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Again not true, the only district with less than 1,000 students is Voorheesville. Shaker HS of North Colonie has more than 2,100 students. Guilderland HS has about 1,880 students. Bethlehem HS has a little more than 1,700 students. Clifton Park/Shenendehowa SD is one of the largest SD in suburban NYS with more than 2,800 students in its HS. Where as the Wheatley School has less than 800 students, Carle Place JHS/SHS has less than 710 students, and East Rockaway JHS/SHS has less than 620 students.
The difference with having a small SD in Albany County, such as Voorheesville, may be because towns in upstate NY are much more spread out than most towns on LI. Upstate NY has brutal, snowy winters. If Voorheesville and Bethlehem SD merged, it probably would be a nightmare to bus students from Voorheesville to Bethlehem HS during the winter. Unlike Voorheesville and Bethlehem, Carle Place and East Williston are both small towns less than a mile apart.
Speaking of districts with only 1-5K students, Garden City has only about 4,099 students total in its SD. Sachem SD would probably not be merged since its already a large district. But there is no reason why districts with less than 1,000 students in its high school should not merge.
Also if you think LI teachers salaries and pensions are high, you should look at the federal government jobs. They give higher pensions that anyone, which is why so many people want to work for the federal government during this economic crisis. State government jobs usually give high pensions to its employees as well. As a matter of fact, any government employee, whether or not it's state, federal, or contracted, gives higher pensions than most private sector employees. However, I don't know about county or local government employees.
First, Federal employees contribute WAY more (25%+) toward their pensions (and health care) than do local and school employees. So if we modeled school districts and our PD around the way the US gov't does it, we'd be okay and taxes would not go up nearly as much.
On Albany schools merging, bleh, you're just making excuses. Sounds like people in Albany have "Not In My School District Syndrome." The same challenges exist here for busing students miles away to other districts as does up there (minus the brutal feet of snow, but we still get harsh winters). Plus, you don't have the traffic that we have here. Weren't you the one that claimed traffic was so terrible on LI you couldn't even go out to lunch? Well then how do you expect districts to merge and transport hundreds of thousands of kids under those conditions?? It would be a mess.
So when Albany City Schools merge with the 4 surrounding districts, then maybe some of the smaller districts on LI will follow suit. sound fair?
First, Federal employees contribute WAY more (25%+) toward their pensions (and health care) than do local and school employees. So if we modeled school districts and our PD around the way the US gov't does it, we'd be okay and taxes would not go up nearly as much.
On Albany schools merging, bleh, you're just making excuses. Sounds like people in Albany have "Not In My School District Syndrome." The same challenges exist here for busing students miles away to other districts as does up there (minus the brutal feet of snow, but we still get harsh winters). Plus, you don't have the traffic that we have here. Weren't you the one that claimed traffic was so terrible on LI you couldn't even go out to lunch? Well then how do you expect districts to merge and transport hundreds of thousands of kids under those conditions?? It would be a mess.
So when Albany City Schools merge with the 4 surrounding districts, then maybe some of the smaller districts on LI will follow suit. sound fair?
or is this "do as I say, not as I do" type deal?
I only said it MAYBE Voorheesville and Bethlehem they don't merge because of distance and weather. Who knows why they aren't merged. Both SD have good reputations so I don't see why they can't merge as well. I was only suggesting it was because of their circumstances, not defending why they shouldn't merge.
Who really cares what Albany does about merging their school districts? I think you're forgetting that the city of Albany and Albany County are not our government, rather New York State is our government that just happens to be located in Albany. So maybe we should care about upstate districts merging only if the NYS government enforces it on them as well.
As for traffic, you're right. I said my mom couldn't go out to lunch anymore because of LI traffic. Yes, having to bus students a slightly longer distance to get to their high school may cause more traffic. IMO I'll take school bus traffic over high school taxes. Also merging districts doesn't necessarily mean that high schools will be merged, just that both schools will be overlooked by the same superintendent.
