by Deb Alter
Hoosick Falls Central School District is among the safest educational organizations in New York according to the Utica National Insurance Group.
[private]Hoosick Falls is among 131 school districts and BOCES in the state to receive a “2015 School Safety Excellence Award” from the insurance company (There are more than 700 schools in NY State). Business Administrator Pam Hatfield presented the award to the Board of Education during the May meeting.
District officials received the award from Utica National representatives during the company’s 35th annual school safety seminar in Saratoga Springs, NY. This is the third consecutive year the school district has been recognized for its safety efforts.
Utica National’s School Safety Excellence Award Program evaluates schools in several categories — from bullying prevention to playground safety — to help participating schools enhance overall safety.
Hoosick Falls received a titanium award, one of the highest safety ratings given. As part of the award, the district received a commemorative certificate and $500 for future safety enhancements.
“This award reflects our district’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for our students, staff and visitors to our schools,” said Superintendent Kenneth Facin. “I thank our staff for their ongoing support to ensure that safety is a priority in our schools.”
Utica National’s School Safety Excellence Award Program helps participating schools and BOCES enhance overall safety through measurable assessment. The program evaluates school districts, like HFCS, in several categories, from playground safety to indoor air quality, with specific, quantifiable data-gathering surveys.
State Testing
A Board member asked about the testing opt-out movement across the state. Facin said that HFCS is within the 95% compliance requirements and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, Patrick Dailey, said Hoosick Falls experienced about a 17.8% opt-out rate for the state mandated ELA and math tests earlier this spring. Downstate, there were rates as high as 80% or more, and in the North Country, many districts had 0%. School Boards, superintendents and educators are imploring the NY State Board of Regents to listen to the people in the field, to let them help guide the number and kinds of tests that students should take, and how the data from them can best be used to help schools improve. As of now, the tests and the regimen have been determined without any input from any working educators.
There was more discussion about testing when Dailey told the Board that HFCS had been chosen through a random selection process to field-test three tests for the Pearson Company and the State. These tests are in addition to the field test questions already imbedded in the six days of Math and ELA testing that students are mandated by the State to take. When asked if it was a good thing or a bad thing, the consensus among the Board members, Facin, and Dailey was that since there are already so many tests kids have to take, these additional tests just added to the stress on the students, and they also take needed time away from teaching, learning, and preparing for final and Regents exams. Other schools throughout the state were also chosen to field-test exams in a variety of subjects. HFCS gave the field tests for math, global studies, and seventh grade writing.
Superintendent Facin spoke about the stresses and adversity that students face in and out of school today, from changing family structures, to too many tests, to pressure from social media, and more. He noted that things like this often make it more difficult for kids to learn. The District has been taking a pro-active stance toward these pressures through programs aimed at wellness and emotional development. A staff training day was held on May 22 to teach teachers and staff techniques to promote these goals. Blue Cross-Blue Shield of New York is so impressed with the District’s innovative focus on wellness of both body and mind that they will be featuring Hoosick Falls CSD in an upcoming business review. They were in the building filming, photographing, and interviewing on Thursday, May 21.
The District website will be relaunched this summer and will be more user friendly. Students have worked with business and computer teacher Leah Jachym and the website company to learn the programs necessary to build and run the site, so it has been a real student-teacher, project-based learning experience.
Laura Pushee and Brian VanArsdale were congratulated on being elected co-presidents of the Hoosick Falls Teachers Association. Contract negotiations are ongoing.
The Board discussed the outlook for the goals of the Capital Project that had been defeated in a vote earlier this year. There was a very low turnout then and it was defeated by a very small margin, and everyone agreed that better promotion of a new one would be necessary. Since the solar and pellet projects are already under way and no longer need be part of the proposal, the Superintendent and the Board will have to figure out the scope of the new Capital Project proposal.
There is still SMART money from the state, which might pay for something that would otherwise be in the Capital Project. It was suggested that it was possible to invest less in the bus garage, but the asbestos and other safety issues must be addressed, as well as bathrooms and other infrastructure concerns. Modernizing and maximizing use of the facilities is a main target for the Capital Project. The Facilities Committee will get together and bring its ideas and suggestions back to the Board for direction at the next School Board meeting, which will be on Thursday, June 18 at 7 pm.[/private]