City of Binghamton School District

[ginger]

They are asking for a 5.31% increase in the school budget.

The answer is no. Out of 647 NYS school districts we ranked 608 with an English Language proficiency rate of 24%. The math numbers were not available or applicable. I expect they are equally dismal.

Dismal and unacceptable. Clearly, throwing money at you is not generating successful, or, at the very least, improving proficiencies. You are wasting tax payer money and our students time.

NO INCREASES UNTIL THE READING PROFICIENCY IS AT MINIMUM, 50%.

https://www.syracuse.com/hslife/2022/11/new-york-school-districts-ranked-from-1-to-646-based-on-new-test-scores-in-math-ela.html

 

[The West Sider]

Maybe you can be a literacy volunteer at one of the schools.

[Solak Supporter]

9 minutes ago, The West Sider said:

Maybe you can be a literacy volunteer at one of the schools.

Maybe she could if she didn’t have to spend so much time working to pay outrageous taxes.

[The West Sider]

1 hour ago, Solak Supporter said:

Maybe she could if she didn’t have to spend so much time working to pay outrageous taxes.

So why not share her/your solution?

[Solak Supporter]

4 hours ago, The West Sider said:

So why not share her/your solution?

Solutions previously offered - like broadening the tax base (only about 40% of properties shoulder the whole tax burden) and cutting education fads that have nothing to do with academic achievement - have passed by, along with opportunites to elect people not controlled by education insider interests, unfortunately.

Solak’s school board candidacy might  have been the last clear chance for any solution.

When was the last school tax decrease? Or are they just supposed to increase every year? How is that sustainable?

The school district’s budget serving maybe 5000 students is over $100 million, dwarfing the city’s budget serving about 35,000 residents. Is that normal, or is it nuts?

 

 

[The West Sider]

20 minutes ago, Solak Supporter said:

Solutions previously offered - like broadening the tax base (only about 40% of properties shoulder the whole tax burden) and cutting education fads that have nothing to do with academic achievement - have passed by, along with opportunites to elect people not controlled by education insider interests, unfortunately.

Solak’s school board candidacy might  have been the last clear chance for any solution.

When was the last school tax decrease? Or are they just supposed to increase every year? How is that sustainable?

The school district’s budget serving maybe 5000 students is over $100 million, dwarfing the city’s budget serving about 35,000 residents. Is that normal, or is it nuts?

 

 

I apologize if I wasn’t clear. I was referring to your/her suggestions regarding improving the academic achievement.

[Solak Supporter]

21 minutes ago, The West Sider said:

I apologize if I wasn’t clear. I was referring to your/her suggestions regarding improving the academic achievement.

Improved academic achievement will come by moving away from the school as social experimentation center model to one with intense focus on core learning skills like reading, writing, and calculating, as well as seeing to it students have basic working knowledge of history, geography, science, literature and art.

Solak campaigned on such a platform.

[ginger]

15 hours ago, The West Sider said:

Maybe you can be a literacy volunteer at one of the schools.

Lol. Good morning. 

I wouldn't want to expose some child to any instructions that might derail someone else's teaching.

Case in point..I  recall coming home from school telling my mother I was having a hard time with division. She showed me the short way. Mrs Mayor, my third grade teacher, did not appreciate it.

More recently, one of my nieces was having trouble with some very basic algebra. The steps she was given to solve these problems were insane... and did NOT produce the correct answer.

I might also add, I have spent time tutoring nurses in math. Amazingly, the one question I repeatedly get is...Why does big number have to go into the small number? Kind of important to know if you are learning to hang an IV. A few of those ladies were from non English speaking countries. 

I like teaching.  I'm good at it because I can come up with applicable, everyday scenarios where the information is relative. I wish I was a lady of leisure. I would volunteer in a heartbeat. 🙂

[2pelo Honey]

So, that’s the plan? Increase the millions thrown at schools, then depend on volunteers to teach kids?

SMH

[ginger]

It's not just City of Binghamton. Johnson City was at 31% ,Vestal 58%  Union Endicott 41%.

These numbers are lousy and it appears endemic throughout the county. 

Property tax payers are not getting what they pay for.

Btw.. it's my understanding these classrooms have teacher aides? Aides who get paid, belong to the union so they're getting benefits too? 

Are they not allowed to help with reading and math? It's been 2 decades since I've had a child in the public school system so I don't know what their role is.

 

 

 

[2pelo Honey]

I've been paying property taxes for decades and never had a kid in the system.

