. in the Stonehedge Library. Members of the public are welcome to attend and will be given a chance to speak at the end of the meeting.

If you are looking for things to do. be sure to check out our website at http://www.westgenesee.org and check the District events calendar. The main events calendar has academic and fine art curricular events; and our athletic calender has all of our sporting events. All of the winter sports teams so far have had strong starts with the boys basketball team tipping off their season this Friday night at Fowler.

Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to address how we are handling all of the recent news related to the sexual abuse of children. While all of our staff are trained to spot and report abuse, there are times when we all go into a heightened awareness for signs of abuse. This is one of these times. When events like we have been reading and watching about unfold, conversations about the events naturally make their way onto buses, into hallways, cafeterias, locker-rooms, and classrooms.

Penn State and Bernie Fine are not topics included in the New York State Curriculum, so we do not teach or really even weigh in about what we think. We do however become very active listeners in case conversations that students are having turn into conversations that might require the help of counselors or building administrators. You should also listen at home to what your children are saying in the event that these events stimulate them to discuss experiences that they may have had. I wish we DID NOT have to think about or discuss such things, but unfortunately we do and we are ready and equipped to help.

Have a great week!

Chris

Missing Student

2011-11-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

We were informed by the Camillus Police Department that a tenth-grade student, Brittney Ruggireo, ran away from her home on Sunday, November 27, and was last seen near the home of a cousin on the north side of Syracuse.

She is approximately 5'5" tall and weighs approximately 120 lbs. She has brown hair and was last seen wearing a pink Aéropostale® shirt, black sweatpants, and white sneakers. If you have any information, please contact the Onondaga County Sheriff's office at 425-2111.

I will update this blog if I hear of any new information.

Thank you for spreading the word.

Chris

The Blur

2011-11-28T04:41:00.000-08:00

I have heard the time between Thanksgiving and the New Year described as many things, but "the blur" seems to be the most appropriate. One blink of the eye and we will be in January. Testing, concerts, sports, holiday plans, get-togethers, dances, and white knuckle driving (keeping fingers crossed that this current weather holds up though) will test the will and patience of all of us. If we all take a moment to actually enjoy this time and put things into perspective, I think we will all stand a better chance of remembering that each day is a gift.

Our redistricting study is moving along at a strong pace now. Consultants Dr. Silky and Dr. Pole came to my office last Friday and collected a large box of information to sift through as they begin the process of completing the study. Every piece of school community information that you could possibly imagine was collected: census information, schedules, street maps, course catalogues, building condition surveys, building maps, and grade level configurations to name a few.

While they are collecting and analyzing the information, we are assembling a redistricting focus group consisting of two members of each of our PTA/PTO/PTSA and PTSO volunteer organizations, as well as three Board of Education members (Deb Simon, Neil Widrick, and Karen Fruscello). This 19 member task force will work with the consultants as the study is completed.

There will be approximately five public meetings where the focus group and consultants will meet and which will be open to the general public. The general public audience will be given an opportunity to comment at the end of each meeting. The first public meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the Stonehedge Library (each meeting will be held at a different building). As this date and time are solidified, I will keep you updated.

On another topic, the Board of Education is considering an offer for the wooded lot on West Genesee Street. Because the matter involves a real estate transaction, the conversations have been held in the Executive Session of our Board of Education meetings. When the time comes to accept an offer and move forward, that announcement and Resolution will be made at a public meeting. I do not have a timeline at this point for a recommendation and Resolution to be made public.

Our anti-bullying task force is meeting this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the large group instruction room at the high school. The task force will be finalizing our anti-bullying policy that meets the requirements of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA). The committee will then be screening a video that may be shown to high school students about the effects of bullying.

In the meantime, some of our students through English classes at the high school are reading a book titled, TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY, by Jay Asher. This book is a New York Times Bestseller and is about a girl who commits suicide because of bullying. Before her death, she sent tapes to thirteen people who she felt responsible for her decision. I am reading the book myself and it is gripping. It is one of the few books that I have seen a wide cross-section of students read from cover to cover. When it comes to bullying and helping students make better choices about words and actions, you need to blanket them with themes and topics that hit home, and this book certainly does that. As a parent of teenagers, I would consider the book a "must read".

On the athletic front, Laura Leff took 5th place at the Footlocker Northeast Qualifier Competition this past Saturday. Laura led the cross-county race through the half-way mark before relinquishing the lead on the infamous "Cardiac Hill." She ran one of the toughest 5k's of her career and was the only sophomore to qualify, and she finished it in 18:26.1. The top-10 runners advance to the national race in San Diego's Balboa Park on December 10. Laura also led the New York runners to first place to the states championship as they edged Pennsylvania by one point. Footlocker information can be accessed at: http://www.footlockercc.com/.

Have a great week and my next post will be in...December!

Chris

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-21T05:07:00.000-08:00

I just took a look back at some of the entries that I have made over the past month or so. The budget and state nonsense withstanding, we have had A LOT of things to be thankful for. In our school world we celebrated many academic, athletic, and fine arts accolades. We also spotlighted several stories of our students, staff, and community doing extraordinary things outside of our four walls.

Simply put, we have it good. Please take the time this week to be thankful for family, friends, role models, and people who have helped you out. I know I will. Please accept my best wishes for a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving and I will post again in a week.

Chris

Some News Stories to Follow

2011-11-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

If you have read enough about the Penn State scandal, global budget pressures, and Lady Gaga, then consider the following three stories that could have a big impact on how we all do business:

1. First is a story out of the New York State Education Department where officials have agreed to support mandate relief for special education requirements. Special education expenses make up a large portion of school budgets, but the money goes to help service students with disabilities. Mandate relief in general has been a big topic for the past couple of years. There are over one hundred mandates for schools that cause money to be spent without any local control. It has been difficult to get the state to make changes to mandates related to reporting, paperwork processing, conducting a census, and other items that really do not impact children.

To see the Commissioner and Governing body at the State Education Department support changes in mandated regulations that directly impact students with disabilities makes me curious, and it should make you curious as well. If this is truly on the table and gaining traction, the questions should be "why now?" and "what don't we know about the state budget that is causing these changes to be seriously considered?" My guess is that we will learn these answers shortly. Something to keep an eye on.
@JohnKingNYSED via Twitter

2. New York State announced today that they will likely have a $350 Million structural deficit (in English it means that they will be short) by the end of their fiscal year. For all of us in the public sector (schools, towns, villages, and counties) what will this mean? The answer cannot be good. My feeling is that the sooner the state confirms this and tells all of us what this means to our organizations, the more time we will have to plan and make the changes that will be necessary to accommodate this shortfall.
http://online.wsj.com/article/AP5d0610e3ff5747758894ff93b19fb283.html

3. Lastly, there are five towns who are in disagreement with the county about snow plowing. At this point, the towns are refusing to plow roads for the county because the reimbursement rate is just not financially beneficial enough to take on the work any longer. In Camillus this means that the following roads will be plowed by the county instead of the Town:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/five_towns_wont_plow_county_ro.html

Van Buren Road and Armstrong Road South
Belle Isle Road
Gere Lock Road
Milton Avenue
Pottery Road and Armstrong Road North
Thomas Avenue
Thompson Road
Winchell Road

We have been assured that these roads will receive the same care from the county as they did from the town, and I am sure that they will. However, I think that the three topics that I have outlined show you how bad things are finally getting in New York State when decisions have to be made that potentially impact children with disabilities and general public safety. Not good, but telling in my opinion. My advice is to be part of the solution whenever possible.

Chris

Transitions

2011-11-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

Laura and Martin Leff continue to represent West Genesee in cross country competition. Laura finished second in the state (a first for West Genesee) and is continuing her fall running campaign at the Federation Championship on December 19 at Bowdoin Course in Poughkeepsie, NY. Her brother Martin came in 27th place and will also compete at the Federation Championship. This will be his fourth consecutive appearance; his previous three were with West Genesee boys team qualifications. Great work! Also, Good luck to the swimmers competing this coming Thursday at the State level.

Because so many students read this blog and follow me on Twitter, I would like to take this time to thank the members of the Wildcat Nation for their school spirit and respectful behavior. The Nation has represented themselves at all of our fall sports (with the exception of golf I think, but in their defense cheering at a golf match would probably get us a two stroke penalty!)

I am especially pleased and appreciative of the older students who have welcomed the younger students (including elementary children) to join them. In our Sectional Championship game at the Dome I was approached by a security guard who complimented me on the behavior of the group, especially considering the size (around 600 for that game). It is just another example of how well our students represent us. The challenge that I give our students as we enter the winter season is to keep up your reputation of providing a huge dose of school spirit in a respectful way. I know you are up to the task, and I look forward to hearing you at the rink and in the gyms.

In other news, interested parties have until November 15 to submit offers for the wooded lot that is currently for sale on West Genesee Street. Once all offers are received, we will carve out some time at a future Board meeting to discuss which offer is the most advantageous for the District and move forward with a decision.

Also, Castillo, Silky and Martin were approved by the Board of Education to conduct our redistricting study. Dr. William Silky will be on hand at the November 16 Board meeting to outline the process for the study and answer any question that the Board may have. This group was selected over others in large part because of their desire to interact with the community through focus groups throughout the process. We expect a recommendation to be available by April of 2012.

You may have heard that West Genesee Middle School has made a state list as a School in Need of Improvement in the area of Students with Disabilities. This was something that we knew was going to happen over the past couple of years due to our extremely high percentage of students with varying disabilities in that particular school (Camillus Middle School has fewer than 30 identified students while West Genesee Middle School has 100). Personally, I have been pleased with the progress that our students are making, but the state has raised the bar for all students and taken away all of the "safety nets" for our learners that struggle the most. This combination has caused WGMS to fall below the state mark along with nearly 2,000 other schools in New York State. Because I am not a politician and do not need to sugar coat anything, I can tell you that unless the state recognizes the unrealistic goals that have been placed on some of our most profoundly disabled youngsters, not only will we remain on this "list" but thousands of additional schools will be added next year.

We are working continuously with all of our students to help them find success. So if you were to accompany me through the halls of all of our schools, you would see that list or not, our students are making substantial progress.

Concert season is beginning, so be sure to check out our website (http://www.westgenesee.org/) for our most current schedule. I know the students would appreciate having you at one of their concerts.

Have a wonderful week.

Chris

More than Wins

2011-11-08T03:50:00.000-08:00

When it comes to high school athletics and activities winning is always great, but it isn't even close to being the most important thing. In team sports or activities, the experience of working with other people through highs and lows, rallying around common goals, finding a way deep inside oneself to handle pressure, and then acting like a champion when things ultimately go well or come up short, SHOULD BE the REAL reasons why schools and communities support athletics, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities.

I was on the Carrier Dome turf the Sunday before last to help the Marching Band celebrate their 31st NYS Field Band Conference Competition Championship, and then on the Dome turf again this past Saturday to help our football team celebrate the Section III AA Championship.

In both cases, students were interviewed by members of the media and there were no leaders or coaches around to prep the students on what to say. In each case the students, without missing a beat, thanked their parents, coaches and leaders, fellow students, and gave credit to their opponent. NONE of the students interviewed used the word "I" once which seals the deal for me as far as supporting these programs as best we can. I am very proud of our students and look forward to continuing to cheer them on for many years to come. In the short term, this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Vestal High School our Wildcats will take on Binghamton High School in the first round of state competition. Good luck and know that we are all proud of you.

For individual sports and activities (I played golf for Westhill back in the day) things are a little different. Your individual score usually is added to the scores (or times) of other teammates to equal one singular number or time. I can tell you that after being a basketball player (team sport) and a golfer (individual sport), golf was much more stressful on me. For our cross country runners, they are running against themselves, as well as opponents. A slip, a cold, a bad stride, or just an off day can ruin a run, but our student athletes find ways to block all of those things and quietly continue to keep West Genesee pride in our newspapers and in our hearts with their performances. Laura and Martin Leff will continue running next Saturday, November 12, at the State championships held at VVS High School, and we will continue to pull for them (since we cannot run along side or catch them!)

This week it is my pleasure to attend C.O.D.E. graduations at Split Rock and East Hill Elementary Schools. C.O.D.E. is a partnership program with the Camillus Police Department to help students make good choices. We will be celebrating their successes with the hope that when they shake my hand at graduation a few short years from now, they will have made good choices through both middle and high school.

Also this week we will begin the budget process. Some of the preliminary work was done last week, and with the 2% tax cap in effect, I can assure you that we will not be able to restore anything that we reduced or eliminated this year. I will provide you with information in the next few weeks about the gap amount that we will likely have to close for the 2012-2013 school year. We have never had to develop a budget where we have to reach a set budget number. This means many of the decisions we make will be in response to the Governor's Tax Cap legislation and there will be some things that simply won't fit within the cap. Much more about this later this month, and we appreciate your continued trust and support.

For now, we continue to lead by example and enjoy the time that we get to spend with your children and grandchildren each day.

Have a great week.

Chris

What a Busy Weekend...

2011-10-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a busy weekend! On Friday, Mike Burns, our Athletic Director, had a chance to fill me in on all of the requirements related to the Physical Education grant that we recently received. One of the terms of the grant required him to attend a meeting in Washington, DC (paid for through the grant) where he met with people from all over the country who were also selected for this program. He relayed that he was amazed how in most states Physical Education is not required and many students only receive “gym class” once a week, and in many cases not from a certified Physical Education teacher. This explains to me all of the national commercials about physical activity and making time to exercise, etc.

Mr. Burns is enjoying a very successful first season as Athletic Director as you can see from the following updates:

Girls Tennis had an 11-2 record with doubles players, Samantha Heyn and Allison Theberge, winning the Section title and going on to play in the state qualifier;
Girls Swimming won the League title with an undefeated 8-0 and will compete at Sectionals later this week;
Boys Golf came in second at the Sectionals and finished with an 8-6 record;
Boys Soccer has completed their season with sectional play and were showing signs of getting even stronger;
Cross Country finished second at the League championships and will be competing at the Sectionals next weekend with Laura Leff ahead of the pack for the girls;
Girls Soccer and Girls Volleyball are both still advancing in Sectionals;
Football team is undefeated and will be playing for the Sectional Championship against CBA at the Carrier Dome on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
The Cheerleaders also have a lot to be proud of. They have won all three competitions they entered and the program continues to build with some 60 plus girls waiting for a chance to try-out for the Winter Cheerleading session.

Please remember that Mr. Burns is attending every game (varsity through modified), trying to meet all of the requirements of the position, and also covering all of his duties as Assistant Principal at Camillus Middle School. Not sure how much longer this configuration can last, but I am very appreciative of his efforts. I give him a lot of credit for making this work.

The Marching Band won their 31st State Marching Band title at the Carrier Dome on Sunday night. With a very strong program and a very determined group of students, the Marching Band showed to all of New York State why they are at the top of their class. The competition was fierce and at the end of the day when all of the standings were announced and we prevailed, our students humbly accepted their award and were very gracious to their competitors. The road to the 32nd Championship begins tomorrow. Nice work!

This week we will help the Camillus Optimist Club recognize our students and teachers of the year. We will also be recognizing our Commended National Merit Scholars, and foster our partnership with the students involved with Stop the Hate Spread the Hope. Sounds like a great week coming up.

Enjoy your week as well, and I will try to post again before next weekend.

Chris

Academic Standards and Changing Times

2011-10-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/10/syracuse_university_nancy_cant/978/comments-2.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-21/nyu-exiting-national-merit-scholarship-citing-test-process.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/39523789#39523789

There were a couple of articles and news broadcasts recently that gave me pause. Not because of how they were written or scripted, but what each represented. Each of the references below discusses topics that surround “academic standards”. Because two of the articles involve political figures, I would like to take this time to indicate that I am a-political. I vote how I feel based on the information I have at the time. I have voted both Democrat and Republican. Also, because these references involve colleges and universities, I should also mention that I have taught as an adjunct professor for SUNY Brockport, SUNY Oswego, Le Moyne College, and have guest lectured for Syracuse University. I have NO allegiance to one college over another; to me they represent places where I can still get into a classroom and teach.

With all of that said, I would like to weigh in on these print and video resources. The first is an article that references a university chronicle indicating that Syracuse University may be diluting their academic standards because they may have become too “community centered”. In easy English this to me means that the chronicle feels that Syracuse University is lowering their academic standards because they participate in initiatives that advance learning for ALL, not just students who can afford whatever the tuition bill might be. To advance educational opportunities for all, one must go where “everyone” is which means satellite classrooms, diversified projects, and widespread visibility and availability. So what.

We always hear that the United States lags behind in high school results, college results, and overall global preparedness. Is it possible that an adult taking SU courses through the Internet or via satellite classrooms will go on to lead a productive life and in return provide opportunities for other community members? I think so. As much as I still question some of the structure and funding for the “Say Yes” program, it is a wise move for Syracuse University to participate because it opens them up to experience true diversity right in our own community, not to mention the opportunities it gives undergraduate and graduate students to work with children in poverty. The children that they work with also receive the benefit of having great adult role models.

If you do not want to participate in those opportunities, but still want to attend Syracuse University on campus and through a “traditional” setting and program, no one is stopping you. Go for it. WE can all get along and it doesn’t matter in my opinion how you get your education, it matters that you got an education.

I am programmed to help ALL students succeed. At West Genesee, while I am pleased that we have a consistent 98% of our students attaining a Regents Diploma, I am even more pleased that our completion rate (the percent of students who complete high school) has gone from 86% to 91% over the past three years and is continuing to climb. This is directly attributed to spreading resources to ALL students. Has this diluted our academic standards? Quite the contrary and our results, national ranking, and college placements prove it.

I also think that people greatly undervalue the community college experience. I was a little jolted when President Obama had to call a press conference to basically let people know that going to a community college is “OK”. Right in our own backyard we have Onondaga Community College, one of the top community colleges in the country that consistently graduates students to four year colleges and onto successful careers.

With how the demands for education has advanced to the point where a four year college degree is essentially required to fill most positions, why not spend a little less and obtain a two year degree from a community college? A full two year degree program at OCC costs less than a half of a year at Syracuse University, and by the way, some of the adjunct professors at Syracuse University also teach at OCC.

We are reviewing all of our Advanced Placement courses to see if we can also make them eligible for OCC credit. Again, it is all about opportunities for ALL. No academic standards will be harmed in the reconfiguring of our courses so students can open themselves up to Advanced Placement AND/OR Community College credit. Raise your hand if you are still paying your school loans. I can’t see you, but I am sure there are some hands up.

Lastly, came the news that fewer colleges are offering scholarship money for achieving the rank of National Merit Scholar. The National Merit Scholar program was designed in 1955 with the purpose of giving students who achieve a high score on the PSAT standardized test, which is taken either during the sophomore or junior year, a little financial boost heading into college. It is incredibly competitive and I have been fortunate to have two National Merit Scholars, a few dozen Commended Scholars, and a Hispanic Scholar.

The criticism of the program is that it rewards a student for success on one test. In the twelve years that I have been Superintendent each student that has been recognized by the program ALSO has to have a complete transcript; high overall grades, volunteer experiences, and participation in extra-curricular activities. Some of these students who have all of the above STILL do not get selected. In my opinion, it is a nice honor whether dollars are attached to the award or not and some of the colleges that participate could be missing out on a future big donor. Their loss.

I think we all need to separate budget reductions and loss of program from academic standards. When something has to be reduced, cut, or run in a different way that doesn’t mean that what is left is watered down. In all of our schools, academic standards are always tweaked and we are always trying to find ways to raise the bar and make ALL students increasingly competitive.

I will step off of my soapbox now, but I wanted to drive home the point that although we need to think differently, universities, colleges, community colleges and school districts do not have to lower the bar just because we are all trying to help ALL students and adults advance. Adapt and overcome.

We Will Sell You the Whole Seat but You Will Only Need the Edge!

2011-10-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend for West Genesee activities! Our football team continued their perfect season with a convincing win over Central Square in the first round of sectionals, and our Marching Band broke 90 for the first time of the season to capture another competition win. Both the Marching Band and the football team continue on with the band having their big competition of the year in the Carrier Dome on October 30, and if the football team continues to win they will find themselves in the Carrier Dome as well at the end of the month. Exciting times!

We also have boys and girls soccer, girls volleyball, boys golf, girls tennis, girls swimming, cheerleading, and boys/girls cross country still making noise which has made this a very productive season thus far with our students representing our community very well!

Our District continues to work towards meeting the requirements of the State Education Department (SED). We are in the process of completing work that is required as part of the Race to the Top program which has us revamping how we evaluate teachers and administrators. We are also rebuilding curriculum to meet the new "Common Core Standards".

On the operational side, we are beginning the budget process for the 2012-2013 school year which means tackling the "2% tax cap". This is going to be a challenge for sure, but I truly believe that we put ourselves in a great position to work through this economic storm with some of the moves and decisions that we have made through the past two years. If you are wondering what the tax cap truly means click here and it will take you to the best publication that I have seen so far. It clearly outlines what we have to do as a District with an emphasis on what is at stake. It is worth a quick read.

Our anti-bullying task force has scheduled their fall meeting to be held on Tuesday, November 29, in the large group instruction room of the high school. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and we will be finishing the anti-bullying policy that is currently in final draft form. We will also be previewing an anti-bullying DVD that our school resource officer would like to show to students at the high school. Upon completion of the policy, our task force is going to begin a partnership with a group of high school students who are involved with a student-run organization, Stop the Hate Spread the Hope. I am excited to merge student and adult ideas into one big initiative.

A little later this week, time permitting, I am going to post another blog centered around academic standards. Some recent articles and research reports written about Syracuse University, the National Merit Scholar Program, Federal support for community colleges, and Advanced Placement course transferability have me thinking, so I want to get all of my thoughts together before I share them!

Have a wonderful week-

Chris

As the Leaves Turn

2011-10-17T04:57:00.000-07:00

I can honestly say that I have never been sick for so long. It seems like this gloomy weather has been around as long as my cough! Every time I think I am turning the corner I start to feel bad again. I am hopeful that my antibiotics, fluids, and rest will finally put an end to this!

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know that I like to boast about our professional, family oriented staff. Another example of my pride for our staff came on Friday when one of our parents got a flat tire in a busy spot in one of our parking lots. I just happened to be walking from one building to another and saw that this person and her four year old son were trying to reach someone to come and help them.

I called over to our bus garage and asked to see if any of the mechanics could come over and give her a hand. Within moments Ken Gillett arrived in the "tow bus" full of tools. He hopped off the bus and the first thing he did was introduce himself to the four year old young man who really wanted to know how Mr. Gillett was going to change the tire. Like a true gentleman and professional he had the right tools, jacked up the car, changed the tire and then asked if the four year old wanted to "help" him lower the car back down. I wish my picture could have captured the smile on the young man's face when he helped to lower the car. The parent and child then gave their "thank you's" and headed on their way. Kudos to Ken for not only lending a hand but for effortlessly showing his care for the parents and the kids. Thank you!

