KL Board Buzz

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Bob D has let the cat out of the bag :-)

We have moved to California - still with IBM Research in our Almaden Lab.  I want to thank Don once again for creating this blog...and all the folks who have posted to the blog and all the readers.  I have enjoyed the interchange of ideas and all the arguments!

I wish the KL community the best of luck going forward.

Brent

Audit finds school district in strong financial shape

The Katonah-Lewisboro School District finished the fiscal year in good financial shape, according to a recent external audit.

At the school board meeting on Oct. 6, Domenick Consolo of O’Connor, Davies, Munns & Dobbins presented his company’s external audit of the district and said that it was “certainly a very positive year” for the district.

According to the audit, which is available on The Ledger’s Web site, “a moderate amount of unanticipated revenues and underexpenditures allowed the district to increase its unassigned fund balance” and return $2,254,012 to the taxpayers by factoring it into the budget.

via www.acorn-online.com

[posted by Brent]

Why merit pay for teachers sounds good — but isn’t - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

Although individual pay for performance (or merit pay) is a widespread practice among U.S. businesses, the research on its effectiveness shows it to be of limited utility (see here, here, here, and here), mostly because it is easy for its benefits to be swamped by unintended consequences.

Indeed, psychological research indicates that a focus on financial rewards may serve to (a) reduce intrinsic motivation, (b) heighten stress to the point that it impairs performance, and (c) promote a narrow focus reducing how well people do in all dimensions except the one being measured.

via www.washingtonpost.com

[posted by Brent]

Parents Ask K-L District to Clarify Wellness Policy: 'Let's Dial Back the Sugar' - Bedford-Katonah, NY Patch

A group of 15 parents from Katonah Elementary School loved the second grade teaching team’s policy of no birthday treats served in the classroom. They loved it so much they wrote to the third grade teachers to ask them to continue the practice.

When they were turned down, they approached the principal, Jessica Godin, saying there was an inconsistent application of the district’s wellness policy, which encourages healthy food to be served at school celebrations.

via bedford.patch.com

[posted by Brent]

Middle School Students Reach for Space

The Olde Towne Middle School Radio and Technology Club, KC5NXD (RTC) in Ridgeland, Mississippi set off on an adventure this year by launching a balloon into the near-space region of our atmosphere.

via www.arrl.org

[posted by Brent]

Tax Cap Threatens Town's Open-Space Acquisitions - Bedford-Katonah, NY Patch

On Tuesday, the board voted to hold public hearings Nov. 1 on a series of proposed local laws. The five proposed measures would either suspend the open-space surcharge for a year or reduce its 3 percent tax-bill bite. Under the proposed reductions, the surcharge next year would range from half a percent up to 2 percent, in half-percent increments.

Supervisor Lee V.A. Roberts, who is unopposed in her bid for re-election next month, urged a reduction in the surcharge but not its elimination, warning, “I think that would be the end of the open-space fund.”

Others, including her deputy supervisor, however, expressed support for scrapping the levy altogether in next year’s budget. “Regrettably,” Councilman Peter Chrysoss said, “I think we’re going to have to suspend the whole thing.”

via bedford.patch.com

[posted by Brent]

On Education - North Carolina Turns Its Best Students Into Good Teachers - NYTimes.com

The idea is simple: the state pays top academic students to attend a public college, and in return they spend at least four years teaching in a public school.

via www.nytimes.com

[posted by Brent]

A Push to Improve Teachers' Colleges - WSJ.com

The Obama administration announced a new $185 million competition Friday that would reward colleges for producing teachers whose students perform well on standardized tests.

The competition would require states to provide data linking collegiate teaching programs inside their borders to the test scores of their graduates' students. Under the proposal, to be eligible for the money, states would have to ratchet up teacher-licensing exams and close persistently low-performing teacher-training programs.

via online.wsj.com

Thanks to Bob Dixon for the link.
[posted by Brent]