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YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT ITS NOVEMBER 15, 2007 MEETING: SAVE THESE DATES:
BUSINESS Meeting convened by Vice President Jay Breakstone; Minutes of October 18, 2007 meeting approved; Treasurer’s Report for October 2007 accepted for filing. Mr. Breakstone noted the passing of Howard Bergtraum, husband of Immediate Past-President Susan Bergtraum. Acknowledging the gratitude board members owe our families for the support and sacrifice that enable us to fulfill our roles, and noting that within the past four months four former N-SSBA Presidents have lost their spouses, he called for a moment to think of them and reflect on their loss: Harris Dinkoff’s wife Arline, Bruce Brodsky’s wife Barbara, Steve Witt’s wife Greta and Susan Bergtraum's husband Howard. N-SSBA IN ACTION – > President Jim Kaden invited for second appearance to provide testimony to Governor Spitzer’s Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness; emphasizes N-SSBA’s position that decision to merge districts should remain with the voters in the affected communities; repeats N-SSBA’s opposition to holding all special district elections on the Universal School Budget Vote Day; reports on N-SSBA/NCCSS/SCSSA’s conference to share and promote innovative collaborations among schools, villages, towns and counties; cites N-SSBA service on Suffolk County School Superintendents Association Task Force on Government Efficiencies, Suffolk County Legislature’s Commission to Evaluate School District Expenses and Efficiencies, and Suffolk County Shared Services Initiative with County Executive Steve Levy; notes N-SSBA’s outreach to Long Island foundations, universities, colleges, service organizations and business partnerships; calls upon the State to do its part by relieving the burden of unfunded mandates; and cautions against counties acting to transfer costs for special education pre-school services from their broader revenue stream onto the narrower and overburdened school property tax. > Suffolk County Legislature’s Commission to Evaluate School District Expenses and Efficiencies meets to work on the final draft of its report advised President Kaden who represents school boards on the Commission. > Long Island Education Coalition meets with Long Island Association President Matthew Crosson to link Long Island education and business communities in 2008 state aid advocacy reported N-SSBA’s LIEC Co-Chair Judith Chen; emphasis on need for Long Island to be united on this issue; Mr. Crosson, SCSSA representative Gary Bixhorn, and NCCSS representative Dr. William Johnson to prepare LIEC/LIA position statement. > N-SSBA takes opportunity at Long Island Education Coalition meeting with Regent Tilles to criticize the Regents’ State Aid Proposal as insufficient to meet the needs of Long Island schools, reported Lorraine Deller, citing lack of recognition of the high tax burden placed on Long Island property taxpayers; failure of the Regents to call for the separating Special Education Public Excess Cost Aid from the Foundation Formula; reducing minimum annual increase in Foundation Aid from 3 to 2 percent; and creating the potential of additional districts that would be “flat-lined” through placement into save harmless limbo. > N-SSBA meets with Congressman Timothy Bishop to convey N-SSBA, NYSSBA and NSBA input into House of Representative deliberations on reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, reported Lorraine Deller who serves on Congressman Bishop’s Education Advisory Board. > Planning Committee of N-SSBA, NCCSS and SCSSA meets to finalize plans for Joint Conference featuring Alfie Kohn “The Deadly Effects of ‘Tougher Standards’ – Challenging High Stakes Testing and Other Impediments to Learning” reported Lorraine Deller; noting that this controversial speaker and his equally controversial topic is expected to draw a large audience and that special arrangements have been made with Nassau and Suffolk PTAs to register PTA members for the event. > N-SSBA’s Executive Director Lorraine Deller attends conference sponsored by the Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET) “Public School Construction in Suffolk County – What You Need to Know”; alerts Executive Committee to concern re legislation passed in both houses that contains a criminal penalty for designated school personnel who neglect to verify all payroll stubs on