On October 12 we celebrated the success of Dillon Peterson (pictured at left with Sargent Preston and Captain Gonzales from the U.S. Army Syracuse Recruiting Post) who was chosen to be in the United States Army Marching Band. He will play his tuba in the U.S. Army Senior Bowl on January 7, 2012, in San Antonio. We are fortunate to have students achieve this level of success on a fairly consistent basis and we wish him the best of luck!

We have also found a way to partner with the Skaneateles Central School District to give our lady hockey players an opportunity to play for their high school team. While parents will be responsible for the financial commitment for this opportunity, it is the first time that I can find on record where West Genesee female hockey players are able to play on a full female high school hockey team. We have approximately twelve girls who are going to participate and if you have a daughter interested in this opportunity there will be an informational meeting held in the high school career center on Tuesday evening, October 18, at 6:00 p.m. Thanks to Mike Burns, our athletic director, for taking the puck and skating with it (pun intended) once the Skaneateles superintendent and I were able to strike a deal. Best of luck to the girls on this new endeavor.

Lastly, I wanted to let you know of a new way to keep track of sex offenders that are currently living in our District. The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office has a website where you can submit your name and information and if there is sex offender activity or other matters of public safety, the website will notify you by text, e-mail, or phone. If you are currently a subscriber of our SNN system, this Sheriff's Office system works in a similar way. The link for the website is http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/nyalert.htm.

Have a wonderful and productive week.

Chris

Decisions, Decisions

2011-10-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

I would like to provide some color on two recent decisions that I have made. As you know, I do not hide from things that I say or do as I always take responsibility for my actions. One thing that I like to do is keep people informed so that if a decision is made people can agree or disagree with my thought process, and we can agree or disagree with the facts instead of guessing and relying on rumors.

The first decision was to not forfeit the recent football game between the Wildcats and the Baldwinsville Bee's. The game was a high scoring affair that ended up with a fifth down being given. With the extra down we were able to secure a first down and eventually go on to win the game. No one knew that the fifth down had happened until after the game when a volunteer from Baldwinsville brought it to the attention of the coaching staff and they went on to review the film. Our coach was notified the day after the game and he concurred that a fifth down had been given.

I have coached and I have refereed plenty of basketball games to know that mistakes happen. In this case the referees, down judges, chain crew, scoreboard operator, and both coaches missed the fifth down being given. The emphasis at that point in the game was how much time was on the clock and that apparently is what got people distracted from what down it was.

I consider myself to be student centered and in this case I was working with the information that a fifth down was given in error with the eventual outcome of the game being a win for the Wildcats. When the fifth down was given there was still time on the clock. The assumption is that the ball would have been turned over on fourth down and that the game would have ended. In high school sports there is no way to determine the outcome until the game is over. I make it a practice to not let adults ruin things for students whenever possible, so I decided not to forfeit the win and let Section III provide the final judgement. They ruled that there is no national high school athletic regulation that provides for the outcome of a game to be reversed based on error. I did support Baldwinsville's protest to Section III, because it would be nice to know through an investigation why an error was made in the first place.

What would have made me change my decision and suggest a forfeit? I think if time had expired on the fifth down and if the game had been played at home. At home we assign the volunteers, the chaperones, the security, and the coaches. I take responsibility for their actions every time we have a contest in any sport or activity and if they would have made an error I would have taken responsibility for that and would have forfeited the game. I would have answered to the players, coaches, and parents in my community. Similarly, if time had expired giving no other opportunity to call a play, then I would agree that the outcome of the game had been determined. In this game both of those conditions did not exist, so we decided to move forward the way we did.

I have been told that I have missed a "teachable moment" with this game. Really. The teachable moment to me is that adults (through human error in this case) tainted a memory for a bunch of kids on both sides of the ball. The other teachable moment for us as adults I think is that both teams played until the whistle and both teams fought right to the end; doing exactly what we coach them to do. There might be something for us to learn from that.

The second decision is centered around pupil transportation. Click here to view a presentation that I gave at the last Board of Education meeting explaining why we now use a transfer system for private and parochial students and why we have farther bus stops for many of our middle and high school students. In a nutshell, we transport 4,800 students daily to seven West Genesee school locations and 32 private and parochial school destinations. With this transfer system we have 37 students who ride 60 minutes or longer to or from school.

As you will see in the presentation, we were forced into this by pressure from the State to place more students on buses and to save money. We do have more students on buses now and we will save close to $225,000. We are working to deliver some of the longer riding students more quickly (mostly private and parochial students and of the 4,800 students we transport, 272 of them are from private and parochial schools) and if we can we certainly will. The use of the transfer system was something that we did after cutting $8M of our own expenses. If after reading the presentation you have any questions, please contact me.

Please do not consider this blog post to be negative, emotional, or self-serving. Papers need to be sold. I get that and I respect that. I get paid to lead and make decisions, and I make dozens of key decisions each day. Not all of them are popular, but I can assure you that none of them are taken lightly. I appreciate your continued support and have a great week.

Chris

In Stride

2011-10-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

The first week in October is when we take time to reflect on every facet of our organization and to do one final check to make sure that everything is running well and will run well for the rest of the school year. Considering that we made over $5M worth of changes for this school year, I am very proud of our staff for making things work with what we have.

Janine Corning, a physical education teacher at West Genesee Middle School, gets the gold star for perseverance. She has been working since I got here in 2008 to secure a grant to help our physical education department purchase some new equipment which will help really move our health, nutrition, and wellness efforts in a positive direction. Her efforts have paid off as we learned on Friday that her grant application was selected to be funded by the United States Education Department to the tune of $508,000. It just goes to show you that ALL of us in this organization are ALWAYS trying to find ways to make things better for our children. Congratulations Mrs. Corning!

I would also like to thank those who participated in the Tournament of Bands on Saturday. This is a major fundraiser for our Marching Band while showcasing the show they have been performing this season. Cold and rain were the descriptors of the day, but if you had a chance to watch the Marching Band you saw that they are nearly ready for the Carrier Dome where the competition should pause and recognize that we have a very determined group ready to compete for the big prize.

Our football team also continues to excel as they showed us on Friday night after being up 21-0 against Baldwinsville, but then they got into a shooting match that went right to the wire. The starting players and many different back-up players had to work together to stay alive in the game, and coach Corley showed how much he respects his players by calling a two-point conversion play to win the game instead of an extra point to send it into overtime.

As you can see, we have created a culture with our staff and students of making things happen, not giving up, and being determined. I am very proud to be a part of it all.

We have obtained all of the necessary paperwork and have the Board of Education approval necessary to move forward and begin to accept proposals to sell the wooded lot we own on West Genesee Street. I will keep you posted on progress in this area.

We are also beginning to receive proposals from different vendors and consultants with regards to our redistricting plans. The hope is to have interviews done and proposals considered by the end of October so that a recommendation can be brought to the Board of Education for a consultant to help us. Once this is done, a public meeting will be held in the beginning of November to outline the process, take comments, and relay any other information relevant to the project. Stay tuned.

I have a very busy week with mandatory training, an out of town commitment, and some reports that are due to the state. I still plan to get around the District as much as possible, and I hope you have a great week.

Chris

School Spirit is Alive and Well!

2011-09-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Last week was quite a week. First we had a wonderful spirit week and some great open houses. I was very proud of all of the high school students for being so respectful of all of the hanging decorations that student council, the cheerleaders, and various other student groups placed around the school. It made for a high school open house that really made it feel like the students owned the building. The pep rally on Friday was fantastic. The colors, skits, activities, cheerleaders, dance team, and staff rendition of the Michael Jackson epic Thriller were perfect, and the students responded with roars of applause that I have not heard in quite some time.

We then took to the football field where the Wildcats played extremely well and continued their winning streak. All of our fall sports for that matter are doing very well, and our Marching Band kept Striving for the Highest with another win at Oswego.

On Saturday my family and I went to the SU game and watched as an extra point definitely missed the uprights but was ruled good by the review officials. That is the first time I have heard the crowd know that something was wrong but try to clap through it and show confidence to the officials. Apparently it worked, and SU went on to win.

On Sunday we had the Race for Respect. What a beautiful day to run. My wife and I decided to run the 4 mile component of the race and I did not get lost. I probably did not get lost because my wife was with me, there were arrows spray painted on the ground, and there were students at each turn pointing to where I had to go. I have included a map of the run from the same GPS that did not help me get un "lost" last week just so you can see where the run takes you if you choose to participate next year. Many thanks to Beth Lozier and the rest of the organizers as well as all of our participants for making it a great day.

My family and I then traveled to Buffalo to see a concert by the band the Foo Fighters. You might think that all superintendent's listen to classical music and drink tea and eat crumpets but not me. I am all about a good rock and roll show and they did not disappoint. What is interesting is that thanks to YouTube I watched almost the entire show again and was able to re-live my favorite songs. The entire ride to Buffalo was spent fist pounding as the Buffalo Bills overcame a 21 point deficit to beat the Patriots. This caused the entire city of Buffalo to be in a "good" mood when we got there and certainly exposed my kids to some culture.

This week we finish up open houses for the fall, place the final tweaks on how we expect to run things for the rest of the year, and keep enjoying this warm weather before putting on those bulky winter coats.

Have a wonderful week-

Stop and Ask for Directions

2011-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am directionally challenged. When I leave the house on my way to some place unfamiliar there is physical tension that can be felt wondering if I am actually going to make it to my destination. Yes, I have GPS. Doesn't matter. The stress of not knowing where to go, even when I have directions, can be paralyzing at times.

My latest misadventure happened the other day when I went for a run. Typically, I try to run 3-5 miles about three times a week. I pick this range because I feel that if I ever need to run from a stray dog, the police (just kidding, I am a role model you know!), a falling tree, a large rolling rock, or an out of control car, that 3-5 miles should be a sufficient distance. Always be prepared, as the motto says.

So I start out for a run and on my way out the door my youngest tells me about a "shortcut" through the woods in one of the neighborhoods that I run in. I was already feeling pretty confident about a trail that I was told about by a co-worker so I thought what could possibly go wrong?

Well, I got out about three miles and hopped on the first trail that I already knew about and made it to an area that I had familiarity with. I then employed "the shortcut" (please keep in mind that I have an app on my phone that is keeping track of me on a map that shows all major roads)...(oh and of course I have Lynyrd Skynyrd blasting on Pandora Radio) which involved running on a part dirt, part grass trail. About a half-mile later I find myself in the middle of a woods. About a half mile later I find myself in the middle of a corn field. Never being one to back down, I ran forward and now I am in the middle of a corn field and a lettuce patch (which I thought should have been picked already quite frankly). Next thing my phone beeps to tell me that I have 10% battery life left. I have to stop playing "Freebird" (not kidding) to conserve battery life.

Now I am beginning to worry a bit. It is the brink of dusk, I AM NOT LOST, I just don't know exactly where I am, and I am running. I find some power lines that look like they are parallel to a roadway and head for them. Next thing I know I am deeper into the woods/cornfield/lettuce patch. I continued to make my way until I heard the sound of cars. Eventually I found a roadway and finished my run. When I arrived at the house SEVEN miles later I thanked my son for the "shortcut". He asked where I went and he said "no, I meant for you to take the trail on the OTHER street". Never a dull moment.

Speaking of directions, my family and I like to geocache. If you haven't heard of it you can go to http://www.geocaching.com/ for complete directions, but in a nutshell you use a handheld GPS or an app for your smartphone and use coordinates provided by the website to find different "treasures" in the woods, near landmarks, etc... There are geocaches all around the world and there are varying degrees of difficulty (some are even under water!). When you find one you usually write your name on a log file and then report it to the website. We have been doing this for about five years and have found about two hundred caches.

Over the summer my wife and I decided to take our dog and go find some caches on the Erie Canal trail, near the Sims Store. We headed out and made our way down the trail. We ran into some students, past and present, like Julie Barriere (@juliebarriere), her sister Emily, and one of their friends and compared geocaching notes. They indicated that there was a cache on the other side of the canal. I put the master plan in place by walking the length of the canal down to the Sims Store from the park, crossing to the other side, and walking back to the car on the other side while grabbing the cache that would surely be along the way.

Everything was going well until we got to the other side, didn't find the cache, and realized that there was no longer a pedestrian bridge at the lock like there used to be. We had to turn around, walk all the way back to the Sims Store and then all the way back down the other side of the canal to our car. Over 7 total miles. If the dog could talk I am sure that she would have had some choice words. Good clean family fun.

The moral of the story is that...well there is no moral to the story. I am terrible with directions, Pandora radio drained my cell phone battery, I made the dog walk seven miles, and somehow I am fortunate to remain married. I am in the best shape of my life though!

Over the next few weeks you may hear information from teachers or coaches about ways to run some of the clubs and intramurals that were cut from the budget. Our hope is that through a partnership with the Town of Camillus and some volunteer work that at least some of those opportunities will be restored, and I appreciate your patience through this process.

I know that most of this blog has nothing to do with school, but I think sometimes it is okay to reach out beyond these four walls and let people know that I do things just like everyone else except for getting lost. If getting lost was an Olympic sport I would be on a Wheaties box.

Enjoy homecoming this weekend as well as the Race for Respect. Let's hope it stays dry!

Chris

Week Two Under Way

2011-09-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

With our first successful week of school under our belts, it is now time to keep rolling forward and continue in a positive direction. Earlier I mentioned a few of the initiatives that we would be working on this school year, and I want to take a moment to keep you up-to-date on exactly where we stand with each initiative:

Sale of Wooded Lot

We recently received a completed survey for the wooded lot that we intend to sell in the near future. Now we can give the survey to an appraiser who will officially let us know how much the piece of property is worth. At the same time, we are having an abstract re-created for the property (a legal document that explains the "history of the land"). Once we have the abstract and appraisal completed, the Board of Education will vote to declare the piece of property "surplus" and we can begin the actual sale process. My hope is to have a resolution to the Board by September 21 asking them to declare the property as surplus. My ability to get the resolution to them will hinge on receiving the appraisal back in time.

Redistricting

As you know, we are looking for a company or organization to help us determine the best way to redistrict our elementary and middle schools (if you remember from opening day, I indicated that we WILL NOT be closing Onondaga Road Elementary School at this time). We are in the process of writing a Request for Proposal (RFP). This RFP must include exactly what we expect to receive in terms of process and deliverables.

The RFP needs to be approved by the Board first and will be presented to them on September 21 for their consideration before it is sent to possible consultants, organizations, and companies. We will then collect all completed RFP's and consider proposals that best meet our needs. One key component will be interaction with the school and community throughout the course of the study. Again, I am hopeful to have some final recommendations for the Board to consider by spring. As always, I will keep you posted as we move forward with this initiative.

Dignity for All Students Act

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) is Federal legislation that outlines how our anti-bullying program must look and act. In order to be in compliance, the "DASA" components must be completed by July 1, 2012.

We have an active task force working on this legislation and last year the group finished a draft of an anti-bullying policy that should be completed later this month. The task force also approved the use of the Olweus anti-bullying program for grades K-12 (Olweus is an approved program under the guidelines of DASA). Penny Williams from BOCES will help us implement the program. This implementation requires training of ‘staff teams’ in each building which will take place sometime this winter with a follow-up and kick off in late spring and into the fall. Stay tuned for future task force meeting dates.

Enjoy your Open House, all of our other events, and have a wonderful week!

Chris

Welcome Back!

2011-09-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank everyone for a great opening day. All of our staff, parents, and students worked together and made yesterday work very well. Our bus drivers fought through the rain and the first day of their bus runs to pick up and deliver students, and I appreciate your patience as they hone in on the correct pick-up and drop-off times. This process usually takes about a week under ideal conditions and today was already much better than yesterday.

We have many different events coming up this weekend. First, on Friday evening our Wildcat Football team will host Corcoran at 6:00 p.m. on the turf stadium. At half-time the Marching Band will deliver their first large public performance of their show, Strive for the Highest. While not the complete show that we will be taken on the road shortly, this version will feature many of the components that will carry us to the Carrier Dome later this fall. The Marching Band sounds very powerful and they have added nearly 40 members from last year. They are a treat to watch.

After their performance, members of our modified sports teams along with their coaches will walk a parade “thank you” lap for all of the parents who helped to raise money to save half of our modified sports program from budget cuts. This should be a large turn out, and I am very appreciative of the efforts of all involved that have made this possible.

On Sunday, the Marching Band will be holding their Annual Bottle and Can Drive. You will see Marching Band members in their Marching Band shirts collecting bottles and cans in various neighborhoods.

At 3:00 p.m. on Sunday in our high school auditorium (doors open at 2:15 p.m.) West Genesee will be hosting a “Remember-Reflect-Renew” free concert sponsored by the Syracuse Chorale to commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001. There will be several acts including the Syracuse Chorale, Onondaga Civic Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Pops Chorus, The Master’s Touch Chorale, Five to Life Acapella, the Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band, and readings by Senator John DeFrancisco and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli. I will also be on hand to meet and greet concert goers and to provide some opening remarks to kick off the event. Event organizers are anticipating up to 1,000 people for this free event, so make sure to get there early.

Time for me to get back into buildings to meet students. If you want a play-by-play of my visits as well as other “hot off the press” information, be sure to follow me on Twitter @cbrownwgcsd.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Chris

Perspective

2011-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

At our opening day with staff last week I spoke about what will be known in our organization as "The Slide of Negativity". This slide contained all kinds of nasty things on it like job losses, the change to Spring Break, testing, etc... I allowed the staff to view the slide for about 15 seconds before turning it to a black slide. I then asked staff to raise their hands if they know of someone with cancer, lost someone on 9/11, or knew someone who does not have a job, needs one, and cannot find one. Almost every hand was in the air, and I would bet that if this exercise was repeated in any public place we would see the same results.

While we get upset over changes and hurdles, they simply do not compare to some of the large life-changing events that can creep up on us out of nowhere. Our staff and I will be very composed this year, as we always are, because we understand perspective and will not let the "small stuff" get in the way of doing what we do best; educating your children.

It has been interesting to read all of the newspaper articles from around the state and country (I am addicted to reading headlines from different papers on my iPad each morning) related to 9/11, and how we will remember what happened and what we are/will/won't/or don't teach our kids about what happened.

I think anyone over the age of 16 probably has some recollection of what happened that day and many of us have deeper, much more emotional memories than others. I found it interesting to read all of the different theories about how we should remember and what we should tell our children because these different points of view explain a lot about what actually happened on that day. Thousands of people from different cultures and backgrounds were working when all of a sudden tragedy struck, twice. Then thousands of people from all different cultures and backgrounds gathered together to help the victims and try to piece together some normalcy, resolve, and resilience. And we did. And we continue to live the way that we are fortunate enough to live.

The moral of the story in my mind related to the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is that people need to do what they WANT to do to remember that awful day. If everyone in America remembers 9/11 differently this Sunday it doesn't mean that we aren't solidified in our beliefs or resolve; it means that we all still live in a country where we have the right to to what we want even after some people tried their best to take that away from us. My continued thoughts for all who lost their lives or a loved one and my thanks to all who helped to bring the site and a Nation back together.

Last weekend a group of individuals (who would like to remain anonymous) collected school supplies for families. They collected many different things and were able to supply back packs to many needy families (well over 100). They were not able to fill all of the orders and unfortunately had to leave some without. We are continuing to work to possibly fill those orders for people. My thanks goes out to the dedicated unnamed individuals who gave their time and energy to help our many needy people and if a second phase is able to happen, I will let you know.

Wednesday is almost here and I am looking forward to watching Kindergartners get off the bus!

Have a wonderful week.

Chris

You Won't Believe This One!

2011-08-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have read the book "Who Moved My Cheese?". If you haven't, it is about change and how people need to work through change. If you have been following school news around the state for the past couple of years you might imagine why it would be important to understand how change works and how to work through it in a positive way.

I think I need to write a book titled, "You Want Me to Move A Boulder?" and it will encompass all of the changes that we have been forced to implement due to the economy, the Governor, and the New York State Education Department in which all of the suspense will lead up to the last chapter that I will title...

WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR SPRING BREAK THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SCHEDULED?

Yes, you read that correctly. On top of all of the other changes we have had to make, most of them affecting our students and staff, we received word on FRIDAY that Dr. John King, the Commissioner of Education, decided to change the dates of the English Language Arts Assessments and they will now fall smack dab into the middle of our Spring Break (about 10-15% of the schools in NYS have Spring Break the same week we do).

Obviously my colleagues and I went nuts when we heard the news, but the Commissioner did not waiver. We will need to change the dates for our Spring Break. Area superintendent's and I are meeting with Dr. Jessica Cohen, the BOCES District Superintendent, this Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. to discuss the situation and make the changes that are going to be necessary.

While the Commissioner feels that he has valid points for changing the testing dates, (to view the letter to the superintendents click here) I respectfully disagree with his decision. It is too late to make a schedule change of this magnitude and many people (staff and parents) probably have vacations planned they have paid for. To view the assessment schedule click here. You can also access both of these files from the About West Genesee - Superintendent's Message page.

My voice and the voices of my colleagues are not loud enough to be heard apparently, but I wanted you to know what I feel about this change.

I will let all of you know what the new West Genesee Spring Break week will be this Wednesday at the conclusion of my meeting with the BOCES District Superintendent.

I am too fired up to tell you about my cool weekend, so I will have to save that for my next post. Stay tuned.

Chris

Lots to Share!

2011-08-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

I hope that all of you will help me in welcoming Vladimiro Hart-Zavoli to our Board of Education. Vladimiro was appointed on August 17 and will fill the remainder of a term that will expire at the end of this school year. Vlad has children in the District, is enthusiastic about his new role as a Board of Education member, and is ready to help us to move forward in challenging financial times. We will be assembling a press release shortly that will expand about what Mr. Hart-Zavoli brings to the table. Welcome aboard!

At our Board meeting on August 17 I outlined several goals for the school year that fall outside of the normal operation of our building and the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan.

Upcoming Contract Negotiations - For starters, we will be working with our staff to negotiate new contracts for the 2012-2013 school year and beyond. I am sure that you remember the wage freeze that everyone agreed to take for the upcoming school year in an effort to save jobs and opportunities for children, and it is now time to do some long-range planning to make sure that there is a balance between our financial needs and making sure that our quality staff is compensated appropriately. We will be working with 13 different labor organizations to help achieve these goals.

Sale of Property - We are also going to sell a piece of property that we own on West Genesee Street in an effort to help close the 2012-2013 budget gap that we project to be around $1.2M when factoring in the new tax cap that the Governor has passed for schools and municipalities. This piece of property is a wooded lot that separates the Sports PT building and “Cheeburger, Cheeburger”. In the upcoming weeks I will outline how this sale will take place and we hope to have a successful sale in place by the end of the school year.

Onondaga Road Elementary School Future - I am sure that many of you are wondering what I am going to write with regard to Onondaga Road Elementary School. At the beginning of last year I was very close to asking the Board of Education to consider closing the building because of low enrollment (currently at 296 for grades K-5) because I had several tenants lined up to lease the building and therefore keep it occupied, maintained, and also generate some revenue.

