Public school teachers rarely comment on their profession, compensation & cultural issues

Did you ever notice that individual public school teachers rarely comment on their teaching profession, compensation and cultural issues?  You rarely hear them on local talk radio, in opinion letters, or local TV.  Why is that?.........Answer:  The public school teacher's career is totally guided and directed by onerous teacher's unions.  Teachers do not have the freedom to comment, suggest or speak out about the improvement of children's lives unless the union approves of it.  Give me examples to prove me wrong.  Vouchers and school competition are the answer for student, parent and teacher freedom.

Professor Chartock mentions the Soviet Union & NY State Government

Professor Chartock mentions the Soviet Union.  Try changing something in NY State and you also feel like you are in Soviet Russia.  NY State is 100 percent controlled by Union leaders.  Cuomo and legislative leaders will dance with Union leaders to give the impression that progress is being made, but the reality is that NY State is dead last in Economic Freedom and progress.  Why won't Cuomo get rid of the Tri-Borough Amendment which is a ridiculous Union Advantage, freezing previous contracts while negotiating the next contract? When the jobs, young people and population (minus 2 in House of Representatives) return to NY State, only then will you know that things are really improving.

Saugerties School Board Decreases budget $1 after NO VOTE - ARROGANCE OF POWER

As I understand it, the Saugerties School Board did not announce that the contingency budget would be only $1 less if the 2nd budget vote was defeated. The ARROGANCE of POWER of the Saugerties School Board is very obvious. To make hundreds of Saugerties residents go to the polls to defeat a budget and to reward that vote with a mere $1 decrease in spending damages voter's trust and discourages voters from coming out for future votes. How can school board members live with themselves? The school board could have instituted the $1 less budget after the first budget rejection vote, without requiring interested voters to take the time and effort to come out for a second budget vote. To Saugerties voters, get serious and call Saugerties School Board of Education at 845-247-6500 and demand an end to step raises in the next teacher's contract. They are NOT required by state mandate.

Kingston Area Public Access TV Channel 23 at the Carnegie Center

There is a golden opportunity to locate Kingston Area Public Access TV Channel 23 at the newly renovated Carnegie Learning Center. Kingston Public Access could either sublease space from the school district and/or the Center for Creative Studies or enter a joint TV operation with KHS-TV channel 20. If public access TV was located at the Carnegie Center, many local Kingston Area activities, live programs and Center for Creative Studies performances can be aired. This is an important opportunity.  We local school taxpayers should push for this. Call Crown Street (845-339-3000) and ask for the Superintendent.

Bad Teachers in NY State --- No remedy except for Wisconsin reform

With NY State teacher's unions, there is no mechanism for weeding out bad teachers. Maybe bad teachers can be talked to by principals, but that is as far as it goes. After teachers obtain tenure, the unions are in control and teachers cannot be dismissed for poor classroom performance. What is the solution? Have NY State copy the Wisconsin model where taxpayers and their elected officials are in control and not the teacher's unions. In Wisconsin's new collective bargaining law, teacher's unions can only negotiate wages (up to the rate of inflation), but they cannot negotiate WORK RULES. See the difference. Whoever controls work rules, controls the progress or lack of progress in school districts. Don't listen to our local politicians when they say, "we don't want to go as far as Wisconsin has in reforming schools".


If we listen to the truth, NY State can be great again.

No.1 Traits for new Kingston Superintendent --tough cost-cutter & union negotiator

The No.1 Traits for the new Kingston Schools Superintendent should be a tough cost-cutter, and teacher-union negotiator, who will deliver Zero Tax increases ever year for the next five years.  Unfortunately, the other board members are not thinking of the taxpayers and the local economy.  If you are not emphasizing the plight of the local taxpayers, you are guaranteeing that except for a select few, your high school graduates will never return to this area to live, work and raise a family.  Think about it!

Kingston & Saugerties Schools are failing. Please Complain!

We are really on the decks of the Titanic in NY State and in particular, the Kingston & Saugerties School Districts.  The violins are playing, the teacher's union continues to demand and get raises, pensions, all expense-paid benefits....WHILE graduation rates continue to fall (minus 4% in Kingston and minus 3% in Saugerties) and our young adults and college graduates continue to be unemployed and continue to leave Ulster County and NY State.  We are in the midst of a disaster, while our school officials continue painting a rosy picture and continue with policies which are harming both students and taxpayers.  What are we taxpayers and students to do?  Raise your voices, complain every day.  Make phone calls to Cahill, Lopez, school principals, school board members, every day.  This will work, if enough people complain to the people in power both locally and at the state level.  Please complain!