I forgot that federal and state government employees contribute more to their pension. So I agree, teachers should contribute more from their salaries rather than depending on local taxes. However, teachers may argue they need the high salary because it's so expensive to live on LI. While teachers make a good salary, they are by no means rich. If they had that salary and lived in Kansas that would be different story. Again, I'm not defending why teachers shouldn't contribute more from their salary to their pension, I'm just offering another point of view. Another option would be if teachers want to keep their higher salaries they need to take a lower pension. Sure they'll be uproar by the unions, but in the long run it may not be so bad because many retirees from LI end up moving to the sunbelt states where the cost of living is much cheaper. If they don't end up moving, well too bad they chose the higher salary.
This is off topic but being originally from LI and residing in Albany for two years (shows I'm bias toward Albany), upstate winters are way colder and more brutal than LI winters, even though Albany is only about 3 hours north. The difference on LI is we have more humidity so it makes our winters warmer, not that LI doesn't have its brutal cold days. I can drink iced coffee during the winter on LI because it feels so much warmer compared to upstate winters.
I only said it MAYBE Voorheesville and Bethlehem they don't merge because of distance and weather. Who knows why they aren't merged. Both SD have good reputations so I don't see why they can't merge as well. I was only suggesting it was because of their circumstances, not defending why they shouldn't merge.
Who really cares what Albany does about merging their school districts? I think you're forgetting that the city of Albany and Albany County are not our government, rather New York State is our government that just happens to be located in Albany. So maybe we should care about upstate districts merging only if the NYS government enforces it on them as well.
As for traffic, you're right. I said my mom couldn't go out to lunch anymore because of LI traffic. Yes, having to bus students a slightly longer distance to get to their high school may cause more traffic. IMO I'll take school bus traffic over high school taxes. Also merging districts doesn't necessarily mean that high schools will be merged, just that both schools will be overlooked by the same superintendent.
I forgot that federal and state government employees contribute more to their pension. So I agree, teachers should contribute more from their salaries rather than depending on local taxes. However, teachers may argue they need the high salary because it's so expensive to live on LI. While teachers make a good salary, they are by no means rich. If they had that salary and lived in Kansas that would be different story. Again, I'm not defending why teachers shouldn't contribute more from their salary to their pension, I'm just offering another point of view. Another option would be if teachers want to keep their higher salaries they need to take a lower pension. Sure they'll be uproar by the unions, but in the long run it may not be so bad because many retirees from LI end up moving to the sunbelt states where the cost of living is much cheaper. If they don't end up moving, well too bad they chose the higher salary.
This is off topic but being originally from LI and residing in Albany for two years (shows I'm bias toward Albany), upstate winters are way colder and more brutal than LI winters, even though Albany is only about 3 hours north. The difference on LI is we have more humidity so it makes our winters warmer, not that LI doesn't have its brutal cold days. I can drink iced coffee during the winter on LI because it feels so much warmer compared to upstate winters.
So how do the teachers in private schools live? (Don't waste your breath either because there's no shortage of them willing to work on LI.) They get "way too little" compared to the unionized public school teacher hogs.
You don't get how the high and might public sector unions on LI for public school teachers work. They do not want to give up ANYTHING, taxpayers and schoolchildren be d**ned. The cry is always for MORE, MORE, MORE. Two raises a year are not even enough.
True, inner city Albany schools are terrible. But then again most inner city SD are a mess. Having resided there for awhile, I know that Albany has many suburbs in its county. Most of the suburban SD (North Colonie, Bethlehem, Voorheesville, Guilderland) I've heard nothing but great things about it. Also neighboring Saratoga Springs SD in Saratoga County, Niskayuna SD, in Schenectady County and Clifton Park SD in Saratoga County are fantastic as well.
There are great school districts in other nearby counties, but we don't count/factor them in when discussing Suffolk or Nassau County Schools.
upstate winters are way colder and more brutal than LI winters, even though Albany is only about 3 hours north. The difference on LI is we have more humidity so it makes our winters warmer, not that LI doesn't have its brutal cold days. I can drink iced coffee during the winter on LI because it feels so much warmer compared to upstate winters.