school construction projects; reports however that NYSSBA has worked with Senator Flanagan and Assemblyman Alessi to draft Chapter Amendment that deletes this requirement from the legislation; current status is “passed in Senate, awaiting passage in Assembly prior accompanying Bill to the governor’s desk for signature”. > N-SSBA’s Executive Director Lorraine Deller invited to join Islip Town School Boards Association meeting with Suffolk Transportation Service to tour facilities, view new school bus emissions systems and discuss recent legislative and regulatory issues. > N-SSBA’s Executive Director Lorraine Deller invited to attend LI Works 5th Annual Workforce Builders Luncheon; reports that LI Works has partnered with Ford Motor Company Fund/Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies to create Career Academies within Long Island’s school districts, further fulfilling its mission to strengthen Long Island’s future workforce and retain Long Island’s highly educated graduates through school-business partnerships. > N-SSBA, Nassau PTA and NCCSS meet to plan jointly sponsored annual Legislative Advocacy Information Workshop for Nassau County Schools reported Secretary/Treasurer Mary Jo O’Hagan. Date is Friday, February 8th, 9:30 a.m. at Salisbury Center, Westbury (snow date February 15th) > Executive Director Lorraine Deller and Executive Committee members Martin Kaye, Maryanne Lehrer and Robert Lupinskie report on County Executive Suozzi’s gathering of individual school board members, superintendents, business officials and PTA members to inform them of the status of study being done by the Center for Governmental Research, the firm contracted by him to advise on savings to be gained by consolidation of various school district services and operations; noted that CGR representative who met with N-SSBA Officers to obtain input has now been replaced; noted the February release date of the report coincides with the start of school budget public engagement activity and that concerns have surfaced as to its potential impact on this highly sensitive process. LEGISLATION COMMITTEE – NYSSBA CONVENTION > Legislation Committee Chair Fran Greenspan and Vice Chair Martin Kaye review NYSSBA Business Meeting, noting its conclusion in record time and passage of following resolutions submitted by Long Island boards: Repeal Automatic Salary Increments Under Triborough (Bayport/Blue Point); Principles of Teacher Discipline Reform (Nassau BOCES); Regents Exam Results (Hewlett-Woodmere); Opposition to Charter Schools (Patchogue-Medford); School District Residency Determination (Valley Stream CHSD). > NYSSBA Convention receives overall favorable assessment, but renewed criticism of over-crowded break-out rooms and overlapping scheduling of Friday afternoon events. NYSSBA Area 12 Director Fred Langstaff to convey concerns to NYSSBA > Council of Local School Boards Association holds traditional NYSSBA Convention meeting with NYSSBA staff; agrees to re-establish an annual meeting with SED staff; Lorraine Deller completes term on COLSBA Steering Committee. > NSBA Federal Relations Network gears up for annual advocacy meeting in D.C. reported NYSSBA Area 12 Fred Langstaff; noting that approximately 15 Nassau and Suffolk board members have been assigned to meet with Long Island’s Congressional Representatives. SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATIONS > Nassau County Council of School Superintendents expresses concern on inadequacy of Regents State Aid proposal reported NCCSS representative Dr. Richard March. > Suffolk County School Superintendents Association meets with Governor’s Deputy Secretary Manuel Rivera and presents draft report on “2007-08 Suffolk County School Funding Facts: Foundation Aid & High Tax Aid” reported SCSSA Liaison Gary Bixhorn. > SCSSA to again sponsor Legislative Advocacy Workshop for boards, superintendents and PTA members on Saturday, January 5th announced Gary Bixhorn. OTHER SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS > WLIW/WNET “In Celebration of Teaching and Learning” expo has undergone a name change reported WLIW/ITV Liaison Maryanne Lehrer; advising that henceforth it will be called “Teaching and Learning Celebration” and will take place at the New York Hilton March 7-8. > R.E.F.I.T. to meet with Legislative staff in Albany on November 27th advised R.E.F.I.T. Liaison Ronald Ellerbe |
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