With the significant decline in the economy, those tenants are no longer interested in a whole building and I am reluctant as a superintendent and community member to suggest closing a building that would most likely sit and quickly fall into disrepair. To put it in plain words, WE WILL NOT BE CLOSING ONONDAGA ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

Study on Redistricting - We WILL be studying a complete redistricting of our elementary and middle schools, however, in order to balance out enrollment. For example, East Hill School (which is a sister to Onondaga Road Elementary) has over 400 students while Onondaga Road has 296. This needs to be balanced. West Genesee Middle School has nearly 150 more students than Camillus Middle School yet it is physically smaller. This needs to be changed.

I will be reaching out to a few consultants to assist in this study (and take the emotion out of the study-remember folks, I grew up in this area as well) and as always I will keep you posted along the way. We want to maximize space in buildings, staffing, transportation, and other efficiencies to make sure that we are poised for what is to come. Much more on this as we move forward. I do not have a timetable for transition if there are to be any because I simply do not know what the study will yield and how quickly things will come together as of yet.

Drivers Education - West Genesee Adult Education is now making available the New York State Education Department approved Driver Education Program for our students. Successful completion will earn the student a MV 285 (formally known as a blue card) and an insurance reduction certificate. The course will be offered four times a year beginning in September, January, March, and July. Registration information for the September session can be found on the District web site: www.westgenesee.org, under the Adult Education tab or students may also pick up registration information and forms in the high school guidance office. Please call the Adult Education office at 315-487-2279 or e-mail lmagoulas@westgenesee.org with any questions.

Race for Respect/Culture Fair - Lastly, I wanted to mention a few things about the Race for Respect and the Culture Fair that we have been fortunate to run each year. We will need to alter how these events are going to run simply because of the economy. Some of our larger donors to both causes are cutting back on community relief and assistance efforts and this will cause us to have to make adjustments.

The first question you might ask is if these donors spent all of their donation money on modified sports or marching band uniforms or other efforts that have made headlines as of late. They have not, and cannot, and I completely understand and am very appreciative of all of the assistance that these groups have given us throughout the years. We will make some changes and move forward as we always do.

Closing in on two weeks before our staff report and I am getting more excited each day! Enjoy the week ahead and see you soon

Chris

2011-08-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

In one more very short week our fall sports and activities will fire up and we will be quickly advancing to the beginning of the school year. My body is wired a little differently than most people in that I always feel listless during the summer months when everyone else is getting re-energized. My excitement and energy level makes a huge spike upward once I start seeing students around the campuses once again. This also makes fall my favorite season; again probably not a popular choice for most of you!

Transportation - We are preparing to mail home the new transportation stops for students as well as a letter home to private and parochial school parents inviting them to take part in a special "test bus run day". The plan is to show them how their students will be transferring from one school bus to another as they head to their various destinations. It has been interesting to plan all of these changes to transportation, but judging from the other mandates that the state has chosen to take on recently, they mean business with this one as well and they want more students on buses no matter what!

New York State Grades 3-8 Assessments - You might have read about a change to the New York State Grades 3-8 testing system. CTB/McGraw Hill has been responsible for writing all of the 3-8 assessments for the past few years and the criticism has been that the tests have too many “all of the above” and “none of the above” answer choices as well as too many negatives in the context of the actual questions. Pearson, by far the largest publishing company in the US has won the contract to write Grades 3-8 Assessments for New York State for the foreseeable future. They currently provide assessments for approximately 13 other states.

The benefit of this change from my personal view is that Pearson has excellent textbooks, computer resources, remedial tools, and scoring mechanisms. This will provide a MUCH more consistent environment for a student beginning with their daily instruction and continuing right through the assessment. Pearson is also already aligned to the upcoming “Common Core Standards” as well which will help schools to deliver material and test on material that is actually in the curriculum guides that come from the state. This will hopefully keep your children from coming home and complaining that they “were not taught what was on the test”. I am happy with the change and look forward to the results next summer.

College Preparation -You might have also read about how few seniors are actually prepared for community colleges as well as the state SUNY and CUNY systems. If you look at all of the students who graduate from high schools across the state, about 60% (we are just under 70%) make it to their freshman year in college WITHOUT having to take a non-credit bearing course at a full tuition rate. This has been a problem for years and it is due in my opinion to the large disconnect that exists between the K-12 system and the college system. More conversations have to be held between both groups and an understanding has to be reached as far as expectations are concerned.

Advanced Placement Credits -Also, it has been interesting to see how many schools are reluctant to accept Advanced Placement (AP) credits from high schools. The Advanced Placement course is designed to give students in high school a college level course experience. The curriculum and teachers are approved by the College Board and in the past if the student receives a 4 or 5 on the AP exam (and even in some cases a 3) the credit for the class would transfer to most colleges. In my opinion due to the economy, many colleges would like to see a student pay tuition to them for the same course so they have gotten much more finicky about transferring AP credits from high school.

My personal recommendation would be to challenge AP courses as often as possible while in high school, no matter the outcome. The rigor, regimentation, homework load, and assessments will prepare your student for the demands of a college level course even if the class ends up not being transferrable. We are currently working with local community colleges (one of the best bargains in town by the way) to “triple seat” our college level courses. This simply means that a student could exit a college level course with local high school credit, AP credit, and a community college transcript. I am excited about this possibility as more students choose to work their way through a two year program and into a four-year program.

Student Athlete Concussion Study - We are also studying concussions. These are not the ones that I get from banging my head up against the wall at times, but concussions that our student athletes get during competition. The Ivy League schools developed recommendations, especially for football, that outline how many practices with pads Ivy League football players can have, etc… Usually the tail wags the dog in these cases, so I would expect to see changes in high school athletics regarding care for concussions in the near future considering that players in the NFL do less hitting in practice than high school and college students due to the provisions in their new contract. Any changes that provide for a safer environment for our students are important to me and I will work to see these changes implemented in any way that I can.

School News Notifier (SNN) - Lastly for this blog post, if you have not already signed up for our School News Notifier (SNN) services please take a few moments to do so. I will continue to use Twitter to send out daily messages but our Principals, Athletic and Fine Arts Directors, and I will be using this service to send out other reminders and cool stories that will be important for you to receive. To access the SNN system just go to the District web site home page and click on the SNN logo, or go directly to https://snn.neric.org/wgenesee/.

Stay tuned for more frequent posts as we get ready to start what will be another awesome school year.

Thanks-

Chris

Mid-Summer Update

2011-08-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

I hope that you have been able to enjoy some of the weather so far this summer. I know we have had a hot stretch recently but on the positive side I have not had to mow the lawn for four weeks! I will try to do a better job at hiding my excitement about that next time.

We are plugging away here at work on several different things. To keep all of you in the loop I have included all of our projects below with all of the information that I have about them as of today. As we enter August I will be getting back into my normal blog schedule of at least one post per week, so stay tuned and see you around town.

Student Dignity Task Force

Our group last met right before the end of the school year to begin to develop a policy to be used as part of the Dignity For All Students Legislation. We also confirmed that we will be using the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program K-12. This summer Mr. Burns and I have been drafting the sample policy so that the committee can make final edits via e-mail and we can move forward quickly with the policy adoption process when everyone returns this fall.

Mr. Burns and I are also meeting with Penny Williams who is going to coordinate our training and implementation efforts for the Olweus program. The training process will take this school year to complete and the program will be rolled out for the beginning of the 2012 school year. While this sounds like a long way off, it really isn't considering the state has not fully defined exactly what the program has to contain to meet their mandates.

Modified Sports

As you know, part of our $5.63M in budget reductions for the 2011-2012 school year was $75K in modified sports. The middle schools were scheduled to have one modified team for both middle schools instead of one team for each school. A group of parents, led by John Petosa, is working to raise the $75K necessary to have the full modified slate for this school year and their active efforts have been paying off (no pun intended). They are very hopeful to have enough money raised to save the modified sports teams for the 2011-2012 school year and are fully aware that this will have to continue through at LEAST the 2012-2013 school year because of the tax cap that Governor Cuomo recently put into place. Actor Alec Baldwin has pledged $25K for the effort as well. People looking to donate to the cause can head to http://www.savemodifiedsportsatwg.com/ for more information.

Tax Cap

The tax cap for the 2012-2013 school year means that we can raise school taxes by 2% or the cost of inflation; which ever is LESS. Right now the cost of inflation is 1.6%. This will mean that we will need to cut AT LEAST another $1M from the 2012-2013 budget (believe it or not we are already working on that budget) in order to stay within the cap. We have been nationally recognized for our innovative cost saving efforts, and we are going to have to continue to make difficult but economy adjusting decisions moving forward. We are working on some ideas that I will share with you, once I am able, that will help to make a significant dent in closing the gap but unfortunately there will be tougher decisions ahead.

Board Candidates

The Board of Education is seeking applicants for an open position with a term that expires at the end of next school year. A letter of interest and/or resume needs to be into Paul Pelton (300 Sanderson Drive, Camillus, NY 13031 or ppelton@westgenesee.org, or 487-4563) by August 12 to be considered for an interview by the Board of Education at their meeting on August 17.

Transportation

As you might remember, the New York State Education Department charged each school with the task of placing more students on buses, making transportation more efficient, and reducing the number of bus runs. Jerry Williams in our Transportation Department has been working with his staff to accommodate this directive. We will be using a shuttle system to help transport students attending private and parochial schools, and we also had to change the length of some of our bus runs as well as drop off and pick up points. We are very appreciative for all of you who turned in your transportation request form (we had over 90% of the forms returned) because it really helped us to create bus runs that are reasonable and reliable.

The transportation staff will be sending a letter home to private and parochial school families shortly inviting them to participate in a "test run" day so that they can see how their children will be transported each day. This "test run" day will be held later in August and we are hopeful that parents participate because we are in a position where we will have limited flexibility to make changes because the New York State Education Department is mandating this rearrangement of transportation services.

School Calendar

Bonnie Russell has done a wonderful job once again on our annual school Events Calendar and Information Guide. Since we are using our technology resources more and more, this calendar will be one of the very few pieces of paper correspondence that we will be sending out (the online version of the calendar is now available from the home page of the web site or directly at www.calendarwiz.com/westgenesee). Be on the lookout for the Events Calendar and Information Guide to come home the first day of school with your child and thanks again to Bonnie!

Chris

Position Available for Board of Education

2011-07-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

The West Genesee Central School District is seeking interested candidates to fill a current vacancy on the Board of Education. The Board of Education will be interviewing interested candidates in late August and making an appointment in September.

For more information please contact Paul E. Pelton at (315) 487-4563, or ppelton@westgenesee.org, or submit a resume and/or letter of interest to West Genesee Central District, Attention District Clerk, 300 Sanderson Drive, Camillus, New York 13031.

Early Summer Check-In

2011-07-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

I hope that all of you are getting some time to relax so far this summer. I have been able to take a couple of much needed days off to recharge and now I am ready to work straight through until the start of the school year to make sure that everything is in good shape to start the year.

We ended the year on a very positive note in spite of the budget challenges that we faced. Our initial high school graduation results are very favorable with a few students completing some summer school work that will be factored into the overall results at the end of August. I would project our Regents graduation rate to be in the neighborhood of 98% or a little higher and our completion rate to be at 90% or greater (State averages for both are in the 60% range).

Summer School looks different for us this year. To save money we have decided to share Summer School with our local BOCES and invite Onondaga Central, Westhill, Solvay, and Marcellus to join West Genesee Students at West Genesee Middle School for Summer School courses. Admittedly, BOCES is still working on a traffic flow pattern that works most efficiently but that should be ironed out by the end of the week. Classes in general are running smoothly as well as the many town camps that use our facilities.

Community member John Petosa is actively leading a group of citizens to try to raise the money necessary to restore the athletic cuts that were made for next year. The group needs to raise approximately $70,000 and they have been working through e-mail campaigns, flyers, and a website (http://http://www.savemodifiedsportsatwg.com/), where donations can be made. This is not in any way affiliated with the school as New York State Law strictly prohibits soliciting by or in school districts. My personal opinion is that the State better begin to think about and discuss fundraising supplements to fine arts and athletic programs statewide as this new tax cap comes into play.

Speaking about the tax cap, as you may have heard Governor Cuomo has passed a tax cap for schools and governments. The cap allows a school or municipality the opportunity to raise property taxes by the cost of inflation or 2%; whichever is less. In my opinion and to the Governor's credit, he finally stood up and said that schools will have to cut to accommodate this change just like private businesses have had to do. At least he is telling it like it is. If you remember earlier in the year the Governor was telling people that schools could just use reserves, which just doesn't and cannot work long term.

For West Genesee, and as an initial look at the impact of the tax cap, we will have to make reductions in excess of $1M for the 2012-2013 school year. Not as much as the $5.63M that we just cut for the 2011-2012 but substantial when considering that we have already cut 15% of our workforce over the past three years. The rough ride continues and what schools will be able to offer moving forward will be drastically different than what we had available as kids ourselves.

As always, we will fight the good fight and continue to make West Genesee one of the most desirable school districts in the area. Enjoy these warm summer days and I will post again soon!

What a Year!

2011-06-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

As the dust settles on another successful school year we should all pause to reflect on what happened during the past 180 days. We have ridden on a roller coaster of emotions and at times we certainly had to look ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what we are made of. Through the high points and the low points of the year one thing stayed constant and that was pride in our school and our community. What other local District was making national headlines for their academic, athletic, and fine art achievements while also leading a national discussion about fiscal problem solving during challenging times?

All of this said, we MUST stay strong as a community and recognize that while we will face even more adversity next year, we are equipped to handle it. We will need to make changes to how we run our school, what programs we offer, and how we deliver services and some of those decisions will not be popular (even in my own house) but they will need to be made nonetheless. It will be very important for you as parents to stay connected to the school through this blog, our new e-newsletter, Twitter, or open meetings that we will hold so that you can have the most up-to-date and factual information. We will need to support each other so that our community continues to be the desireable place to live that it has become.

I am going to take a couple of weeks off from posting and tweeting but that does not mean that I will not be at work. Feel free to e-mail or call if you have questions or comments, and I would like to sincerely thank you for your continued support.

Please accept my best wishes for a safe and happy Summer!

Chris

Gear Down and Time for Landing

2011-06-12T18:38:00.000-07:00

We are six days away from high school graduation and as I reflected over the past school year it is difficult not to notice that we just went through something pretty special. Pick a topic and we handled it with grace and professionalism. Our students were able to shine in every situation they were placed into and our staff did some unprecedented things to help us keep as many opportunities for students as possible.

I think it would be nearly impossible to agree with every decision we made this year because we had to make so many of them, but I am grateful for the respect everyone has shown during the many discussions that we have had. Trust is a very powerful thing, and I am equally thankful that we have mutual trust and open communication. We will face many other significant challenges in the days and months ahead and it is very important for all of us to stay focused on what is most important; the students.

This week will be a blur. We have assemblies, graduation rehearsal, the athletics banquet, all kinds of paperwork, finals, and more paperwork. Getting into classrooms will also be fun and I can't wait to visit.

Have a great Summer....

Chris

Changes To Student Transportation For Next Year

2011-06-09T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you have ever wondered why some of our buses have so few students on them, the answer is that the State Education Department has required us to "provide a seat" for each child whether they ride the school bus or not. With the current condition of the economy in New York State, the State Education released a memo which can be found here: http://www.nyssba.org/index.php?src=news&submenu=on_board&srctype=detail&category=Advocacy%20Alert&refno=1758 that clarifies their new stance on pupil transportation. In summary, it indicates that schools should be doing everything in their power to maximize the number of students on school buses as well as efficiency of school bus routes.

With this information we are changing our transportation practices and procedures for next year. You will be receiving a letter home over the next few days that outlines these changes, but in a nutshell here they are:

1. Parents will need to return the letter being sent home if they would like transportation to be provided for their children.

2. Bus stops (especially in housing developments and other areas of lighter traffic flow) will be spread out over slightly longer distances.

3. Private and parochial students will ride to school with West Genesee students and will then shuttle to the various private and parochial schools in the area.

4. Students who have requested a bus for them but then do not ride for ten consecutive days without a medical or other approved reason will be dropped from the route.

It will take most of the summer to organize bus routes using this new methodology but the result will be more students on school buses and more efficient bus routing. Your only homework as a parent is to make sure that you RETURN the transportation request letter AS SOON AS POSSIBLE but no later than June 27th.

If you have questions please contact Jerry Williams, our Director of Transportation at 315-487-4576 jwilliams@westgenesee.org or Paul Pelton, our Assistant Superintendent for Management Services at 315-487-4563 ppelton@westgenesee.org.

Thank you and have a great weekend!

Chris

A "Rock/Hill"ing Good Time

2011-06-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was quite busy. First Rachel, Ben, Sam, and I participated in the first and hopefully annual Rock/Hill Triathlon. This was a mini-triathlon created by the physical education teachers at both Split Rock and East Hill for fifth-grade students to promote wellness. The first leg was to do eight "laps" in the pool then bike three miles and then finish with a half mile run. Needless to say, I probably finished last in every category but it was great to see so many students and staff participating. The hope was (and now is) to expand this to other buildings and grade levels and also to involve parents in the activities as well. I very much appreciate all of the time that the adults put into this event, and I am already looking forward to next year.

We then went downtown and enjoyed the Taste of Syracuse. We really enjoy the many downtown events that are held each year and I truly believe that a vibrant downtown is one of the keys to a vibrant city and surrounding areas. There were big crowds and parking was a challenge, but it was nice to see thousands of people out and about considering it feels like we have just been through eight months of winter. I also enjoy good food and music and there were plenty of both to go around!

This week will be very busy as well. We have the high school senior awards night, the last concert for my middle-schooler who will be in the high school next year, and the state semi-finals for girls lacrosse to name a very few of the things that I will be in attendance at during the week. We are also finishing up classes at the high school, reconfiguring Stonehedge Elementary, and continuing to work on our budget plans for next year.

I hope to be able to write again during the week so that I can better keep track and keep you updated on all that is happening this week.

Take care and I will write again soon-

Chris

Things That I NOW Understand

2011-05-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

In 2008 I attended my first Kaleidoscope. I had no idea what it was about or really what it entailed. As an incoming superintendent I was more concerned with the management and operations side of the evening. Is there enough parking, will grandparents be able to find seats, who are these people shaking my hand? Remember that I came from a much smaller school district (how small was it?) so small in fact that I used to pull the bleachers out for basketball games and set the final alarm for the night. I had to take care of all of everything at every function. So I really did not get a chance to enjoy the actual student talent the first time I attended Kaleidoscope.

The next year I realized that my role in a larger school is much different, and I got to really watch the student talent and then understood why the evening was called Kaleidoscope. Last year was a treat because I would actually talk to people, know my role, and enjoy the show.

This year I got a little adventurous and explored back stage, the balconies, and the basement before the show. There is a lot going on to make this show happen. There are groups rehearsing in about every usuable space, students in each one of the buildings, staff coordinating what goes on when and where, and how they will get from spot to spot. Now that I think I have a full understanding about ALL that goes into Kaleidoscope, I owe Mr. Davern and his staff an ALL CAPS THANK YOU for making such a production come to life. While ever pleased with the talent and our students, I just am in awe of how it all gets put together...while I comfortably sit in the audience.

Last week we had Channel 9 come to school to do a feature called the "School Buzz". Chris Brandolino featured a BOCES/West Genesee student who helped me cook breakfast, the Girls Lacrosse Team, our Academic Decathlon Team, and our Marching Band/Alumni Band as they prepared for the Memorial Day Parade. The links to each feature can be found here:

- School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino Cooking with Dr. Brown 5-27-11

- School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino with the Academic Decathlon 5-27-11

- School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino with the band 5-27-11

- School Buzz at West Genesee: Chris Brandolino Learns Lacrosse 5-27-11

Last week we also had what has now become known as "The Silly String Incident" at our high school which also made the news. The long and the short of it is that about 18 students decided to spray silly string everywhere and on everyone during a class change. That probably would have been it if they had stopped when they were told to, but they did not. This lack of respect and act of insubordination, not to mention the disruption to the building and safety issues that it caused, resulted in suspensions.

I have been criticized by some for even talking to the media about this incident and not just either denying that it happened or giving a "no comment". People need to understand a few things. Since the invention of text messaging the concept of the "no comment" is gone. When something happens within our organization it is seconds before I hear about it from the media. Giving a no comment when it isn't a matter of personnel or confidential in nature number one isn't true and number two would not be in our best interests.

We have developed an excellent relationship with the press as seen through the hundreds of positive articles and news spots that we have received. We are a large organization and it would be pretty irresponsible of me or the media to think that we would NEVER have a negative incident occur. Lastly we are very successful and very large. This combination makes us a media magnet no matter what. I am just happy that we have such a great relationship with all of our media outlets because when something happens good or bad I am contacted to I can provide the facts. Believe me, I would much rather stay away from the cameras and headlines, but it is important to control the message or the message will control us. The next time a situation arises and I give the facts keep track of how long the story is in the media cycle. Do the same for any other organization that hides information, provides the "no comment" quote, or is generally not helpful and see how long their story remains in the media cycle. Enough said.

Lastly, the Memorial Parade was outstanding. Every five years our Marching Band Alumni gathers and marches in the parade. This was my first year being able to see this take place and it was outstanding! Just under 500 alumni marched and they were loud, on time, and in tune. It made me very proud to be the leader of such a great organization. The student marchers were also equally impressive and they quickly made their way back to show center to watch their role models finish the parade.

Enjoy your week. I am going to be bouncing between sporting events, Board meetings, and assemblies so I should be plenty busy!

See you around-

Chris

Some Very Special Olympics

2011-05-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

You might think this is trivial, but I was so happy to see one of our students reach 25" in the standing broad jump at the Special Olympics last week. 25". You might give a polite "that's great" or give me a goofy look and wonder why I am so excited about that. Well as it turns out, I watched this same youngster three years ago at the same Special Olympics and he could not walk at all. He had to be pushed in a wheelchair for the wheelchair race because he could not use his legs. His doctors, parents, therapists, teachers, and fellow students have all helped him over the past three years to accomplish this awesome feat and if you ask him, he will tell you that he plans to do the foot race next year. Incredible.

These past few weeks have been "step back and recognize" weeks. We passed the budget and then proceeded to lay 52 people off. The staff who are left are now finding out where they might have to be moved to in order to help fill in gaps from colleagues who will not have jobs next year. Staff are also scoring tests, preparing for finals, and watching their livelihoods be attacked by state and business officials eager to make education run exactly as a Fortune 500 company. To say that they and I are stressed is an understatement, so taking an hour to watch a few dozen of our gifted youngsters at the Special Olympics was a real treat.

Later this week we will be holding our 36th Annual Kaliedoscope Concert at the Civic Center. With the status of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra unknown, this evening will be a treat for those looking for the best of the arts. I will be sitting proudly in my seat and enjoying a beautiful evening of music. You can get tickets (I am sure it will sell out) from the fine arts office at 315-487-4612 or at the main office in the high school.