Colder, but the air is dryer, making it not feel as cold (think of how dry heat doesn't feel as bad as humid heat. I am hanging out up north in 25 degrees working. It's far more pleasant than a damp 30 on LI
I spend a lot of time further north and higher up in VT during the winter as well as having spent a year (albeit one winter) in Albany. Albany might see more snow than LI, might see snow earlier and have more gray days, but to use brutal as an adjective for Albany winters?
Brutal is best reserved for the folks in Buffalo. Annoying might better applied to Albany.
Brutal is best reserved for the folks in Buffalo. Annoying might better applied to Albany.
Of course Buffalo and northern VT have worse winters than Albany. Albany is probably brutal for many people coming from LI or the south. When comparing Albany to Buffalo and northern VT, then Albany would just be classified as annoying.
I personally rather have humidity of LI in the winter because it makes me feel warmer, however I know people beg to differ and like the drier winters better like up north.
So how do the teachers in private schools live? (Don't waste your breath either because there's no shortage of them willing to work on LI.) They get "way too little" compared to the unionized public school teacher hogs.
I see what you're saying but I think of private school teachers as a different story. My uncle taught in private school on LI and he said most of the young teachers had a high turnover rate. They would get the first years of experience teaching in the private school and leave after a few years to get higher pay in public school. Other teachers spouses made enough money so they didn't need the higher salary of public school teacher. Other may not have minded the lower salary. Then again, this is not all private school teachers just what I've seen and heard.
I see what you're saying but I think of private school teachers as a different story. My uncle taught in private school on LI and he said most of the young teachers had a high turnover rate. They would get the first years of experience teaching in the private school and leave after a few years to get higher pay in public school. Other teachers spouses made enough money so they didn't need the higher salary of public school teacher. Other may not have minded the lower salary. Then again, this is not all private school teachers just what I've seen and heard.
#1: There are plenty of "old"/"career" private school teachers on LI.
#2: So why can't LI public school teachers get married to people that "make enough money?"
#3: Isn't it interesting that even though the private school teachers on LI are compensated shamefully low compared to public school teachers on LI, parents are willing to pay EXTRA money to send their kids to private school instead of public school? So WHO should really be making more money then? But that's the way the teachers' unions stack things up to artificially inflate the value of their members' labor at the taxpayers' expense.
#1: There are plenty of "old"/"career" private school teachers on li.
#2: So why can't li public school teachers get married to people that "make enough money?"time to return to the days of the underpaid single school teacher who retires when she marries? That, or the spinster school marm?
#3: Isn't it interesting that even though the private school teachers on li are compensated shamefully low compared to public school teachers on li, parents are willing to pay extra money to send their kids to private school instead of public school? So who should really be making more money then? But that's the way the teachers' unions stack things up to artificially inflate the value of their members' labor at the taxpayers' expense.
Yes Lynbrook divides the 2 districts (less than a mile) but that is no reason against combining since there would need to be busing. Actually, there is no reason why these 3 districts could not be combined, all are around 1-2 miles apart and are relatively small with simlar demograhics. Malverne and ER already share some sports at the HS level, yet all 3 have a superintendent with separate staffs and overhead. A good percentage of those 3 schools end up going to parochial high schools together, why should public schools be any different.
Granted there is a difference between public and private schools, but you can bus students to a private school miles away but you can't combine high schools a mile apart?
Why couldn't the students stay put but the adminstrative layers be consolidated? For instance the department chairs could be halved and the central adminstrators as well. That's 2.5 million right there. Bring in technology so that a sciencechairperson could communicate with her teachers in all buildings via Skyp (sp) or teleconference.
I would also consider West Hempstead in the consolidation.
It's about eliminating layers of management and streamlining operations-not moving students.
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Malverne-Lynbrook-West Hempstead consolidation
