The Oysterponds school board held a budget workshop Tuesday. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo)
The Oysterponds school board has adopted a $5.6 million budget carrying a 1.9 percent spending increase over the current year.
Tag: 2015 budget
Shoreham-Wading River School District Superintendent Steven Cohen. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo, file)
With reports trickling out of Albany that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reached a tentative deal with lawmakers over the state budget and education reforms, local educators are calling for an independent commission to help develop policy moving forward.
According to published reports, Mr. Cuomo has backed off his demand to tie 50 percent of teacher evaluations to state test scores — up from 20 percent — and instead will task the state education department with improving the way teachers are evaluated.
As part of the deal, teacher tenure would increase from three to four years and schools will see big increases in state aid. (more…)
Southold School District Superintendent David Gamberg. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo, file)
Southold School District Superintendent David Gamberg is criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to ratchet up the importance of student performance on state assessments when it comes to teacher evaluations.
He said it could devastate the faculty and, thus, the students of Southold.
The governor has proposed a teacher rating system that would base 50 percent of an instructor’s evaluation on student performance on state tests — an increase from the current 20 percent.
“If this plan were to become law, I will provide the board with direct, accurate evidence of [the teachers] who will get swept up — that should not get swept up — in this metric to the detriment of the students of Southold,” Mr. Gamberg said. “I think it would be the highest irresponsibility for our school district to just sit by and allow it to happen.”
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell. (Credit: Jen Nuzzo, file)
Speaking this summer about the dwindling size of the town’s police force, Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley said he was hopeful the town and its police union could hammer out a new contract for officers, paving the way for the department’s biggest hiring cycle in recent history.
If Town Supervisor Scott Russell’s $42.8 million proposed 2015 budget is any indication, the chief might just get his wish.