This weekend is Memorial weekend. While we will not have Friday off as we traditionally have (we used too many snow days), this doesn't mean that we shouldn't recognize all of those service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we enjoy. The Camillus Memorial Day Parade will feature nearly 490 Marching Band alum marching with our students, Veterans and others. This should be a wonderful celebration of our freedom and I hope to see you there.

Have a great week and I hope to see you at one of our many events. I will also try to post again later in the week.

Chris

Please Sign-Up to Receive Electronic Newsletters and Other Direct Communications.......

School News Notifier (SNN) is an opt-in alert system where parents can sign up to receive text alerts about school closings, delays, and other time-sensitive emergencies; and e-mail notices about school programs and district news. Parents can choose to receive any or all of the alerts, and they can unsubscribe at any time. To view the e-Newsletter dated May 18, 2011 click here.

Multi-Tasking!

2011-05-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

We are knee deep in assessments, AP Exams, Regents review, and the budget. If we could harness all of the stress that everyone is under and convert it to usable energy we could probably power the Town of Camillus for a month. Hang in there!

A dozen students and I had the unique opportunity to be invited to Governor Cuomo’s “People First” speaking tour held at Onondaga Community College earlier in the week. His topics included a tax cap, ethics reform, and same sex marriage. As a superintendent I learned that the Governor is not going to stop until he has placed a cap on taxes at 2%, period. School residents would be able to vote over the 2% cap with a 60% majority vote. This means that as soon as the budget vote is over on May 17, that we will immediately begin planning for 2012-2013 and beyond, with the 2% tax cap figure as a boundary. That will be fun. Not.

The students learned that the Governor is an excellent speaker and that he can fire up a crowd over all topics, both popular and unpopular. Almost all of our students were able to shake his hand and have a few words with him after the speech and one of our students took the opportunity to ask the Governor what his stance was on hydro-fracking. How awesome is that! To his credit the Governor responded that hydro-fracking is a controversial topic that he was not prepared to take a stand on either way at this time until he receives more information. Fair enough I thought, and he treated our student with dignity and respect. A learning experience for all.

Our Student Dignity Team met earlier in the week and after much discussion and presentations we have decided to use the Olweus Bullying Program as our research-based anti-bullying program. This program will now be formulated to be District wide and will incorporate responses from our bullying survey as well as other proven programs that have been successful in our different buildings. This program will also allow us to comply with the Dignity for All Students Act that needs to be enacted by September of 2012. Our next steps will be to lay out the planning for implementation and to also take a look at policies that may adjust our “Codes of Conduct”. While there is still much work to be done, selecting a program is a major first step.

For a variety of reasons our Parent Teacher Associations and Organizations are hurting for volunteers. A down economy usually is the major cause as more parents have to devote additional time to work, second jobs, and child care. If you are able and willing to help, please contact Liz Mossotti at 315-487-2467 or by e-mail at wgcouncil@westgenesee.org.

With recycling still a big topic you might wonder why it sometimes appears like we do not recycle. I asked the exact same question when I saw plastic recyclables being dumped into the same trash can as the regular garbage even though we had separated the plastics into the “blue bins” that have become synonymous with recycling. After a little rummaging around (pun intended) we learned that our garbage removal service takes all of the trash and recyclables to their facility where it is re-separated and sent to the dump or to be recycled. While I have not been given a good enough explanation for me as far as why our separating the trash in house isn’t good enough, please understand that our refuse is separated and recycled at “the plant”.

We continue to struggle with residency cases. In a down economy people who have lost jobs or people who just don’t like the school district that they are living in try different ways to have their children attend our schools. Our Board policy clearly states that in order to attend our schools a child MUST reside in the District. We do have some cases where children are homeless and living with relatives in the District and some students who have an aunt, uncle, or grandparent in the District who have full custody but any other situation is a violation of our Board policy. If you suspect situations of children attending our schools who do not live in the District, please let me know so we can investigate and take action if we are able. Thank you.

There was a major change to the transportation regulations recently that calls for schools to fill school buses in so much as possible by NOT providing a bus stop for students who chronically do not ride the bus. We will follow-up with a letter, but essentially what this means is that if your child drives or is driven to school on a regular basis we will not “hold a seat” on the bus for them without advanced notice to our transportation department. This will allow us to better route our buses to fill them and to run even more efficiently. We will also be altering how we transport parochial and private school students in response to this change as well, and we will be providing information to parents of parochial and private school students before the end of the school year.

Last evening was the High School Honor’s Dinner. What a wonderful night. Social Studies teacher Sam Dance gave an inspiring and thoughtful address and parents had a chance to relax and congratulate their children for their academic successes.

Tomorrow evening is the Senior Ball. My wife and I figure we have chaperoned seventeen of these so far and we have had a wonderful time at each of them. I am always proud of the behavior of our students on this night, and I am also very thankful for all of the parents who volunteer to help out at the after party held at the high school. I remember walking into the after party last year and the temperature outside was close to 80 degrees. We will have another beautiful night for our students this year. If you have a son or daughter attending please remind them (without nagging of course) to make good decisions, to have fun, and to celebrate being young.

Sorry for the long post. Have a great weekend and talk to all of you soon.

Chris

Your Mom is NOT Your Dads Mom

2011-05-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday to all. This weekend is Mother's Day and a time to celebrate that someone special who helped to make it all happen for you. I am definitely fortunate to have my mom a few streets away and since she reads this, "Happy Mother's Day!". For any students reading this, remember that your mom is not your dad's mom so it is up to you and not your dad to take care of business this weekend. No excuses now!

A couple of months ago I directed our staff to lower our flags to half-staff at the direction of the Governor due to the death of yet another soldier from New York State. Governor Patterson started this observance when he took over office and I had wondered just how many times we have flown the flags at half staff due to fallen soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. I got the paperwork back from the state yesterday and the answer is that from the time Governor Paterson took office on March 17, 2008 to present (Governor Cuomo has continued this practice) the flags have flown at half staff 108 times. 108 too many. Unfortunately this number will increase and we are going to keep track and provide updates. I think it is always important to recognize why a flag is at half staff and exactly what that represents. Only the President and Governor can direct a school to fly a flag at half-staff.

We had two budget hearings this week and as you might imagine the meetings were filled with emotions, questions, comments, and concerns. We had people in attendance who wanted more things cut, fewer things cut, and everything in-between. No one in the audience can ever remember times worse than these. So you can imagine what fear of the unknown, home financial pressure, and desire to provide children with all of the opportunities they have had sounds like. I have lost three pounds since Monday, so what I have decided to do is create the "Budget Development and Presentation Diet Plan". All proceeds from the sale of this plan will be used to close the gap in the budget. Without giving away all of the secrets in the plan some of the major components include less sleep, upset stomach, lack of time to eat, and that constant sense that someone may push you down the stairs. We are going to start a revolutionary business!

All kidding aside, one thing that I have heard at meetings that needs to be clarified is the feeling that if the budget is voted down that the Board will increase the budget and add pieces back in and bring it back to the voters again. Education Law prohibits this. If the budget does not pass on May 17 the Board can adopt the failed budget (and have to charge ALL groups to use the facilities), place the same budget up for a second vote, or lower the budget and put it up for vote again. If you hear people discussing voting the budget down to have the Board increase the budget please clarify the options that the Board has. Thank you.

We received word yesterday that there are going to be some significant changes to transportation law. We will no longer be required to "save a seat" for each child along a bus route even if they never ride the bus. Because of this change we will be working to adjust our routes accordingly to make our buses filled to capacity as much as possible, and we will communicate these changes to parents as soon as we are able.

Have a great weekend and you can expect to hear from me again in a post next week.

Chris

Mid-Week Update

2011-05-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

Lots of interesting things going on around the District lately. First of all this weather is really causing issues for buildings and grounds, transportation, athletics, and all of those elementary students who can't get out and run for 20 minutes for recess (probably an issue for their teachers as well!).

The roof over Stonehedge Gold sustained over 300 cuts from the hail and the roof over Cafeteria I at the high school received over 1,000 (see picture at right of what a roof cut looks like). Both roofs have been patched, but we may need to consider an emergency project to replace the roof at the high school this summer not because it has structural issues but because it has been patched more than 1,000 times on an area smaller than a football field.

In addition, roads have been closed and routes have been temporarily altered in some cases which has kept the transportation department busy, not to mention our drivers dealing with the other cars full of drivers confident that their SUV's can actually do 100 mph in driving rain and flood conditions!

Softball and baseball have had a heck of a time getting games and practices in as well. The only bright side for me is that I haven't missed any Tuesday night adult softball games yet because they have all been rained out.

I had a chance to meet with the engineers from the county yesterday to discuss the West Genesee Street Paving Project. To view a copy of their plan, please click here to go to the Superintendent's Message and Informational Documents web page and click on the document, "Paving Project" so you can see exactly what they are proposing. This project has a long way to go before it is finalized. The Town is scheduling a Public Hearing on the matter later this month if you want to get additional information.

Speaking of Public Hearings, we have held two Budget Hearings so far and have our final meeting this evening at 7:00 p.m. in the high school large group instruction room (this is a change in location). It is important to note that these meetings are to present and answer questions about the budget. The Board of Education cannot legally change the budget up or down at this point. The actual budget was adopted on April 13 and our School Property Tax Report Card was submitted on April 23. The adopted budget, as is, will be taken to the voters to consider on May 17.

The Hearing last night was a mixed bag of emotions, questions, and concerns. Some people in the audience wanted more things cut from the budget and lower taxes, while others wanted the third-grade strings program reinstated. Both meetings have gone well over two hours which is fine with me as long as everyone is respectful (being emotional and being disrespectful are two completely different things) and everyone gets their questions answered. So far so good, and our Board of Education has been very attentive and in tune with what all of the concerns have been. There have been no easy decisions. As I mentioned before, we are preparing to launch a web site dedicated to areas of the budget that will be reduced so people can see how services in the affected areas will be performed in the future.

I would like to congratulate our Fine Arts staff for helping the District to achieve the distinction of being "One of the Best Communities for Music" for the sixth time. This means a lot, especially since we have faced financial challenges in this area yet have still been selected to receive this award. Congratulations to all for your work and dedication to our students.

Lastly, I would like to congratulate Scott Duda for an amazing Academic Decathlon season. His group competed very well in North Carolina against National competition and Mr. Duda is already planning for next year!

Thanks, stay dry, and have a great rest of the week.

Chris

Prom Season is Here

2011-05-02T04:30:00.000-07:00

Prom season is upon us and our own junior prom was held on Friday night. It was a beautiful affair. My wife and I have chaperoned seventeen proms since we have been together and this one was special because it was the first prom for our oldest son. Out of respect for him and his date our trip to the prom was much shorter than in previous years but the tuxes, dresses, and food were outstanding.

It was interesting to see how students react to different types of music. One year they played Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Beach Boys, and Elton John (no it wasn't 1974) and the kids gravitated to the the dance floor. This year when Tom Petty came on everyone took a break to get some food, and when the Black Eyed Peas came on you couldn't fit another person on the dance floor.

I would like to the thank all of the organizers, volunteer chaperones, and administrators for a great evening. The senior ball is right around the corner on May 13.

My wife and I had the opportunity to attend the SALT Awards last evening. SALT stands for Syracuse Area Live Theater Awards and they were held at the Palace Theater across town. It was my pleasure to hand out an award and I was most intrigued by the dress code. Some of the guys were in tuxes and some were in jeans or shorts, while some of the ladies had flowing gowns and some had capri shorts. All in all, everyone seemed to have a good time and the event just shows how much artistic talent there is in Syracuse.

This week is packed with games and concerts as well as two budget presentations, one on Tuesday night in the high school large group instruction room and one on Wednesday night before our regular Board meeting in the high school library. If you have any lingering questions about the budget you can get all of your answers at these meetings, or you can just call me to talk about it.

Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you at one of our several events.

Chris

Welcome Back

2011-04-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

If you were fortunate enough to get out of town for a few days over the Spring break, congratulations! For those who stayed here it was more of the same: cold, rain, some snow, and mostly cloudy skies. For all of these April showers there better be some State Fair prize winning May flowers ahead!

I am often asked why our sports teams have games or tournaments over the break periods. Good question. I am absolutely not in favor of practices or games over our break periods, but I am just one voice out of a few dozen in the county athletic organization. I have been a coach so I know exactly what it is like to have to practice and have tournaments over Thanksgiving, Winter, mid-Winter, and Spring break. My feeling is that the students, parents, and even coaches need some family time. I also understand that we do have scholarship level athletes in our organization so if we HAVE to play then all hands need to be on deck because winning is an important part of exposure especially at the varsity level.

I will continue to advocate for a true break in each of my future years as superintendent. The Syracuse University football program recognizes Spring break and they are full of scholarship level athletes in a multi-million dollar program, for example. Maybe this will be an area where the budget woes will actually help us.

Do not blink between now and the end of the year or you will miss something. There are fewer than thirty class days left before final exams. We have all kinds of recognition ceremonies, parades, concerts, Board meetings, budget presentations, and sports in the days and weeks ahead. The weather will also finally be breaking so the temptation for all of us to just stay home and sit on the deck will be there as well.

I will be presenting the school budget during the next few weeks at various locations. I am closely watching budget action (or lack thereof) at the state level and will be sure to incorporate any last minute state budget changes into our own budgeting for next school year.

Have a great week and I will be sure to reach out again soon-

Chris

And Now the Feds...

2011-04-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

The week before Spring break is always interesting. Students and staff are itchy to get a week off before the final push toward the end of the school year. The weather should be nice, and I think that we can all use a little breather. Most of us will be working to finish the budget, prepare items for the vote in May, and begin planning for exams and graduation.

We will also be picking up the pieces surrounding all of the reductions that we have to make for next year in response to the Governor's budget. We are in the process now of waiting to see how much is cut from the Federal budget for education and also waiting to move past the budget vote on May 17 to assemble groups of people to try and figure out new and different ways to provide the services that we have had to reduce. We will find answers to most of the challenges that lie ahead, but the key is to think differently.

Have a great week, and I hope to be able to post again before Spring break.

Chris

Safety Update

2011-04-05T11:39:00.000-07:00

We seldom receive warnings or notices regarding school safety and when we do we take immediate action. Late last evening I received an e-mail (pasted below) that outlines a general threat to certain branches of elected officials and school buses in the state of New York. We have been advised to take necessary precautions during our "pre and post" bus trip time and for our drivers to be extra observant of any odd behavior while out on the road.

Our Transportation Department and our bus drivers take extreme care each and every day. Our buses have been checked for safety, and our drivers are constantly observant of their surroundings. I did want to pass this message along however because you may see this letter of description of a threat on the news, and I wanted you as parents and community members to know that we have things covered.

If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thanks
Chris

Letter Received from New York State Education Department

Colleagues,

On Friday, April 1, a threatening email was sent from an unknown email
account to members of the media and various state officials. The email
references threats of violence in state office buildings, against the
state legislature and a specific reference to school buses.

The New York State Police, the State Office of Counter Terrorism,
Federal Bureau of Investigation and other officials are devoting their
resources to this matter and are working with other law enforcement
agencies.

We encourage all those involved in school transportation to remain
aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity as
indicated below. As a reminder, all drivers and technicians should
conduct pre trip and post trip inspections with the diligence they do
each day but with an added sense of caution and urgency.

We encourage all drivers and attendants to be watchful for unknown
individuals or any suspicious or unusual behavior along their routes or
at bus stops as well as individuals approaching the school bus. Drivers
should be particularly strict about unknown or unauthorized individuals
attempting to board the school bus. School Transportation supervisors
should be prepared to receive concerns from school bus drivers,
attendants and technicians and assume all observations to be valid until
proven otherwise.

School bus dispatchers should also be prepared and ready to receive
such concerns from school bus drivers and to transmit those concerns or
observations as appropriate to the school district.

If you or your transportation team witness or observe any behavior or
individuals of concern or suspicion, you should report same by calling
the state’s toll free hotline at 1-866-SAFENYS or 1-866-723 3697.

Ken Slentz, Associate Commissioner, Office of District Services
New York State Education Department

Charles A. Szuberla, Jr., Assistant Commissioner, Office of School
Operations
New York State Education Department

Slight of Hand?

2011-04-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

When the new State Aid figures were released last week they were not even close to what had been released by the Governor's office in November. At first sight it looked like West Genesee was going to receive an additional $2M in State Aid. The news even reported that our State Aid cut was reduced by more than 50% from the original listing.

A much closer look revealed that the Governor's State Aid run in November did not include a Federal piece called the "Jobs Money" but the new run from last week did. The "Jobs Money" for West Genesee is close to $1.6M. Take that out of the equation and tighten up Transportation, Building, and BOCES Aid and you end up with a State Aid increase of about $580K.

I was asked over and over again if I felt that the changes in how the aid was listed was a "slight of hand" by the Governor's office. I really don't know. All I can tell you is that his first run did not include a line item that this final run did.

It is very difficult to explain how a school district receives state aid. Generally speaking, the amount of State Aid that a school receives is dependent on the "wealth" of the district. This wealth is determined by studying the income tax receipts, property values, and the percent of students who receive free/reduced lunch. This is why you might see a neighboring school getting a higher State Aid increase or decrease than West Genesee.

Either way, the amount of State Aid that we received is not going to be enough to bring back any programs that we have scheduled to reduce or eliminate for next year. Even if we did look at bringing back anything we would just be cutting it again next year because the Governor is still focusing on a tax cap and he has already indicated that the State Aid increase for next year will be minimal. We will be using the additional aid to lower our tax levy from 4.8% to 3.8%, fulfilling some contractual obligations, and placing the remainder into our reserves to prepare for another difficult budget in 2012-2013.

I am looking forward to meeting with people to figure out how to move forward with fewer resources because I feel strongly that West Genesee can create new and better ways to do some of the things that have been done "the same way" for decades in all schools in New York State. We will be evaluating our efforts throughout the upcoming year to make sure that what services we do provide are of the highest quality.

I do appreciate your support through our wage freeze efforts, your understanding that programs and people in each area of our schools are going to have to be reduced, and that we cannot make it out of this fiscal crisis by doing what we have always been doing.

On another note Mrs. Brown and I had the opportunity to attend the Culture Fair on Saturday. As always, what a great event! We sampled food from many different cultures, got to talk with people from around the world, and got to see several different shows performed by people representing several different cultures. I would like to thank Theresa Williams and her helpers for coordinating such a fine event. I am looking forward to next year already! To view a photo gallery of pictures from the event, click here.

It looks like I will be able to get back on schedule this coming week and get into buildings each day to see the students and staff doing their best. This time of the year and especially the budget building process makes this difficult. but I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel; and it is not an oncoming train!

Have a great week-

Chris

Everybody Matters

2011-03-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Governor Cuomo's budget address held at Syracuse University. At this invite-only event was a small gathering of people. Those in attendance were two superintendents (including me), CEOs and top level administrators from area Universities and hospitals, students from both Syracuse University and the Syracuse City School District, elected officials both past and present, and a sprinkling of "citizens".

Until this presentation, the best public speaker that I have seen has been President Obama. I wouldn't say that Governor Cuomo is a better speaker than the President, but I would say that he is pretty close. He spoke for about forty minutes and laid out a budget plan that calls for job loss, consolidation, and pain and he did so with candor, humor, and just the right amount of fist pounding passion needed to get his point across.

I sunk in my chair a couple of times during his presentation. The first was when he spoke about education and his estimation that there has not been any return on investment in education and that our children are not getting any smarter even though the state keeps giving money. He indicated that schools are not going to get additional money until they prove themselves. He received a loud ovation. He then indicated that superintendents make too much money. Again a rousing ovation. When he finished with his entire speech, outlining changes to all areas, he received a long standing ovation. I walked away from the event with the clarity that people are appreciative of his budget tightening efforts and are ready for change and reform. As a leader I will carry the charge and make things happen, but it will be interesting if the Governor gets the same appreciation when parents see all that will be lost for next year and beyond.

One thing that separates me from others is probably that I do not dwell in negativity. I do not have time for that. I prefer to take the information that I have and make the changes necessary to fit within the parameters that I have been given. I do advocate, make phone calls, and lobby just like every other leader, but I also prefer to make change instead of reacting to change. If you have followed our budget building process you will see this philosophy reflected.

Something that struck me as odd over the past few weeks is being asked why I asked food service workers, custodians, cleaners, and bus drivers to take a wage freeze along with the rest of our employees. I hear that "they don't save enough to make it worthwhile". Everyone matters. When a bus driver gets a cold or I get a cold are they different? Do we shop at the same stores, talk to the same people, attend the same events, and live in the same community? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Why then, would I not want to include them in our District effort to save jobs and opportunities? We are the West Genesee family, and we do things together. This is more important than money saved any day.

This weekend is the third-annual Culture Fair. We are excited at all of the different cultures that will be featured, and I am really looking forward to the opportunity to interact with many different community members.

Have a great week and I will see you soon.

Chris

Something Cooler than Video Games

2011-03-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

I know that we think of teenagers sometimes as mutants who wear the same shirt everyday (even though there is a closet full of others), make goofy noises, and define a perfect evening as one spent in the basement playing video games all night with their friends.

Our house is the usual weekend hangout for several of my boys' friends and this past weekend was no different. On Saturday night there they all were, relaxing in front of the X-Box, making goofy noises and eating everything that the pantry had to offer, when I yelled down the stairs to see if they wanted to see the full moon.

Up they came one after the other, wide eyed and excited to see the largest full moon in twenty years. Not only did they come to the window, they put on shoes and sweatshirts and went outside to get the best view possible. Some took pictures with their cell phone cameras and some just said, "Cool!". Moments later they all descended back into the basement, but I paused and was pleased to know that there are still little kids in those lanky, goofy noise making, pantry eating teenage bodies. It was a good thing.

The previous evening Mrs. Brown and I attended and participated in a game of wheel chair basketball with high school students and staff. While I would have been happier if more people had attended, the message that we received was loud and clear. The organizers, Move Along, Inc., made sure that we recognized the challenges that students with disabilities face but also made us feel very comfortable and welcomed. I would love to support this type of event on an annual basis, and I almost wonder if it would fit into our District Culture Fair.

Speaking of the Culture Fair, our third annual celebration of our differences is coming up on April 2. The t-shirts are great and can be obtained through the high school office. If you wear one you will be the coolest person within twenty feet of you. Imagine that. We have added a few new booths this year to the Culture Fair including Stop the Hate, Spread the Hope which is a grass-roots anti-bullying effort created by our students. The group will fit into our District-wide program shortly.

Monday night is our National Honor Society induction ceremony, Tuesday is an evening with parents who have children with disabilities, and Wednesday is a prime time special on Channel 9 about the budget (in case you haven't heard enough about that) that I was asked to participate in. Exciting stuff and plenty of work to keep us all busy.

Enjoy your week!