IMO, many of the parents aren't even responsible for rent, but they'll make sure they vote to get $$$$$$$. 

Ask about the bags of food that are sent home w/ kids for weekends. 

 

[motheragainstdrunkdriving]

The Catholic Schools in the area are disgusting. Relatives who had children at a local Catholic High school graduated, from the high school and couldn't even write  their names or do basic math.  Teachers should be evaluated before being hired. Hooey on the Union. 

[ndirish]

1 hour ago, motheragainstdrunkdriving said:

The Catholic Schools in the area are disgusting. Relatives who had children at a local Catholic High school graduated, from the high school and couldn't even write  their names or do basic math.  Teachers should be evaluated before being hired. Hooey on the Union. 

Yet 100% of them get accepted to college.  Hmmmmm......

[The West Sider]

Both my kids who are recent graduates from BCSD.  Both took IB/AP/honors classes, participated in clubs/sports, and graduated very high in their respective classes. One is now in college in the SUNY system and the other enrolled in a private university with a considerable scholarship because of their academic success.
 

Because they have been BCSD students until recently, I’ve been in and out of the schools for the last 20 or so years. The overwhelming majority of their teachers, guidance counselors, and principals have been outstanding. Some of the most dedicated, selfless, and compassionate people I’ve ever met. 

Being in my mid-50s and growing up here locally, I can confirm that without a doubt that society/education is significantly different and much more complicated then when I was in primary, middle, and/or HS. And from speaking with college professors/instructors that I know, this seems to be the case in higher education as well. 
 

My point of bringing up volunteering/mentoring is that my guess is that most of the people dumping on me here have not set foot in a school in 20-30 years. At the very least, mentoring and/or volunteering would give you some perspective. To be quite frank and at the risk of sounding downright rude, I’m pretty confident you have no idea what it’s like now. I probably would not have either if it wasn’t for having kids of my own.

[The West Sider]

On 5/12/2023 at 1:49 PM, motheragainstdrunkdriving said:

The Catholic Schools in the area are disgusting. Relatives who had children at a local Catholic High school graduated, from the high school and couldn't even write  their names or do basic math.  Teachers should be evaluated before being hired. Hooey on the Union. 

They are evaluated. Based on my understanding, they have to pass a significant numbers of tests before receiving a license. Some say that they are fairly rigorous/difficult.

Check out the teacher preparation programs. Most have have seen a significant reduction in the number of students enrolling in the schools of education. 

[OTR]

Windsor CSD is seeking to increase their budget by 11%. Their contingency budget - which apparently passes automatically if the proposed budget fails - increases spending by 10%.

I don't know about you guys, but I sure as hell didn't get an 11% raise last year.

[ginger]

Well I see their budget passed.

I'd rather pay for Irish dancing lessons. 

[Solak Supporter]

On 5/17/2023 at 11:38 AM, ginger said:

Well I see their budget passed.

I'd rather pay for Irish dancing lessons. 

Same old end to the same old story. Another year, another rip-off priced bill for taxpayers.

Unless your Irish dancers are female impersonators, or something like, really cool like that, you must hate children, or be racist, or transphobic, instead of like, something really cool.

[ginger]

14 hours ago, Solak Supporter said:

Same old end to the same old story. Another year, another rip-off priced bill for taxpayers.

Unless your Irish dancers are female impersonators, or something like, really cool like that, you must hate children, or be racist, or transphobic, instead of like, something really cool.

When I was in school, pretty much everyone was reading 2 grade levels above their grade. I don't know if it was fixed on those comp exams...I  lived in NYC at the time, but that's what results said when we brought home the numbers to our parents.

In fact our reading comp was so good we understood what the results meant...in 3rd or 4th grade. We cared about those numbers and so did our teachers.

[Solak Supporter]

3 hours ago, ginger said:

When I was in school, pretty much everyone was reading 2 grade levels above their grade. I don't know if it was fixed on those comp exams...I  lived in NYC at the time, but that's what results said when we brought home the numbers to our parents.

In fact our reading comp was so good we understood what the results meant...in 3rd or 4th grade. We cared about those numbers and so did our teachers.

My experience in Binghamton schools was similar.

But now everyone knows better. Having standards and setting high goals is racist, culturally imperialistic, mysoginist, transphobic, and most importantly not cool.

Female impersonators, anything goes bathrooms, unlimited racial grievances, adolescent climate phantasms, and super woke lifestyle choices are what really count, and most importantly, are really cool.