Chris

What do our Academic Decathlon team members and Michael Jordan have in common?

2011-03-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

Answer-they both competed in North Carolina. That's right, our Academic Decathlon Team will be taking their talents to North Carolina after winning the New York State Championship over the weekend. As a reminder, this competition is for excellence in academics, responding to pressure, and having a personality. Our students have been competing for the state title for the past three years, and their hard work and response to Mr. Duda's demands have paid off. I am very excited to see how we do at the national level and will certainly keep you posted.

Pictured in front from, left to right, are Alec Kearns, Kevan Spencer, and Jerry Roy.
In the back, from left to right, are Matthew Serrao, Caitlin Nolan, Kaitlyn Richards,
Thomas Brogan, Dennis (DJ) Campbell, Jennifer Smacher, and Coach Scott Duda.
(Not pictured is team participant Abigail Hard.)

There were some great concerts last week, as well as a production of Hello Dolly at Camillus Middle School. Spring sports are now in full swing (no pun intended. baseball players), and the most updated game schedules can be found at westgenesee.org.

I would also like to remind you that we have shared all of our budget information to date on our web site as well. I am not a big fan of surprises and neither should you in this case so please feel free to view all of our documents on our web site, and you can contact me with any questions you might have. I am hopeful to be able to announce updated information concerning our wage freeze around the middle of the week and besides that update, there is nothing new to report.

Our bullying task force will be returning to work shortly to discuss and select from several different student anti-bullying programs that are available. We have also made the results of our recent bullying survey available to all of our staff and students, and as soon as I figure out how to make it available to you I will let you know.

This week will be busy once again and full of meetings, building visits, budget presentations, and C.O.D.E. graduations. I am hopeful to see many of you in my travels. Have a great week and congratulations once again to our Academic Decathlon Team members and Mr. Duda.

Chris

When A Weekend Isn't Relaxing

2011-03-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

On Friday my family and I had to travel down to Kentucky to attend a funeral for someone very close to us. The drive alone is tiring (about nine hours) plus all of the emotion that comes with having to say goodbye to someone you really care for.

Saturday was a pretty good day in Syracuse though. SU got a big win; Ben Seketa broke a school record in swimming; Bill Gabriel, John DeLallo, and Laura Leff ran well in track; and Jake Pelton saved 51 shots on goal in a four overtime effort against Williamsville North that ended with the Wildcats coming up just short. I had also heard that the Science Fair went very well at Split Rock School, and the Mr. West Genesee pageant was a great success as well. I went to bed happy for all of the kids and their efforts and looked forward to getting back home.

On Sunday morning we were up bright and early and hit the road at 5:50 a.m. Our drive started out uneventful enough but then things got weird. Near Columbus we were not able to get to the on ramp that would get us to Cleveland. There were Police at each of the on ramps that we tried to use. We were then able to see nearly two dozen cars well off the road. Some were flipped, some twisted, and some looked like they had rolled. Black ice for sure. We found a bypass to get us in our correct route and about three hours into our nine hour ride my phone rings. It is our security service calling to let me know that the "waterbug" in our sump pump hole was chirping which means that something was clearly wrong.

A quick call to my parents and brother-in-law lead to what I was afraid of. Our sump pump pipe had sprung a leak and water was spraying all over the basement. They were able to fix it but let me know that I would be coming home to "a mess". Awesome.

Just then the weather started to turn to icy rain, then snow, then icy rain, and then rain. Cars off the road everywhere. Somehow we got ourselves home, tired, needing to grocery shop, and needing to clean the basement.

The moral of the story is that never getting too high or too low about anything are the keys to staying composed. Things can always be better, or worse, and sometimes you just have to work through things to get to the other side. I use this lesson each day as I try to get the budget completed, make many changes that won't be fun for anyone, and still allow us to be on top academically.

Since my last post our office staff, food service manager, and substitute teachers all agreed to our wage freeze proposal. All I can say is THANK YOU. We are only a few groups away from reaching our goal. Who else can say that?

Lastly, on Tuesday I am going to be meeting with the high school students to discuss the results of our bullying survey, facebook, and our budget. Students are more aware than we give them credit for, and I really enjoy the opportunity to meet and discuss things with them face-to-face.

Have a great week.

Chris

Composure

2011-02-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

This is the point in the flight where we begin to think about the descent and landing. We have certainly been flying in some turbulent skies as of late, but we are still on schedule to reach our destination.

I am trying to juggle a lot of things right now. Financially, we are in the middle of a very significant budget building season. While we have received national attention for our efforts to freeze wages next year, we still need the acceptance of a few more groups to make it happen. Even with the wage freeze, we are going to be without at least 52 people next year. Important people. The planning has to begin to figure out how we move forward without them and without some of the programs that they were providing.

While all of this is going on there is constant pressure from people to cut more, cut less, provide the same services but not increase taxes, increase taxes to keep programs, cut everything altogether, close buildings, and look to merge with other schools.

There is only one word that can describe these times and surprisingly it isn't "stress", it is "composure".

The plan has been, and will continue to be: to secure a wage freeze; cut 52 people who represent areas, programs and services; use $2.3M of our $4.425M in reserves; and levy a 4.8% tax levy ($70 on a home valued at $100,000) to balance the budget (8.6% is the levy allowed under a contingent, or failed, budget).

The second part of the plan is to adjust to the loss of staff, plan to find a way to give staff appropriate compensation in the 2012-2013 school year, and already figure out how to close a $1.3M gap that I believe already exists for the 2012-2013 school year.

Keeping composed during these times is key. We have many things to discuss and act upon if we are to remain viable as a school district over the next several years. We need composure to listen to ideas that we have never considered before because things have never been this bad. We also need composure to handle the media when asked to make negative comments about the Governor. I have nothing negative to say about the Governor. I agree that closing the New York State budget gap needs to happen. What I do not agree with is his assertion that we can do that in education without impacting people and students. We cannot. Just admit it and move on.

There are other things going on besides the budget:

The swim team has become Section III champions.
The hockey team accomplished this feat as well during our mid-winter break.
In the middle schools there have been some awesome Camillus Optimist Club speeches.
In the elementary schools we just celebrated the first 100 days of school.
DVD's of Beauty and the Beast should be available any day now for $10 each.
West Genesee is going to be the host of Joanne Mahoney's State of the County address on Tuesday evening, March 1 in the high school auditorium,

I will be posting an additional budget update later this week as a few more pieces hopefully fall into place.

Enjoy the week and see you around.

Chris

Budget Update

2011-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

As you might have heard, I presented our initial budget plan for the 2011-2012 school year at our Board of Education meeting last evening. This was by far the most difficult budget for me to discuss as it takes opportunities away from students and reduces staff in response to the Governor's proposal (the Governor has cut state aid to West Genesee by $5.63M for next year).

Last week we met with 62 employees, from various areas, who will not be returning to the District next year in order to close this gap and balance our budget. We also evaluated our reserves and of the $4.425M that we have available to offset taxes, we are using $2.3M to balance the budget. On top of that we are actively discussing a wage freeze for all of our employees for one year. The reductions, the use of reserves, and the wage freeze result in a tax levy of 4.8%. A 4.8% tax levy represents a budget that is $1,611,925 less than this years budget and is also $1,114,866 below a "contingent budget" which is a budget that has not been passed by the voters. A 4.8% tax levy represents an additional $70 on a school tax bill for a home valued at $100,000.

If we are not able to secure a wage freeze, or other factors that we are not currently aware of arise, the Board of Education will have to choose from a list of additional cuts that I provided them last night as well. While I do not endorse or recommend any of those cuts, we may need to consider some of them to balance our budget.

I have posted a copy of the presentation on the District web site Budget Information page at http://www.westgenesee.org/teacherpage.cfm?teacher=1666. If you are interested in our budget and what the impact of the Governor's proposal has had and will have on West Genesee, please take a few moments to read it. The presentation represents everything that I know about the budget environment, the cuts, the tax levy, and further considerations. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Chris

Beauty and the Beast!

2011-02-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

Back in 2003 I had the opportunity to see a high school production of Peter Pan at Arkport Central School. They had the flying apparatus, the licensed set, and the official Peter Pan costumes. It was the best high school performance I had EVER seen in seventeen years...until Beauty and the Beast this past weekend.

Unbelievable. From my seat in the balcony I watched the scenes unfold. Bright coordinated colors, perfectly choreographed sets, and wonderfully precise costumes. The pit? Professional. Then came the students? More like professional actors and actresses themselves. I closed my eyes several times during the performance and realized that I could have been in a balcony on Broadway or Toronto and heard the same level of performance. I would challenge anyone to find a better sequence of "Be our Guest" anywhere in the country. Good luck.

After the show was much of the same. Hundreds of little ones packed the hallways looking for a glimpse of their favorite characters. As Gaston, the Beast, Belle, Lumiere, and the others made their way into the back stage area to meet and take pictures they stayed in perfect character. I actually saw some of the younger children tear up after getting a chance to meet their favorite star. Stars they were, and are. Thank you for a great performance and for making some of our younger students feel so special! I am very proud of all of you.

Beauty and the Beast erased the downtrodden feeling I had gotten at the Legislative Breakfast earlier in the day. This budget thing is going nowhere but downhill I am afraid, and the news we received from our elected officials was not pleasant. As the next weeks unfold you will begin to see the impact of the budget on our programs. I am hopeful that the first round of cuts that we made last week (62 full and part-time employees) will be the only round we will need to make.

Lastly, I am currently sitting on a committee through the Town of Camillus Parks and Recreation Department that is looking at ways to maximize and possibly refresh all of the park areas in our community. We are also looking at ways to continue to leverage our own facilities at the school since the public helps to pay for those as well. There is a brief survey being administered through the Park and Recreation Department to assess from the community where the needs are. This survey can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/camillus-parks-and-rec-survey.

Have a great week. I will post again on Friday before we head into mid-winter break.

Chris

Some Good News for a Change

2011-02-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Amidst all of the layoffs, budget building, and general depression of late Winter came a weekend full of academic successes. First, several of our students competed in the Post Standard Spelling Bee, and while they did not advance to the championship in Washington, DC, they represented themselves, their families, and West Genesee very valiantly. (Great job Joshua Mattice, Elise Dunshee, Jackson Powell, and Brennan Costello!)

The West Genesee High School Academic Decathlon team won the Section III Championship. The Decathlon is no joke. Students have to take written tests and submit their brains to other forms of academic challenges. This was a great win for this team and for Scott Duda, their advisor, because they have been trying to climb into the top spot for three years and were able to make it happen. (For more information and a list of the participants and their medals, click here.) Their quest for the state championship will happen March 11-12 at Onondaga Community College. Congratulations!

Also, our Science Olympiad teams did exceptionally well in their competition. While they did not win overall, they made some advancements that show promise for the future. I would like to thank the advisor Carm Priminano and all participants for a great showing.

Beauty and the Beast will begin this Thursday. If you had the chance to see the preview on Channel 9 earlier this week, you saw poetry in motion. The student performers were, and are, spectacular. I cannot wait to attend the show on Saturday. Tickets are going fast for each show so please take the time to contact Bill Davern at 487-4612 to get your tickets (there is reserved seating for these performances).

On the athletic side, I had the chance to watch our cheerleaders participate in the Sweetheart Classic in our gym on Saturday. There were teams from about 30 schools which made for about a 110 decibel performance area from about 7:45 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Again, our students, advisors, and parents did a great job showing off our facilities, planning a wonderful event, and raising some money for charity and for their competitions that will happen in the next few weeks. Great job!

Lastly, at Nottingham pool this Tuesday is a chance for our swim team to go undefeated, again! Bob Marks has taken his crew and has helped every single athlete on the team to contribute something to the cause. Best of luck and congratulations on another great year!

Have a wonderful week. I will post about our budget development and some interesting options being considered at the state education department a little later in the week.

Thanks-

Chris

Well...We Have the Numbers

2011-02-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

The Governor has had his say. I understand everything he said about "righting the ship", "forging a new future", etc...I also understand his desire to reduce funding to schools. I disagree with his assertions that schools can close the gaps he presented through the use of reserves and pay freezes however. We do not have enough reserves to fill the gap for longer than a year, and a pay freeze nets the District only 20% of the gap we are facing.

How big is the gap for West Genesee? Big. Well over $5M. There will be no way to close this gap and present a budget that is fiscally responsible to you without massive reductions to all areas of our operation. We are building a budget proposal that represents our best attempt at retaining opportunities for children while balancing the budget. I am in the process of notifying staff who will be affected by our budget reductions, and I will share more with the public once my staff have been made aware of the upcoming changes that we are going to need to make.

I have other much more positive news to share, but I will do so later in the week in another post. The two paragraphs above need some time to digest. Thank you.

Chris

Big Week

2011-01-23T17:22:00.000-08:00

Last week was pretty tough, to be quite honest. As a leader I am looked upon to be the rock of the organization, the person with all of the answers, and the person that other people look to when they do not know what to do. The true test of a leader is if you can survive a bombardment of negativity from every angle that you can think of and still come out on the other side making positive and correct decisions without taking on anything more than a scratch. I have many years of experience doing this, but when you can physically hear your own head working and everything else is quiet, you know that you have reached the limit.

I am glad that we had strategic planning last week. It was a way to watch stakeholders from various areas of our school community come together and figure out how we will stay on top after resources and opportunities dwindle. I am pleased with the results, and I think you as community members will be also. At our Board of Education meeting on February 2 our group leader Deb Geiss will talk about the Strategic Plan and it will then be placed on our web site.

This is a BIG week coming up. I cannot imagine being the Governor right now preparing to publish his budget for next year. It is highly anticipated to be the most devastating budget in New York State history. I cannot wait. We have done our homework at West Genesee. We know what we need to do, and we have put the pieces in place to do them. We just need our number from the Governor, and we will have a preliminary budget built in about three to four days. Our first swipe at necessary reductions will be revealed, and we will begin to march toward the end of the year. January is my least favorite month, and this January has taken the cake!

Around this time of the year I get asked how cold it needs to be to close or delay school. First, it would be rare to delay school due to cold temperatures. Even two hours in this part of the country is not enough time to raise the temperature, and in some cases the temperature even goes down as the day progresses. We do not have a specific Board policy related to cold weather, but as a long-standing practice I have always considered closing if the regular temperature hits five below with no windchill and twenty-five below with the windchill. From what I have read, next week might produce a couple of days that will get us near those benchmarks, but then again I cancelled evening activities last Friday after being told that there was big lake effect snow coming only to see a few flakes. Weatherman is definitely my next career.

As part of our budget plan, we are going to reduce the number of paper Communicators to about four (plus the budget issue). This move will save us about $18K. We are going to replace the other Communicators with an E-blast to still get information out to you, just cheaper and faster. I am very, very excited at the initial layouts and structure of the E-blast. We will continue to develop it and let you know how you can begin to receive your electronic newsletter as soon as we are ready to release it.

Have a great week. Keep your chins up whereever you are and remember that difficult times bring about innovation, change, and advancement!

Chris

The Worst Part of My Job is...

2011-01-17T20:30:00.000-08:00

Losing a student is, by far, worse than budgets, angry people, layoffs, and job stress. I have lost eight students since becoming a superintendent. Even today I could tell you who they were, their personality, and traits they left behind that we all miss to this day.

Last week we lost Craig Rienhardt, a junior, to cancer. Cancer does not discriminate and is a very cruel disease. Craig was upbeat, kind, energetic, and full of life. His parents and family are very strong people.

Many of his family came to our basketball game where three students, Austin Gambino, Peter Johnson, and Lindsey Sweet, held a 50/50 raffle and a blue ribbon campaign for Craig. They wanted to give the proceeds ($1,000 in about a half of a basketball game) to Craig and his family the next day as a show of solidarity and strength. Unfortunately, he passed away during the night and the students did not get a chance to get closer with one of their closest friends. On Friday the staff held a one day fundraiser to help the family as well. What we take away from a situation like this is that as big as we are we are, we are still small enough to come together for good causes and to help bring peace. May we never forget Craig Rienhardt.

Tomorrow night is the "Dialogue with the Superintendent". It will be held in the high school large group instruction room from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. If you have questions for me and you don't want to e-mail them to me, call me and ask them, or see me at an event to talk, then this is the place to be. You can place a question on an index card and I will answer anything that is asked to the best of my ability. Should be fun!

Wednesday night is our Board of Education Meeting. I will be giving an overview of the current budget situation and what things (generally because I have not spoken with affected staff yet) are likely to be reduced as we try to zero in on the actual deficit that the Governor will announce during his State of the State address. I will tell you that at least something from every aspect of our organization will be affected, and I will also share with you that I am in a position where many of the decisions that we have made will affect students. Last year we were largly able to avoid this from happening, but with the size of the impending gap there is just no way to avoid it for a second year.

Thursday and Friday we have our Strategic Planning Sessions. This is where a large group of people gathers to help create the guiding document for the District. This will be an interesting session as District initiatives meet dwindling resources.

Budget aside, I hope to get back into my routine of visiting all of our classrooms so I can see all of the cool things that our students are doing. This is all for now, but stay tuned. If anything changes I will be sure to keep you posted. Have a great week.

Chris

Ahhh Facebook...

2011-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

Well I spent most of today passing along messages about inappropriate Facebook pages to our School Resource Officer. As you might know, the school has very little ground to stand on when it comes to people outside of school making inappropriate Facebook pages unless the pages disrupt the operations of our buildings or put our students in unsafe situations.

About three months ago there was a page created titled "WG Hoes" and it had pictures of students and very derogatory information on it. Some of the students featured on the page were very upset at school. Our School Resource Officer contacted the District Attorney's office who ordered a subpoena from Facebook of the "IP address" or computer address where the page was created. Meanwhile, the School Resource Officer did some good old fashioned police work and caught the creator of the page, a graduate. Charges were filed and the person was arrested.

I am hoping for the same outcome in this case as well, but I keep having to remind people to watch who they "friend", what they say, and who they say it to. This cyber bullying nonsense is not going away anytime soon around the world, but I am really proud of our students for bringing it to our attention because they have simply had enough of this as well! All of us, including our students, have many more productive things to be doing with our time.

We are just beginning to ramp up our budget building process for next year and if you watch the news you know that the Governor is trying to enact a tax cap of around 1% while his opposition is trying to fight the tax cap concept. Cap or not, with the decline in state aid that is surely coming, we have a large gap to fill. We are working tirelessly to reprogram how we do business to compete with this financial challenge. I have said many times that everything is on the table. Everything. These types of discussions are healthy but are causing some stress and tension as you might imagine. We will get there but please be ready for any combination of ideas to help our children have as many opportunities as possible.

I turned 40 over the weekend. I have been a superintendent since my very late 20's, and I have been amazed at how much has changed in this position over the past decade. I entered the job building bus garages, science suites, libraries, and computer labs. Today I find myself looking at ways to keep buildings open, provide full programming, athletics, and fine arts. Crazy. Who knows what the next ten years will bring. I would like to say that I cannot wait, but maybe I can...

Have a great week. I am hopeful to still get out into all of the buildings this week even though I have what seem like hundreds of budget meetings. The kids keep me young, and I could use a dose of that!

Chris

Welcome to the New Year!

2011-01-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that we are half-way through the school year. I also cannot believe how much snow has melted in just a couple of days. There are three sump pumps in my basement and all of them have been running non-stop since New Year's Eve. It took some time to walk around the yard to look at the house after all of the snow that we had, and I noticed that both the house and yard have taken quite a beating this Winter so far. It will need some touch-up paint, roof sealer, gutter work, and some grass seed for starters.

While I was out assessing my home, I thought about how I would assess the school year so far. Financially, we are in great shape while we wait for the Governor to tell us (hopefully Wednesday) what next year is going to have in store. Academically we have made strides in every area, and there is every indication that our graduation rates will be higher than last year. The athletics and fine arts programs are moving right along and our building and grounds are in pretty good shape, considering that they are facing the same Winter that our homes have been weathering.

The biggest work that we will have ahead will be building the budget in an environment where there really will be limited resources. In the weeks ahead I will be communicating frequently as we make decisions that will be challenging, but necessary. For now, we are going to get back to what will be a great second-half of the school year!

Chris

Poet I Am Not

2010-12-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings and welcome to the most unpredictable four days of the school year. In the eleven years that I have been a superintendent, this time of the year normally presents the most unusual behavior out of students, staff, parents, and probably myself. The joys and pressures of the holiday season converge in what can only be described as a science fair volcano; you know it is going to erupt, but you don't know if it is going to spill onto the carpet!

I am looking very forward to visiting classrooms this week and experiencing these last four days before break with your kids. I hope to be able to share many of my visits on Twitter, and I leave you with a poem that I wrote which should reassure you that I am not quitting my day job!

My next blog post will most likely come after the holidays. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday season with family and friends.

Chris

‘Twas the week before winter break

And all through the school

People were stressing

About the temperature of the high school pool.

Students and teachers are all wondering where

A two-hour delay comes from, even when the weather seems fair.

What to do over break is the topic of talk

X-box, sledding, shoveling and clearing the sidewalk?

One thing is for sure, and that we will all see

Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas; the “holidays” they will be!

Odds and Ends

2010-12-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the frozen tundra of Syracuse, New York. We are going to try our best to get through this week with as few interruptions as possible, and as I write this message East Hill is beginning their great holiday concert that I had a chance to see this morning (pictures available on www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd). It will be very important for you to check westgenesee.org/ or our Facebook fan page (which you can access from the home page of the web site by clicking on the Facebook icon in the upper right corner) if you have children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews involved in athletic or fine arts programs to make sure that events are being held as scheduled.

You might have seen some information about a Special Education services audit that was completed by the New York State Comptrollers Office. While the audit summarized that the District did nothing wrong, they did criticize the District for not seeking the lowest per hour price for the people who work with our Students with Disabilities (low bidding is not required for confidential services such as services for children with disabilities). The decision was made to not take the lowest bidder for Special Education services (we pay about $5 more per hour than the lowest priced provider) because we feel that our children, and especially those with disabilities, need consistent services provided by adults that we have individually interviewed to provide the best fit for each individual student with a disability. We would not be able to do this for our students if we just went with the lowest bidder for the services. If we need to take the hit for that, then so be it. A copy of our audit will be made available on our web site, and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Speaking of audits and budgets, the governor-elect announced today that he is going to be pushing for a tax cap of 2% or the cost of inflation whichever is less (right now inflation is about .9%). He also intends to make the biggest reductions to health care and education. As it stands right now voters (with a 60% majority) will be able to vote to go above the cap. For West Genesee, the tax cap will cause us to have a gap of about $5M to close. The first thing you might think of is a pay freeze, which I know my staff and I would consider, but the total amount saved from a pay freeze is about $730,000, quite a distance away from the $5M gap that we might need to close. Our principals, directors, and I are prioritizing athletic, fine arts, and academic programs that we may have to do without to close this gap, and I have been working with neighboring districts to discuss consolidation and sharing of service opportunities. We should have some better information right after the holidays, and I appreciate your support through what will be the most challenging times for the New York State public education system.

Our anti-bullying climate survey is also going well. We have administered the survey to approximately 3,000 students so far and hope to have it completed by the beginning of next week. I will post the overall results once we have them, and our team will meet right after the holidays to take our next steps.

Stay warm these next few days. I am hoping that my snow blower will be repaired in time to clean up the snow that is coming this week!

Take care-

Chris

Whoever is Dreaming of a White Christmas Can Start Dreaming about Something Else!

2010-12-09T06:10:00.000-08:00

Well, these last few days have been pretty interesting. With the thought of another Winter storm hitting on Sunday, my wife reminded me that since Monday I have worked (happily, of course) 16 hours before 8:00 a.m. The people who have worked much more than me, however, are the plow crews. Yes they get overtime, but would you want to work for four days straight on about five hours of sleep? Thanks to our own crews, as well as the Town and County crews, for working to keep us safe and our schools and businesses open.

I also want to thank our bus drivers. I used to be a volunteer firefighter and spent time driving all kinds of fire trucks to fire calls. That is nothing compared to driving the same sized vehicle with 60 passengers on board (many with ants in their pants) on snowy roads. Many of you have thanked them for their great driving and service especially in these tough conditions, and we will celebrate the week tomorrow with coffee and donuts and I will pass along your thanks.

Then there are the food service workers. Imagine cooking a big dinner at your home and then receiving a call from your spouse or kids telling you that they "can't make it". That is the feeling that our staff get every time we delay or close...when cooking for 5,000 students. They have to meal plan, schedule, and work twice as hard on delay days to keep the cafeteria in good working order.

Channel 9 covered this very well at : http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story/Schools-juggle-decisions-to-delay-or-cancel/xxP7oEy9-U6bNMklb5Te1A.cspx

It seems like we will get through the rest of the week without interruption and we will see what next week brings. Now, put yourself in the shoes of Mr. Davern, our Director of Fine Arts, and Mr. Pascale, our Director of Athletics. We missed three days of concerts, practices, games, rehearsals, and training. They are working together right now to try to reschedule everything and have the least number of conflicts. They both will have to stack games and concerts on top of each other in order to fit everything in before the holidays and they and I appreciate your understanding. In my own house I have an 8th grader who has missed a game and concert and a 10th grader who has missed three practices and a scrimmage.

Stay tuned to our website and Facebook for scheduling updates. Please remember that next Monday and Tuesday look questionable also, so the beginning of next week could very well be "next verse same as the first" no pun intended.

The real bummer for me this week is that I will probably not be able to get to every classroom as I usually do, but I am sure that the students and staff will be understanding.

Have a great rest of the week and weekend.

Chris

A One-Hour Delay...?

2010-12-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Winter in Central New York. One might ask why I chose to have a one-hour delay when it does snow a lot here in Syracuse. I made the decision because this is our first significant snowfall on the morning of a school day and all of us need to get back up to speed on how to handle these conditions. I felt it was unsafe to have our high school students out at the bus stops in the dark while plows were out for the first time, and we were on the roads trying to get to work on time. The one extra hour gives everyone time to slow down, our students a chance to wait in the daylight, and an opportunity to have most of a school day.

Please do not ever think that a delay is due to our own school buses or our own parking lots and sidewalks. Our buses are the safest vehicles to travel on during this weather. They all have the best tires, brakes, wipers, and drivers on board that you can find, and they are all "pre-tripped" (all aspects of the buses are checked out and tested) and de-iced prior to hitting the roads. Ice is the only enemy of buses and on those days, we do not have school. Our building and grounds crews work through the night to make sure that parking lots and sidewalks are plowed and that everything is salted. All of our staff take tremendous pride in making sure that everything is ready for school, and I always get calls from them when we do delay letting me know that they have everything ready for when students and staff do arrive.

Afternoon and evening activities are a different story. As the temperatures drop and the evening commute begins, I have to make the decision to have students and parents traveling back to school for practices and events. If you were to chart my decisions over the past eleven years, I think you would find that I have cancelled afternoon and evening activities far more than delayed or closed school. Safety first. It is supposed to snow like this through Thursday, so we will see what happens.

This week is pretty interesting. While I do not have many night-time commitments (only four nights this week!) my days are going to be packed with meetings about the budget. What would be really helpful would be to get some face time with some of our elected officials about the budget, but I cannot get a return phone call from any of them. If I could get a general understanding of the size of the deficit schools are going to face I could make some very concrete budget decisions at an early stage, but I guess for now we will just plan for the worst and hope for the best!

Later this week (probably Friday) I am going to post a presentation that I gave to the Board of Eduction outlining my thoughts to date regarding the budget and what we are going to need to do to balance our finances in the wake of a tax cap, reduced state aid, and reduced federal aid. After the holidays I will release the entire report and we will start making decisions.

Speaking of decisions, the Board of Education and I have agreed to a four and a half year contract extension for me to remain superintendent of schools. I am pleased and very appreciative of the support I have received from the Board of Education, staff, community, and students. With this agreement in place we can now concentrate on moving the District through the most challenging times that New York State has ever seen.

Well, have a great week and remember that closing or delays are always on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd) before they are on radio or television. (Also, check the facebook fan page for updates.)

Chris

Fasten Your Seatbelts!

2010-11-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I could make it a few days without straying from my diet. Wrong. The food and company were too good to not eat at will. Back on the saddle on Monday!

The next few weeks will be an absolute blur as concerts, games, budget building, building visits, and desk work will keep me more than occupied. I am ready to roll, though, so bring it on. The season officially kicks off with the National Honor Society induction tomorrow evening, followed by basketball games, a board meeting, a school boards dinner and then the semi-formal. One of the things that I like about this job is that every day is different and if you were to look at my schedule you would see that I have to be on my toes for anything that comes up!

One of the questions that I was asked several times over the weekend was my professional opinion about Cathie Black being named the new head of the New York City Public School System. If you take away all of the politics related to her hiring, I see a business-woman who has a track record of getting things done in the business world. If I was the mayor of New York City, I would hire an educational assistant for her so that her business mind can be properly wrapped around improving the educational output of New York City Schools. I would then put her on a three-year contract and let her do her job and evaluate her. If she did not advance the school system after that time, I would release her and find someone else. You might wonder why I would care who is in charge of the New York City Public School System. Fair thought. People need to remember that some law makers and legislators are biased towards New York City, and the money the schools receive in the New York City area takes away from what is given to schools upstate. If Cathie Black begins to show improvement, you can bet that she will receive more resources to do her job and that will take away from what we get. Selfish I know, but I consider myself a business man and to stay alive in this tough economy you have to recognize every angle. I wish her the best of luck.

Thanks for visiting Twitter (@cbrownwgcsd) and our Facebook page, which has enjoyed a 290% increase in traffic in the past week alone.

Time to go get some things done. Have a great week and I hope to post again before the weekend.

Chris

We Are Going International!

2010-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Well this has certainly been an interesting few days. On Friday I was invited back to my old community to be recognized for their receipt of the Blue Ribbon School award, which was given for most of the time that I was still superintendent there. After having experienced West Genesee receiving the Blue Ribbon School here when I first arrived a few years ago it was nice to think about closing one chapter of my professional life there and opening and now living a very positive and "new" professional life here. What was also good for me personally was that I have been here long enough now that when I went back there some people did not know who I was. That was a good thing to experience. What have you done for me lately? still reigns supreme and I like it that way!

I was also surprised and humbled on Sunday night by being selected to receive the "Making IT Happen" award from the International Society for Technology in Education (@isteconnects) at the New York State Computers and Technology in Education (@nyscate10) conference in Rochester, New York. The nomination was made not only by members of our own school community, but by others across the state for helping to influence national and global changes to how we approach the use of technology in education here at West Genesee. Also imagine my surprise when I got to the podium and discovered that my "prize" was to wear a pink jacket and pink feather boa!

While I accepted the award, I did so on behalf of all of the staff and community members who have embraced technology, been willing to try new things, and have never strayed from the mission of helping students to be successful. A special thanks goes out to all who have followed on Twitter and read this blog because that exposure has helped us to reach out globally and since Sunday I have been able to create some new networks of people beyond the confines of the state.

Okay, waaay to much about me. People are going to think that I have one of those "big ego's" which I certainly hope I don't have. I just wanted to cover those two things in case you see them on the news so you didn't feel out of the loop!

Many of our students and staff have had some tremendous success recently in a variety of activities from cross country to bridge building, and everything in-between. Please take a moment to check out our website http://www.westgenesee.org/ for all of the exciting information.

Our Anti-Bullying Task Force is putting the finishing touches on a survey that we are going to administer to students in grades K-12 in the next couple of weeks. A letter will be going home explaining everything by the end of next week, and I want to thank members of the task force for being so generous with their time to help us advance our efforts.

Thanksgiving is just a few short days away and with that I want to give thanks to you again for your continued support. Without all of you our children would not be able to do as well as they have. Please enjoy the next few days with family and friends and I will write again early next week.

Chris

Look at the Loons

2010-11-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

Another busy week ahead. I was so busy over the weekend that it was an absolute blur. I heard that I missed a great Aladdin, Jr. performance at West Genesee Middle School, and I hope to check out the video so I can share in their excitement. Also this weekend a few of our cross country runners participated in the New York State Cross-Country Championship. Seniors Billy Gabriel and John DeLallo represented us well, and Laura Leff (who I still think might be a machine disguised as a human) placed 4th out of 107 runners and is advancing to her second consecutive New York Federation Championship. Joining her will be the boys cross country team. All I can say is wow, and I suddenly don't feel as good about the four miles that I ran on Saturday morning.

If you had a chance to watch The Sopranos when it was on, Tony Soprano managed to find time to feed the ducks that were in his yard in spite of all the chaos that surrounded his life. I kind of felt that way over the weekend when I signed up to be part of Cornell University's Bird Watching Program. I get to watch the birds that come to my several feeders and send the count and species to Cornell scientists to study bird migration patterns. I only get about five to ten minutes a week to watch the feeder but for that time, time does stand still and I can certainly use that. I actually saw what I think was a small falcon on Saturday morning which was pretty cool to see.

Our Anti-Bullying Task Force is meeting again this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the high school large group instruction room. When the meeting was scheduled, the District calendar was absolutely empty. Now we have a concert, a PTSO meeting, and a modified basketball game. I think that this is just a simple case where our committee is still new and has not found its place at the top of the pecking order. I know the boss and will work to make sure that our upcoming meetings are as conflict free as possible. I am looking forward to the meeting because we are going to be finalizing a survey instrument that we are going to administer to students regarding their thoughts on bullying. We are also going to hear a presentation about the Olweus Anti-Bullying Program which in all likelihood is going to represent the base from which we will make some adjustments based on our survey. The adjusted program will more than likely be what we invest in and use K-12 to not only meet the new bullying legislation called the Dignity for All Students Act but to also form how we change the culture at West Genesee related to bullying.

Every time I open an e-mail about the budget the news is not good. I am a big-picture thinker and can tell you that usually when I am presented with a challenge such as the budget, I usually find a solution when I am running, cooking, mowing the lawn, cleaning out the gutters, or some other non-work activity. I came up with some answers this weekend as well, but they are pretty profound. There is no way that we will be able to survive this budget environment without talking to our neighbors about consolidating services, sharing services, or regionalizing services. I will stop short of saying that we need to be thinking merger, but if you consider all of the negative budget conversations that are being had at the state, local, and federal levels, cutting a few people or even a program will not make a dent. Besides we already did trim staff and programs which most of our neighbors did not do, and we are not in a position to make class sizes any larger or remove any more programs because we need a place for students to go from class to class.

I have requested a meeting with all of our neighboring schools to discuss what we may need to do if a worst case scenario budget season is to happen. The fact that the new Governor is calling for the largest cuts to happen in health care and education, tells me that I have to be thinking out of the box and thinking big in order to keep up. It is also expected from the state that we should spend from our reserves to balance the budget. Great, we would last 1.4 years doing that, and our neighbors are no better off. Not an option. I am lucky to have a trusting staff, Board of Education, and community who are all willing to help to get us through this. As I learn more specifics about the budget I will certainly share.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that we expanded our breakfast offering to those families who receive free/reduced lunch. Our breakfast numbers have dramatically increased. Food and I go way back, and a good breakfast is very beneficial to having a good day. We have done a great, and confidential, job of helping those who need food to get food. If you are in need of this help, you can contact me directly or you can contact Debra Chenowyth (Food Service Director) at dchenowyth@westgenesee.org.

Have a great week and I hope to write again before the weekend.

Chris

What's on My iPod?

2010-11-09T04:58:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me know that I am kind of a technology nerd. Because of this trait (and the fact that I have two teenage boys), I know when the latest and greatest video games are set for release. Tomorrow will be the release of the heavily anticipated video game, "Call of Duty". It is always interesting to look at the attendance sheet on "release days" to see how many of our middle and high school students have suddenly come down with the "flu". The only gamers exempt from an illegal absence tomorrow will be those who got the game to study the code and programming to become game developers themselves. All others: get to school!

One of the questions I am asked is what kind of music do I have on my iPod. This is actually a loaded question. I love music and have about 14,000 downloaded songs to choose from, as well as all of the music that I listen to from online music services like Sirius and Pandora. On any given day my iPod will have some heavy metal, classic rock, rap, jazz, and recordings of live local bands. You won't find any opera or country (unless you count a few Kid Rock tunes), and I switch things up all the time. Unlike some people, I don't need a quiet work area to get things done. The more noise the better. I probably got this trait from my high school golf team days when we would putt for quarters on the practice green while we tried to distract each other. As you can guess, I am cheap also. Another character trait. I didn't lose many quarters.

During my building visits, I had some interesting conversations centered around what I report about and where I am each day and evening. There is some concern that I don't "Tweet" about certain events or activities enough or that I favor certain subjects, buildings, events, or activities over others. The truth is that if I miss something it is completely by accident. I cover a lot of ground each day and try to make it to as many things that I can. If I am not at something it is because I am at something else. The grand complicator is that I also am responsible for running the entire District which also means that I have to spend some time in my office as well. I did take away some positives from my conversations, however. People are passionate about what they do, and they want to share what they do with as many people as possible and people know that I am very connected with the students, which is my ultimate goal. People also view me as approachable and as a person who listens. I am cool with that.

I am putting my thoughts together about the budget. If the doom and gloom that each governmental agency is speaking about holds true, schools across New York State are in real trouble. For example, if West Genesee were to be impacted by all of the state and federal proposals we would have to cut about $6M from our budget. As a frame of reference, our entire fine arts and athletic budgets K-12 only amount to around $2M. We, collectively as a state, need to think way outside the box if schools are to survive the way we know them. The absolute last thing anyone wants to do is take opportunities away from children, but at the same time our education and governmental systems need to change if we are to stay afloat. I have some larger ideas to make this happen that I will share later this week. Some people will not be happy with what I will write but the truth hurts sometimes.

Please don't think that I am down about all of the news that I have mentioned above. I enjoy challenges and the next couple of years will present the greatest challenges in New York State education history. Because I started in the profession so young, I will be able to see what life as a superintendent is like on the other side of this mess. Good times!

Have a great week-

Chris

It Happens

2010-11-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Good Morning. By now you have probably heard the news. Yes it is true, the Marching Band finished third last night at the New York State Field Band Championship. It is what it is. From my perspective, the students and staff did the best job they could have this season and the performance at the Dome last night was the best of the year, for sure. The Victor Marching Band, who had dominated all season, dominated again last night and they deserved to win. What can you get out of a loss? Plenty.

First, I hung back on the Dome floor when the announcement was made to watch what our fans, staff, and performers would do. First our staff immediately congratulated Victor, then our students went and hugged the Victor performers, and then our parents and spectators applauded and cheered for Victor, as they should have. This tells me that when our students are faced with adversity in "real life" that they will know how to handle things. With class, dignity, and the right attitude. Were there tears? Sure. Was there disappointment? Sure. All correct emotions that were followed by a comment from an underclassman, "Next season starts tomorrow." I liked what I saw, and I am proud of them. All of them. When athletic teams face the same ending they handle their business the same way. This is very important if we are to think that we truly are preparing students for life after graduation.

I am going to post later in the week regarding our anti-bullying task force, my thoughts about Race to the Top now that we are into the program, my thoughts about the proposed graduation requirement changes, and whatever else happens to be happening when I write.

Have a great week and remember to make sure that your kids dress warm!

Chris

Moving Forward

2010-10-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

First of all, it is my pleasure to announce that Gail Glagola, art teacher at the high school, Kathleen Callahan, a mathematics teacher at Camillus Middle School, and Kelli Barbuto, 5th grade teacher at Stonehedge Elementary School, were all named as 2010 Teachers of the Year by the Camillus Optimists Club. They were voted on by their peers and a reception to honor them will be held in November 9th. Congratulations!

I think that you are going to find the Commissioners discussion regarding changes to graduation requirements for New York State to be quite startling. Nothing is set in stone of course, but when I read the 23 page summary of what will be discussed with the Board of Regents it certainly got my attention. The full report can be viewed here (http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2010Meetings/October2010/1010ccrd1.doc) but some of the highlights of the proposal include:

1. Longer school year

2. Additional graduation requirements beyond the traditional 22 credits

3. Extra year of Mathematics and Science with extra Regents examinations as well (examinations paid for by the District)

4. Raising the "passing grade" of a Regents exam from 65 to 70, 75, and 80 respectfully beginning with the 9th graders entering next year and continuing the next two years.

5. Allowing online credit and allowing students to "graduate" when they complete the credits required for graduation

Most of these ideas are not bad at face value, but in the face of declining dollars and resources some of them will be incredibly difficult to accommodate. We will see where things go from here.

Our efforts to do something different with addressing the subject of bullying are moving forward. There are many different people in powerful positions beginning different "causes" related to bullying, harassment, and hate, but I really think that a couple of our students (Mike McCartney and Alyssa VanGampler) have something unique with their efforts to record stories of how bullying and harassment have affected real people; not actors. Their start up website, http//http://www.sthsquared.webs.com/ is the beginning of what will be an emotional and yet necessary journey to healing for those who have been bullied. This site is created by students and for students, and it will be created on their own time so I would suggest that as the site is populated that you support it but review the material on it before sharing with younger children because I have never heard a bullying story that has been "G" rated. Well done students and thanks for leading the charge on your level while I get things done with programs and policies.

Big week ahead for the Wildcat Marching Band as they prepare for their Dome show this weekend. Aside from football, who ended their season last Friday night, many of our other sports are still in post-season play. Check the website for schedules and information.

Have a great week-

Chris

Administrivia and More

2010-10-17T17:24:00.000-07:00

The end of the Fall sports season is drawing near which means that Winter is right around the corner. If you have children playing Winter sports as I do, this is also when stress re-enters the household. It is very difficult to have children understand that they are going to school in a Class I AA environment, which means that we are in the largest, most competitive division that New York State athletics has to offer. Winter sports (no pun intended) teams which have the fewest number of participants, in turn, have the largest number of cuts.

As I always explain to my kids (they might understand it 5 years from now) "if you give it your best and you don't make the team then it is what it is, and if you don't give it your best and don't make the team, then it should eat you up until the next time you can try out". What is nice about this community is that there are dozens of other recreational and organized sports programs available so that if a child wants to participate in basketball, for example, but does not make our team they can still find a place to play. As I tell everyone, I just want kids to be happy first, and learn something second.

I occasionally get asked if the Board of Education ever reviews its policies. This is a great question because in many schools the answer is no. Here we have an active policy committee consisting of three Board members who meet three to four times a year to make policy updates or add and subtract policies from the manual. I have liked this approach since I have been here because it gives me a chance to make sure that the policies that I am charged to enforced are complete and accurate for the times.

Our anti-bullying task force is scheduled to meet for the first time on Tuesday, October 19 at the high school in the large group instruction room. If you are not on the committee but would like to become a member, please give me a call 1-315-487-4682, shoot me an e-mail cbrown@westgenesee.org, or just show up. Our second meeting is tentatively scheduled for November 16.

I have also received some questions about Race to the Top, the federal initiative to improve student performance and hold teachers and administrators accountable for their performance as well. We are going to work with our local BOCES to have them help us collect the student data required to complete our improvement plans, and we are going to work with our Teaching Center to help us to revise our evaluation systems for administrators and teachers. There was $110,000 allocated for these over the course of 4 years which means little money to accomplish a lot, but we will take it.

I have figured out how to use my Blackberry to send better pictures of our students in action to Twitter. My Twitter handle is http://www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd. If you connect you can just see what is going on each day in the buildings or you can increase your involvement by sending me messages or having my posts "pushed" directly to your phone. I intent to hold a community "Social Media" night so people can come in, sign up, and learn to use some of the technology that we are using to communicate. Stay tuned.

All for now. Have a wonderful week.

Chris

Homecoming!

2010-10-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

It is going to be a beautiful homecoming weekend. Tomorrow night it will be close to 70 as our football team takes on Henninger High School. The game will be on Time Warner as the game of the week, and it will also be on http://www.livesportsvideo.com/. Of course we would like you to attend the game, and I am sure our players would appreciate it. The way it looks, whichever team wins has the clearest path to make the playoffs. I have had a chance to attend all of the other homecoming and home games, and we have done very well. It would be great to cap things off with a win by our football team. Best of luck to all.

Also please have a great weekend, whatever you do, and don't forget to NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL NEXT TUESDAY, THE 12th. That will be a workshop day for staff.

Also, please be aware that we were contacted by the Department of Transportation, and they plan to pave the intersection of Milton Avenue and Hinsdale Road next Wednesday-Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Can your GPS say, "Plan an alternate route?"

Have a wonderful weekend-

Chris

Tournament for the Ages!

2010-10-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

In my three years in the District I have never seen as many people on our campus as I did last night at the Tournament of Bands. There were people from all over the state, and I was really pleased to hear all of the positive comments about our facilities and about the organization of the event.

Equally impressive was the recognition of our 38 senior Marching Band members with their parents and relatives who were lined up from the 20 yard line to the opposite 20 yard line!

Next week the Marching Band is taking the show on the road to Detroit, Michigan for their annual regional competition. The only bummer about them going next weekend (planned a year in advance) is that it will conflict with our homecoming celebration, and the band won't be available for our homecoming football game against Henninger High School. With all of the things that our kids have going on, conflicts like this happen every once in a while, unfortunately, but in the end hopefully the Marching Band shows well and our football team gets a win!

Last week was really cool. I had the chance to watch a youngster read for the very first time. The look on his face was priceless, and you could see the new found power that he had as he read his second sentence. This is why I do the job!

I also had a chance to speak with some staff about the education series featured on msnbc.com titled Education Nation (http://www.educationnation.com/). If watched in isolation this series is really a downer as it paints a negative picture of education in the United States. We are fortunate that we have been ahead of the curve nationally, and evidence of that success can be found at (http://nbcscorecard.greatschools.org/). If you type 13031 into the search box, you can see how most of our schools in the District rated on a national and global scale (except for Onondaga Road, which you need to input 13219 or the school name into the search box to find it). Interesting information and certainly a "Don't Stop Believing" exercise.

Last week we also learned that West Genesee is going to receive $110,000 over four years to accommodate the provisions set forth by Race to the Top. In the grand scheme of a $70M budget, this amount of money is really not much. By accepting Race to the Top we are required to show improvements in student achievement, overhaul our evaluation system for teachers and administrators, and establish a "data team" made up of at least three people. All good ideas, but in the long run it appears that we will spend more on Race to the Top than we will receive from the organizers of the program. We shall see.

This week is Spirit Week leading up to homecoming. This is a true sign of Fall and a true sign that we are already five weeks into the school year!

Have a great week.

Chris

Week in Review

2010-09-27T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last week was a good week. Aside from all of the negative news coming out of Albany, it was an absolute joy to visit and attend all of the open houses. While parking was a challenge, it is a good problem to have. It means that attendance and participation are high. An involved family usually means favorable results. Parent involvement is incredibly appreciated by me personally, as well as our staff. The last open house of the Fall is this Thursday at West Genesee Middle School.

I also had the pleasure of speaking to the students in the high school on Friday. I wanted to thank them for their behavior, attitudes, and effort since I have been the superintendent. I spoke to them about keeping up what they have been doing. Because of their efforts, the respect and responsibility traits that they really need to be successful in our community have returned and they are seeing the benefits. We are realizing increased job opportunities from local businesses, increased scholarships from local organizations, and ease in working with our immediate neighbors. They have also noticed that no additional rules have been added to the high school in three years; again because of their commitment to the cause. I really enjoy all of our students and spending time with them always defines the best part of my work day.

Yesterday was the Race for Respect. We had a great turnout once again and I think that I saw almost every breed of dog and every possible age-group of people! Thanks for participating and see you again next year.

Lastly, you might have also noticed that our Marching Band has been challenged recently. Adversity brings out character. Our Marching Band staff and students know what it takes to work through adversity and they have unparallelled character. Both traits will be on display throughout the rest of the season and the Carrier Dome in a couple of months. Stay tuned.

All for now. I will check back later in the week. Have a good start to the week and see you around.

Chris

Happy Second Week!

2010-09-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

Another successful week and as usual, lots of stuff going on. First, at the state level they have already cut our state aid this year. We don't know exactly how much less we specifically will receive, but they have given the go ahead to cut both school aid and STAR, another area of revenue for the District. I am confident that our budget plan will accommodate these cuts, but I am longing for the day when we can just have a regular school year.

Speaking of the economy, check out this morbid look at unemployment rates around the country http://www.latoyaegwuekwe.com/geographyofarecession.html. It is a time lapse look at unemployment across the country that you can watch unfold as a movie. Good times. I hope it gets bad reviews!

Now on to some pleasant news. First of all, I really enjoyed myself at the various open houses around the District. Not only did I get so see hundreds of parents, I ran into a guy that lived in the same dorms as me during undergrad at Buffalo State College. As some of you know, I used to work undercover security for K-Mart that used to be in Western Lights Plaza when I was in high school. I met the State Trooper who used to help me "book" shoplifters and he and I also used to work out together at the same gym. Two people that I had not seen in over 20 years and I see them both in one night! Small world.

This week we also learned that Steve Frank, one of the coolest music teachers and musicians that I have ever met, has been selected to be inducted into the SAMMY's (Syracuse Area Music Award) Hall of Fame as a Music Educator. For more information please check out the Syracuse New Times. Well done!

In an effort to do as much as we can for our students with disabilities, I met with Professor Alan Foley from Syracuse University. We had a great conversation about how we can provide the latest and most appropriate assistive technology for our students. We are going to begin the process of creating an articulation agreement where we will work exclusively with the University and have our children involved in a "Matching Technology" project that will connect our staff, students, parents, and graduate students. This is long overdue and I am excited to move this project forward.

Also this week, we were able to negotiate with Lowes and Benderson Development (thanks Paul Pelton and John Driscoll for the leg work) to get access to the back parking lot at Lowes and to cut a hole in the fence and create a pedestrian walkway to our back ball fields. We hope to have this completed by the Spring so that spectators can get easier access to our varsity fields in back of the high school. This is a complete 180 from Lowes' stance last year and I am appreciative of their change of heart.

Lastly, for this week I would like to feature our Boys Varsity Soccer Program. In high school athletics it is rare to see such a turn around of a program without a huge switch in players. Our soccer team has struggled with winning, attitude, and representation in the past. In 8 short months, and with the help of our new coach Al Loucks, our soccer team is representing themselves, their parents, and our community. They are on the road to victory but more importantly, they are on the road to respect. They have a big game on Monday, September 20, at 7:00 p.m. on our grass stadium against FM. I know that soccer is not popular in the United States but respect and responsibility are. If you can make it for even the first half or part of the game I know that the boys would greatly appreciate it. This is not meant in any way to take the spot light off of all of our other successful programs, but a positive change this drastic must be noted.

If you have taken the time to read all of this; thank you! I know I can be long winded sometimes, but there is so much going on that I feel you should know that sometimes it takes a few paragraphs to do it!

Have a great weekend and thanks for the continued support.

Chris

Here We Go!

2010-09-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

Another school year! For some parents a time to place their most precious jewel on a school bus for the first time. For others, a time to send their senior to school for their last year in high school. I am a parent with kids in the middle of the journey. This is my eleventh start of school as superintendent and each one has been unique in its own way.

This year is also a time for me to look back. This is the beginning of my third year in the District. I am proud to be your leader, and I am also proud of what our staff and community have been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time.

By way of statistics, the wealth of our District has dropped 5%, and we have had a 113% increase in students needing free or reduced lunch. Also during this time our completion rate, or percent of students finishing high school, has increased by nearly 3% to an all time high of 91%. What this tells us is that we are providing the correct services to our children, and we will continue to find those winning combinations so that our children can continue to be successful.

Because of the economy, we also realize that many people in our community need job retraining. Our Adult Education Program is here to help people to be retrained. We are also accepting credit cards for the first time, and you will find more information on that and the new online registration process from our web site at http://www.westgenesee.org/

I could go on and on but I need to get into classrooms. Again, I am very excited for this year, and I want you to know that we will take the very best care of your children.

See you soon and thank you for your continued support.

Chris

The Justin Bieber Effect

2010-09-01T05:18:00.000-07:00

Justin Bieber is not "on my iPod", nor will he ever be, but he certainly is on the iPod's and in the hearts of many of our students. When his show had to be postponed from Sunday evening to tonight, you could hear the cries from Geddes all the way to Camillus Middle School. How could Justin change his concert to tonight? Does he not know that tonight is locker night at both of our middle schools? Locker night actually ends at 6:00 p.m., but his concert starts at 7:00 p.m. so students who have tickets (and their parents) are somewhat uptight about getting to locker night and then making it to the concert on time.

If you find yourself in this position do not fear. You can call either middle school and they will accommodate your locker visit for Thursday or Friday. Mr. Bieber should recognize the impact of his decisions in the future!

While I am not here to tell you that there won't be a tax rate increase for this year, I am here to tell you that the actual tax rate that was recently set is lower than the rate that we projected by nearly a whole percent. This is good news in a bad news environment.

You might notice a path being built from our back parking lot at the high school to both of our upper fields. This is the best solution we have thus far to try and help people (especially the elderly and those with wheelchairs) to get access to the fields. Unfortunately, this is going to be the best we can do for now. There is a major waterline under ground (about 4' in diameter), and we are prohibited from operating heavy machinery in that area which is preventing us from establishing a larger parking lot closer to the fields.

We are also trying to work with Lowes and Benderson Devlopment to obtain access to the parking lot behind Lowes and also create a path along the back part of our bus parking area to get closer access to the fields as well. Lowes has given us tentative permission to use the parking lot, but we have not yet been successful with Benderson Development to allow us to pop a small hole in their fence to give us access to the bus parking area. Hopefully we can make this happen by the Spring when we really need it.

If you received a paper copy of The Communicator and you think it looks different you are correct. Our publications coordinator is trying to find ways to keep the newsletter pleasing to the eye and cheaper to produce. We were not completely satisfied with the appearance of the newsletter this month, but we will find the right combination of paper, fonts, and colors. Thank you for your patience while we re-tool our look.

We are 99% ready for students at this point. The finishing touches are being applied to each building and I am very excited for another successful school year. As always, if you want the most up-to-date information and you don't want to hear my voice just check, Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd or our Facebook fan page by clicking here, or from the icon located on the web site home page.

Our first home football game is this Friday night versus Baldwinsville and several of our other Fall sports teams have already begun competition as well. The Marching Band also did a great job at the "Preview" last Friday night. Go Wildcats!

Chris

The Money Trail

2010-08-25T09:02:00.000-07:00

Good Morning-

If you are following school budgets you have recently heard two things. For starters, you have heard that New York State has "won" Race to the Top funding from the Federal Government. You have also heard that schools are set to receive additional funds through the Federal Jobs Fund. You would think that this would mean loads and loads of cash for schools and that we are out of the woods financially. While the infusion of money will be helpful, it is important to explain just exactly how much money we are talking about.

With the Race to the Top funding West Genesee stands to gain approximately $75K of the $700M that is being made available to New York State. That $75K MUST be used to pay for programming, materials, equipment, or supply items that work toward the Race to the Top goal of increasing student achievement through accountability and use of data. My opinion would be that even though we are only receiving $75K, the new Commissioner David Steiner really needs the State's share of the money to advance his goals for increased student achievement and I can't fault him for working every angle he can to make that happen.

The Federal Jobs Fund, or whatever title you will hear it called, is money being made available from the Federal government to help, again, with preventing layoffs in schools. A quick uneducated glance at the money being made available to West Genesee indicates that we might receive as much as $1.7M in additional funding. A closer study of the figures shows that the estimates that the state is using for transportation and BOCES aid (two types of aid categories that can be accurately tracked) are over-estimated for our District. We are concluding that we will probably receive approximately $700K in additional state aid when all is said and done. We had projected to receive an additional $500K in revenue this year which makes our projection "whole" and will leave us with approximately $200K-$300K in additional revenue that we will be using to pay for support personnel that we have had to add as a result of the Commissioner's new "cut-score" initiative.

If for some reason we receive more than we have calculated, we will factor that money in for next year so that we can try to avoid any additional non-enrollment related layoffs.

Diligence, sound fiscal planning, and being realistic will continue to help us to navigate our fiscal challenges.

Enough of that boring stuff; time to go watch some Fall practices and Marching Band!

Chris

Almost "Go" Time!

2010-08-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

As I headed back into town the other day on 690, I noticed that the "Fair Parking" signs are up which means that one of my favorite summer time activities is right around the corner and so is the start of school (not that school isn't one of my favorite activities either!).

People have asked me if I have had a good Summer. I have had a great Summer. Because I began my superintendent career at such a young age (29), my family and I really have not had the opportunity to travel. This summer we were afforded the opportunity to get as far west as we have ever been; Chicago. What a cool city. One of the museums had a full size steam locomotive, Boeing 727, and lunar module in it. The aquarium has an "Asian Lung Fish" that was brought to Chicago for the World's Fair in 1930 and is still alive today. Definitely a worthwhile trip.

This Summer has also been the busiest work wise that I have had in my career. With the uncertainty of the state budget, the changes in assessment scores, and the downsizing that we are trying to accommodate, we have had our hands full.

This is also the Summer where we need to conduct a five year facility plan. This plan is mandatory and has to be completed every five years (hence the name!). An architect walks through each building and helps us to determine what needs to be fixed, updated, brought up to code, etc... Once the plan is completed (sometime early 2011 would be my best guess) the Board of Education has to decide if we want to take care of the items listed on the plan through a Capital Improvement Project. I will keep you up to date on that as we work through the plan.

We are also going to assemble our anti-bullying task force shortly. I have spent some time this Summer reading and researching different programs. The best idea is just to treat others how you would like to be treated but if we did that a lot of people selling programs to stop bullying would be out of work and the economy would be in worse shape than it already is!

This will also be the year that we really study the concept of full-day kindergarten. We will be looking to see if we can begin and run a program without adding to our facilities first and if that is not possible, we will determine what it would take and cost facility-wise to make it happen. Full-day kindergarten is a touchy subject. There are organizations and schools in our community that depend on their own full day programs, and I am extremely sensitive to that. We hope to be able to present something to the Board for consideration by the end of the school year.

I am getting excited to begin the school year but not before we enjoy the rest of this summer!

Chris

Presentation Mania!

2010-07-20T13:01:00.000-07:00

Good Afternoon-

I hope that you are enjoying your summer. I have been busy but have still found some time to enjoy the nice weather. This blog will be brief but will have a few very important links included.

First, I would like you to know that the New York State Education Department is beginning a major overhaul of the assessment system. The first step will be to lower the "cut" scores of the assessments that our children in grades 3-8 took back in May. Here is a link to the letter that is being sent home to parents about this initiative from my point of view. Good times.

I have also attached a link to the actual document that the state is using to explain these changes. If you would like to discuss either document with me please feel free to contact me.

Second, I had the pleasure of presenting at the New York State Association for Computers and Technology in Education (NYSCATE) conference this morning at Hudson Valley Community College. I have attached a link to the presentation in PDF format and in PowerPoint format and if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

I will ramp up the Twitter posts and blogs as we head into August and approach the beginning of the school year.

Thanks!

Chris

End of the Year!

2010-06-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, I work all summer, but the fact of the matter is that I really miss having the kids and the staff around. I will enjoy the nice Summer evenings and the weekends, but I can guarantee you that I will be all cranked up for school in September.

I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and trust. There is absolutely no way we could have done what we did this year without the efforts of all. While I am certainly hoping for more of a "normal" year next year, at least we know that we can get things done when the chips are against us.

I will probably not use Twitter too much this summer because without the kids and staff around there won't be much to Tweet about! I will probably blog a few times to keep you in the loop on projects that we are trying to complete this Summer, as well as any changes in the budget or academics that come from the state that I think you would benefit from hearing about.

I do want to thank Bonnie Russell, our Publications Director, for helping me with this blog, the Twitter account, and our Facebook page. I have asked her to include some pictures from events this year that maybe didn't make it to the paper, Communicator, blog, Facebook, or Twitter. Enjoy and have a great Summer.

Chris

New Week

2010-06-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

In the 17 years that I have been involved in education this has probably been my most enjoyable year. We have done some really great things, all while a state budget spirals out of control. Our community has been incredibly supportive, our students have performed exceptionally well, and we have grown closer togetheras a staff.

Personally, I got to do some really cool things. I got to attend the White House Correspondent's Dinner in Washington, DC where I was in the same room as the President of the United States and hundreds of famous people. I also got a chance to meet Gerry McNamara, who to me exemplifies leadership in an athlete, and last week I got a chance to play "PIG" against Kris Joseph when he visited Stonehedge Elementary School. (I actually played well enough that he felt that he had to dunk on me to win!)

Our Lady Wildcats fought hard over the weekend and came up just shy of a trip to the state lacrosse championship. They battled through two overtimes and lost in what is called "sudden victory", which is the new politically correct term for "sudden death". The loss didn't bother me and shouldn't bother you either. We are in a culture where sports is all about winning, and you aren't going to find a more competitive person than me. However, this particular group of young women demonstrated character, poise, and drive during this entire season. The senior leadership was unbelievable, and they will be ready for whatever challenges life gives to them.

Graduation was a very special event as well. I personally enjoyed myself more this year than last year because I had a relationship with many more students than last year so it was nice to know the students who I was shaking hands with. Congratulations to our graduates!

Exams, field days, exams, and more exams! Have a great week.

Last Day of Classes

2010-06-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

I have to tip my hat to the staff and students at the high school for what was the smoothest last day of classes that I have had in 10 years. I appreciate the respect that the students have shown this year, and I am looking forward to graduation this weekend where I get to shake their hands, look them in the eyes ,and congratulate them on jobs well done.

The Girls Lacrosse Team is in Cortland this morning to compete for a chance to play in the New York State Lacrosse Championship game tomorrow. Best of luck to our Lady Wildcats! I will have Twitter updates tomorrow morning if they are fortunate enough to play in the championship game.

Graduation rehearsal is later this morning and I am pleased to report that it appears that we will have a higher percentage of students graduating than we have had in the past. Thanks to our at-risk program and counseling, we also have some students graduating this year who "dropped out" as far back as two years ago who decided to give it a go and get their high school diploma. Congratulations!

Next week I will update you about recent news from the State. Aside from the State budget fiasco, the State Education Department, under the watchful eyes of a skeleton staff, is poised to make some major changes to testing and scoring. I want to do some additional research before I give my "official" opinion, but the way it looks we could see some of the biggest changes since the "Regents Action Plan" of the early 1990's.

That is too deep a topic for now though. Today is for getting around to buildings, attending graduation rehearsal, and playing SU Basketball star Kris Joseph in a game of PIG later in the day. I hope I can still hit a jumper in my suit!

Have a great weekend.

Chris

The Bizarre and Unexpected

2010-06-04T03:37:00.000-07:00

This is the time of the year when our kids might do some squirrely things. Final exams, oncoming summer jobs, the possibility of summer school for some, graduation, and just plain work load can stress kids out. Don't be surprised if your child chooses the next few weeks to show you a different side. Managing this can be equally difficult for parents and staff alike. The best advice I can give is to take a deep breath, assess the behavior, deliver a firm, fair, and consistent consequence, and move on. My experiences tell me that making more of these types of goofy situations, make future goofy situations worse. You can also encourage your child to get sleep, eat well, and try to exercise, even if it means walking the dog around the block. In 17 years of being in this business, I can honestly say that I have always seen some new situation arise during this time of the year!

This weekend will be incredibly busy. The music awards will be held on Friday night, boys and girls lacrosse as well as boys golf all square off this weekend, and I wish them the best of luck.

Have a great weekend and talk to you next week.

Busy Week!

2010-06-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

First let me say a few words about Kaleidoscope: excellent, awesome, fantastic!

I will now say a few words about Memorial Weekend: thank you to our veterans and active personnel for allowing us to have the weekend that we had.

This week is mega-busy. We have concerts, awards assemblies, retirement gatherings and Sectional play. The just released Sectional schedule is below (everything else is on our main calendar):

Tuesday @Cortland State - Girls Lacrosse vs FM 4:00 p.m. (Finals)
Tuesday @ CNS - Boys Lacrosse vs Liverpool 5:00 p.m. (Semifinals)
Wednesday @ Hopkins Road Field - Girls Softball vs Liverpool 5:00 p.m. (Semifinals)
Thursday @CNS - Boys/Girls Track State Qualifier 4:00 p.m.
June 5-7 @ Cornell - Boys Golf States (Luke Smith and Connor Salanger)
Saturday @ West Genesee Turf Field - Girls Lacrosse Regionals 3:00/5:00/7:00 p.m. (if we win on Tuesday we will play at home on Saturday)

I will update what I can, when I can, on Twitter. Unfortunately, I have conflicts each day but that is what this time of the year is like.

I will update again on Friday. Fasten your seat belts!

Chris

Almost There

2010-05-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has lived in Syracuse for any length of time knows enough not to complain about the weather being too hot. That being said, it has been a challenge for students and staff in a few of our buildings to beat the heat these past few days. We are not running a "Sweating Off the Pounds" program in case anyone asks you.

I recently finished signing all of the diplomas for graduation. I sign all of them in the hopes that all of our seniors will graduate in June. The process of signing diplomas takes about 6 hours. People ask why I don't just use a stamp and save the time. Providing a personal signature on every document I sign, including diplomas, to me is a non-negotiable. Our children have spent 13 years getting to the stage in June and the last thing I want to give them as a memento is a piece of paper with a rubber stamp signature. I just looked at my diploma from 1989 the other day and my Superintendent did the exact same thing; I just didn't know who he was ;>).

Stan Davis came and spoke to our staff, students, and community about bullying. I found his presentation to be very helpful. He introduced new research that will help us to depart from many of the things that we have tried as school leaders over the years that have simply not worked.

As we form our committee to refocus our efforts and develop a new direction for our District, we will apply some of his techniques including involving students in the process (at all levels), increasing communication with the home, finding ways to hold parents more accountable for the behavior of their children, teaching strategies to children so they have a better understanding of when something should and shouldn't be brought to the attention of an adult. I am pretty excited to move in this direction and I am hopeful that we will be a better District in this regard when our project is completed.

I am really excited for Kaleidoscope this evening. What a great way to see all of our Fine Arts talent in one location! Good luck to all of our sports teams that have entered Sectional play and have a wonderful weekend capped off with a great parade on Monday.

Chris

Recharge

2010-05-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

If you have been following my Twitter feeds at (http://www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd), you have seen that I finally got the camera on my phone working and able to upload pictures! This has been a blast.

From the Senior Ball (which was elegant), to the after-party (thanks to all of the parent volunteers), through the budget vote, the various concerts this week, several games, and the Special Olympics, you can see that we have our children involved in a lot of very worthwhile activities. As I get better with the camera, I will certainly share more pictures. The pictures from the Ball for example, had over 500 views in the first 2 hours that they were posted. Amazing.

Speaking of amazing, thank you once again for your overwhelming support on the budget. We had close to a 75% pass rate which really exemplifies the trust that the community has in our school District. I certainly respect that trust and will do everything in my power to keep it.

I am hoping to enjoy a beautiful weekend watching my youngest play AAU basketball, and I plan to attend the opening of the aqueduct in Camillus if I can rally and shake this cold that seemingly will not go away!

Enjoy your weekend and I will post again next week.

Chris

Senior Ball

2010-05-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of things happening lately and sharing them all would be something that I could probably bind and publish. The long and short of it is that we are now 29 days away from graduation. Advanced Placement Exams, Grades 3-8 Assessments, and benchmarking are all in full swing. Spring sports are well underway and just about all of our teams are performing very well. It is always a pleasure to watch the joy that success brings.

We also held the Honors Dinner at the high school, have held many concerts, and are preparing for Kaleidoscope and a Blue Ribbon School Celebration.

We have done all of this while elected officials bicker over sales tax, the Governor furloughs workers and holds back State Aid, and 5,000 gallons of oil spill into the Gulf each day. We are handling our business.

Today we held a simulated DWI crash at the high school. Words cannot express my gratitude to the many emergency volunteers, students, staff, Town Board and School Board members who participated in this very important activity. Part of being a teenager is making poor decisions, learning from them, and moving on. Drinking and driving, or getting into a car with someone who has been drinking, is a poor decision that just cannot be made. With the Senior Ball tonight and graduation right around the corner, please help me help our children to make the right decision.

Speaking of the Senior Ball, I am very excited to be attending this evening. I have a beautiful date who has attended 17 dances with me going right back to before we were even married. The dance and the All-Night Party at the high school should be a great time. Thanks to all of the parents and companies that have donated time, food, and prizes for this event.

On a very positive note, I had the pleasure of attending the Senior Breakfast with one of our students with special needs. I asked her about her dress and if she was looking forward to attending the dance. She is very excited. I then asked if I could get my picture taken with her, and she told me that I had to ask her boyfriend first!

I also got to meet a senior who will be the first in her family to receive a High School Diploma. How could my day end on a more positive note than that?

Have a great weekend-

Chris

Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Time to give thanks to all of the moms. Speaking for myself, I would say that my mom is a very special person, and I probably wouldn't be where I am today if it was not for her guidance and up-bringing. Thanks mom!

On another note, we are happy to announce that West Genesee has once again been named "One of the Best Music Communities in the Nation". Congratulations to Mr. Davern and all of his staff for providing our children with quality music programs.

If you have been keeping track of the sales tax situation, our sales tax revenue will be trimmed over the next few years. This is not ideal but is certainly better than receiving nothing; which is how the proposal started. We will manage our budget and slowly trim it down to reflect the change in revenue over the next couple of years.

Enjoy the weekend. Next week is the Honors Dinner and then the Senior Ball!

Chris

Did You Know That Our Varsity Softball Team is 7-0!

2010-04-30T07:30:00.000-07:00

As we count down the days until the budget vote, which will lead us quickly to graduation, it is time to reflect on all of the great things that are happening. For starters we have plenty of people signed up to help us re-vamp our anti-bullying program(s) into one K-12 message and to brainstorm ways to help lessen the bullying that is happening.

While it is very clear that the majority of bullying is happening on the Internet and cell phones, we are developing some strategies to involve parents more to help make them aware of what their children are doing and give them skills to help their children to make better choices when they choose to bully. I am excited that we will develop something powerful and pertinent.

The Junior Prom is this weekend also and our attendees are a excited as ever. Please keep an extra thought in your head that all of our attendees make good choices and get to and from the Prom safely.

We are also pleased with our Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Camillus-NY/West-Genesee-Central-School-District/358918496938?ref=ts. We get more followers each day, and it is a great place to get information about the school. Check it out.

Before I get back to budget work, I wanted to let you know that I am going to start a new segment on Twitter called "Did You Know". It will be the first tweet that I send each day and will include a fun fact about something in the District.

All for now. Enjoy what is looking like a very nice weekend.

Chris

Some Thoughts Before Break

2010-04-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

I wanted to send you into the break week with a few deep thoughts and maybe a few shallow ones as well. This post is lengthy, so don't tell my former English Teachers at Westhill or St. Ann's that I can actually write. Thank you.

1. DWI Simulated Crash: On May 14 at 7:30 a.m., we will be holding a DWI simulated crash in the grass stadium at the high school. This will be similar to what we did last year with the seniors, except we are going to add the juniors so that we can do this exercise every other year instead of every year. More details will follow but this important exercise was beneficial last year, and I expect much of the same for this year. Anything we can do to remind our students not to drink and drive is time well spent in my book. We will have a section for parents and community members if you would like to see our community volunteers and school officials at work.

2. Anti-Bullying Task Force: Recently a girl in Massachusetts was "Facebook-ed" to death by her peers. When Channel 3 asked me what we do as far as anti-bullying efforts, I was quite embarrassed to tell them that we have over 30 programs K-12 but yet bullying remains. I have always believed, and still believe, that teaching kids not to bully starts at the dinner table and ends at their school desk.

When I sat back and looked at all of the programs that we have (many at substantial cost), it got me thinking that we need to assemble a group of people to review what we do have and refocus the message with one strong program and one strong message that we can use K-12 and in the community. I am assembling a "task force" consisting of Board members, administrators, teachers, support staff, students, and parents to help evaluate what we currently have as tools, which tools are best, and how to shape policy to reflect our changing times and our desire to curb bullying. I hope to have something to bring to the Board by the early Fall.

As a kick off to this task force, Stan Davis and recognized name in Anti-Bullying practices will be holding workshops for administrators, staff, students, and the community on May 24-25. I encourage you to participate if you can. More information will follow on our web site http://www.westgenesee.org/.

3. The Big Picture: As many of you know I was able to have a closed door meeting with the Commissioner of Education. This meeting was held with only a small handful other Superintendent's present. Media and photos were not allowed. We spent about an hour and twenty minutes just talking about education. I listened intently, asked a few questions but walked away figuring that much of what was said was going nowhere.

Shortly after the meeting I received a "field-memo" from the Board of Regents explaining proposed changes to the New York State Education system. Most of these changes were things that the Commissioner discussed at the meeting. In my experience if something makes it to a field memo it pretty much is going to happen in some way, shape, or form.

Essentially he told us to prepare to accommodate "nontraditional methods for program completion." These methods include credit recovery (NovaNet), independent study for up to 3 elective credits, credit accrual (no seat time necessary to complete a course but some type of test, etc...), shorter assessments, more computer based assessments, allowing students to graduate as soon as they have completed 22 units of study, virtual schools, and flexibility of certifications (especially in Special Education and Middle Schools). He gave no time line for any of the items but the English 11 Regents exam scheduled for January 2011 will be a day shorter, so I think they mean business.

Should all of these ideas actually be implemented, it is going to change education in New York State in an exciting way. In the hands of irresponsible leaders these changes are dangerous tools to lower standards and push students through the system. I intend to use these tools to help those learners who struggle or who need a different way to complete without sacrificing the high standards that we have for student success.

The high school is experiencing this challenge already with the use of NovaNet. Fortunately they had a good plan when implementation began and they are now making changes as new situations arise. My suggestion to all of us is to be think proactively on the other items that the Commissioner would like to implement, and to create practices, policies, and programs before we are directed to do so. It never hurts to be a PILOT school.

4. If you are one of the 400,000 million people on Facebook, we have a new Facebook fan page. It is a pass through for information about the school and events, and it is another great way to stay connected to the school. You can reach the page by going to http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Camillus-NY/West-Genesee-Central-School-District/358918496938?ref=mf .

5. The fight continues to keep our portion of the sales tax from the county. Right now the two proposals call for a 75/25 split between the county and city (nothing to the schools) or a three year phase out to schools. I hope that they choose the phase out if they only have the two choices. Enough said.

Thanks and have a safe and enjoyable break.

Chris

If You Don't Stand for Something, You Stand for Nothing

2010-04-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

As we read the papers and watch television lately we are innudated with all of the negative news surrounding school budgets. Each story tells a tale about the philosophy and leadership styles of each of our communities in the county. One theme holds true for us and all of our neighbors, though, and that is the goal of reducing budgets while having the least impact on students.

In some schools such as ours, the reductions will not impact student programs and services to a great extent next year. In other districts this is just not possible. It should be understood that as school leaders we do not wake up in the morning and think of ways to reduce programs and staff. As school leaders we are charged with guiding our schools through good times and bad, and this is one of those bad times.

While you as a reader may not care what toll these decisions are taking on the people making them, I can assure you that the stress caused is incredibly significant. Whatever opinion one might have about a school leader in any given community, we are still human beings. My hope is that as things begin to turn around, the stress level will decrease.

Many of you have also read about contracts being re-opened or contracts being negotiated with staff to try and save money. The same will hold for me as well. I intend to walk-the-walk, and I promised my groups that I would not accept a percentage raise greater than what any of our groups are getting. At the end of the day, it is the Board of Education that decides my compensation, but they understand my feelings.

I was taught long ago that leading by example is more powerful than anything I could say. I will continue to lead by example.

I will be attending another meeting regarding sales tax, and I will make sure to update you as soon as I return. This issue is significant and will affect us in a very negative way if we cannot retain some portion of what we have been receiving from the county. Your calls and e-mails to legislators about this issue are helpful and have had an impact. Thank you.

Chris

Up to Date

2010-04-01T11:39:00.001-07:00

Another busy stretch will hopefully be rewarded by a long weekend. This week we dealt with county Sales Tax meetings, withholdings in State Aid until June (hopefully) and another late State budget. All things we are equipped to deal with, but did you see the word student mentioned anywhere? Didn't think so.

On the positive side we enjoyed a great Art Show, Parade of Champions, National Honor Society induction, and hosted a cool technology forum attended by many schools from around the area. Not bad for a week's work

I am going to charge the batteries this weekend, and I hope that you are able to do the same. Talk to you on the flip side.

Chris

Celebrating our Successes and Our Diversity

2010-03-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

This week I had the privilege to help induct 141 members into the National Honor Society. This is not something that the students win but rather something that the students are selected for. Academics are part of the equation, but more importantly are service and leadership. I always challenge students to reach out in the community and find ways to lead and serve in a volunteer capacity. When I write college recommendations for students, it is always a pleasure to write them for students who are well rounded and have the "whole package". Congratulations inductees.

This weekend will also be special because it is time for our Second Annual Culture Fair at the high school. If you attend the event on Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., you will see the members of our community celebrating their culture throughout the large gathering areas in the building. We anticipate over 40 different cultures to be represented, and this event is something that we are very proud of and hope to continue into the future.

On Monday we will be celebrating the successes of our athletes by holding what we call the Parade of Champions. We will be honoring athletes from Boys Hockey, Boys Swimming, Indoor Track, Cheerleading, and Boys Golf. More information is available from our home page, and we are excited to be able to honor the achievements of our athletes.

We are still moving forward with our budget. We feel that we have planned accordingly for the economic year that lies ahead. You may read about money being restored by the Assembly or other officials, but I would not get too excited. Their efforts are appreciated, but we should all recognize that there is not enough money available for us to restore anything. Any money that they are able to secure for the schools will prevent us from having to make deeper cuts for next year.

I have been asked by elected officials, students, and community members to weigh in on the "Wastebed 13" issue that could affect approximately 144 parcels in our District. I think by now, from the what seems like hundreds of times that I am on TV or in the paper giving opinions or statements, that you know I will give an opinion when I can. I am collecting information from all parties on the "Wastebed 13" issue, and for what it is worth (because I really don't think my opinion matters much on this issue) the best statement I could make at this time is that if it were ever to be proved that chemicals encapsulated in "Wastebed 13" harm living things or negatively affect property values, I would not be in support of the project. Like many other community issues, I will stay plugged in.

At this point we are beginning to shape the rest of the school year. There is a lot going on and if you blink you will miss something. If you want to stay connected and up-to-date, the best way would be to follow me on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/cbrownwgcsd), this blog, or our monthly newsletter.

See you around.

Chris

Budget and Other Updates

2010-03-18T12:21:00.001-07:00

I have been off the grid for about a week trying to finish the budget and deal with some things happening around the school. Since I last posted we experienced the tragic loss of a first-grade student, Sarah Peek. She was a wonderful little girl and shared her short life with us which made an impact on us that will be with us forever.

We also experienced some great athletic successes. First, our cheerleaders won a national tournament in Ohio. Second, our hockey team not only who the New York State Championship, they also won the New York State Scholar Athlete Award; a very challenging award to receive (the entire team has to have a grade point average greater than 90%; they had a grade point average of 95+%).

We also recognized several of our students as National Merit Scholar finalists as well, which we were very proud of.

Building the budget has been quite a challenge. I am sure that by now you have seen that our faculty and staff have been incredibly cooperative in trying to help us bridge the budget gap. Because of their efforts in negotiations, we had to lay off 16 people for next year instead of 40-50. This being said, I completely understand that unemployment in our community is nearing 10% and that we need to deliver a tax levy that is manageable in these challenging times.

As a result, we are also looking at cost cutting measures through sharing transportation services, regionalization of transportation, maximizing what state aid is left, and considering other programs.

As we watch situations in other District's unfold, we can count our blessings that we were in a position to get out ahead on the budget, we made our tough choices, and we can now move forward with a reasonably normal rest of the school year.

An item that could be problematic in the 2011-2012 budget revolves around sales tax. The County has proposed to no longer give school District's a percentage of the sales tax revenues that we receive. If this actually happens, our loss will be about $1.2M for the 2011-2012 school year. I was recently misquoted in the news regarding this. I was quoted as saying that we would pass this increase along to taxpayers. This is not true.

If we were to lose $1.2M in sales tax, we are down to a few options; one of them being to pass it through to the taxpayers. The other options, since was have already renegotiated contracts at a lower percentage, increased class size, and cut staff, are to take a look at reducing offerings in athletics, fine arts, extra-curricular activities, and Advanced Placement courses. Again, these decisions will have to be made next year as we look forward to the 2011-2012 budget if we do not receive sales tax revenue as we have in the past. My guess is that the solution will incorporate a combination of everything that I listed above. They will all be tough but necessary decisions.

The entire budget presentation is on our web site from the home page and a video recording of the budget will be available shortly.

Good times!

-Chris

Making the Most of It

2010-03-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

I know that we always say that a community is only as strong as its school. However, you cannot really appreciate all that we have until you live through an experience like we did recently with the loss of a student and we watch in awe as hundreds of students, community members, staff, and emergency personnel come together to help a family in need. Sarah Peek touched all of our lives and will be missed. At the service, the pastor mentioned that while she may not be here with us, "the show must go on" and memories of her will always be in our hearts. True. Rest in Peace.

I am in a job that requires the constant switching of mental gears. Along with the sorrow that we are feeling we are also feeling excitement and growth. As I am sure you have read, our teachers have worked closely with the District to find a way to save as many jobs as possible as we move through some tough times. Other District bargaining groups are following in their foot-steps and we are most thankful for their efforts as well. Our budget is coming together. We are still watching our Kindergarten numbers closely, however. Our registrations are a bit lower than planned and this may cause some additional adjustments to staffing.

If you are reading the paper or watching the news you are also probably wondering about what is happening with the County Sales Tax and with the possible elimination of some Regents Exams. If this was my first or second year I would be stressed to the max. Experience tells me that both are posturing moves and pure old-fashioned negotiations. I am studying both issues closely and will be able to comment more in the upcoming weeks on how they will really affect our District and our children.

Congratulations to our Cheerleaders. They won a National competition over the weekend in Ohio. Congratulations also to the Indoor Track team. Several runners placed very well in State competition. Probably the best source for specific information would be http://www.wgrunners.com.

Lastly, not only is our Hockey team playing for a possible State title this weekend, but we just learned that the team received the 2010 Scholar Team Athletic Award (entire team has an academic average of 90% or higher). The last West Genesee team to win this amazing award was the Bowling team in 2001. Much more will be made of this after the team tries to bring us the State title this weekend in Utica. Good luck!

Chris

Sad News

2010-03-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that Sarah Peek, a first grader at East Hill Elementary School, passed away this afternoon from a medical condition. I will always remember Sarah as a courageous youngster with a heart of pure gold. Her pink backpack and big smile will never leave my mind.

We will have counselors at East Hill tomorrow beginning at 8:15 a.m. to help our faculty, students, parents, and emergency personnel try to work through this tragic loss.

It is times like these when we need each other more than ever.

Thank you,
Chris

He Shoots, He Scores!

2010-02-28T15:34:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the West Genesee Wildcat Hockey team for commanding the title Section Champions. Hockey is a game of superstition so I will just leave it at that and wish them well in the first round of state level play this weekend.

Kudos also to our swimmers who made the trip to Buffalo to compete in state competition. While some school and state records were broken, we came up just short of a win. I am incredibly proud of the effort and want the swim team to know that it takes me approximately five minutes to get from one end of the pool to the other!

I also want to thank some people who don't play a sport but as a result of their efforts we will be able to keep what we know as West Genesee intact; the teachers. We met informally with the teachers regarding their contract for the next couple of years. They were cooperative and willing to work with us and presented a contract that includes a lot less in compensation in order to save staff. Anyone with a pulse knows that the state economy is in a recession, and we all also know that in the public sector larger percentage raises are the norm when compared to the private sector. The teachers went against their own state level organization in settling with us quickly and for an amount that will allow us to save dollars and staff. This move will allow us to refrain from digging as deep into staff in order to balance the budget. This agreement is unprecedented for the area and will be approved by the Board of Education on Wednesday evening. We are currently working with other bargaining units within the District to help us to continue to walk-the-walk. Thank you!

I will be presenting the first run of the budget on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the high school library. If you cannot make it don't worry, I will have a video on our web site shortly, as well as all of the print materials regarding the budget.

A question that I have been asked a few times concerns the outdoor lights being on at the turf stadium at the high school. Our turf is our emergency evacuation site for our high school students. We need to keep it plowed and ready in case we need it. After the big storm our crew stayed late a few nights to clear it off instead of coming in for overtime on a weekend. We will also have Spring sports coming up, and you might see the lights on a few nights per week until daylight savings time changes again. Please keep in mind that our energy consumption is down 11% so far this year from last. We recognize that every little bit helps.

On Wednesday during the day I am going to have the unique opportunity to talk about Twitter and Blogging via a web cam and broadcasting software to about 300 members of the New Jersey School Boards Association. Board members nationwide are recognizing the need for transparency in communication and it will be fun to help them to see the power of using this vehicle to get information out to the public.

All for now. Check back this week because I am going to try and make my posts a little more frequent and a little shorter moving forward through the Spring.

Chris

Back in Action

2010-02-21T15:46:00.001-08:00

I hope that everyone had a restful week. Contrary to popular belief, Superintendents do not get school vacations off, but I did get a chance to travel to NYC the first weekend of break to visit some family. I spent most of the week working on the budget with Mr. Pelton as we prepare for our first public presentation on March 3. I also had some time to organize files and get everything prepared for what is usually for busiest week in February; the week after break.

I am also very proud of the boys Hockey team as they begin to advance through the Sectional process. They are not only showing that they are talented players, but that they are quality young men. Their character shows on the ice and off the ice when they are conducting community service or meeting as a team at a local eatery once a week. Through hard work, dedication, and a fire inside, I feel strongly that these athletes will make a name for themselves in the upcoming weeks.

Several of our Swim team members are also finding success through hard work, character, and determination. A great story about their success can be found here: http://highschoolsports.syracuse.com/news/article/-6951826110020704560/west-genesee-at-state-swimming-qualifier

Over the weekend I got a chance to attend the outdoor Crunch game and I thought it was fantastic. Jets flying over, a parachute guy landing at center ice, a classic hockey fight, and a goal all happened in the first five minutes of the game. Any hint of feeling bad for myself because of what has been written about me over the past week eroded as well when Governor Patterson was welcomed by the "boo birds". I was definitely glad that my family and I were fortunate enough to be a part of history.

There will be a lot going on for us in the next couple of weeks, and I will keep you posted. CYBA should resume play, arrests will be made, contracts are being negotiated, schedules will begin to be developed, the Commissioner of Education will ask all of us to consolidate or disband services, the Governor's budget will be updated, academic awards and college acceptance letters will begin to flow more freely, and Spring sports will begin. Wow. Stay tuned!

Chris

CYBA Update

2010-02-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

I met with the Chief of Police, Town Supervisor, and the leaders of the Camillus Youth Basketball Association (CYBA) Basketball Program this morning to discuss how the CYBA program can resume the season. After much discussion, I am comfortable allowing the program to use our facilities beginning February 22.

CYBA officials will be providing a zero tolerance statement before the remaining games, will have CYBA "Board" members in attendance at the remaining games, and will provide security/police presence the entire day of the CYBA Championships. CYBA officials will reach out to their parents and coaches before February 22 to let them know about their adjusted schedules, etc...

Anyone not arrested or involved in the incident on Monday, February 8, will be allowed into our facilities as the season comes to a conclusion, and it is my hope that the program is able to return to our facilities next Winter stronger and safer.

Chris

Rising Above It All...

2010-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Good Morning-

Yesterday began with an investigation into a fight that erupted at WGMS during a high school level Camillus Youth Basketball Association (CYBA) game. I was disgusted and disappointed to learn that many people were fighting at one time (coaches, players, and parents) and several law enforcement officials had to be used to get the regain order. We had to provide counseling to a few youngsters who sat helpless in the stands and who were afraid to come to school the next day. Again, a complete disappointment.

While not a school function or activity, CYBA involves people from our community, and I am sickened by the behavior that occurred. The Camillus Police are working hard to determine how many people will be arrested and the types of charges that will be filed. Because I am not convinced that this was an isolated incident I have asked the Town of Camillus to suspend all CYBA activity at all levels immediately until I am confident that the season can be completed safely. I intend to meet with representatives from CYBA over break to try and determine if this season can be completed safely and what mandatory changes will need to be made for next year if the program is to continue in our facilities.

On another more positive note it has been nice to get into classrooms, and I want to publicly thank maintenance for completing all of the Promethean Board installs. They can now go to their "punch list" and repair damaged units and fix some of the odd problems that we are having with a few of the boards. We are fortunate to have them on our side!

The rest of the week will be budget building, negotiations, building visits, and hopefully final layoff notifications (instructional staff, non-instructional layoff notifications have been completed). I hope to end the week with hair left to recede.

Finally and so I don't accidentally miss a good news event (when I mentioned swimming and hockey having success in a previous post I was informed that our cheerleaders won Sectionals...my apologies) I am going to create a new e-mail address where people can e-mail their good news, and I can then collect it and get it out to you without omissions. We never want to miss good news!

See you soon and thanks for rising above it all..

Chris

It's Been a Hard Days Night

2010-02-04T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am used to long hours, but this week has pushed even my limits! Three or four days in a row of 16-plus hours can make you loopy. We are really trying to get our budget built as quickly and as efficiently as possible and that has taken a tremendous amount of brain power from our top administration and union officials. This has been happening along with all of the other day-to-day events, happenings, issues, and challenges that come with running a school system that is the size of a small city. I am confident that the result of our work will place us in the top 1% of schools, governments, and organizations that "do the right thing" during challenging economic times.

As a side topic that is somewhat budget related, I would like to address our Board policy concerning solicitations. Basically we do not accept solicitations from businesses or outside organizations that are "for profit". This does not mean that we do not have relationships with many of our local businesses; in fact we have developed some great partnerships. These organizations create scholarships for students, donate money and food to our booster organizations, and help us celebrate our successes. Education Law is very strict about businesses advertising in schools and as such we need to continue to work our relationships through our boosters and through scholarships.

A great example is a recent fund-raiser being conducted by our sports boosters with the help of Applebee’s to provide the District with an updated sound system. Our Sports Boosters will be providing information regarding an evening where the restaurant will donate 10% of their profits to the Boosters to be donated to the school for use to purchase a new sound system for our gym. You won't see the company name in future publications, but they will still be able to help us and we as patrons will be able to help them all the same.

I think that everyone knows that we work very closely with the Camillus Police and that I like to communicate through this blog and Twitter. Well, the Camillus Police Department (CPD) is stepping into the digital age to inform the community as well through a web site called http://www.nixle.com. It is free to police departments and government agencies and is a great way to keep up to date with the happenings of the CPD. I am exploring it's use for the District along with Twitter as another layer of information for people who like to be in the "know".

Our students have celebrated many successes lately so please keep up with their experiences at http://www.westgenesee.org/. I am looking forward to Mame this weekend, the Special Olympics, and the Legislative Breakfast that will be held at our high school on Saturday.

Enjoy the weekend and I will post again next week.

Chris